Watertown Novr. 12th 1775 My Dear Brother Paine,

I beg leave to refer you to my letter of this date to Mr. Saml. Adams for my poor Opinion on Several important publick matters and here congratulate you on our Success in this colony in our endeavours to investigate the art and to encourage the business of making Saltpetre. And in the first place We have found an ingenious publickspirited and industrious man an inhabitant of Sherburn in this county who has the Skill infallibly to discern and to determine at once by the taste whether earth is impregnated with Saltpetre or not and to what degree and by him we find out that there is no want of earth that is so impregnated. He has found some so high charged that of one bushel he made three-quarters of a pound but Such earth is rare. He is added to our 113Comtee. and we have augmented their pay and lengthn’d the time of their Commission. We have appointed a Zealous Comtee. for importing sulphur, another to fix on a proper place for a powder mill, have added 4/ pr. pound to the price of Saltpeter to every one who before the 1st of June next Shall manufacture 50 lb. We have provided encouragemt. for manufacturing fire arms in all our countys and are adjourned to the 29th of November Currt. then to Meet and push the business of Gunpowder Making to our utmost.

We have a Comtee. to collect all the Sulphur Now to be found in the colony, and have discoverd. that our Potash works are as well calculated for Saltpetre as for Potash.

One part of the skill of Mr. Phips is, that he knows precisely at what time or rather at what degree of heat the liquor will christalize which I had like to have not mentioned. I wish you health and largeness of heart as the sand on the sea shore. Take care of your health for without it a man is unfit for business. That you may keep your health Pray Make a point of keeping up a good degree of exercise and frequently take country air.

I am Sir with great esteem Your Most Obedient humble Servant

Joseph Hawley

RC ; addressed: “To The Honble. Robert Treat Paine Esqr. at Philadelphia”; endorsed.

Watertown Novr. 19th 1775 My Dear Sir,

It is so so long since I wrote you last that I am almost asham’d to call myself your Correspondent; and not hearing from you for a long time past makes me doubt whether I am writing to the Living or the Dead; if to the former I know my sins of omission will be pardon’d, if to the latter, they require none. I am now here on my way to Brookfield where Mr. Greenleaf & myself are going to examine some sulphurious Pyrites, agreeable to an Order of the House.1 The Army are in high spirits & remarkably healthy, but I am fearfull a disaffection will take place in consequence of the late appointment of officers for the next Campaign; so great is the uneasiness that I am confident much the greatest part of the present army will return home at the expiration of their terms, & the 114difficulty attending the getting together an Army at this Season, will oblige the Millitia of the Provence to defend the Lines. Privateers are fitting out from almost every Sea-port in the Provence & we never pass a week without hearing of their success. Deserters are weekly coming from the Parliment Army; six came over last Thursday night, who give an account that they are badly victualled & worse paid, and that they intended to have taken possession of a Hill in Chelsea last Wednesday night had it not been for the Storm; in consequence of which our Army mean to take possession of the same Hill the first good night for it.

I came from Home Last Tuesday & have been detain’d here ever since on account of bad weather; your Family, when I left ‘em where all well & our Friends in general hearty. Salt petre goes on very slow with us at present. I have made no experiments worth relating, but having collected a quantity of Tobacco Storks; I mean to make a Compost for next Spring, intending to spend this Winter in Sulphur, it being more agreeable to the Season. If you are alive, do write me something more than three lines in a Letter & inform me what you are about, if consistant.

Salt Petre has been made at Watertown by Doctr. Whiting & they are now imploy’d at Newbery-Port, where they have a large works.

I shall write you an Account of our Experiments at Brookfield as soon as they are compleated. In the mean time believe me to be your constant Friend (tho’ unsteady Correspondent), & most Humbl. Servant,

David Cobb

RC ; addressed: “To The Honble. Robt. Treat Paine Esqr. Philadelphia”; endorsed.

1.

As a follow-up of his Oct. 6 appointment (see Joseph Greenleaf to RTP, Oct. 17, 1775, above), the House on Nov. 2 appointed Joseph Greenleaf “with other Persons, not exceeding two, as he may choose,” to visit Brookfield or other places “to make Experiments with the Earth there, said to be proper for producing Sulpher” (Journals of the House of Representatives, 51, pt. 1: 224).