and　more　its　peculiar　character。　　Facts　appear　to　have　established
  that　it　is　originated　here　by　a　local　atmosphere；　which　is　never
  generated　but　in　the　lower；　closer；　and　dirtier　parts　of　our　large
  cities；　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　water；　and　that；　to　catch　the
  disease；　you　must　enter　the　local　atmosphere。　　Persons　having　taken
  the　disease　in　the　infected　quarter；　and　going　into　the　country；　are
  nursed　and　buried　by　their　friends；　without　an　example　of
  communicating　it。　　A　vessel　going　from　the　infected　quarter；　and
  carrying　its　atmosphere　in　its　hold　into　another　State；　has　given　the
  disease　to　every　person　who　there　entered　her。　　These　have　died　in
  the　arms　of　their　families　without　a　single　communication　of　the
  disease。　　It　is　certainly；　therefore；　an　epidemic；　not　a　contagious
  disease；　and　calls　on　the　chemists　for　some　mode　of　purifying　the
  vessel　by　a　decomposition　of　its　atmosphere；　if　ventilation　be　found
  insufficient。　　In　the　long　scale　of　bilious　fevers；　graduated　by　many
  shades；　this　is　probably　the　last　and　most　mortal　term。　　It　seizes
  the　native　of　the　place　equally　with　strangers。　　It　has　not　been　long
  known　in　any　part　of　the　United　States。　　The　shade　next　above　it；
  called　the　stranger's　fever；　has　been　coeval　with　the　settlement　of
  the　larger　cities　in　the　southern　parts；　to　wit；　Norfolk；　Charleston；
  New　Orleans。　　Strangers　going　to　these　places　in　the　months　of　July；
  August　or　September；　find　this　fever　as　mortal　as　the　genuine　yellow
  fever。　　But　it　rarely　attacks　those　who　have　resided　in　them　some
  time。　　Since　we　have　known　that　kind　of　yellow　fever　which　is　no
  respecter　of　persons；　its　name　has　been　extended　to　the　stranger's
  fever；　and　every　species　of　bilious　fever　which　produces　a　black
  vomit；　that　is　to　say；　a　discharge　of　very　dark　bile。　　Hence　we　hear
  of　yellow　fever　on　the　Alleganey　mountains；　in　Kentucky；　&c。　　This　is
  a　matter　of　definition　only：　but　it　leads　into　error　those　who　do　not
  know　how　loosely　and　how　interestedly　some　physicians　think　and
  speak。　　So　far　as　we　have　yet　seen；　I　think　we　are　correct　insaying；
  that　the　yellow　fever　which　seizes　on　all　indiscriminately；　is　an
  ultimate　degree　of　bilious　fever　never　known　in　the　United　States
  till　lately；　nor　farther　south；　as　yet；　than　Alexandria；　and　that
  what　they　have　recently　called　the　yellow　fever　in　New　Orleans；
  Charleston　and　Norfolk；　is　what　has　always　been　known　in　those　places
  as　confined　chiefly　to　strangers；　and　nearly　as　mortal　_to　them_；　as
  the　other　is　to　_all_　its　subjects。　　But　both　grades　are　local：　the
  stranger's　fever　less　so；　as　it　sometimes　extends　a　little　into　the
  neighborhood；　but　the　yellow　fever　rigorously　so；　confined　within
  narrow　and　well　defined　limits；　and　not　communicable　out　of　those
  limits。　　Such　a　constitution　of　atmosphere　being　requisite　to
  originate　this　disease　as　is　generated　only　in　low；　close；　and
  ill…cleansed　parts　of　a　town；　I　have　supposed　it　practicable　to
  prevent　its　generation　by　building　our　cities　on　a　more　open　plan。
  Take；　for　instance；　the　chequer　board　for　a　plan。　　Let　the　black
  squares　only　be　building　squares；　and　the　white　ones　be　left　open；　in
  turf　and　trees。　　Every　square　of　houses　will　be　surrounded　by　four
  open　squares；　and　every　house　will　front　an　open　square。　　The
  atmosphere　of　such　a　town　would　be　like　that　of　the　country；
  insusceptible　of　the　miasmata　which　produce　yellow　fever。　　I　have
  accordingly　proposed　that　the　enlargements　of　the　city　of　New
  Orleans；　which　must　immediately　take　place；　shall　be　on　this　plan。
  But　it　is　only　in　case　of　enlargements　to　be　made；　or　of　cities　to　be
  built；　that　this　means　of　prevention　can　be　employed。
  The　_genus　irritabile　vatum_　could　not　let　the　author　of　the
  Ruins　publish　a　new　work；　without　seeking　in　it　the　means　of
  discrediting　that　puzzling　composition。　　Some　one　of　those　holy
  calumniators　has　selected　from　your　new　work　every　scrap　of　a
  sentence；　which；　detached　from　its　context；　could　displease　an
  American　reader。　　A　cento　has　been　made　of　these；　which　has　run
  through　a　particular　description　of　newspapers；　and　excited　a
  disapprobation　even　in　friendly　minds；　which　nothing　but　the　reading
  of　the　book　will　cure。　　But　time　and　truth　will　at　length　correct
  error。
  Our　countrymen　are　so　much　occupied　in　the　busy　scenes　of　life；
  that　they　have　little　time　to　write　or　invent。　　A　good　invention
  here；　therefore；　is　such　a　rarity　as　it　is　lawful　to　offer　to　the
  acceptance　of　a　friend。　　A　Mr。　Hawkins　of　Frankford；　near
  Philadelphia；　has　invented　a　machine　which　he　calls　a　polygraph；　and
  which　carries　two；　three；　or　four　pens。　　That　of　two　pens；　with　which
  I　am　now　writing；　is　best；　and　is　so　perfect　that　I　have　laid　aside
  the　copying…press；　for　a　twelve　month　past；　and　write　always　with　the
  polygraph。　　I　have　directed　one　to　be　made；　of　which　I　ask　your
  acceptance。　　By　what　conveyance　I　shall　send　it　while　Havre　is
  blockaded；　I　do　not　yet　know。　　I　think　you　will　be　pleased　with　it；
  and　will　use　it　habitually　as　I　do；　because　it　requires　only　that
  degree　of　mechanical　attention　which　I　know　you　to　possess。　　I　am
  glad　to　hear　that　M。　Cabanis　is　engaged　in　writing　on　the　reformation
  of　medicine。　　It　needs　the　hand　of　a　reformer；　and　cannot　be　in
  better　hands　than　his。　　Will　you　permit　my　rekspects　to　him　and　the
  Abbe　de　la　Roche　to　find　a　place　here。
  A　word　now　on　our　political　state。　　The　two　parties　which
  prevailed　with　so　much　violence　when　you　were　here；　are　almost　wholly
  melted　into　one。　　At　the　late　Presidential　election　I　have　received
  one　hundred　and　sixty…two　votes　against　fourteen　only。　　Connecticut
  is　still　federal　by　a　small　majority；　and　Delaware　on　a　poise；　as　she
  has　been　since　1775；　and　will　be　till　Anglomany　with　her　yields　to
  Americanism。　　Connecticut　will　be　with　us　in　a　short　time。　　Though
  the　people　in　mass　have　joined　us；　their　leaders　had　committed
  themselves　too　far　to　retract。　　Pride　keeps　them　hostile；　they　brood
  over　their　angry　passions；　and　give　them　vent　in　the　newspapers　which
  they　maintain。　　They　still　make　as　much　noise　as　if　they　were　the
  whole　nation。　　Unfortunately；　these　being　the　mercantile　papers；
  published　chiefly　in　the　sea　ports；　are　the　only　ones　which　find
  their　way　to　Europe；　and　make　very　false　impressions　there。　　I　am
  happy　to　hear　that　the　late　derangement　of　your　health　is　going
  off；and　that　you　are　re…established。　　I　sincerely　pray　for　the
  continuance　of　that　blessing；　and　with　my　affectionate　salutations；
  tender　you　assurances　of　great　respect　and　attachment。
  P。　S。　The　sheets　which　you　receive　are　those　of　the　copying　pen
  of　the　polygraph；　not　of　the　one　with　which　I　have　written。
  NEWS　OF　CAPTAIN　LEWIS
  _To　C。　F。　de　C。　Volney_
  _Washington；　Feb。　11；　1806_
  DEAR　SIR；　　Since　mine　of　Feb。　18　of　the　last　year；　I　have
  received　yours　of　July　2。　　I　have　been　constantly　looking　out　for　an
  opportunity　of　sending　your　Polygraph；　but　the　blockade　of　Havre　has
  cut　off　that　resource；　and　I　have　feared　to　send　it　to　a　port　from
  which　there　would　be　only　land　carriage。　　A　safe　conveyance　now
  offering　to　Nantes；　&　under　the　particular　care　of　Mr。　Skipwith；　who
  is　returning　to　France；　he　will　take　care　of　it　from　Nantes　by　land
  if　an　easy　carriage　is　found；　or　if　not；　then　by　the　canal　of　Briare。
  Another　year's　constant　use　of　a　similar　one　attaches　me　more　and
  more　to　it　as　a　most　valuable　convenience。　　I　send　you　also　a
  pamphlet　published　here　against　the　English　doctrine　which　denies　to
  neutrals　a　trade　in　war　not　open　to　them　in　peace　in　which　you　will
  find　it　pulverized　by　a　logic　not　to　be　controverted。
  Our　last　news　of　Captn　Lewis　was　that　he　had　reached　the　upper
  part　of　the　Missouri；　&　had　taken　horses　to　cross　the　Highlands　to
  the　Columbia　river。　　He　passed　the　last　winter　among　the　Manians　1610
  miles　above　the　mouth　of　the　river。　　So　far　he　had　delineated　it　with
  as　great　accuracy　as　will　probably　be　ever　applied　to　it；　as　his
  courses　&　distances　by　mensuration　were　corrected　by　almost　daily
  observations　of　latitude　and　longitude。　　With　his　map　he　sent　us
  specimens　or　information　of　the　following　animals　not　before　known　to
  the　northern　continent　of　America。　　1。　The　horns　of　what　is　perhaps　a
  species　of　Ovis　Ammon。　　2。　A　new　variety　of　the　deer　having　a　black
  tail。　　3。　An　antelope。　　4。　The　badger；　not　before　known　out　of
  Europe。　　5。　A　new　species　of　marmotte。　　6。　A　white　weasel。　　7。　The
  magpie。　　8。　The　Prairie　hen；　said　to　resemble　the　Guinea　hen
  （peintade）。　　9。　A　prickly　lizard。　　To　these　are　added　a　considerable
  collection　of　minerals；　not　yet　analyzed。　　He　wintered　in　Lat。　47
  degrees　20'　and　found　the　maximum　of　cold　43　degrees　below　the　zero
  of　Fahrenheit。　　We　expect　he　has　reached　the　Pacific；　and　is　now
  wintering　on　the　head　of　the　Missouri；　and　will　be　here　next　autumn。
  Having　been　disa