Letter 4520

Sr Your last to me, found me in the field a trying some prob= =lemes of Jaquetts practicall Geometrie wch I quickly became master ofe; after the reading of yours for nothing surely more enlivens the spirritts, or raiseth a greater promtitude & industry then prayses from you, who all men praise. tho I must interpret those you have bin pleased with soe much elo= quencie to bestow in your letter to be [n?]either a specimen of what you could say; had you a better subject; then yt any there in, is in anywise to be attributed to my selfe. I have now made often experiment of Mr Marks’s Instruments; and as far as I can heither to find the gradations there on are pretty exact but the Theodolite I think is not altoga= =ther according to directions, for the box there of (as far as I can find) is not with a screw to take downe the nedle att pleasure and besides is so badly cemented to ye plate that betweene that, and itt, is left open severall wide chinks wch makes itt almost unserviceable in windy weather; because the nedle desturb’d with ye wind, wch comes through them: will not settle wch is a very trouble- =some fault. I think I could help itt with soft wax but that is not soe well, as if itt was againe under the [sau?] ther ere hands. and uppon ye brasse Index of the plane table there wants lines of numbers, sines, and Tangents, wch are of great use for the speedy solution of triangles without tables of sines [&c.?] or pen and Inke if marks could still putt them on, or would exchange this Index for another so improved; I would willingly be att the charge tho unwilling to putt you to any trouble herein, but if when your occasions leads you yt way you can without any; examine Marks herein you will more and more oblidge me, and tho I mae confesse that I have received more favours allready from you then I feare I have [ablilitie?] to [wharne?] yett whatso= ever lyes in my poore power shall never be wanting to show you how much I really am sr your most truly faithfull Servant Phillip Cotton. Hatley St George Augst. 14.