Joseph Henry to Faraday   9 October 1838

Princeton, College of New Jersey | Oct 9th 1838

My dear Sir

This letter will be delivered, to you, by my Friend and former Pupil, Mr Henry James¹ of Albany. Under ordinary circumstances, I would hesitate to give almost any person an introduction to you, knowing how much you are occupied, and how arduous your duties are, but Mr James has some peculiar motives for wishing your acquaintance². Of these however I am but partially informed and must therefore refer you to himself for an exposition of them[.]

You will find him an intelligent, and interesting young gentleman - he is highly esteemed in this country, and belongs to one of our most wealthy and respectable Families - I am deeply interested in his welfare and am principally indebted to his kind attention, to my affairs, for the pleasure and the profit of my late visit to your hospitable shores. Permit me to request as an additional favour to myself that you will give him your candid and free advice and direc‑tion relative to the objects for which he seeks your acquaintance. Mr James has devoted himself more to moral and literary subjects than to science and will therefore want one community of feeling with you; you will however find in him qualities of head and heart sufficient to make ample amends for this.

He is aware how much your time is occupied and will not therefore trespass too much on your engagements.

Give my kind regards to your estimable wife and permit me to assure her and you that I shall always retain a lively recollection of the pleasures of my visits to the Royal Institution³[.]

I left your country with warm feelings highly gratified with the kindness I had received, and with the unreserve and liberality with which I was instructed in various branches of science.

I had a pleasant and what was then called a quick passage of 26 days across the atlantic[.] Nothing very unusual occured although we had one death in the cabin and was on one night in considerable danger from a violent thunder storm - Every spar and mast for a time was tipped with an electrical brush - the ship was not furnished with a conductor - fortunately however we escaped unscathed⁴.

Since my return my time has been much occupied in making up the leaway of a long absence. I have however devoted some time to some new electrical investigations and hope soon to be able to send you a copy of a paper on the subject⁵[.]

I am very anxious to receive a copy of your late papers⁶ and hope soon accord‑ing to your promises that they will be forth coming. Your investigations are of a very extraordinary character they tend to unsettle what was con‑sidered some of the best established laws of statical electricity and were the investigations not from yourself I would be inclined to be some what sceptical in reference to their accuracy - our theories however well they may agree with present knowledge are only expressions for approximate truth and it is only those new facts not immediately referable to them that promise a rich harvest of new development[.]

My Friend Professor Bache arrived safely in the Great Western about a week since[.] I hastened to New York to meet him but we unfortunately missed each other[.] I hope to see him within a few days and to have a long account of all his adventures since we parted in Paris. Give my respects to Prof. Daniel[l.] I intend to write to him in a short time[.] I regret that I did not meet with him immediately before my departure from London. Now that steam has become triumphant we may perhaps hope to see him or some of his family on this side of the Atlantic[.] It would give me much pleasure to have an opportunity of reciprocating some of the kindness I received from him.

The account of the meeting of the British association⁷ has just been received but I have not yet given it an attentive perusal[.] I have not met with your name on the list and suppose that you were not present.

With Respect and Esteem | I am most sincerely yours &c | Joseph Henry

Professor Faraday

Address: M. Faraday L.L.D | Professor &c &c | London