Manasseh Cutler Papers

Ipsw. Aug 10th - 91 My Dear Sir, [written in pencil] memorandum of letter sent to Dr. H. Muhlenberg [end written in pencil] I have [crossed out] I [end crossed out] had the pleasure of receiving your kind favor of the 11th of Apr. with Matrelled Amer. and Species for which I most sincerely thank you. [crossed out] A variety of interrupt prevented me from writing immediately [end crossed out] My avocation in the first part of Summer were such as rendered it impracticable for me to attend at all to botany, and wishing to furnish [inserted] you [end inserted] with a greater number of species of our go after than I had by me. I delayed putting [inserted] a [end inserted] very species untill some of our grapes were in bloom. Nov is it now in my power to send you so many as I could wish - Such have been my engagements that I have had time only to give some of the species a cursory view, scarcely sufficient to form an opinion myself to what genus they belonged. Approved of ye Book he sent me - acknowledge that I had not examined his [?species?] - but would do it - wished him to give some act- about them promise to write to him and find [indecipherable] [indecipherable] 7 classes - Mentioned letters coming [?W.?] [indecipherable] but packets to come by water - ye Amount of ye [indecipherable] of his last - Asked him to inform me how he ascertained ye qualitites of plants Mentioned my going to Philad- in Nov - Sent him [?Lowel?] [underlined] [?Eulogriun?] [end underlined]

[margin] Oct. [sideways] Letter to Dr. Muhlerberg Aug 10 791

18. To Sunday Accts.... 2ce... 520 13,, 11,, 9 28. To ditto 21e 2ce ...521 1,,5 1. To Benja. Bagnall ..... 525 1,, 1A 4. To Sunday Accts.... 2ce.... 527 31,, 2,, 2 7. To ditto.... 3ce ... 524 19,, 6.6 14. To Benj. Bagnall 525 1n1Au 20. To Lerd [?] Becknap ....... 526 , 7 25. To Sunday acct. .... 2ce ... 527 1,, 2,, 2 29. To ditto......2ce..528 1,, 2

[illegible] you a [crossed out] plant [end crossed out] free of [illegible]. I have found to be an Hudsonia [illegible]. I suppose is [illegible] play you [illegilbe] [crossed out] no do you [illegible] whether I was to have from my house [end crossed out] [crossed out] described from other way [end crossed out]. I have carefully examined the [?hem. W?].

The Hudsonia of [illegible]. I shall [crossed out] enclose [end crossed out] send you some in [?valles?] Sand bind, from the circumstance of it is being found only on seashore in a loose sand, subject to be blown about by the wind but was found by the plant. (Vide [?Sechme?] Loft. 10 March 93)

Not find the general [?CW?] to accord with any of the genera of dodecane monog[crossed out]y[end crossed out] in the Gen. plant. I minuted its [illegible] as follows

Dodecaneria monogynia

Cal. Perianthium 3 phyllum cylindarium, foliolis oblongis erechis, (apies oblongo, bi-vel-bri-dentuto) marginaltero obvalvens marginem alterius, [illegilbe], persitem.

Cor--Petala quinque, oblongives cula, integra? longitudine calycis, [?receptaeulo?] floris inserta.

Stam. Filamenta heduim ad [illegible], filisormia, vise longitudine calycis, Anth. sebrotanda.

Pett. Germen superum, ovathem, [?subnigoreem?], [?brisaleathem?], Stylis cylindrius longitudine staminum. Stigma obtusum.

Per. Capsula oblongus-ovala, brigona, unilocularis [?brivasuris?]

Sem. deco, fria,[? subrotunds?]

Some time after [crossed out] happening to see [end crossed out] looking over the [?Menlifsa?], in the Library of the University at Cambridge, I happened to find, in page 11 of the following [illegible] [?Audsonia with Textraeted?].

Cal. Periaxthium triphyllum cylindrioum, orepatulo [?foliohis?] lanecola = tin, [illegible] obtufis.

Cor. Mella.

Stam. Filamenta 15 capillaria calyce breviore. Anther & [illegible].

Pett. Germens ovathem . Stylus [?filisormis?] longitudine ealycis. stigma obtusum.

Per. Capsula cylindrica calyce dimidio brevior, [?unilocularis?] [?trivaluis?]

Sem. tria, hine [illegible] inde angulata. In [illegible] P. Lin. [?quies?] of Species -- Hudsoniaver [?oricorides?].

Hab. [illegible]--Frutest faeie [illegible]. Ramuli [?siliforme?] [?sparsi?], inbrieats foleis [?scelulato?] [?acerosin?], suirsatis, tenallis [illegible] = = bui incanis, [?unde gnafi?] [illegible] germmis foliaceis, [?quavltirm?] [illegible]. Perunials (egemmis [?foliosin?]) solitaris [?filisormes?]; folius longiores. [?Calyse?] erutus [illegible].

the [illegible] [?CW?] seem to be in the 3 leaves [illegible]--& 3 [illegible] [?unico cular?] capsule.

Ipswich Oct 21st 1785 Sir, By the newspapers last spring, I was informed that the [indecipherable] Society at Philadelphia had done me the honour [crossed out] of [end crossed out] to elect me a member [crossed out] of their Society [end crossed out]. And my much respected friend, the Reverend [?Mr. Belknap?], not long after, informed me to whom I was indebted for procuring this mark of attention from so respectable a literary society. The honor conferred is too flattering not to be highly pleasing, and demands my warmest acknowledgements to you, Sir, for the kind part you have taken in procurring it, as well as to Mr. Belknap for the obliging manner, in which his friendly partiality has led him to mention me to you. Please to accept my most hearty thanks for the favor you have done me, and excuse my long delay in making my acknowledgements, which has been occasioned by my expecting an Official letter from one of [indecipherable] of the Society. _ I most sincerely wish the two literary Societies established in America may cultivate the warmest friendship for each other, and by their united excertions, promote the important ends of their Institutions. The printing of the Vol. of Memoirs of the American Academy will be completed in a few weeks, and the Comm- concerned in this publication would be much obliged by recieving a list of the Members of the Society at Philadelphia, as they wish, in the list of Members of the Academy [crossed out] that is to be [end crossed out] and will be published in this Vol. to [crossed out] [indecipherable] who are likewise [end crossed out] mention those as members of [crossed out] the [end crossed out] Society at Philadelphia who are members of both Societies. If it would not be inconvenient for you, would solicit the favor of procuring such a list, and transmiting it to me as early as may be. For several years past I have [crossed out] employed my [end crossed out] [crossed out] [indecipherable] [end crossed out] paid some attention to botancical enquires, I have made some advances in exploring the vegetable production in this part of the county. And should be extremely happy to correspond with some gentlement in the southern states, who are acquainted with the Linnean System, with a view of ascertaining what vegetable productions are [indecipherable]

My Dear Sir [crossed out] Enclosed [end crossed out] The improbability of your Sailing before the arrival of this day's post induces me to write to you at ?Portsco? rather ?ym? hazard [crossed out] an approximate off [end crossed out] of chance of your getting a letter at Liverpool. In closed is an introductory letter to Dr. Stokes - [crossed out] be to mind as to f [end crossed out] who ?Shopuwile? be agreeable. Please to seal it before delivery. He will be able to give every ?informa? respect Litery provider. Whether you intend to furnish yourself with a large assortment of them or not it may not be a miss to make particular inquiries. I to take his direct or I wish you to purchase me the latest Edition of ?Lineas Spec. Rank?. His ?Suplima Natura? in Eng if there is [indecipherable] published - also Curhiss Flora [crossed out] [indecipherable] [end crossed out] [indecipherable] ?remit? [indecipherable] be made to your order at any time [crossed out] Should you [end crossed out] [crossed out] find in London some good man who would procur me the [indecipherable], [indecipherable] as I may want, and on whom [indecipherable] deposits, with confidence [indecipherable] not [indecipherable] I wish you to [indecipherable] [indecipherable] his correspondence [end crossed out] Beg you to exept me to ?D Y? for not writing him more particularly. I have expected ?Pennants'? [indecipherable] Zoology from Dr. Stokes - if he ?Pennant? has forwarded it to me with you to procure [indecipherable] of ?Stoky? and purchase it I shall probably want several other books for [indecipherable] with you, when [indecipherable] times to

My D. S.

[crossed out] Enclosed [end crossed out] The improbability of your [?Sailing?] before the arrival of this day is post [?indeed?] me to write to you at Port. rather the changed [crossed out] on approval [?of?] [end crossed out] the chance of your getting a letter at Liverpool. In lofted in an introductory letter to Dr. Stohers--with. I hope well be [illegible]. Please to seal it before delivery. He will be able to give every informal respect. Literary [illegible]. Whether you intend to furnish your self with a large [illegible] of them or not A [?very?] not be a [illegible] to [illegible] particular in [illegible]. I [illegible] Sir [illegible] with you to [illegilbe] me [illegible]

Vienna. So much for botany. Dr. Stokes wishes me to inform him "whether any of the swallow genus been ever discovered during the winter in a torpid state, and in particular under water." "The hypothesis of migration, he says, has been much weakened in Europe by the doubts which have been raised respecting the assertion of M. [?Adouson?], of his having seen the European swallow at Senegal." If you are acquainted with any facts respecting this matter, I shall be much obliged to you for them. I have pretty good evidence of their having been found here in the mud in the winter, and of their being seen to come out of it in the spring; but I wish for further information. The Transactions of the R. S. for 1784, and the first part for 1785, have lately come to hand. No small part of these volumes are taken up with disquisitions on the several kinds of air.- Among others, is a very ingenious paper by a Mr. White, who asserts from a course of accurate and very curious experiments, which he gives at large, "that [?dephlogisticated?] or pure air is entirely composed of water deprived of its phlogiston, and united to [?elimentary?] heat and light." We then must be animals of the watery element. Philosophers are certainly making [underlined] us [end underlined] a kind of fish, swimming about, lobster-like, with the aid of our two sitting poles. Mr. Herschel has several very interesting papers. This great Astronomer has made discoveries in the heavens, that are truly astonishing. By his improvement of telescopes, he has been able to penetrate the immense fields of the starry regions far beyond what any human eye (unless

Hamilton Feb. 16th 1810 My Dear Sir I have just recieved from Mr. Jonathan Herrick of Hopkinton (N Hamp) the information I had requested, respecting the cure of the Hydrophobia, by giving the Lobelia [indecipherable], in the case of his son. The son, Henry Herrick, who was bitten, was settled at Windsor, in Vermont, and his Father happened to be with him at the time the symptoms of the disorder commenced, who with great care and anxiety, attended him until his recovery. Mr. [?Jonathan?] Herrick, the Father, [inserted] who [end inserted] is a respectable, wealthy farmer. I have fully acertained to be a man of undaunted veracity. I am also informed by the bearer of his letter, that he felt much solicitude to give a correct account of the case of his Son. To obtain the information I desired from a man unacquainted with medical matters, I conceived it left to state a number of plain questions, and request an answer to each of them. The following are the questions I proposed, and the answers he has given. To some of the question [crossed out] [indecipherable] [end crossed out] however, I have added further information received from him, not arranged by him, under the questions to which it properly belonged.

Copy Letter to Peter Jonas Bargius Jan. 6. 1790

member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Stockholm

Hamilton, in the State of Massuchusetts, in America, January 6th 1790 nor in Dr. Cutler's [illegible]

I am directed to forward to you a Diploma, [illegible] of your being elected a Member of w. American Acad. of Arts and Sciences While the Acad. do them selves the honor of enroling your name on the lift of their members, they entertain the hope that it will not be [illegible] to you. It will afford them much pleasure to receive from you any informal you may think proper of the discoveries you have make of the works of nature on thin, or only of Containers. They will likewise readily acknowledge their obligatory for any other comm.

I have not the honor to be perfornally known to you, I will [illegible] the liberty to inform you that [inserted] I [end inserted} have, for several year,

Hamilton 1 Sept 1807 Dear Sir, The botanical books [inserted text] wh I have proposed to [end inserted text] [crossed out] I would [end crossed out] dispose of are - Curtis Botanical [indecipherable] in 13 Vol. containing 447 copperplates, with all of figures coloured from nature, [crossed out] [indecipherable] the price [end crossed out][indecipherable] in London - w. Invoice [crossed out] Dr. J. E. Smith's [end crossed out] [inserted text] 27 [?u?] 1 [?u?] 2 St. in 8 Vol. - 594 plates English Botany, by Dr. J. E. Smith [indecipherable] of the Linnean Society - Figures by James [?Souerby F.R.S.?] [crossed out] [indecipherable] [end crossed out] and coloured from nature under his direct - This excellent work has [inserted text] engraved [end inserted text] all of the parts of flower of each plant, Seperately so as to give a full view of the generic character. - [?Cost?] in London L11..12.2 Gartner's [?Fruetileas + Seminileus Pluntus?] =rum. in 2 Vol [indecipherable] containing his most excellent engravings in 79 tables. L6..10 [?Avlon's Hortus Thewensis?] 3 Vol with plates elegantly bound - [indecipherable] in London L3.3. They were purchased by W. Sam Williams at a price comparably below ye retailing price in London, and where books were much cheaper than at the present time. They are perfectly clean as when I received them from London. I would sell them by an invoice from W. Williams, with a reasonable allowance for freight and charges. The plant which you call [?Phaseolus gningue folais?]? I suspect to be ye [?Glycine Apius?] The spiral form of ye carina [underlined] filamenta - et Stylus [?conflitatues?] ye most essential eh of [indecipherable] [end underlined]