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Goettingen, Jun. ye 2nd. 1795.
Sir it is impossible for me to express how sensible I am of the honour the American Academy of Arts & Sciences did me by choosing me a Fellow of their illustrious Body. I request Your kind favour of presenting those sentiments of thankful acknowledgment in the most obliging way to the highly merited Pre- sident, the worthy & learned Vice president & the other home members of the academy.
But in the same time You will exceedingly oblige me by shewing me the means how I may prove in any real way my gratitude to that noble Institute.
if, for instance, by sending over occasionaly new & interesting literary performances in the Line of natural history & medicine, published in my country, particularly such pamphlets as would hardly find their way to Your continent. Though the greatest part of them appears in German, yet, as there are so many of my countrymen settler in Your united States, & even German newspapers are published there, I suppose,
[Blatt 2] that this would be no objection.
Or, is there any hope that the 2nd vol. of the Memoirs of the Academy will be published in the next or subsequent Year, I should think myself very happy by offfering a paper for it.
or, in case that there is a collection of natural curiosities belonging to the academy, I would sent [sic] over occasionally some specimens of minerals particularly remarkable & more or less exclusively proper to our country. as for inst. the Boracites (calcareous Earth united with boracic acid) from Luneburg. the Cross-crystal (pierre de croix or Schorl cruciforme of Romé de Lisle) from the Harz &c &c.
I want only a Hint from You Sir, & shall then forward immediately a parcel under Your adress to the care of my respected friend Dr. Lettsom in London.
Believe me Sir with the greatest Regard & Esteem Your obedient humble servant Joh. Fredrik Blumenbach |
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