“ may depend. but they should be restrained from selling but for ready money: so that you may always find in their hands either the money or the books. I set out on my journey tomorrow: but m ( ^~ r) Short, my secretary, remains here, and will hasten, & forward the plate to you by the Diligence . . .”

Travelling through France in 1787, Jefferson wrote on March 27 from Aix en Provence to William Short: “ . . . in the hurry of my departure from Paris I omitted to explain myself to you on the subject of the map. the kind of paper on which they are struck is not very material. I had intended 50 on such paper as the proof was, and 200 on a thinner paper, more proper to fold into a book. if the plate is not gone, I would still wish to have the latter parcel struck to give to those who have my book. the 250 which you may have had struck on thick paper will in that case be proper for sale. I would also be glad to have a dozen on bank paper, on account of it’s thinness and not breaking on the folds. these may be put conveniently into a traveller’s pocket book. but if the plate be gone, no matter, I can have all this done in England. as to the price of the corrections it was impossible for me to settle that, as it would depend on the time employed. a workman of that kind works in England I believe for about two guineas a week, & I conjectured he would be employed two or three weeks: but the real time he was employed, & the value of his time in France, I know not. I will be obliged to you if you will arrange it with him as well as you can, and draw the money on my account from m ( ^~ r) Grand . . .”

Two days later, on March 29, still in Aix, Jefferson wrote to Short: “ . . . be so good as to give M. de Crevecoeur two maps & a copy of my book which I promised him. I am not certain whether I left the new leaves [i.e. the additional matter at the end of the later issue of the first edition] so that you can find them. if I did, I wish them to accompany the book. I think the engraver’s charges reasonable . . .”

On May 5, Jefferson wrote from Marseilles to Short: “ . . . with respect to the maps to be struck on bank paper, if there be any difficulty they may be omitted, because I can have them done at London where that operation is familiar . . . ”

On July 1, back in Paris, Jefferson resumed his correspondence with Stockdale concerning the English edition: “ Finding on my return to this place that the bookseller to whom I had committed the plate of my map, instead of keeping it only a fortnight, had not yet delivered it to be forwarded to you, I demanded an instantaneous delivery of it. a thousand evasions have led me through three weeks, so that it was not till yesterday that I could obtain it, threatening on the return of my messenger without it, that I would apply to the police. he thereon sent it, having yet 350. less than his number struck off. I now forward it to you in the care of a servant whom I send to London on other business, & I will pray you, as soon as you can possibly have your number struck off, to give me notice that I may take measures either for striking off in London the number still wanted here or for having the plate brought back, which will probably be the measure . . . ”

A Postscript reads: “ I sent a map coloured, as a model for the colouring.”

The following day, July 2, he wrote to the Abbé Morellet: “ I am sorry, my dear Sir, that your interest should be affected by the ill behavior of Barrois. but when you consider the facts you will be sensible that I could not have indulged his indolence further without increasing the injury to a more punctual workman. Stockdale of London had asked leave to print my Notes. I agreed to it, & promised he should have the plate of the map as soon as it should be corrected, and the copies struck off for you & myself. he thereupon printed his edition completely in three weeks. the printer, who was to strike off 250 maps for me, kept the plate but 5. days. it was then delivered to Barrois with notice that it could not be left longer with him than should suffice to strike off his number. repeated applications for it by m ( ^~ r) Short & my servant were only answered by repeated promises, and times of delivery fixed, no one of which was performed. when I returned he had been possessed of the plate upwards of two months. I was astonished & confounded to be told that it had not been sent to Stockdale & that his edition had been lying dead on ”