I have not written to you before because I have had nothing important to communicate. My affairs here will take up more Time than was expected, for my antagonists are so confounded at my Presence that they come forward very reluctantly, and they seem inclined to take every advantage of delay to put off the Moment of their shame. I have in 2 Instances recovered some Money that was but little to Depended upon, and I believe in general I shall do at least as well as I expected when I arrived.

I have gone through the Operation of making the soap and by taking Notes throughout the whole, I have a tolerable Idea of both Theory and Practice, but I will not venture to say I understand it perfectly ’till after I have made some alone: Aunt Mecom will soon send you the Recipe, and the soap is ready to be sent to you by the first Vessel.

As you permitted me to show your Marine Manuscript to Mr. Boudoin I sent it to him some days since and he has desired me to tell you it afforded him great Pleasure and he shall be happy to present it to our Academy if you will allow it. For my own Part I wish much to see it in Print, but I shall take no Liberty, not even to have it read at the Accademy, without your express Permission. Mr. Boudoin desired me to send you the inclosed Account of a dissolvent for the stone, but I suppose it will not be new to you.

A new Genius has appeared among us, A Mr. Allen of Bedford in this state professes to be able to make salt Water fresh in any Quantitys, and in about 70 Minutes Time, this he is to do by machinery. Mr. West a Clergyman who is said to be a Man of Science, has been with him to the sea side and there saw the Operation, I have tasted some of the Water said to have been so separated from its salt, and it tastes as well as any Water whatever. This Mr. Allen is said to be a poor illiterate Man; but being at sea on (I believe) a whaleing Voyage a Water spout came so near to the Vessell that by the stern it discharged a great Quantity of Water on the Deck, which he was surprised to find quite fresh: this gave him the first Idea, and now he says he can, by making artificial Water spouts, make salt Water fresh, and have the double advantage of supplying ships from alongside, and on shore of making salt with great Rapidity. Whether these are realy the Man Principles, or whether they are only given out to amuse People while he makes his Price for the Discovery, I cannot determine; but at any Rate, it seems proper neither to discourage the Pursuit, not to be too Credulous as to the Event, till it is established by fair Experiment.

I did not bring with me Doctor Jeffries Memoire, if you have done with it, I shall be obliged if you will send it to me by the first private Hand. I should like also to have the Manuscripts relative to stoves and smoaking Chimneys. It will be too great a Tax on my Friend Benjamin to desire him to copy them, but he will do me a kindness if he will get them Copied, and I will with Pleasure reimburse the Expence. It is very surprising that nothing has been received from B. Vaughan about the Books for Franklin Library; I am afraid he has forgotten them and that they lay neglected in his store, I hope he will not let them travel to the West Indies as a Case of Books of yours once did. They were marked with my Fathers Name, and the Case was sent to Mr. Vaughan the Day before I left London.

I shall draw upon you as soon as I can for the Balance of our Cash Account, so this Letter may do for the Letter of Advice. The Balance was 28 14s. 5d. Sterling. If I had not paid this for you I should have brought it in Money, so I ought not to take the Advantage of the high Exchange, but receive it at the Price of Guineas, which will amount to £47 Pound Pensylvania Currency, but it will cost me 1 Per Cent to negociate it, and my Bill will be for £47 10s. which please to honour when it appears. I have receivd Billys kind Letter with the Bills returned in it for which my Friend is much obliged to him. Please to desire him to tell Capt. Truxtun that I wrote to him fully from Princetown, but as my Letter seems to have miscarried I will now write him again. I beg to be remembred most affectionately to all the Family and am as ever with the most respectfull affection Your dutiful Kinsman