Thomas Jefferson Papers

Thomas Jefferson to John Vaughan, 31 August 1809

To John Vaughan

Monticello Aug. 31. 09.

Dear Sir

Your favors of the 19th & 20th instant are both recieved and I thank you for the Prospectus of mr Humboldt’s work, which I had not seen before. I now return you his letter and the Prospectus de vases antiques which promises a splendid addition to the arts. Baron Humboldt’s work is voluminous & expensive, but it will add much new & valuable information to several branches of science. I have recieved one part of it and have some others on their way. one part has unfortunately miscarried, & is that which I should have valued most, on the geography of plants.  I thank you for your kind offers of service. I have had too many proofs of your friendly attentions to doubt of them, & have used them heretofore too freely not to give you apprehensions of similar trouble hereafter whenever occasion shall arise. I salute you with great esteem & respect.

Th: Jefferson

P.S. can you inform me whether the instrument called the Distiller’s syphon is to be had in Philadelphia, and what one sufficient to work in a cistern of 8. feet cube would cost? I believe they are usually made of tin. the machine I mean is described in the 3d. vol. of the Scientific dialogues pa. 195. Pl. IV. 29.

PoC (MHi); above postscript: “J. Vaughan esq.”; endorsed by TJ. Enclosures: see Vaughan to TJ, 19 Aug. 1809.

geography of plants: Alexander von Humboldt, Tableaux de la Nature (Paris, 1808; Sowerby, description begins E. Millicent Sowerby, comp., Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson, 1952–59, 5 vols. description ends no. 646). Jeremiah Joyce was the author of the scientific dialogues (note to TJ to Joseph Milligan, 7 July 1809).

Index Entries

  • American Philosophical Society; librarian of search
  • antiquities; and vases search
  • distiller’s syphon search
  • household articles; distiller’s syphon search
  • Humboldt, Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander, Baron von; Nivellement barométrique search
  • Humboldt, Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander, Baron von; Tableaux de la Nature search
  • Humboldt, Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander, Baron von; TJ praises scientific writings of search
  • Humboldt, Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander, Baron von; Voyage aux régions équinoxiales du nouveau continent search
  • Institut de France; and work on ancient vases search
  • Joyce, Jeremiah; Scientific Dialogues, intended for the Instruction and Entertainment of Young People search
  • machines; distiller’s syphon search
  • Maisonneuve, Dubois, ed.; Peintures des Vases Antiques search
  • Nivellement barométrique (Humboldt) search
  • Peintures des Vases Antiques (ed. Maisonneuve) search
  • Scientific Dialogues, intended for the Instruction and Entertainment of Young People (J. Joyce); TJ cites search
  • Tableaux de la Nature (Humboldt) search
  • Vaughan, John; letters to search
  • Vaughan, John; librarian of American Philosophical Society search
  • Voyage aux régions équinoxiales du nouveau continent (Humboldt) search