
          Answered

Charleston 5 August 1852

My dear Sir,

Your letter of June 1st has been 
received, with Lundgren's order enclosed by yourself.
It is all right, and I desire the money to remain in
your hands until I decide what use to make of it. I shall
remain at home this summer, and therefore shall not want
it myself in New York, but most probably shall transfer
the order to Kent the Chemist 116 John Street, with whom
I deal, and who I believe has now but a few dollards balance
in his hands to my credit, or rather to that of the College of
Charleston. Additions and improvements have been made to
the College Building, and a Museum of Nat. [Natural] History established, 
and I have in consequence been induced to improve my recitation 
[added: room] by constructing cases for the display of the Philos. [Philosophical] Apparatus.
I have been obliged therefore to divert a portion of the annual 
appropriation for current expenses of laboratory, purchase of additional 
apparatus &c., to the construction of these cases, and I, or 
rather this department of the College, is [added: in consequence] rather short of funds, and 
this said $50 will be I am afraid all that I can put in Kents
hands, unless I advance myself, as I have been obliged to to
somewhat for the improvements. However I need not trouble you 
with these matters.

I thank you for the invitation to your house, which

[cross writing]
I read by the papers someone in New York, I think, works telegraph 
lines, without a battery. What does he use, one of Saxton's magneto-electric
machines?

Playfairs lecture in the last number of Silliman's journal,
gives some mention of the artificial production of oil of pecans, pineapples, bitter
almonds &c. Can you tell me where I can find a more detailed account
of the processes, so that I may repeat some of them. How is the essence of banana
prepared? Mapes I think condemned them all as poisonous;
is that so?
        