Address:
M^rs Flinders
7 Mary Street
            Fitzroy Square
                        London

                            Fountain Inn — Sheerness
                                        April 23. (9 a.m.) 1812

My dear love

We have not yet been able to accomplish
our experiments in a satisfactory manner; owing to the wind,
the tides, and bad compasses. I shall be again occupied the
whole of this day, on board the Raisonable, lying in Sheer-
ness Harbour; and from our better knowledge of the diffi-
culties, it is to be hoped this will be the last. I cannot, indeed
stop here any longer than tomorrow morning; and as the master
attendant has promised me a boat to go up to Chatham, I ex-
pect to be there some time tomorrow, and with thee in Mary
Street, some time on Saturday.
      Our imperfect experiments of yesterday ^ ^{on board the Helder} were,
however, sufficient to convince every body present of the truth
of what I had advanced as to the changes which take place;
although many were greatly disposed to doubt them before. The
differences have even been found much greater than I had ven-
tured to announce, being 14° instead of 8° as I had mentioned and

as we had found the day before on board the Starling, gun-
brig. The experiments, imperfect as they yet are, furnish a sub-
ject of general conversation amongst the naval officers here;
and I suppose we shall have a paragraph about them in the
newspapers shortly. I have been rather lucky in meeting with
two or three intelligent officers to be present at the experiments,
and who seem to take a good deal of interest in them. They
took interest in the first case, thinking, I believe, to disprove
this novelty in nautical science; but now they it is to es-
tablish it, and to ascertain the quantities of the changes and the
laws which govern them.
      I have had a good deal of fatigue the last two
days, but keep my health well and make most ravenous
breakfasts. I sincerely hope thy strength continues to in-
crease, and that I shall find the dear little brat in a better
state than when thy account of it was written.
      My kind love to thy good sister; and believe me
to be, most affectionately
                  Thine
                            Matt^w Flinders