P:S: A Mr Hall advertized last summer in Virginia that he could make 500 bushs Salt a day by a new plan which has never yet been made public but seem’d to be approved of by the Editors of the Intelligencer. I Know not his principles but the advertisement led me to conjecture and to form my plan of evaporating the water by the force of Winslow Lewis’ Patent (convex) Glasses the power of which may be encreased to almost any extent—say to fire a house in a very quick time: or by Concave Mirrors (if to be obtaind) the force or power of the latter I learnt in the year 1805 at Hamburgh in the worthy professor Ebelings Library; having some Cases of Books from my old friend the Rev. Mr Bentley for the Professor he invited me to visit the Library and in his private room where stood the Statue of the immortal Klopstock was also a Concave Mirror of (as near as I recollect) 18 to 24 inches diameter, which he told me was an ancient Roman Glass, the power of which he said would set on fire a Ship in a Short time; I turn’d its face to the sun and soon felt the effect in my eyes; the professor hastily threw it back observing that ’twas a dangerous thing to trifle with where materials were not fire proof.—I little thought then or since ’til now that ’twould be of service to me, but it is so, and since my two plans of encreasing the power of the Sun by the effect of Glasses—John Hogg Esqr Jus: Pac: of Wilmington, whose study and pleasure seems to be old & new inventions, in conversation explained to me a very speedy method of evaporation by steam on Count Rumford’s plan of boiling water in a large vessel by means of Steam from a smaller; it struck me very forcibly and I am confident will answer an important object altho’ I have not yet proved it—I mean in making fine Salt, as coarse cannot be made except by slow evaporation.—Therefore should Mr Hall’s plan interfere with mine or more properly mine with his, as his is first I shall endeavour to obtain a Patent for one of my three methods, to wit, Convex Glasses. Concave Mirrors or boiling by steam and have no doubt that I shall succeed for my interest, altho’ ’twas foreign to my ideas of ever supporting or enriching myself by making Salt instead of doing it as a Shipmaster & Super Cargo.—

I sometimes Sir, wonder for what I was made,—Saltmakers must at any rate owe me gratitude and the public must pay me for it so long as Salt is used and this will ever be; I therefore am confident in saying that I am not a useless member of Society.—And with respect and esteem again subscribe Your very hble & Ob. Servt

PS. Judge Story who has read these Letters tells me the reason of my not receiving an answer to the first, must be Sir, from Your extensive correspondence and your advanced age.—