after June 10, 1775 1 Sr.,2

The collecting Sulphur from the Ores found among us has been long recommended by the Congress & is become an important object of Attention since the large importation of saltpetre & the encreasing manufacture of it in many Colonies. Pyrites has been found in many Colonies which by burning appears to be rich, but as yet no person that I know of has been able to extract the Sulphur Any other way than by Sublimation the expence of wch. would render it too Costly, being informed by the Delegates of yr Colony that they apprehend you are able to describe the best method of easiest & most practical method of extracting Sulpher I should be much obliged to you if you would favour me with an account of this Matter as soon as you conveniently can.

RTP

Dft. ; addressed to: “John Beal Bordley Esqr., Queen Anns County, Maryland”; endorsed.

1.

On this date Congress appointed RTP to a committee on the manufacture of saltpetre. Even though he begins this letter saying that the collecting of sulphur has been “long recommended,” the content of the letter seems to indicate that he was still undecided about the process.

2.

John Beale Bordley (1727–1804) was a Maryland lawyer and farmer particularly interested in improving the practice of husbandry through crop rotation and the use of imported machinery and seeds ( DAB ).