send you a passage I have met with in Herodotus, that most ancient historian, concerning the sepulchres of the Scythian kings, which may possibly throw some light on this discovery. The Boristhenes, you know, is a river that takes its rise in the north, and empties itself into the Euxine Sea. I am, as ever, yours affectionately,

B. FRANKLIN.

"The sepulchres of the Scythian kings are in the country of the Gerrhians, where the Borysthenes is first known to be navigable. When their king dies, they dig a great hole in the ground, of a quadrangular form, and having received the body covered with wax, they open and cleanse the belly, filling the space with bruised cypress, incense, seeds of parsley, and aries. And after they have sewed up the belly again, they carry the body in a chariot to another province; where, those who receive it imitate the royal Scythians in the following custom: They cut off part of one ear: shave their heads; wound themselves on the arms, forehead, and nose; and pierce the left hand with an arrow. Having done thus, they accompany the chariot to another district; and this manner is observed in every province; till having carried the dead body of the king through all his dominions, they bury him in the country of the Gerrhians, who inhabit the remotest parts of the kingdom. Here they lay him in the sepulchre, upon a bed encompassed on all sides with spears, which they cover with timber, and spread a canopy over the

whole monument. In the spaces that remain vacant, they place one of the king's concubines strangled; with a cup-bearer, a cook, a groom, a waiter, a messenger, certain horses, and some of all things necessary. To these they add cups of gold, because silver and brass are not used amongst them. This done, they throw up the earth with great diligence, and endeavor to raise the mount as high as possibly they can.-Herodotus, Book IV.

TO ANTHONY TODD, ESQ.

CRAVEN STREET, 29 October, 1769. SIR:-Discoursing with Captain Folger, a very intelligent mariner of the island of Nantucket, in New England, concerning the long passages made by some ships bound from England to New York, I received from him the following information, viz.:

That the island in which he lives is inhabited chiefly by people concerned in the whale fishery, in which they employed nearly 150 sail of vessels; that the whales are found generally near the edges of the Gulph Stream, a strong current so called, which comes out of the Gulph of Florida, passing northeasterly along the coast of America, and then turning off most easterly, running at the rate of 4, 31, 3 and 24 miles an hour. That the whaling business leading these people to cruise along the edges of the stream

I The modern practice of extorting subscriptions for monuments to political notorieties and for dowers to their widows would seem to prove that this phase of Scythianism "still lives."

in quest of whales, they are become better acquainted with the course, breadth, strength, and extent of the same, than those navigators can well be who only cross it in their voyages to and from America, that they have opportunities of discovering the strength of it when their boats are out in the pursuit of this fish, and happen to get into the stream while the ship is out of it, or out of the stream while the ship is in it, for then they are separated very fast, and would soon lose sight of each other if care were not taken; that in crossing the stream to and fro, they frequently in the same meet and speak with ships bound from England to New York, Virginia, etc., who have passages of 8, 9, and 10 weeks and are still far from land, and not likely to be in with it for some time, being engaged in that part of the stream that sets directly against them, and it is supposed that their fear of Cape Sable shoals, George's Banks, or Nantucket shoals, hath induced them to keep so far to the southward as unavoidably to engage them in the same Gulph Stream, which occasions the length of their voyages, since in a calm it carries them directly back, and though they may have fair winds, yet the current being 60 or 70 miles a day, is so much subtracted from the way they make through the water. At my request Captain Folger hath been so obliging as to mark for me on a chart the dimensions, course and swiftness of the stream from its first coming out of the gulph where it is narrowest and strongest, until it turns away to go to the southward of the western islands, where it is broader and weaker and to give me withal some written directions whereby

ships bound from the Banks of Newfoundland to New York may avoid the said stream; and yet be free of danger from the banks and shoals above mentioned. As I apprehend that such chart and directions may be of use to our packets in shortening their voyages, I send them to you, that if their lordships should think fit, so much of the chart as is contained within the red lines may be engraved, and printed, together with the remarks, at the charge of the office; or at least that manuscript copies may be made of the same for the use of packets. The expense of the former would not so much exceed the latter and would besides be of general service. With much esteem, I am, etc., B. FRANKLIN.

Endorsed: "Craven Street, Oct. 29th, 1769, Dr. Franklin to Mr. Todd. In Mr. Todd's to Mr. Pownall, of 7 Feby., 1769."

TO THE REV. DR. COOPER

LONDON, 30 December, 1770.

DEAR SIR:-I duly received your several favors of July 12th, November 6th and 15th, and am glad that my little communications afforded you any pleasure. I join with you most cordially in wishes of a perfect happy union between Great Britain and the colonies. This is only to be expected from principles of justice and equity on both sides, which we must endeavor to cultivate. I think there is now a disposition here to treat us more equitably, and I hope it will increase and prevail.

I esteem the appointment to the agency of your province, unexpected and unsolicited by me, as one of the greatest honors, for which I must think myself indebted to your friendship. I wish I may be able to do my country effectual service; nothing could' make me more happy. I shall, however, use my most faithful endeavors. I had, before I heard of this appointment, openly opposed the project of abridging our charter privileges, which some of our adversaries were extremely busy in designing to do by an act of Parliament; a bill for the purpose being, as I have heard, actually drawn ready to be brought in. I boldly and openly asserted that Parliament had no such power; and that an attempt of that kind would, by alarming all America, raise a new flame there and tend more to loosen the connections now subsisting, than any step that had yet been taken. I do not know that the freedom I used in declaring and publishing these sentiments had much effect; I rather think the apprehension of an approaching war inclined government to milder measures, and to hearken less to the mad projects of our adversaries. So it is, however, that the scheme has been laid aside, and will, I think, hardly be resumed, though the expectation of war is much lessened.

It makes me happy to learn that my ideas on a certain subject appeared just to you and your friends. I have now in hand a piece (intended for the public at a convenient time)' which I hope will satisfy many others even on this side the water, that every lady of

I Probably the Plan for Benefiting Distant Unprovided Countries, see Vol. V., p. 264.