From Benjamin Franklin to Matthew Maty, 1 July 1773
To Matthew Maty2
ALS (letterbook draft): American Philosophical Society
Craven street, July 1. 1773
Sir,
Our ingenious and worthy Brother Mr. Walsh, having long had an Intention of drawing up from his Minutes a full Account of the numerous Experiments he made on the Torpedo, which Intention his other Avocations have not permitted him to execute, it is but lately that I have obtain’d his Permission to lay before the Society what he had in the meantime been pleased to communicate to me on that very curious and interesting Subject, or I should sooner have put it into your Hands for that purpose: I wish you may now have time to read them before the Recess.3 With great Esteem, I am, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant
B Franklin
Dr Maty, Secry. to the Royal Society.
2. The secretary of the Royal Society and, since 1772, the principal librarian of the British Museum. DNB.
3. BF unquestionably enclosed the following document, perhaps in rougher form than the published text that we print, and it was supposedly read the same day before the Royal Society: Phil. Trans., LXIII (1773–74), part 2, 461.