Faraday to Eilhard Mitscherlich   5 June 1829¹

Royal Institution | June 5th 1829.

My dear Sir

I have not forgotten the pleasure I received from the few short visits you formerly made me in London² and am quite unwilling to allow your remembrance of me to be altogether lost[.] A friend of mine Mr Halswell³ intends passing through Berlin and I am desirous upon the occasion of writing to you for a double or triple purpose[.] One as I have before said & the leading one to keep your remembrance of me alive. Another the introduction of Mr Halswell to you as a gentleman & a scholar whom you will be pleased to know and the third a favour which I am going to ask of you only on condition that you will refuse it if it incurs too much trouble[.]

There is manufactured at the Royal Porcellain works at Berlin such basins for chemical operations as infinitely surpass any thing we have in London[.] I would write to the works directly for them but do not know the sizes & prices & could not therefore well describe what I want. Now You as a chemist know perfectly. If I understand rightly it is only evaporating basins which are particularly useful to chemists and such as are from 3 to 5 inches in diameter I imagine to be those that will suit me best[.] A few down to 2 inches and a few up to 6. 7 or 8 inches in diameter but I may not go to an expence of more than eight or ten pounds sterling altogether and therefore I must be economical[.] Now if you would take the trouble of ordering these for me according to your discretion it would be a great favour done me[.] If they manufacture any thing else you think useful & not expensive then put a specimen or two in[.]

If you could look them out & order them: the people at the works I hope would take the trouble of packing them up & shipping them addressed to me to the Care of Messrs. Bingham Richards⁴ & Co. Kings Warehouse Custom House London - At the same time sending a letter per post to Messrs. Bingham Richards & Co. Kings Arm Yard. Coleman Street London advising them of the shipment[.]

As to the payment at Berlin I intend to ask Mr Halswell the bearer of this letter to pay to you or at the Porcellain works the expence incurred[.] I am in hopes you can arrange to do this though the goods may not be shipped until afterwards[.]

I hear of your progress and continually regret that my ignorance of the German Language entirely prevents me from arriving at the correct knowledge of what is doing in a very active part of the scientific world. But time gets shorter & shorter with me business accumulates more & more.

Believe me to be | My dear Sir | Your Very Obliged & faithful | M. Faraday

Address: M. Mitscherlich | &c &c | Berlin