Editor’s Note pg 325Editor’s Note2769To Sir Samuel Bentham6–8 May 1821 (Aet 73)

I. 6th. May. J.B's eyes.        No. 16

Ameliorating. Former occulist at a stand and a new one has taken them in hand. There's rhyme and reason for you. He promises a complete cure.

Lawrence returned—but has not yet got all his bills in—Bowring not yet returned but expected every day.

II. Portugal. I am contriving to have the plunderage of it, I mean that you shall have: for if ever I do a wicked thing it is always for you. Yesterday I had a Portugueze with me² I treated him with virtuous apples. With virtuous non pareilles. He turned up his nose at them; and said they were nothing in comparison with those of his own country in certain places, but that if they came hither at all, it must be by way of Oporto. I suppose you have scarce any communication between that port and the ports of Restinclieres. Instead of, or in addition to, plants I will try for stones pips etc. T'other day I happened to open an old Portugueze Romance intituled 'Astro de Lusitania',³ the Book opened at the following passage

'Leu-se a Carta dirigida pelo Exc. Senhor José da Silva Carvalho ao Sr. Sepulveda, e que acompanhava a remessa das obras com que o illustre J—B—, brindava ao Augusto Congresso. O. Sr. Sarmento opinou, que em altenção ao Illustre Jurisconsulto se Fizesse na acta honrrosa menção, em excepção da regra.

O Sr Moura, convindo, foi de parecer, que a Regencia mandasse traduzir em Portuguez aquellas obras. O Sr. Magalhães, que a copia da acta fosse remettida pela misma via ao Patriarcha dos Constitucionaes. As Cortes assimo decidirao.'

III. May 8th. 1821

Dear Sir,

We have received your No. 18 yesterday,⁴ by which we learnt that our No. 13 had miscarried.⁵ Having the different heads of the paragraphs of that letter in a memorandum book I hereby transcribe them.

pg 326J.B. to S.B. 13 April. No. 13

I right facienda by S.B. as per Lawrence. Bill of Lading enclosed.

II. J.B. to S.B. Ultra-expectation charges and savings, general intimations. Hammond to write letter of explanation. Expectation of another ship for carrying remainders whether to stop at Cette or go on to Marseilles to be determined by signals.

III. Berry Lodge land. S.B. to say whether he will accept the £2.15.

IV. J.B. eyes. Original copy or extract of Goodrich's by six on Tuesday.

We have sent to Goodrich an extract of yr No. 18, where you accede to the proposal for selling the Berry Lodge land.

As to the Bourbon family you have been dreaming there was not one word said about it in No. 13 and J.B. has never said any thing about it in any of his letters; or to have meddled with French Politics. He sent a little while ago copies of his Restrictive Pamphlet to the Duc de Richlieu, Comte Garnier and De Lessert all of which have been delivered. I trusted this to the boy:⁶ and you see what a mess he has made of it.

J.B. has got another bill of Lading which Goodrich sent him, but Mr. Lawrence said it was necessary to keep it here for the insurance.

Mr. Hammond has got every thing ready: WEL⁷ dines here tomorrow and J.B. expects he will bring drawings of the different things Mr. H. has purchased. I forgot to mention there was no letter enclosed from Mr. H. in No. 13.

Piano Forte Makers. J.B. remembers Kirkman, formerly to have made very famous Harpsichords, till they went out of fashion and he then took to making Piano Fortes, and the present Kirkman is of the same establishment and with 5 or 6 more is upon a par with Broadwood,⁸ this conception of J.B.'s is confirmed by Mr. Bingham who knows all about those things

                                      yr obedt Servt R Doane

IV 8 May 1821. Lawrence to J.B. Copy.⁹

'The papers from C. Hammond are this moment received, and I send them herewith. He wishes it to be explained to Sir S.B. that he pg 327was not employed in the business till so late a period, that an accumulation of things were to be sought and shipped in the course of a few days, such as in the usual course would have occupied months, and that as the making of the pumps arose out of an inability to find fit ones ready made, they were not set about untill time had elapsed in the search. He has retained duplicates of the papers for the purpose of reference in case of correspondence respecting future arrangements.'

Mr. Hammonds communication, containing five quarto sheets of Drawings and Remarks, accompany this.

I could not find time or eyes for putting paragraph titles to this letter: though eyes are fast mending

V. (Copy)                                                25 Avril 1821

Mon cher père,

Je vous ecris cette lettre de Paris, où je suis arrivé hier, après un heureux voyage. Vous voyez que mon départ a été un peu retardé, presque de jour en jour, mais je n'ai pas la place de vous donner des details; ce sera pour la prochaine lettre, que je ne tarderai pas à vous envoyez—Il y a long tems que je ne vous ai rien ecrit: ce n'est pas qu'il me manquait de la matiere, mais il y a bien près d'un mois que je devais partir incessamment de Montpellier, par consequent pour diminuer le post, je n'ai pas voulu pas ecrire avant mon arrivée ici. J'aurai encore de quoi remplir deux longues lettres pour ramener le journal à la date de la présente. Je vous les enverrai de suite.

J'apprends par vos deux lettres à M. Say, qu'il a eu l'extreme complaisance de me communiquer, qu'il est décidé que j'irai passer quelque tems à Caen. Je suis bien convaincu que vous avez formé cette determination après avoir bien pesé le pour et le contre: et c'est certainment vous êtes le plus capable d'en juger. Cependant malgré le suspect que je dois à M. Lowe,¹⁰ et les bontés qu'il a pour moi je ne vous cache pas, que je suis faché d'aller chez lui en revenant de chez M. Bentham, et cela principalement parce que je vois bien que cela fait de la peine à toute la famille. Ne croyez pas qu'ils soient guidés par l'amour-propre, mais leur plus grand desir était toujours que je revinsse chez vous aussitôt que je les eusse quittés pour que vous puissiez juger des instructions qu'ils ont eu la bonté de me donner, et savoir si leurs idées cadrent avec les vôtres. Ce n'est pas le sentiment d'un seul d'entre eux mais de toute la famille et je ne puis que me feliciter qu'ils n'aient pas su d'abord que je devais aller ailleurs que chez vous après les avoir quittés: car s'ils l'avaient su je suis persuadé pg 328qu'ils ne se seraient jamais donnés tant de peine pour mon instruction.—Je ne puis plus ecrire: croyez que je serai toujours,

                                    votre dévoué et obéissant fils

                                        J. S. Mill

J.B. to S.B. For you it is to say whether this about the frigate is serious or a hoax, I have not taken cognizance of it.

Tuesday 8th. Eyes much mended, not without some hope of even a perfect cure.

Traveller May 3. 1821.—Extract

VI.                        'New American Frigate

Extract of a letter from a Gentleman in Baltimore dated Nov. 24. 1820

In my last I promised to give you some account of the new frigate building at Boston, which I have lately visited. I can now therefore, describe with the accuracy of a personal inspector. There is nothing remarkable in her size, except in the prodigious and unwieldy strength of her sides and masts, and she ranks among the first class of American frigates which are equal to British 64 gun ships. The mainmast which is now strongly hooped and clasped with iron, is of remarkable strength, and has attached to it the principal weight of the defensive machinery which renders her so formidable. She has 3 steam engines on board. Two are employed in propelling her in light winds and calms and the third of 60 horse power is exclusively used for wielding her battering apparatus attached to the main mast etc. This consists first of a series of large iron bars or clubs, moving perpendicularly on joints arranged about the centre of the ship, on each side of the mast and when in action they are raised alternately, and like as many gigantic flails beat with tremendous and increasing force upon whatever object they are directed against. They are intended for close quarters and when they are made to descend upon an enemy's vessel, they must beat to pieces every thing they strike—men, rigging and even decks of the enemy. By converting a perpendicular into an horizontal motion one of them attached to the mizen mast is made to play in that direction and as it is jointed and very long it must make dreadful havoc among the men, being armed with lances and jagged hooks calculated to cut or tear. In the event of its encountering a mast or standing post, its joints yield and set it free. An engine something resembling the catapult of the Ancients is constructed on the starboard bow of such amazing power that it can throw large stones of 200 weight to the pg 329distance of 2 or 3,000 yards when the whole force of the engine is employed. It is also calculated for discharging hot water, pitch, and melted lead. An apparatus is constructed likewise for setting the pitch on fire which is discharged flaming on the enemy's vessel. The old practice of red hot sand is likewise in preparation and when scattered among the men must have a powerful effect. All this time it must be observed, there are not half a dozen men on deck; 2 at the wheel are protected by a redoubt, 2 or 3 superintend the necessary movements of the catapult and about 3 more at other parts of the vessel, the rest are working the great guns in the lower and middle deck, or attending the engines. The vulnerable parts are defended with double strength of timber and in some places faced with steel. The decks are bomb proof and it is pretty well ascertained that with the help of her steam paddles she is impregnable except by boarding—To defend against this 100 crooked irons and the like number of spears at each side are in readiness to be worked by machinery which would in two minutes annihilate the crews of half a dozen large frigates besides this as most of our men are not exposed on the decks, she can shower down melted pitch and hot sand on the boarders and a moveable wheel is propelled in every direction armed with knives and saws which will tear in pieces any person against whom it is moved. I have not heard yet what is to be the name of this infernal but surely, if it is to agree with her description, she is worthy no other than what I could give her viz—"The Devil" (Sailors Magazine)'.