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Sir
As it is of much importance that some person should be found willing to go with the Discovery Ship, I must request you to continue your enquiry, if an addition of Salary is likely to tempt any one $100 a Year will be given, besides Provisions.
It is a safe & a very interesting Voyage & one very likely to make the fortune of the Person who engages in the Mineral Line, there seems to me every prospect of Minerals of the greatest value & Government will no doubt if valuable Mines are discoverd [discovered] in situations where they can be workd [worked], employ the discoverer in some lucrative part of the working them, Salt & Coal have already been found, but none of the Mountains where the precious Metals are most likely to lie, have yet been examind [examined].
The person need not be an able Miner as no Trials are intended to be made below the surface, all Mines in a new Country may be seen at the Surface, what is expected of the person who will be Sent out is, that he under the direction of the Naturalist, takes Specimens of all Rocks & particularly of the contents of all Mineral Veins he meets with & brings them home.
An Astronomer a Naturalist & two Painters go with the Ship, those appointments have been most anxiously sollicited & a Gardener also & I