Philada Nov. 14th: 1794.
Sir
I recd your letter, by Thos Jackson, of Oct 6th:, with the sample of
Copperas, which I have tried, and find it to strike a black color;
but you are misled, by the sound of a name, in infering that it
contains Copper, for Copperas is not produced from Copper, but from
Iron, and its striking a black colour is a proof of this. Copper indeed
produces what is called blue vitriol, but by no means green vitriol,
or Copperas. I wish you and Mr Burr to examine, about the place,
where this Copperas is found, whether there are not some appearances
of Iron Ore, which is a valuable article but perhaps not so valuable
as Copper, and whether there is any Mill Seat near it—
I wrote, in answer to your former letter, by the way of Richmond,
a few days before I recd this letter by Jackson, and desired Mr
Norwell to forward it by express. In that letter I agreed to let Mr.
Gains have 10,000 acres for every hundred thousand acres of good
land he should survey for me, as far as three hundred thousand acres,
and to alow him six pense an acre for his share, to be paid out of the
sales of the land, and to pay all expences, and to alow you one third,
inclusive of Mr Gaines share, and to pay you for your share at the
same price, and in the same manner, upon these terms you may
proceed to make the surveys
Thos Euston
[Addressed]: Mr Moses Austin Austinville Lead Mines Virginia—
pr Thos Jackson