"January 21, 1805.—Mr. Hatchett reported that, in pursuance of the request of the Managers, he had inspected the minerals presented to the Royal Institution by Mr. Davy, and that the aggregate value (including the duplicate specimens) appears to him to exceed one hundred guineas."
"January 28.—The Managers took into consideration Mr. Hatchett's report at the last meeting, and resolved that Mr. Davy is entitled to the thanks of the Managers for having added so valuable a present to the collection of minerals belonging to the Institution."
On the 4th of February, it was Resolved—"That Mr. Davy be appointed Director of the Laboratory, at a salary of one hundred pounds a-year; by which his annual income from the Institution was raised to four hundred pounds. At this period he delivered a series of lectures on Geology, or on the chemical history of the earth; to which we find an allusion in the following letter.
TO THOMAS POOLE, ESQ.
February, 1805.
MY DEAR POOLE,
I am very much obliged to you for your last kind letter, and I thank you most sincerely for the exertion of your friendship at Bath. I thank you with very warm feelings.
I hope you will soon come to town; that you will stay a long time; and that we shall be very much together.
I paid your subscription to Arthur Young for the Smithfield Club. Pray, at all times, command me to do any thing I can for you in London:—you cannot teaze me; and though I am a very idle fellow, yet I can always work if the stimulus be the desire of serving such a friend as yourself.
I am giving my course of lectures on Geology to very crowded audiences. I take a great interest in the subject; and I hope the information given will be useful.