will be very
valuable. I have lately examined a foot-bass newly invented here, by
the celebrated Krumfoltz. It is precisely a piano-forte, about ten feet
long, eighteen inches broad, and nine inches deep. It is of one octave
only, from fa to fa. The part where the keys are, projects at the side
in order to lengthen the levers of the keys. It is placed on the floor,
and the harpsichord or other piano-forte is set over it, the foot
acting in concert on that, while the fingers play on this. There are
three unison chords to every note, of strong brass wire, and the lowest
have wire wrapped on them as the lowest in the piano-forte. The chords
give a fine, clear, deep tone, almost like the pipe of an organ. Have
they connected you with our mint? My friend Monroe promised me he would
take care for you in that, or perhaps the establishment of that at New
York may have been incompatible with your residence in Philadelphia. A
person here has invented a method of coining the French ecu of six
livres, so as to strike both faces and the edge at one stroke, and
makes a coin as beautiful as a medal. No country has ever yet produced
such a coin. They are made cheaper, too. As yet, he has only made a few
to show the perfection of his manner. I am endeavoring to procure one
to send to Congress as a model for their coinage. They will consider
whether, on establishing a new mint, it will be worth while to buy his
machines, if he will furnish them. A dislocation of my right wrist,
which happened to me about a month after the date of my last letter to
you, has disabled me from writing three months. I do it now in pain,
and only in cases of necessity, or of strong inclination, having as yet
no other use of my hand. I put under your cover a letter from my
daughter to her friend. She joins me in respects to your good mother,
to Mrs. Hopkinson and yourself, to whom I proffer assurances of the
esteem with which I am, dear Sir, your sincere friend and servant.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY DR. FRANKLIN.

PARIS, December 23, 1786.

DEAR SIR,--I have received your favor of October 8, but the volume of
transactions mentioned to come with it, did not; but I had received one
from Mr. Hopkinson. You also mention the diplomas it covered for other
persons, and some order of the society relative to myself, which I
supposed were omitted by accident, and will come by some other
conveyance. So far as relates to myself, whatever the order was, I beg
leave to