[Extract]

You[r Congress dou]btless have [had intim]ations of [the Inven]tion of [a new machine] for [the Destru]ction of [Enemy Ships, but I sit] down to Give [you an Account] of that [Machine and] what Exper[iments have] been alr[eady made witlh it, what I relate y[ou] may Intire[ly rely] upon to be fact ー I will not at this time attempt to Give You a Minute Description of the Form, as the Post is now Waiting, thus Much, it doth not Exceed 7 feet in Length, and the Depth not more than 5½ feet, the Person who Navigates it, sits on a Bench in the Center of the Machine ー The Person who invented it, is a student of Yale Colledge, and is Graduated this Year ー Lives within five Mile of me. I was the second Person who ever was permitted to see it, there being no other Workman but himself & Brother, Excepting what Iron Work is wanted, which was done by His direction, His Plan is to place the Cask Containing the Powder on the Outside of the Machine, and it is so Contrived, as when it strikes the Ship, which he proposes shall be at the Keil it Grapples fast to the Keils ー and is Wholly Disengag'd from the Machine, he then Rows off, the Powder is to be fired by a Gun Lock fixed within the Cask which is sprung by Watch work, which he can so order as to have that take place at any Distance of Time he pleases ー The Experiments that has as Yet been Made are as follows ー In the Most Private Manner he Convey'd it on Board a Sloop In the Night and Went out into the Sound, He then sunk under Water, where he Continued about 45 Minutes without any Inconveniency as to Breathing, he Can Row it either Backward or forward Under water about 3 Miles an Hour ー And Can steer to what Poi[nt o]f Compass he [pl]eases ー he can Rise to the [Surface of] the Water w[here and] when he Pleases to [get a fr]esh supply [of air wh]en that is Exhausted [Inside th]e Machine [is a Barometer] by which he can [tell the dep]th under w[ater and can] admit water if [needed] to Bring [the Machine] into a perfect [Equilibr]ium with [the water]  he has allso another Pair of Oars by whi[ch he] can Rowe it either up or Down ー and a forcing Pump by which he Can free himself from the Water which he Admits to bring the Machine to a Proper Equilibrium with the Water  at the Top he has a pair of Glass Eyes by which he sees Objects Under Water ー These Parts are all Compleat and these Experiments he has Already Made  I might add, he has an Anchor by which he Can remain in Any Place to Wait for Tide Oppy &c and again Weigh it at Pleasure ー about 1000 wt of Lead is his Ballast, part of which is his Anchor, which he Carries on the outside at Bottom of the Machine, this story may Appear Romantic, but thus far is Compleated and All these Experiments above related has been Actually Made, He is now at New Haven with Mr Doolittle an Ingenious Mechanic in Clocks &c Making those Parts which Conveys the Powder, and secures the same to the Bottom of the Ship, and the Watchwork which fires it ー I every Minute Expect his return, when a full Tryal will be made, and Give me Leave to Say, it is all Constructed with Great simplicity, and upon Principles of Natural Philosophy, and I Conceive is not Equall'd by any thing I ever heard of or Saw, Except Dr Franklins Electrical Experiments ー he Builds it on his own Acct, he was Urged to Ask some Assistance from the Government, Upon the Leiut Govrs seeing it they Offered him Assistance, but it was so Inconsiderable a sum, he refusd it, and Says he will go through with it at his own Risque ー the Only Objections in my Mind from what I have seen of the Machinery of it is that he Cannot see under Water so Deep so perfectly as to fix it right, and wh 100 wt of Powder will force its way through the ship I fear the Water will give way before the Bottom of the Ship, and the force of the Explosion Eluded ー the Whole Machine may be Transported in a Cart ー I might have added he has made the Experiment of firing Powde[r] Under Water after remaining there 25 Minutes ー I have been Long Urging him for permission to Acquaint You with these facts  He at Length has Consented with this Condition that I request You would not Mention the Affair Untill he has made the Experiment, when Compleated, if Agreable I will Acquaint You with the Experiments he makes before he goes with it down to Boston, He is Quite Certain he Can Effect the thing and his reasoning so Philosophically and Answering every Objection I ever made that In truth I have great relyance upon itー

. . . I ask Ten Thousand Pardons for presuming to Trouble You with this Long Acct which I fear will Appear to You too Romantic to Obtain Beleiff ー but have Endeavoured in the Strictest Sense to relate Facts Truly . . .