“ The World has much to expect yet, from thee--and that world is anxiously looking toward thy home, for a finish to a most interesting picture.

"May I expect that a little Philosopher, will be well received by the greatest our country has yet to boast?--

"Forgive my freedom--I have only thy domestic virtues to awe me--& with them I love to fancy perfect freedom & universal good will. In short, if my mind does not adopt the more plausible style of official reverence, it is only because that neither myself or thee (as I imagine,) can choose it. I behold thee unburdened by the formality of official dignity, & regard thee as a friend to private worth. As such I again solicit thy aid with assurances that no one man wishes thee the blessings of a mind usefully at ease, than, he who now addresses thee . . .”

Jefferson replied from Monticello on May 14: “ I have duly recieved your favor of Apr. 3. with the copy of your General Geography, for which I pray you to accept my thanks. my occupations here have not permitted me to read it through; which alone could justify any judgment expressed on the work. indeed as it appears to be an abridgment of several branches of science, the scale of abridgment must enter into that judgment. different readers require different scales according to the time they can spare, & their views in reading, and no doubt that the view of the sciences which you have brought into the compass of a 12 ^mo. volume will be accomodated to the time & object of many who may wish for but a very general view of them.

" In passing my eye rapidly over parts of the book, I was struck with two passages, on which I will make observations, not doubting your wish, in any future edition, to render the work as correct as you can. in page 186. you say the potatoe is a native of the US. I presume you speak of the Irish potatoe. I have enquired much into this question, & think I can assure you that plant is not a native of N. America. Zimmerman, in his Geographical Zoology, says it is a native of Guiana; and Clavigero, that the Mexicans got it from S. America, its native country. the most probable account I have been able to collect is that a vessel of S ^r. Walter Raleigh’s, returning from Guiana, put into the West of Ireland in distress, having on board some potatoes which they called earth apples. that the season of the year, & circumstances of their being already sprouted induced them to give them all out there, and they were no more heard or thought of, till they had been spread considerably into that island, whence they were carried over into England, & therefore called the Irish potatoe. from England they came to the US. bringing their name with them.

" The other passage respects the description of the passage of the Potomac through the Blue ridge in the Notes on Virginia. you quote from Volney’s account of the US. what his words do not justify. his words are ‘on coming from Frederick town one does not see the rich perspective mentioned in the notes of m ( ^~ r) Jefferson. on observing this to him a few days after he informed me he had his information from a French engineer who, during the war of Independance ascended the height of the hills & I concieve that at that elevation the perspective must be as imposing as a wild country, whose horizon has no obstacles, may present.’ that the scene described in the Notes is not visible from any part of the road from Frederick town to Harper’s ferry is most certain. that road passes along the valley. nor can it be seen from the tavern after crossing the ferry, & we may fairly infer that m ( ^~ r) Volney did not ascend the height back of the tavern from which alone it can be seen, but that he pursued his journey from the tavern along the high road. yet he admits that at the elevation of that height the perspective may be as rich as a wild country can present. but you make him ‘surprised to find, by a view of the spot, that the description was amazingly exaggerated. ’ but it is evident that m( ^~ r) Volney did not ascend the hill to get a view of the spot, and that he supposed that that height may present as imposing a view as such a country admits. but m( ^~ r) Volney was mistaken in saying I told him I had recieved the description from a French engineer. by an error of memory he has misapplied to this scene what I mentioned to him as to the Natural bridge. I told him I recieved a drawing of that from a French engineer sent there by the Marquis de Chastellux, & who has published that drawing ”