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Blacking. I have got some english blacking therefor
if you have not sent me any you need not.
Key of Trunk. I wonder if you have remembered to send it.
The name of the Padlock you have told me but there is another
lock which has a key.
There is so much to be seen here that I absolutely
wish I had not come at all as my stay must
be so very short. I have had too many recommendations
for the short time I have to stay
for it takes up all my time to eat & drink with
people, and yet there was no knowing before hand
who could be most usefull to me.
Thursday Septr 16th.
Now I will give you a short Journal partly from
recollection and partly from the notes which I make.
This day sennight Thursday the 9th in the evening I arrived.
Fryday I spent in delivering letters and sent a letter to you
in the evening I dined at the Ordinary at my Inn where there
were 2 or 3 german ladies from Bremen who lodge here also.
Supper I believe I eat none.
Saturday 11 I have told you I spent at Mr Munster's
country house. It cost me 10 Gelders for the hire of the
chaise for the day. It had 2 wheels and 2 horses, rope harness
and was shaped like our single horse chaises. I had a beast
of a fellow to sit with me to drive me. We went at the
rate of more than 6 miles an hour.
Sunday 12 I went to the Romish church and delivered
my letter to Mr Henderson in the morning, dined at the
Ordinary & supped at Mr Melvil's. There was Mr
Wilkinson of the house of Pye, Rich, & Wilkinson, Mr Elliot
an english Merchant and a Mr Nicolson a Minister of
Presbyterian Parson who gave us a long and devout grace
before & after our supper but perhaps if he were to shorten it
he might get more suppers to eat for the company seemed
to be very much ennuiè till it was over. Keppel
and Palliser was the chief subject of our conversation and the Parson
had a good deal to say for himself. I was however the Oracle
and had a good deal to say for myself also. My Sentiments
upon that matter coincide excedingly well with what seem
to be generally entertained here so that by furnishing them
with some facts which came under my own observation I had
it in my power to flatter their discernment.
Monday 13 I received a letter from Mr Munster offering any
services in his power &c &c and inclosing one to a Mr Lerade a
friend of his by which he desires this Mr Lerade to introduce me
to a Mr Engelbrown a great chemist or to assist me
in any other manner in his power. I dine with this Mr Lerade
on Fryday and see Engelbrown. I dined at the Ordinary
went to a Mr May's brother to the May to whom I had a
letter from Henniker. The 2 brothers are sons of a man
who was Builder of the public dock yard here for may
years and is dead only since January last. He succeded
my name sake of whom I have heard Sr Chas Douglas
speak so highly. I let them know that Sr Jesh Yorke
told me he would have given me a letter to them if I
had not told him of my having one already. The brother
to whom my letter was directed and whom Sr Jesh: repre:
The Change here does not appear so large as
that of London but I dare to say there are sometimes
nearly four times as many people on it.
I went a Sunday morning to the Romish Curch which
is in the middle of the Jews Quartier for the sake of
hearing the musick which did not appear very extraordi
Though I had often seen Mass performed in France
yet I had never been in such a situations as to
be able to observe the whole process of God flesh
making the great care they take of swallowing every
morsel of it when it is made. I had never before
I don't recollect that I ever before saw a Pulpit rise
up a trap door in the floor of the altar, but I think the
effect would have been much better if the Priest had risen
up in it. I wonder they never go about to act the
Ascension, a little contrivance would make it easy enough
Some say there are 57,000 Jews here others that there
are near 80,000. They are not supposed to be so
rich as they were. It is the Jews who have always th
earliest intelligence.
Mr May has given me two exceding good drafts of the present dutch man of w
this is a great prize.
Thur
:sented as a man from whom I should get much informa
has been too ill since I have been here to see anybody
but is now getting better and I hope to see him in a day or two
This Mr May is concerned in Shipbuilding himself. He gave
me a good account of the Shipwrights of this part of the
world most of which are formed into a Company called
Noah's company. They constitute a very extraordinary body
of people and of great weight in the city on account of
their number which perhaps may amount to 5 or 6,000 and
the perfect unanimity with which they pursue anything
they take into their head. He told me also several
Anecdotes of my name sake who I find was the greatest
man they have had in the Shipbuilding business and at
the same time a man respect universally respected.
I supped that dayevening evening at Mr Henderson's.
He will try all he can to get me admittance into the
public dock yards but I much fear that neither he
nor any of any body else will be able to do it. The orders
are excedingly strict and more so owing to a dutch man
h having been refused admittance into our dock yards.
Tuesday 14th I went onboard the immense frigate built here
for the french but Sr Josh Yorke has I believe stopt her
going to sea so that she is now almost unrigged again.
The English have would buy her but they ask too much.
The dimensions of this Ship agree with those of the great
Ship which schwede Schwede spoke of. I dined with at Mr Wilkinson's
in company with a Dr Charles who has been English
Minister here for these 40 years. He gave me a great
many Anecdotes which yield about Bentham the
London-Builder here, Adml Shriver & Ld Anson.
Septr 17th Fryday
I am just come now from Mr May's the one whom I had not
seen before I have got so much ps from him, and from what I have
seen to day of the Caminels that I can give you no more, as I determined to
send you this by tonight's post. I have received no letter from England.
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Identifier: | JB/538/378/002 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 538.
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1779-09-18 |
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538 |
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378 |
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002 |
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Correspondence |
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Samuel Bentham |
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