I am sorry you have received so little information on the subject of our winds.  I had once (before our revolutionary war) a project on the same subject.  As I had then an extensive acquaintance over this State, I meant to have engaged some person in every county of it, giving them each a thermometer, to observe that and the winds twice a day, for one year, to wit, at sunrise and at four P. M. (the coldest and the warmest point of the twenty-four hours) and to communicate their observations to me at the end of the year.  I should then have selected the days in which it appeared that the winds blew to a centre within the State, and have made a map of them, and seen how far they had analogy with the temperature of the air.  I meant this to be merely a specimen to be communicated to the Philosophical Society at Philadelphia, in order to engage them, by means of their correspondents, to have the same thing done in every State, and through a series of years.  By seizing the days when the winds centred in any part of the United States, we might, in time, have come at some of the causes which determine the direction of the winds, which I suspect to be very various.  But this long-winded project was prevented by the war which came upon us, and since that I have been far otherwise engaged.  I am sure you will have viewed the subject from much higher ground, and I shall be happy to learn your views in some of the hours of delassement, which I hope we are yet to pass together.  To this must be added your observations on the new character of man, which you have seen in your journey, as he is in all his shapes a curious animal, on whom no one is better qualified to judge than yourself; and no one will be more pleased to participate of your views of him than one, who has the pleasure of offering you his sentiments of sincere respect and esteem.

Th:  Jefferson.

LETTER CCV.—­TO HENRY TAZEWELL, January 16, 1797

TO HENRY TAZEWELL.

Monticello, January 16, 1797.

Dear Sir,

As far as the public papers are to be credited, I may suppose that the choice of Vice-President has fallen on me.  On this hypothesis I trouble you, and only pray, if it be wrong, that you will consider this letter as not written.  I believe it belongs to the Senate to notify the Vice-President of his election.  I recollect to have heard, that on the first election of President and Vice-President, gentlemen of considerable office were sent to notify the parties chosen.  But this was the inauguration of our new government, and ought not to be drawn into example.  At the second election, both gentlemen were on the spot and needed no messengers.  On the present occasion, the President will be on the spot, so that what is now to be done respects myself alone:  and considering that the season of notification will always present one difficulty, that the distance in the present case adds a second, not inconsiderable,