| 11'ashiltgtoll and the Potomac 715
Bill?3 as I had only my own Ideas to guide me I make no doubt but that
they may be much improved in the 'Matter and am confident they may in
the Language. the Time is too short for much Intercourse on the Subject
and if they- are thought sufficient for a Groundwork the only Favor I re-
quest for them or myself is that you would threat [treat] them with intire
Freedom by altering as you may think best for I feel nothing of favourit-
ism to any part. my views will be intirely answered in obtaining a Re-
lease from the useless part of the Burthen.
Since my Return Home my Thoughts have run a good deal on the
Situation of the Great Falls for Locks and the Manner of constructing
them and their Gates. I was puzzled about the latteral pressure of
Water for the Situation seems to point out Locks of great depth but
unless we call come at some Rule to know the Force of a given Body
of Water we do not know- the Quantity of Force or degree of Strength
nece.sary to oppose to it or whether we hacc it in our power to oppose
it with Success or not. I have no Books of my own nor aln I in a
favourable place to borrow- Books Oil the Subject however 1 obtained
one and have extracted No. ql' what I thought applicable- -My At-
tempt No. ~'5 oil this Foundation may probably be so far from accurate
as to he intirely wrong for 1 have no learning in this Way the only
Merit or rather the Excuse 1 call claim is the llrteirtion. Yet I cannot
but be struck with the Hints started at the Falls and hope we may ac-
complish a resisting Force superior to the Action of the Uater. let
u_, raise it in the Locks to what height we please and 1 candidly confess
I feel a kind of Pride in the originality or at least Uncommonness of the
Gate, proposed. i f by a Deviation front the usual manner we can combine
Strength Dispatch and Ease in a superior degree and at a less Expense
than the Europeans my Ambition will be highly gratified and I flatter
myself the Occasion offers. I should either forbear giving you this
Trouble or apologize for it if 1 did not think your desire to pick out'
some thing useful from the crudest Thoughts and lay unreserce will!
make this prolixity acceptable for 7 much more wish to add to than take
from the few of your leisure Moments.
I am sr.
Your most obed't and most llble serv't
'I'll JOHNSON
[Ertdorscrnittt:] From Thoms. Johnson Esqr 4th Novr. 1785.
XVIL ENCLOst'RE NO. 2.
To the Hollble the General Assembly's of the Commonwealth of
Virginia and the State of Maryland.
The humble Petition of the president and Directors of the Potonack
Company on Behalf of the said Company slleweth, That by the Acts of
the said Assembly's intitled An Act for opening etc'° it is made essen-
See 1jening's Statutes, XII, 68, or Maxey's Ln;vs of Alnryhoid, 1. 542.
A draft of this act, though not in Johnson's autograph. was found among the
papers.
"An extract, not here printed, from John Rowning's d Compendious System
of .\atitrnll'hilosophy (London, 1992 ed.?), 1. z5.
"Not here printed.
'° Act incorporating the Potomac Company. Hering, XI. gio: Maxey. 1 , q88.
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