Lewis Vulliamy¹ to Faraday   1850s

Argyll Street | Tuesday

My dear Faraday

I caught a stray Philosopher yesterday & took him to Dorchester House he was very amiable & we examined the Oiled Specimen of Portland Stone which looks So clean & nice & which has been exposed about 18 months to the weather[.]

Our Friend (Wheatstone) is of Opinion that the surface is rather more decomposed than the part which is not oiled & looks black - he says the surface appears to be converted into Chalk, which causes it to appear so White & Clean -

This is very discouraging, but what will be the effect of Oil & wax on the tops of the Cornice.

Philr. Wheatstone is strong upon Silicate of Potass; but Philr. & Archt. Barry² has “No opinion of it” - NB he tried it about 3 years ago at Bridgewater House[.]

I went to the Gutta Percha manufactury [sic] & was delighted but the Manager says my plan for laying it on the tops of Cornices will not do the Sun would draw it off & destroy it. The Sun is more to be feared than wet.

Lest the Battery should be a going - I wrote all this on Paper - By the Bye why dont you use sand instead of liquid - I gave myself a shock & also fired a Gun thro 120 miles of wire.

Yours ever faithfully | L. Vulliamy

P.S. Is there any time in the 24 Hours when the Battery is not going, if so, I would attend then -

They say you have not been to the Gutta Percha works.