was an old and foul one, and I have no doubt that must have been
the cause of the death of the fish. The carp, altho it cannot live
the shortest time out of water, yet is understood to bear
transportation in water the best of any fish whatever. The
obtaining breeders for my pond being too interesting to be
abandoned, I have had a proper smack made, such as is regularly
used for transporting fish, to be towed after the boat, and have
dispatched the bearer with it without delay, as the season is
passing away. I have therefor again to solicit your patronage, as
well as Captain Holman's in obtaining a supply of carp. I think a
dozen would be enough and would therefore wish him to come away as
soon as he can get that number.

From that time on his ponds came in for periodic mention, as when one
was broken up by flood waters in 1814. But despite setbacks he kept
faith in them as good food-producing adjuncts of a farm, thus
anticipating the U.S. Department of Agriculture's modern food-fish
pond-development program by more than a century.

As is likely to be the case with experimenters, Jefferson's efforts at
fish propagation do not appear to have been overwhelmingly successful.
At any rate, there is much more frequent reference in his records to
putting fish in his ponds than taking them out. So far as he was
concerned, it may be said that results were less important than
example. Like all great leaders he was an originator and investigator,
confining himself to the basic things that insure man's sustenance and
contribute to his happiness, not the least of which is fishing.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Archer, Gabriel. _A Relation of the Discovery of Our River From James
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Beverley, Robert. _The History and Present State of Virginia._ London,
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Brown, Alexander. _The Genesis of the United States._ Boston, 1890. 2
vols.

Burnaby, Andrew. _Travels Through the Middle Settlements in North
America in the Years 1759-1760._ London, 1798.

Byrd, William. _Natural History of Virginia._ Ed. and tr. by R. C.
Beatty and W. J. Mulloy. Richmond, 1940.

Chastellux, Francois J. _Travels in North America in the Years 1780,
1781, and 1782._ London, 1787.

Cresswell, Nicholas. _The Journal, 1774-77._ Ed. by Lincoln McVeagh.
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De Vries, David P. _Voyages From Holland to America, 1632-1644._ New
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