I return you many thanks for the fish you have been so kind as to send me, and still more for your aid in procuring the carp, and you will further oblige me by presenting my thanks to Capt. Holman & Mr. Ashlin. I have found too late, on enquiry that the cask sent was an old and foul one, and I have no doubt that must have been the cause of the death of the fish. The carp, altho it cannot live the shortest time out of water, yet is understood to bear transportation in water the best of any fish whatever. The obtaining breeders for my pond being too interesting to be abandoned, I have had a proper smack made, such as is regularly used for transporting fish, to be towed after the boat, and have dispatched the bearer with it without delay, as the season is passing away. I have therefor again to solicit your patronage, as well as Captain Holman's in obtaining a supply of carp. I think a dozen would be enough and would therefore wish him to come away as soon as he can get that number. From that time on his ponds came in for periodic mention, as when one was broken up by flood waters in 1814. But despite setbacks he kept faith in them as good food-producing adjuncts of a farm, thus anticipating the U.S. Department of Agriculture's modern food-fish pond-development program by more than a century. As is likely to be the case with experimenters, Jefferson's efforts at fish propagation do not appear to have been overwhelmingly successful. At any rate, there is much more frequent reference in his records to putting fish in his ponds than taking them out. So far as he was concerned, it may be said that results were less important than example. Like all great leaders he was an originator and investigator, confining himself to the basic things that insure man's sustenance and contribute to his happiness, not the least of which is fishing. BIBLIOGRAPHY Archer, Gabriel. _A Relation of the Discovery of Our River From James Forte into the Maine, Made by Captain Christopher Newport._ Worcester, 1860. Beverley, Robert. _The History and Present State of Virginia._ London, 1705. Brown, Alexander. _The Genesis of the United States._ Boston, 1890. 2 vols. Burnaby, Andrew. _Travels Through the Middle Settlements in North America in the Years 1759-1760._ London, 1798. Byrd, William. _Natural History of Virginia._ Ed. and tr. by R. C. Beatty and W. J. Mulloy. Richmond, 1940. Chastellux, Francois J. _Travels in North America in the Years 1780, 1781, and 1782._ London, 1787. Cresswell, Nicholas. _The Journal, 1774-77._ Ed. by Lincoln McVeagh. New York, 1924. De Vries, David P. _Voyages From Holland to America, 1632-1644._ New York, 1857. Durand, --. _A Huguenot exile in Virginia._ Ed. by Gilbert Chinard. New York, 1934. Fithian, Philip V. _Journal and Letters, 1773-1774._ Ed. by Hunter D. Farish. Williamsburg, 1943. Force, Peter. _Tracts and Other Papers._ Washington, 1836-46. 4 vols.