answer from the treasury board to my letters of March. Their
ill humor can be contained no longer; and as I know no reason why
they may not be paid at that time, I shall have nothing to urge in our
defence after that.

*****

You remember the report, drawn by Governor Randolph, on the navigation
of the Mississippi. When I came to Europe, Mr. Thomson was so kind as to
have me a copy of it made out. I lent it to Dr. Franklin, and he mislaid
it, so that it could never be found. Could you make interest with him
to have me another copy made, and send it to me? By Mr. Warville I send
your pedometer. To the loop at the bottom of it you must sew a tape, and
at the other end of the tape a small hook (such as we use under the
name of hooks and eyes), cut a little hole in the bottom of your left
watch-pocket, pass the hook and tape through it, and down between the
breeches and drawers, and fix the hook on the edge of your knee-band,
an inch from the knee-buckle; then hook the instrument itself by its
swivel-hook on the upper edge of the watch-pocket. Your tape being well
adjusted in length, your double steps will be exactly counted by the
instrument, the shortest hand pointing out the thousands, the flat hand
the hundreds, and the long hand the tens and units. Never turn the hands
backward; indeed, it is best not to set them to any given place, but to
note the number they stand at when you begin to walk. The adjusting the
tape to its exact length is a critical business, and will cost you many
trials. But once done, it is done for ever. The best way is to have a
small buckle fixed on the middle of the tape, by which you can take
it up, and let it out at pleasure. When you choose it should cease to
count, unhook it from the top of the watch-pocket, and let it fall down
to the bottom of the pocket.

*****

I am, with sentiments of the most sincere esteem and attachment, Dear
Sir, your affectionate friend and servant,

Th: Jefferson.

LETTER CXXXIV.--TO JOHN JAY, May 4, 1788

TO JOHN JAY.

Paris, May 4, 1788.

Sir,

I had the honor of addressing you in two letters of the 13th and 16th of
March from Amsterdam, and have since received Mr. Ramson's of February
the 20th. I staid at Amsterdam about ten or twelve days after the
departure of Mr. Adams, in hopes of seeing the million of the last year
filled up. This, however, could not be accomplished on the spot. But
the prospect was so good as to have dissipated all f