Watertown Octr. 17th. 1775 Dear Sr.,

I expect you will blame me for not writing before, but my absence has rendered it hitherto very dificult. My wife & I left your hospitable house near eight weeks ago, my business was to collect outstanding debts that I might be less burdensome to my friends, & out of upwards of £200. sterling scattered about in the Country I have been able to collect only 37s/8d. We have been as far as Newbury-port where I accidentally fell in company with one Capt.—Hemphill an Irishman from whm. I obtain’d a piece of information that perhaps may be of service to the publick in this time of common distress.

He inform’d me that in the province of N York, 70 miles above Albany, on the road to Oswego, at the foot of Brimstone-hill, so called, is a Valey, called cherry Valey. Lying between John Moore’s & Jas. Moore’s there issues a small quantity of water so strongly impregnated with sulpher, that the leaves which fall from the trees into it are commonly cased, all over with Sulpher the full thickness of the leaf, & that he had freequently scraped it off into the fire to satisfy him self that it was pure Sulpher. He adds that the hill is so strongly scented that it is offensive to travellers at half a mile distance. It is possible this hill may supply the whole continent with Brimstone. The Salvation of the Country in a great measure depends on the manufacturing gun-powder among ourselves. I wish the continental congress would cause some experiments to me be made with the earths of this hill. It need not be very expensive. Sulpher melts very easy. The method of obtaining it, is, as follows Vizt. Fill a square unglas’d earthen vessell made with a neck which must run in a line with one side, the other sides curving till the mouth be reduced to about 11/2 Inch in diameter. This must be filled with the impregnated earth, & stones, which must be first broke into small pieces. The stones which contain sulpher are very soft. The vessell must be laid on a furnace (built for that purpose) in a declining position with the mouth opposite the mouth of the furnace, a receiver must be placed under it for the Sulpher to run into as it melts. It is commonly dip’d out of the receiver & poured into moulds to give it the form in which it is brought to this market, but this is needless, tis no matter in what form it cools. When the sulpher has done running, the vessell must be emptied, and the process repeated as at first. Holland, 101Venice & Marseilles ’tis said are the only places from whence we receive this commodity. Tis very possible that among the foreigners in Pensilvania, persons may be found who have been brought up to this very business.

Altho’ I am so zealous in this matter, I am far from thinking Sulpher a necessary ingredient in gun-powder. It’s inflammability is generally supposed to be the property which makes it necessary in the composition of Powder; I used to think so, until I found I could actually burn all the Sulpher out of powder without any visible detriment for it doth not render it unfit for service, after the loss of the Sulpher the explosion (& consequently the force) is not diminished. Perhaps any thing that will unite the Nitre & the cole dust & produce such an adhesion as is suffeisient to keep the grains intire will answer the purpose. I wish this matter may be proposed to the professer of Chemistry at Philadelphia.

The component parts of Sulpher are found to be, an acid salt, earth & an oily bituminous Substance. The acid salt we have in the nitre, the earth is not wanted, but would be better if lost, the oily bituminous substance alone might perhaps answer the end better than the whole composition or intire Brimstone, & this might be easily come at. An acid salt, an equal quantity of oily matter, earthy whole & a little oyl of tarter, well incorporated becomes Sulpher. I think I have wrote enough upon this subject; As it is novel, perhaps it will not be attended to, at present, a few speculations more may make it appear important. My appointment by the house of representatives to make experiments on some earth said to contain a large quantity of Sulpher, naturally led me to this subject, which I shall quit for the present.1

Every important thing that relates to news & politics you will have at first hand, therefore ’tis needless for me to write any thing on those heads. I am affronted with the council for not appointing you one of the Superiour court Justices. I lament Churche’s fall, I wish he might have a speedy tryal &c.

Family news I suppose you will have from Sister Paine whose letter you will find inclosed with the seals broke.

It came inclosed in a blank paper directed to me & as her letter had no superscription I supposed it was intended for me & opened it. I cast my eye on the Subscription & saw Sally Paine & immediately closed it having no business with the contents.

I have been waiting a long time at the pool, but when the waters are troubled, some one steps in before me. I cannot step in my self, & considering 102the time & money, I have spent for four years & more in the public service, & my being by the perfidious Gage driven from all my possessions & enjoyments I did expect some persons would appear & put me in as I think they are in duty bound.

I should esteem a line from you as a great favour. I have room only to add that I am Sr. yr. affectionate brother & much obliged friend & hbl. servt.,

Joseph Greenleaf

RC ; addressed: “For the hono. Robt. Treat Paine Esq. In Philadelphia”; endorsed. The following letter appears on the same sheet.

1.

On Oct. 6 Greenleaf and “such other Person as he may choose” were appointed by the House to “repair immediately to Brookfield to make Experiment of a certain Earth there, said to be Impregnated with a Matter proper for the Production of Sulphur” (Journals of the House of Representatives, 51, pt. 1:145).