University of Virginia Library

TO THOMAS JEFFERSON.

Dear Sir,—My last was of March 18, since which I have been
favored with yours of the 8 and 9th of Feby. Bancroft's application
in favour of Paridise inclosed in the latter shall be attended
to as far as the case will admit; though I see not how any relief
can be obtained. If Mr. P stands on the list of foreign creditors
his agent here may probably convert his Securities into money without
any very great loss, as they rest on good funds, and the principal
is in a course of payment. If he stands on the domestic list as I
presume he does, the interest only is provided for, and since the
postponement of the taxes even that cannot be negociated without
a discount of 10 per Ct., at least The principal cannot be turned
into cash without sinking 3/4 of its amount.

Your notes[63] having got into print in France will inevitably be
translated back & published in that form, not only in England but
in America, unless you give out the original. I think therefore you
owe it not only to yourself, but to the place you occupy & the subjects
you have handled, to take this precaution. To say nothing
of the injury which will certainly result to the diction from a translation
first into French & then back into English, the ideas
themselves may possibly be so perverted as to lose their propriety.
The books which you have been so good as to ford to me are so
well assorted to my wishes that no suggestions are necessary as to
your future purchases. A copy of the old edition of the Encyclopedia
is desirable for ye reasons you mention, but as I should
gratify my desire in this particular at the expense of something else

which I can less dispense with, I must content myself with the new
Edition for the present. The watch I bought in Philada. though
a pretty good one, is probably so far inferior to those of which you
have a sample, that I cannot refuse your kind offer to procure me
one of the same sort; and I am fancying to myself so many little
gratifications from the pedometer that I cannot forego that addition.
The inscription for the Statue is liable to Houdon's criticism,
and is in every respect inferior to the substitute which you have
copied into your letter.[64] I am apprehensive notwithstanding that
no change can be effected. The Assembly will want some proper
ground for resuming the matter. The devices for the other side
of the pedestal are well chosen, and might I should suppose be applied
without scruple as decorations of the artist. I counted myself
on the addition of proper ornaments, and am persuaded that
such a liberty could give offence nowhere. The execution of your
hints with regard to the[65] Marquis &Rochambeau would be no less
pleasing to me than to you. I think with you also that the setting
up the busts of our own worthies would not be doing more honour
to them than to ourselves. I foresee however the difficulty of overcoming
the popular objection against every measure which involves
expence, particularly where the importance of the measure will be
felt by a few only; and an unsuccessful attempt would be worse
than no attempt. I have heard nothing as to the Capitol. I mentioned
to you in my last that I had written to the Attorney on the
subject. I shall have an opportunity shortly of touching on it
again to him.

A great many changes have taken place in the late elections.
The principal acquisitions are Col. G. Mason who I am told was
pressed into the service at the instigation of Genl Washington,

Genl Nelson, Mann. Page. In Albemarle both the old ones declined
the task. Their successors are George & Jno. Nicholas.
Col. Carter was again an unsuccessful candidate. I have not heard
how Mr. Harrison has shaped his course. It was expected that
he would stand in a very awkward relation both to Charles City &
to Surrey, and would probably succeed in neither. Monroe lost
his election in King George by 6 votes. Mercer did his by the
same number in Stafford. Neither of them were present, or they
would no doubt have both been elected. Col. Bland is also to be
among us. Among the many good things which may be expected
from Col. Mason we may reckon perhaps an effort to review our
Constitution. The loss of the Port bill will certainly be one condition
on which we are to receive his valuable assistance. I am
not without fears also concerning his federal ideas. The last time
I saw him he seemed to have come about a good deal towards the
policy of giving Congs the management of Trade. But he has been
led so far out of the right way, that a thorough return can scarcely
be hoped for. On all the other great points, the Revised Code, the
Assize bill, taxation, paper money, &c., his abilities will be inestimable.
Most if not all the States except Maryld, have appointed
deputies for the proposed Convention at Annapolis. The refusal
of Maryland to appoint proceeded as I am informed by Mr. Dan
Carroll, from a mistaken notion, that the measure would derogate
from the authority of Congress, and interfere with the Revenue
system of April 1783, which they have lately recom̃ended anew
to the States. There is certainly no such interference, and instead
of lessening the authority of Congress, the object of the Convention
is to extend it over commerce. I have no doubt that on a
reconsideration of the matter it will be viewed in a different light.
The internal situation of this State is growing worse & worse. Our
specie has vanished. The people are again plunged in debt to the
Merchants, and these circumstances added to the fall of Tobo.
in Europe & a probable combination among its chief purchasers
here, have reduced that article to 20s. The price of Corn is in
many parts of the Country, at 20s. and upwards per barrl. In this
part it is not more that 15s. Our Spring has been a cool & latterly
a dry one, of course it is a backward one. The first day of april
was the most remarkable ever experienced in this climate. It
snowed & hailed the whole day in a storm from N. E., and the
Thermr stood at 4 o'C. P. M. at 26°. If the snow had fallen in the
usual way it would have been 8 or 10 inches deep at least, but consisting
of small hard globules mixed with small hail, & lying on
the ground so compact & firm as to bear a man, it was less than
half of that depth. We hear from Kentucky that the inhabitants
are still at variance with their savage neighbours. In a late skirmish
several were lost on both sides. On that of the whites Col.
W. Christian is mentioned. It is said the scheme of independence
is growing unpopular since the Act of our Assembly has brought
the question fully before them. Your Nephew, D Carr, has been
some time at the Academy in Prince Edward. The President,
Mr. Smith, speaks favorably of him.

With the sincerest affection, I remain, Dr Sir your friend &
servant.

P. S. I have taken measures for securing the Paccan nuts &
the seed of the Sugar Tree. Are there no other things here
which would be acceptable on a like account? You will withhold
from me a real pleasure if you do not favor me with your commands
freely. Perhaps some of our animal curiosities would enable
you to gratify particular characters of merit. I can without difficulty
get the skins of all our com̃on and of some of our rarer quadrupeds,
and can have them stuffed if desired. It is possible, also,
that I may be able to send some of them alive. I lately had on
hand a female opossum with 7 young ones, which I intended to
have reared for the purpose partly of experiments myself and
partly of being able to forward some of them to you in case of an
opporty, and your desiring it. Unfortunately they have all died.
But I find they can be got at any time almost in the Spring of the
year, and if the season be too far advanced now, they may certainly
be had earlier in the next Spring. I observe that in your
notes you number the fallow & Roe-deer among the native quadrupeds
of America. As Buffon had admitted the fact, it was
whether true or erroneous, a good argument no doubt against him.
But I am persuaded they are not natives of the new continent.
Buffon mentions the Chevruil in particular as abounding in
Louisiana. I have enquired of several credible persons who have

traversed the Western woods extensively and quite down to New
Orleans, all of whom affirm that no other than our common deer
are any where seen. Nor can I find any written evidence to the
contrary that deserves notice. You have I believe justly considered
our Monax as the Marmotte of Europe. I have lately
had an opportunity of examining a female one with some attention.
Its weight, after it had lost a good deal of blood, was 5 1/2 lbs.
Its dimensions, shape, teeth, and structure within as far as I could
judge corresponded in substance with the description given by
D'Aubenton. In sundry minute circumstances a precise correspondence
was also observable. The principal variations were 1,
in the face, which was shorter in the Monax than in the proportions
of the Marmotte, and was less arched about the root of the
nose. 2, in the feet, each of the forefeet having a fifth nail, about
1/3 of an inch long growing out of the inward side of the heel, without
any visible toe. From this particular it would seem to be the
Marmotte of Poland, called the Bobac, rather than the Alpine
Marmotte. 3, in the teats, which were 8 only. The marmottein
Buffon had 10. 4th., in several circumstances of its robe; particularly
of that of the belly, which consisted of a short coarse thin
hair, whereas this part of Buffon's marmotte was covered with a
thicker fur than the back, &c. A very material circumstance in
the comparison remains to be ascertained. The European Marmotte
is in the class of those which are dormant during the winter.
No person here of whom I have enquired can decide whether this
be a quality of the Monax. I infer that it is of the dormant class
not only from its similitude to the Marmotte in other respects, but
from the sensible coldness of the Monax I examined, compared
with the human body, altho the vital heat of quadrupeds is said in
general to be greater than that of man. This inferiority of heat
being a characteristic of animals which become torpid from cold,
I should consider it as deciding the quality of ye. Monax in this
respect, were it not that the subject of my examination, tho it remained
alive several days in my hands was so crippled and apparently
dying the whole time that its actual heat could not fairly be
taken for the degree of its natural heat. If it had recovered I had
intended to have made a trial with the Thermometer. I now propose
to have if I can one of their habitations discovered during
the summer, and to open it on some cold day next winter. This
will fix the matter. There is another circumstance which belongs
to a full comparison of the two animals. The Marmotte of Europe
is said to be an inhabitant of the upper region of mountains only.
Whether our Monax be confined to mountainous situations or not
I have not yet learnt. If it be not found as a permanent inhabitant
of the level Country, it certainly descends occasionally into
the plains which are in the neighborhood of mountains. I also
compared a few days ago one of our moles (male) with the male
one described in Buffon. It weighed 2oz 11 pents. Its length the
end of its snout to the root of the tail was 5 inch 3 lines, English
measure. That described in Buffon was not weighed I believe.
Its length was 5 inch french measure. The external and internal
correspondence seemed to be too exact for distinct species.
There was a difference nevertheless in two circumstances, one of
which is not unworthy of notice, and the other of material consequence
in the comparison. The first difference was in the tail,
that of the mole here being 10 1/2 English lines only in the length,
and naked, whereas that of Buffon's mole was 14 French lines in
length and covered with hair. If the hair was included in the
latter measure, the difference in the length ought scarcely to be
noted. The second difference lay in the teeth. The mole in Buffon
had 44. That which I examined had but 33. One of those
on the left side of the upper Jaw, and next to the principal cutters,
was so small as to be scarcely visible to the natural eye, and had
no corresponding tooth on the opposite side. Supposing this defect
of a corresponding tooth to be accidental, a difference of ten
teeth still remains. If these circumstances should not be thought
to invalidate the identity of species, the mole will stand as an exception
to the Theory which supposes no animal to be common to
the two Continents, which cannot bear the cold of the region
where they join; since according to Buffon this species of mole is
not found "dans les climats froids ou la terre est gelée pendant
la plus grande partie de l'annèe," and it cannot be suspected of
such a Journey during a short summer as would head the sea which
separates the two Continents. I suspect that several of our quadrupeds
which are not peculiar to the new Continent will be found
to be exceptions to this Theory, if the mole should not. The
Marmotte itself, is not an animal taken notice of very far to the North,
and as it moves slowly, and is deprived of its locomotive powers
altogether by cold cannot be supposed to have travelled the road
which leads from the old to the New World. It is perhaps questionable
whether any of the dormant animals, if any such be really
com̃on to Europe & America, can have emigrated from one to the
other. I have thought that the cuts of the Quadrupeds in Buffon,
if arranged in frames, would make both an agreeable and instructive
piece of wall furniture. What would be about the cost of them
in such a form? I suppose they are not to be had coloured to the
life, and would besides be too costly. What is the price of Buffon's
birds, colored?

Your letter of 28 October has never come to hand.