In his letter to Isaac McPherson dated from Monticello, August 13, 1813, concerning the patents requested by Oliver Evans for his inventions, Jefferson referred to this book, with specific mention of this edition, page 341: “ . . . the question then whether such a string of buckets was invented first by Oliver Evans is a meer question of fact in Mathematical history. now turning to such books only as I happen to possess, I find abundant proof that this simple machinery has been in use from time immemorial. Doct ^r. Shaw, who visited Egypt & the Barbary coast in the years 1727. 8. 9. in the margin of his map of Egypt, gives us the figure of what he calls a Persian wheel, which is a string of round cups or buckets, hanging on a pully, over which they revolve, bringing up water from a well, and delivering it into a trough above. he found this used at Cairo, in a well 264. f. deep, which the inhabitants believe to have been a work of the patriarch Joseph. Shaw’s travels. 341. Oxford edition of 1748. in folio. and the Universal history I. 416. speaking of the manner of watering the higher lands in Egypt, says ‘formerly they made use of Archimedes’s screw, thence named the Egyptian pump; but they now generally use wheels (wallowers) which carry a rope or chain of earthern pots, holding about 7. or 8. quarts apiece, and draw the water from the canals. there are besides a vast number of wells in Egypt, from which the water is drawn in the same manner to water the gardens & fruit trees; so that it is no exaggeration to say, that there are in Egypt above 200,000 oxen daily employed in this labour.’ Shaw’s name of Persian wheel has been since given more particularly to a wheel with buckets, either fixed, or suspended on pins, at it’s periphery . . . ”

For Jefferson’s copy of the Universal History , see no. 128.

Thomas Shaw, 1694-1751, English traveller, originally went to Africa in 1720 as chaplain to the English factory at Algiers. He returned to England in 1733, and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. In 1740 Shaw became principal of Edmund Hall, Oxford. His Travels or Observations relating to Several Parts of Barbary and the Levant appeared in 1738 and is “a noble example of typography, illustrated by maps and plates, catalogues of animals, plants, fossils, coins and inscriptions, and a copious index. It was dedicated to George II, with a reference to the generous patronage of Queen Caroline . . .” ( Dictionary of National Biography, v. XVII, p. 1384). Shaw issued a Supplement in 1746 to refute the criticisms expressed by Richard Pococke in his Description of the East . Shaw’s work was translated into German, Dutch and French.

Jefferson’s copy was bound by John March on May 10, 1804, “ in calf, gilt, maps & plates, difficult, $7.00.”

Jefferson bought his copy on the recommendation of the comte de Volney, to whom he had written, in a letter dated from Washington April 20, 1802: “ . . . whenever any good work comes out, giving a general view of Egypt, it’s inhabitants and antiquities, not too long for one in my situation to have leisure to read, I will thank you to indicate it to me. probably you will know beforehand whether such an one is to be expected . . . ”

Volney replied from Paris on May 10, 1803: “. . . Vous me demandez quelque livre sur l’Egypte; celui de M ^r Denon a paru avec beaucoup de succès: mais il a trois volumes in 12 de texte--et dans l’in folio qui coute 15 guinées, et dont on ne trouve plus copies. Le volume de planches joint à celui du texte est un atlas immaniable. M ^r Mounroe m’a annoncé une Explication de vos intentions à cet egard . . .”

Baron Dominique Vivant Denon, 1747-1825, French artist, playwright, traveller and author, wrote this work on Egypt after having accompanied Napoleon to that country. Three editions were published in Paris in 1802.