★ Keep up to date with the latest news - subscribe to the Transcribe Bentham newsletter; Find a new page to transcribe in our list of Untranscribed Manuscripts
I cannot think that her Majesty from the extraordinary
encouragement she gives in so many other ways for
the Introduction of improvements of all kinds would
refuse such a species of encouragement as this.
What I wish then is to beg of you, Sir, that in case you
do not disapprove of my introducing such an improvement
into this Country But you would be so kind as to ask
if I might have such a Patent or Priviledge. Though
I shall do all I can in preparation yet I think it will
be most prudent to wait your answer before I put it up.
In case of my being able to obtain such a Patent it might
be proper that I should return as soon as possible to
Petersbourg as it is probable her Majesty might wish
to have such Machines erected in different Parts of the
Dominions where she is making her improvements &
where there are buildings of any kind going forward, &
I could receive her Orders for that Purpose, go &
the Construction of the Machines, & at the same time you
satisfy the great curiosity I have to be better acquainted
with this Country. All the Particular cases to which
the said Machine may be put, it cannot be necessary
to enumerate: neither would I trouble you Sir,
with so an uninteresting a detail. It may be more
useful in the construction of Ships & all kinds of small Vessels than even for
building on land as more bouancy is former required
in the former. All the Work is short which is in'd
to be done by the Instruments which a Carpenter
call planes, of what kind may be done more
expeditiously, & with more accuracy by the Machine
in Question: Mouldings in the form of Arches as
well as straight. The General Description of
it then is, a Machine to be Work'd by Slaves,
Wind, Water or whatever other force the Circumstances
of the Place render most eligible & for the
doing of all sorts of planing work much more accurately
& expeditiously than it could be done by hand.
If I go from here to Tabolak or whatever
I make I shall return to the Environs of Catherineberg
(if not to this place) where I shall
wait for the favour of an answer to this Letter.
I beg it may be directed to the care of General
Lamb as inclos'd in his cover I am
Sir
PS Mr Carew I suppose will be
setting out on his ramble I should
be happy to have a line or two to
know something of his motions.
|
Identifier: | JB/539/189/002 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 539.
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
1781-05-18 |
|||
|
539 |
|||
|
189 |
|||
|
002 |
|||
|
Correspondence |
|||
|
"James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury" |
|||