
          Troy. Nov. 22d. 1819

Dear friend,

I never heard that M. [Nessen?] was making
a book. He wrote to me a very polite and urgen request.,
that I would send him the geology of the mineral. I verily
thought that you and Mr. N. [?] like Dickenson, Robbins,
Dalaby and I, that is, that you pursue your enqueries to
gather and no one would deprive the other of his just due. You
may rest assured I will never aid my [mortal?] to your disadvantage
knowingly. Perhaps I was rather stupid, that I had
not suspected something; as he wrote me he had analyzed
the mineral minutely. And I believe I did think [added: or suspect] he intended to publish
something; though I could not have dreamed of his doing you injustice.

You ought always to remember exactly what I am 
good for, and never look [light?] of it. I am [added: a] pre-eminent
simpleton, or rather simplifyer. I can bring down the
labors of the learned to the curiousities of illiterate boys
and girls as well as any can. I can even do pretty well
as a lecturer before the learned. But I do not aspire
at any thing original; excepting in the geology of
this country. On this point I am vain of my industry
and success. Every discovery of yours or others, which
comes to my knowledge, I immediately communicate to others
for their benefit as well as mine. I have the reputation
of liberality with respect to the labor of others and I know I deserve it. But you are never to expect much of that kind
of research, which will authorize  me to say, " this is new."
I do not like to correspond with any Europeanm excepting
the geologists. Here I feel strong and here only. I will
send you any thing in my favor to aid you in your correspondence 
there; and you may pin me on your
sleeve when you think proper.

I will send you and COl Gibbs a few (for I have but
a few) crystals of what "I shall say sulphate of strontium,
if I were not afraid to, from oss Island in Lake
Erie, two miles west of Put-in-Bay. W.A. Bird, a
member of our Lyceum found these crystals in a carbonate
of lime rock, or rather a rock of Shell-limestone.

I bein to believe I never saw the [Hippresis?]. I have generally called
the Celosa so, and some other things.
        