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Petersburgh 14th Sept OS 1780.
The making of the circumferential part of wheels of
one piece bent round for which Viny had a patent has been
practised time out of mind in the interiour parts of Russia
and Poland. There is not a wheel of a Peasants cart
but what is made in this manner. I took care to see
the process. Pieces of 3 1/2 inches are bent to a circle
of between 3 & 4 feet diamr though quite straight before.
Mirrors Burning
You m mention Brydone's speaking of burning mirrors
being used as fire arms. I have no great opinion of the
use they would be of against an enemy who has fire arms
and the modern conveniencies of war alm universal in
civilized countries; but during my excursion to the Southward
I have thought that such implements might
make the sun serve for culinary purposes, and thereby
render wood for fuel unnecessary, the scarceness of which is
the chief impediment to the peopling & cultivation
of the immense deserts beyond the Duieper. I think
I could make the Sun boil the pot without any
attendance, although it wont stand still for me.
He raised about motion makes it difficult to
deal with, but I think I could fit it.
You know I have long ago been inclined to class it
among my prima mobilia.
Copying Invention.
At the time I received your letter about it I had some Galls
lying on the table which I had procured a fortnight before
with an intention of making the experiment. I had
intended it that should this not succede to have tried green and
white vitriol. You will see therefore that I had not
to "wonder" at my not thinking of the means.
why did It was from Dr Solander that I heard
before I left England of a mans having invented a
contrivance for taking an exact copy of a sheet of
writing in an instant, and I then immediately thought
of these means of doing it. Professor Therber of Mittan
telling me that a man was getting a patent for
this invention put me upon trying the experiment.
I have not as yet turned it to any use as I
have irons enough in the fire without this: I may
perhaps bye and bye. Make Anderson have one
of his ten shilling pressing machines made for you.
Wilson's & Fontana's packets to London & Denmark
I left with Hanbury at Hambourg to forward by Shipping.
Wilson's to Epinar I have delivered soon after my arrival
also to Zuler in short all to Petersbourg.
Winslow's letters to Holbeik at Copenhagen I have
now sent by the post.
Mears's book I wrote to Lindegreen about immediately
in receipt of your first letter about it. It was Lindegreen who
was charged with it to deliver to Mears. I hope he has long
ago done it.
The Dr Lind who is gone to the E. Indies had one of these species
set in a ring. I cant say much for the beauty of it, but he
made a raree shew of it by hating it with a red hot poker
and then shewing its repellent property.
The Nephew of the Captain Griffiths with whom Ld Howe had
so singular and honourable a dispute and also is dead, is
a lieutenant in the navy was onboard the Formidable at
the time of Thappel's engagement but was too ill to be out
of bed at that time or to go at the cruise after. We
lodged together at Plymouth and were very much
He had served a good deal in America and seemed to
possess the honourable and amiable as well as the gallant
qualities of his Uncle. I hope he is his heir also.
You ask me whose the Docks are in this country?
If by Docks you mean (according to the true import of the words)
places for the reception of Ships to be repaired or built so that
they may float in and out of them, such are only at
Cranstadt. As to places for building Ships. Wherever there
is depth enough of water for navigation and hard shore
next solid enough to support such weights, ships may be
built. If But most probably you want to know whose in what part of
this country Ships and those Ships of war are actually
building at point or have lately been built lately.
In Cranstadt there is one just now built of 66 guns, but
there are no more building here. At Petersbourg there
are always 3 or 4 Ships building and where they stand usually
unfinished and uncovered except with tarpaulins alias sailcloth tarred. till they almost rot. Here they
are built of oak. At Archangel there are always
2 or 3 Ships building but there is no oak there, they
are built therefore of the best sort of fir. At Togourog
which is near Asoff there are 10 or 12 frigates and
sloops built a 1,000 versts up the river Don or rather
on the river Chaper which empties into the Don. These
are almost in condition unfit for service and all
marine operations seem to be stopt there in that part
of the black sea and d transferred to the new
town of Chyerson where the fame of its importance drew
me in my late excursion. I found however every thing in
its infancy or the greatest part rather in embryo.
One ship only of 64 guns and all that only in its Skeleton
state was all that as yet got any thing of the figure of
a Ship, besides the work of this was so badly done and
had stood in that state so long that it was a doubt whether
it could be made to serve or no. Two other keels were
preparing, timber was coming in brought some from
Poland by way of the Duieper other past a great distance
by land, men as many as they could get were just set
to work and every body was full of the great Ships about
to be done there. 3 Ships of the line a year and sheds
for the covering of 32 frigates included were ordered to
be built. There were also 5 or 6 frigates lying below the
bar quite dismantled and in a state scarcely reparable.
At Waronitz in the Czar Peter's time there were
docks something like those at Cranstadt but now totally
abandoned. At Astrachan they have built & prepared 3 frigates 8 sloops
and one bomb vessel. These are waiting only for the Commander to
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Identifier: | JB/539/096/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 539.
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1780-10-18 |
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539 |
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096 |
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001 |
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Correspondence |
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Samuel Bentham |
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