Faraday to Benjamin Smith   26 March 1829¹

Royal Institution | March 26. 1829.

Dear Sir

At your Brothers² request I write to you in haste hearing that you will soon leave England for your trip to America. I have asked Mr. Brande whether he could suggest any thing which your kindness & willingness could do for the Institution and he agrees with me that it is only in the way of Minerals that we can recommend things to your attention[.] The American Philosophical reports are so uncertain that we do not know how to trust them but it is said that very fine minerals large & beautiful are abundant[.] Now with us these are desirable. Strontian specimens from Lake Erie are amongst the number[.]

Your Brother told me of your plan of flying kites and wished me to write you my opinion as to danger from the Electric fluid[.] I should think you had very little reason to fear from that agent but I certainly should advise you that you have a metallic communication as a chain or rod descending from the string at the distance of a few yards from the ship (if convenient) and touching the water even entering it for a few feet if that can be allowed and also that a wire run up the string from this chain perhaps 30 or 40 feet. If the conductor cannot be dropped from the string into the water then it ought to be continued by good metallic communication from the string over the ship & down the side until it touch & enter the water but I should prefer the first method[.] Much must be left to your own observation & judgement but attend to this one point never have broken or interrupted conductor let the different metallic parts touch each other[.]

If you plan succeeds I hope you will send us an account of it home as a subject for one of our Friday Evenings describing the arrangements both successful & unsuccessful which you had occasion to make in the passage.

I am Sir | Your Very Obedient Servant | M. Faraday

Benj Smith Esq | &c &c

Address: Benj Smith Esq | Mountfield | near Robertsbridge | Sussex