第70章

Inthelargeboxinwhichtheprecedingbonesare，isasmallonecontainingapromiscuousmassofsmallbones，chieflyofthefeet。

Inthelargeirregular-shapedbox，atuskoflargesize。Thespiraltwistinallthespecimensofthesetuskswhichwehaveseen，wasremarkedsolongagoasthetimeofBreyneus，inhisdescriptionofthetusksoftheSiberianmammothinthePhilosophicalTransactions，ifthatpaperisrightlyrecollected，forthebookisnotheretobeturnedtoatpresent。ManyfragmentsoftuskshavebeensentfromtheOhio，generallyresemblingportionsofsuchtusksasarebroughttousinthecourseofcommerce。Butofthesespiraltusks，inatolerablecompletestate，wehavehadonlyfour。OnewasfoundneartheheadofthenorthbranchoftheSusquehanna。AsecondpossessedbyMr。Peale，wasfoundwiththeskeleton，neartheHudson。

AthirdisatMonticello，foundwiththebonesofthiscollectionattheBig-bonelickofOhio，andthefourthisthatnowsentfortheInstitute，foundatthesameplaceandlargerthanthatatMonticello。

Thesmallestboxcontainsthehornsofthemountainram，andskinofthefleecygoat。

PLOUGHS

_ToMonsieurSylvestre_

_Washington，July15，1808_

SIR，——IhadreceivedfromyouonaformeroccasionthefourfirstvolumesoftheMemoirsoftheAgriculturalSocietyoftheSeine，andsincethat，yourletterofSeptember19th，withthe6th，7th，8ths，and9thvolumes，beingfortheyears1804’5’6，withsomeseparatememoirs。TheseIhavereadwithgreatavidityandsatisfaction，andnowreturnyoumythanksforthem。ButIoweparticularacknowledgmentsforthevaluablepresentoftheTheatredeDeSerres，whichIconsiderasaprodigyfortheageinwhichitwascomposed，andshowsanadvancementinthescienceofagriculturewhichIhadneversuspectedtohavebelongedtothattime。Broughtdowntothepresentdaybytheveryvaluablenotesadded，itisreallysuchatreasureofagriculturalknowledge，ashasnotbeforebeenofferedtotheworldinasinglework。

Itisnotmerelyformyself，butformycountry，thatImustdohomagetothephilanthropyoftheSociety，whichhasdictatedtheirdestinationformeoftheirnewly-improvedplough。Ishallcertainlysouseitastoanswertheirliberalviews，bymakingtheopportunitiesofprofitingbyitasgeneralaspossible。

IhavejustreceivedinformationthataploughaddressedtomehasarrivedatNewYork，_fromEngland_，butunaccompaniedbyanyletterorotherexplanation。AsIhavehadnointimationofsuchanarticletobeforwardedtomefromthatcountry，IpresumeitistheonesentbytheSocietyoftheSeine，thatithasbeencarriedintoEnglandundertheirordersofcouncil，andpermittedtocomeonfromthence。ThisIshallknowwithinashorttime。IshallwithgreatpleasureattendtotheconstructionandtransmissiontotheSocietyofaploughwithmymouldboard。ThisistheonlypartofthatusefulinstrumenttowhichIhavepaidanyparticularattention。Butknowinghowmuchtheperfectionoftheploughmustdepend，1st，onthelineoftraction；2d，onthedirectionoftheshare；3d，ontheangleofthewing；4th，ontheformofthemould-board；andpersuadedthatIshallfindthethreefirstadvantageseminentlyexemplifiedinthatwhichtheSocietysendsme，Iamanxioustoseecombinedwiththeseamould-boardofmyform，inthehopeitwillstilladvancetheperfectionofthatmachine。ButforthisImustasktimetillIamrelievedfromthecareswhichhavenowarighttoallmytime，thatistosay，tillthenextSpring。Thengiving，intheleisureofretirement，allthetimeandattentionthisconstructionmeritsandrequires，IwillcertainlyrendertotheSocietytheresultinaploughofthebestformIshallbeabletohaveexecuted。Inthemeantime，acceptforthemandyourselftheassurancesofmyhighrespectandconsideration。

EDUCATIONOFAGRANDSON

_ToThomasJeffersonRandolph_

_Washington，Nov。24th，1808_

MYDEARJEFFERSON——IhavejustrecievedtheinclosedletterundercoverfromMr。BankheadwhichIpresumeisfromAnneandwillinformyousheiswell。Mr。BankheadhasconsentedtogoandpursuehisstudiesatMonticello，andlivewithustillhispursuitsorcircumstancesmayrequireaseparateestablishment。Yoursituation，thrownatsuchad