The New York Packet

Extract of a letter from his Excellency Governor Jefferson, Minister Plenipotentiary at Paris, a gentleman of the first eminence for literature, to the Reverend President Stiles, at New-Haven, dated Paris, September 1, 1786.

"I return you my thanks for the communications relative to the Western Country. When we reflect how long we have inhabited those parts of America which lie between the Alleghany and the ocean, that no monument has ever been found in them, which indicated the use of iron among its aboriginal inhabitants, that they were as far advanced in arts, at least, as the inhabitants on the other side the Alleghany; a good degree of infidelity may be excused as to the new discoveries which suppose regular fortifications of brick work to have been in use among the Indians on the waters of the Ohio. Entrenchments of earth they might indeed make, but brick is more difficult. The art of making it may have preceded the use of iron, but it would suppose a greater degree of industry than men in the hunter state usually possess. I should like to know whether General Parsons himself saw actually bricks among the remains of the fortification. I suppose the settlement of our continent is of the most remote antiquity; the similitude between its inhabitants and those of the eastern parts of Asia, renders it probable that ours are descended from them, or they from ours. The latter is my opinion, founded on this single fact. Among the red inhabitants of Asia there are but a few languages radically different, but among our Indians the number of languages is infinite, which are so radically different as to exhibit at present no appearance of their having been derived from a common source. The time necessary for the generation of so many languages must be immense. A countryman of yours, a Mr. Lediard, who was with Captain Cook on his last voyage, proposes either to go to Kamtschatka, cross from thence to the western side of America, and penetrate through the continent to our side of it, or to go to Kentucky, and thence penetrate westwardly to the South Sea. He went from hence lately to London, where if he found a passage to Kamtschatka, or the western coast of America he would avail himself of it; otherwise he proposed to return to our side of America to attempt that rout. I think him well calculated for such an enterprize, and wish he may undertake it. Another countryman of yours, Mr. Trumbull, has paid us a visit here, and brought with him two pictures, which are the admiration of connoisseurs. His natural talents for this art seem almost unparalleled. For this twelvemonth past little new and excellent has appeared either in literature or the arts. An Abbe Rochon has applied the metal called platina to the telescope, instead of the mixed metal of which the specula were formerly composed, it is insusceptible of rust as gold is, and he thinks its reflective power equal to that of the mixed metal. He has observed a very curious effect of the natural crystals, and especially of those of Iceland, which is, that lenses made of them have two distinct foci, and present you the object distinctly at two different distances; this I have seen myself. A new method of copying has been invented here : I called on the inventor and he presented me with a plate of copper, a pen and ink. I wrote a note on the plate, and in about three quarters of an hour he brought me an hundred copies, as perfect as the imagination can conceive. Had I written my name, he could have put it to so many bonds, so that I should have acknowledged the signature to have been my own. The copying of paintings in England is very inconceivable, any number may be taken, which shall give you the true lineaments and colouring of the original, without injuring that. This is so like creation, that had I not seen it, I should have doubted it. The death of the King of Prussia, which happened on the 17th inst. will probably employ the pens, if not the swords of politicians. We had exchanged the ratifications of our treaty with him : The articles of this, which were intended to prevent or mitigate wars, by lessening their aliment, are so much applauded in Europe, that I think the example will be followed.

"I have the honor to be, with very sincere esteem,

dear Sir,

Your most obedient humble servant,

THOMAS JEFFERSON.