ringing their fish into the Mediterranean.
France is opening her ports for their oil, but in the meanwhile, their
ancient debts are pressing them, and they have nothing to pay with. The
Massachusetts Assembly, too, in their zeal for paying their public
debt, had laid a tax too heavy to be paid in the circumstances of their
State. The Indians seem disposed, too, to make war on us. These
complicated causes, determined Congress to increase their forces to two
thousand men. The latter was the sole object avowed, yet the former
entered for something into the measure. However, I am satisfied the
good sense of the people is the strongest army our government can ever
have, and that it will not fail them. The commercial convention at
Annapolis, was not full enough to do business. They found, too, their
appointments too narrow, being confined to the article of commerce.
They have proposed a meeting in Philadelphia in May, and that it may be
authorized to propose amendments of whatever is defective in the
federal constitution.

When I was in England, I formed a portable copying press, on the
principles of the large one they make here, for copying letters. I had
a model made there, and it has answered perfectly. A workman here has
made several from that model. The itinerant temper of your court will,
I think, render one of these useful to you. You must, therefore, do me
the favor to accept of one. I have it now in readiness, and shall send
it by the way of Bayonne, to the care of Mr. Alexander there, unless
Don Miguel de Lardizabal can carry it with him.

My hand admonishes me it is time to stop, and that I must defer writing
to Mr. Barclay till to-morrow.

I have the honor to be, with sentiments of the highest esteem and
respect, dear Sir, your most obedient, and most humble servant.

TO MR. VAUGHAN.

PARIS, December 29, 1786.

SIR,--When I had the honor of seeing you in London, you were so kind as
to permit me to trouble you sometimes with my letters, and particularly
on the subject of mathematical or philosophical instruments. Such a
correspondence will be too agreeable to me, and at the same time, too
useful, not to avail myself of your permission. It has been an opinion
pretty generally received among philosophers, that the atmosphere of
America is more humid than that of Europe. Monsieur de Buffon makes
this hypothesis one of the two pillars whereon he builds his system of
the degeneracy of animals in America.