From John Whitehurst
ALS: American Philosophical Society
Derby 18th Mar: 1763
Dear Sir
It was a matter of great Joy to me, to see an
Account in the public papers of your safe Arrival in North America;
where I hope you found your family and friends all well.
I sincerly congratulate you Sir, on Mr.
Franklins Appointment to the Government of New-Jersey, where I hope
he and his Lady are safely arrived.
The bearer Mr. Tunicliff, is a farmer of good
Credit, from this neighbourhood. He has lived many years at
Langley, a Vilage four Miles from hence. He visits North America
with a Veiw of Purchasing two or three thousand Acres of
uncultivated land, and bringing his family over to Settle there,
having too great a Spirit to comply with the terms which farmers in
general are now oblig’d to comply with at this time in England.
Viz. of occup[y]ing lands at the Will of the Lord. And therefore is
determined to take up his aboad in a Land of greater liberty, and
to situate himself so, as to carry on some Trade with the
Indians.
In the execution of this plan, I hope Sir, you
will be so kind to give my friend and neighbour a little Advice. He
is esteem’d an excellent Farmer, and very Active in business:
hence, cannot fail of making a Valuable member of Society. I took
the liberty of consulting the Governor on this occation before he
left England, in regard to the probability of suceeding in such a
Scheme, and he gave great incouragement to undertake it.
Doctor Darwin and Mr. Tissington send
Complements, are both well. The Doctor I hope will be able to
entertain you with some discoverys on Cold next winter.
The Parliament has Mr. Harri[s]ons
improvem[en]t of Measureing equal time at Sea under their
Consideration, and I imagin will give him a hansom reward. And the
King has orderd this improvement to be made known to all his
foreign Minesters. I suppose with some View of procuring a reward
from those several Courts for Mr. Harrison, as well as making the
discovery of General Use. This account Taylor White gives me.
Ferments amongest the In’s, and out’s, I think
subside apace. The King is determin’d to persevere in every legal
step that can be taken for the general good and benefit of his
Subjects. Should we live but one seven years, I expect to see a
great reformation in the Management of Public affairs.
My Wife desires to joyne me in our most
affectionate respects and I am Dear Sir, Your most obedient Humble
Servant
p.s. With this I [enclose?] you a short
sketch of a General Theory of the Earth for your approbation. Pray
sir, do you, [keep] a journal of heat and cold. I imagin I cou’d
derive some advantageous discoverys from general observations of
this kind with respect to a more general theory of the earth. But
Im afraid tis not to be brought about. If any thing of this sort is
done amongest Your acquaintance in North America I should be
extremely obligd to you for a Coppy and in return will send you an
application of more observations in a general theory.
Addressed: To / Benj: Franklin, Esqr / at / Philadelphia
[Enclosure]
Sir
I here take the liberty of presenting you with
a few hints, relative to a general theory, or natural history of
the earth: principally calculated to prove that fossell shells were
originally the offspring of the sea.
The period of time since the Deity created the Constituent parts of the Earth, and
brought them into Contact: appears too unlimited and Void of
Natural evidence, to admit of a Philosophical solution. And
therefore nothing can be deduced from the Antiquity of the Earth in
aid of a General Theory.
But the figure of the earth being truly
ascertain’d and proved beyond all contradiction to be an oblate
spheroid; is a circumstance highly favorable for the establishment
of a general theory: for from this fact alone, and its agreement
with the general laws of Nature; many other essential truths are
derived, as I presume, will appear, by the following
Investigations, and will also plainly shew, that there is no other
point or Datum from whence a general theory, or history of the
Earth can truly flow.
Hence it was impossible, for men of the most
extensive genius, to write a Consistant Theory, before our Great
Philosopher had reveald those Axoims to the World.
Prop. 1st.
According to the universal law of gravitation,
the constituent particles of all bodys mutually Attract each other;
and therefore produce in themselves a Common center of gravity,
which governs and regulates the whole, so as to cause all such as
are fluid and at rest to become Spherical.
Gravitation, being a fundamental law of Nature;
by which all Matter is equally and Universally govern’d: And there
being no other law, or principle in Nature, from whence bodys can
become spherical: it is therefore manifest, that all Spherical
bodys must have been in a state of fluidity and rest, tho’ they are
firm, and solid, in their present state.
Prop: 2d
The constituent particles of all bodys which
turn round their own axis, acquire a Centrifugal force in
proportion to their Velocities, and therefore as their distances
are to each other, from their axis or center of Motion: so is their
Velocities, and so is their Centrifugal force.
Hence, it is manifest, that the equilibrium of
Gravitation is destroy’d in all revolving bodys. And therefore such
as turn their own Axis in a state of fluidity, must become
Spheroidical, and in a certain Ratio, according to their Periodical
rotations.
From whence I conclude that since there is no
other law or principle in nature from whence bodys can become
Spheroidical it therefore follows; that all Spheroidical bodys must
have turn’d round their own Axis in a state of fluidity, tho they
are firm and Solid in their present state.
Now since the Equatorial diameter of the Earth,
exceeds her Polar, in a certain Ratio according to the period of
her diurnal rotation it is therefore evident, that she turn’d round
her own Axis in a state of fluidity, tho’ she is firm and solid in
her present state. And that the period of her rotation, has
suffer’d no change or variation, from thence to the present period
of time; but has agreeable to the Immutable laws of nature perfom’d
equal rotations in equal times, thro’ all Ages of the World to the
present period.
This chain of evidence Sir, appears to give as
full and clear a testimony of the Earths having been in a fluid
state, as any Physical Solution can well be suppos’d to do. Hence I
consider the Fluidity of the Earth as a fact, and shall now inquire
what effects that fluidity wou’d produce.
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