Ten days ago, I shipped your Carriage on board a Schooner called the Hannah of Nantucket bound for Boston, and as there was no room below, I had to consent to its being secured upon Deck. Since the vessel sailed, we have had, until this day, a constant Succession of North Easterly storms, which has given me uneasiness on account of your property on board, and in order to cover the loss, in case it should happen, I have had serious thoughts of Insuring, at least the amount of four hundred dollars, which may be done, I presume, at about 4 or 5 per cent. Should this intent be realized, I shall inform you of it. The Bill of lading I enclosed to Mr: Smith, to whom the Carriage is also consigned.1

Your friends here are all well; Dr: Rush is reading a course of lectures to some intelligent ladies of the upper order, being extracts from his annual course delivered to Medical Students. Your friend, Mrs: Bradford is among the number of his hearers,2 & she told me, last evening, that the Professor had been descanting upon the comparative qualities, merits, & excellences, of the sexes; wherein he had attempted to make the discrimination which constitute their appropriate characters. She said it was a fertile theme & had been pretty well treated, though she differed from the Dr: in several of his positions; one of these was, “that men are more prone to disclose their own secrets, than women; but women are most apt to disclose the secrets of others, which have been confided to them.” I told her, that I thought the Dr: was right. She said we neither of us, knew the ladies.

I remember to have heard an Oration delivered before the Royal Society at Berlin, by a french Emigrant of some distinction, whose name I have forgotten— His theme was upon the influence which females have had in the affairs of Empires, from the remotest periods & of their capacity to direct the Councils of Nations.—3 Of all 63 the discourses I ever heard pronounced, this was the most eloquent. The style was perfectly adapted to the delicacy of his subject—the sentiment, pure, correct & refined; & the manner of the speaker was doubtless the more animated by the presence of a few females, who were invited & selected for the refinement of their taste & the culture of their minds. One of the most striking examples which he referred to for the illustration of his subject, was the story of Pericles & Aspasia, which he described in such glowing colours, that you almost saw the parties in your presence by the magic of his pencil.4 If Dr: Rush could charm an audience, in this manner it would be an entertainment, superior to the stage, to attend his lectures.

I have nothing more in point to the above subject to add, than to inform you, that Mr: Lewis, the celebrated lawyer, was married to the widdow Durdon, an English-buxom lady, of whom might be said without much exageration on the score of age—“fat, fair & forty,” as was said, on a former occasion of another English lady— The Bishop performed the office on the 23d: of January last, but for some unknown reason, the thing was kept secret until a few days ago.5

Mr: & Mrs: Bingham, Maria & Miss Willing, embarked a fortnight ago, for Lisbon, a voyage prescribed by Mrs: Binghams physician as the only chance of her recovery.6

I am dear mother, with best love to all / & duty to my father / your son