Faraday to Charles-Gaspard De la Rive   6 October 1818

Royal Institution | Octr. 6th 1818

Dear Sir

Your kindness when here¹ in requesting me to accept the honor of a communication with you on the topics which occur in the general progress of science was such as almost to induce me to overstep the modesty due to my humble situation in the Philosophical world and to accept of the offer you made me: But I do not think I should have been emboldened thus to address you had not Mr. Newman since then informed me that you had again expressed a wish to him that I should do so and fearful that you should misconceive my silence I put pen to paper willing rather to run the risk of being thought too bold than of incurring the charge of neglect towards one who had been so kind to me in his expressions[.]

My slight attempts to add to the general stock of chemical knowledge have been received with favourable expressions by those around me but I have on reflection perceived that this arose from kindness on their parts and the wish to incite me on to better things[.] I have always therefore been fearful of advancing on what had been said lest I should assume more than was intended and I hope that a feeling of this kind will explain to you the length of time which has elapsed between the time when you required me to write and the present moment when I obey you[.]

I am not entitled by any peculiar means of obtaining a knowledge of what is doing at the moment, in Science to your attention and I have no claims in myself to it[.] I judge it probable that the news of the philosophical world will reach you much sooner through other more authentic and more dignified sources and my only excuse even for this letter is obedience to your wishes and not an account of any thing interesting for its novelty[.]

That my letter may not however be entirely devoid of interest I will take the liberty of mentioning and commending to you a new process for the preparation of gas for illumination[.] Its valuable points are that the furnace and fire is much smaller than usual that the purification is simply washing in water that the gasometer is reduced much in size that the gas is a purer and more highly carbonated substance and that the whole operation is performed in a clean and neat manner and with very little trouble. This method is that of distilling oil in a heater cast Iron tube and it was first done I believe and the apparatus formed by J & P Taylor² of this city³[.] Their furnace is a neat square piece of Iron work having a sand bath or other application at the top and not more than 3 feet 6 inches long 3 feet high and 24 inches wide[.] The oil used is the worst possible that called pilchard dregs which appears almost like a black mud is excellent it does not cost here more than 2/6 per gallon[.] The gas obtained contains no sulphuretted hydrogen but only a little Sebacic acid or sebate of ammonia and that is washed out by water[.] Compared with Common coal g<<as>> its rate of consumption is as 2.25 to 6 i.e. 2 1/4 c<<ubic>> feet of this gas will supply an argand burner for 1 ho<<ur>> which would require 6 of common coal gas; and the diminution of the gasometer which I before referred to may as you will perceive be in this proportion[.]

A great advantage of this apparatus is that being so small it is not expensive and this with the little care required in managing it will effectually do away with all monopoly; when eighteen or twenty lights are wanted it is applicable with great advantage and two or three shopkeepers may join together and have one amongst them with very little cost[.]

I am afraid that with all my reasons I have not been able to justify this letter[.] If my fears are true I regret it but it was your kindness that drew it from me and to your kindness I must look for an excuse[.]

I am Dear Sir | With Great Respect | Your Obedient Humble Servant | M. Faraday

Dr. De la Rive

I regret that I have not a copy of my experiments on flame in tubes of which to beg your acceptance⁴[.] They are only in the Journal of Science edited here but I presume ere this they will have caught your attention | MF