A Friend of mine has sent me a newspaper—the Tyne Mercury, containing a very foolish libel upon me. It states, amongst other things, that I did not mention Dr. Clanny, or his lamp, in my late paper read before the Royal Society; whereas I mentioned his lamp as a very ingenious contrivance, and named him amongst the gentlemen who obligingly furnished me with information upon the subject.
It will be needless for me to point out to you that my lamp has no one principle in common with that of Dr. Clanny. He forces in his air through water by bellows. In mine, the air passes through safety canals without any mechanical assistance. Mine is a common lantern made close, and furnished with safety canals.
I hope I shall not hear that Dr. Clanny has in any way authorized or promoted so improper a statement as that in the Tyne Mercury; indeed, I do not think it possible.
I have at last obtained a complete model of my lamp, after many disappointments from the instrument-maker. I hope in a few days to send you a Safe lantern, as portable as a common-made one, and the perfect security of which is demonstrable.
I am, my dear Sir, your sincerely obliged,
H. Davy.
TO THE SAME.
Grosvenor Street, December 15.
MY DEAR SIR,
I shall inclose the first sheet of my paper, and shall be glad to preface it by some observations when you reprint it.