curable. The Grand Seignior is dead; his successor, young and
warlike. I congratulate you sincerely on the success of your bridge.
I was sure of it before from theory: yet one likes to be assured from
practice also. I am anxious to see how Mr. Rumsey's experiment succeeds.

May the 21st. I have this moment received a letter from Ledyard, dated
Cairo, November the 15th. He therein says, 'I am doing up my baggage,
and most curious baggage it is, and I leave Cairo in two or three days.
I travel from hence southwest, about three hundred leagues, to a
black King: there my present conductors leave me to my fate. Beyond, I
suppose, I go alone. I expect to hit the continent across, between
the parallels of twelve and twenty degrees north latitude. I shall,
if possible, write you from the kingdom of this black gentleman.' This
seems to contradict the story of his having died at Cairo, in January,
as he was then, probably, in the interior parts of Africa. If Sir Joseph
Banks has no news from him later than the letter of September, it may
do him pleasure, if you will communicate the above. If he or any other
person knows whether there is any foundation for the story of his
death, I will thank you to inform me of it. My letter being to go off
to-morrow, I shall only add assurances of the esteem and respect, with
which I am, Dear Sir, your friend and servant,

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER CCIV.--TO MONSIEUR DE ST. ETIENNE, June 3, 1789

TO MONSIEUR DE ST. ETIENNE.

Paris, June 3, 1789.

Sir,

After you quitted us yesterday evening, we continued our conversation
(Monsieur de la Fayette, Mr. Short, and myself) on the subject of the
difficulties which environ you. The desirable object being to secure
the good which the King has offered, and to avoid the ill which seems to
threaten, an idea was suggested, which appearing to make an impression
on Monsieur de la Fayette, I was encouraged to pursue it on my return
to Paris, to put it into form, and now to send it to you and him. It is
this; that the King, in a _seance royale_, should come forward with
a Charter of Rights in his hand, to be signed by himself and by every
member of the three orders. This charter to contain the five great
points which the _Resultat_ of December offered on the part of the King;
the abolition of pecuniary privileges offered by the privileged orders,
and the adoption of the national debt, and a grant of the sum of money
asked from the nation. This last