THE YOUNG PROFESSOR 193 



so fortunate as to be selected for the post. I am afraid with the 

 limited attendance of students this year that it will be impossible 

 for the Treasurer of the college to pay the full amount of salary 

 ($1000). Next spring, too, my father-in-law, Gen. Churchill, breaks 

 up his establishment here, and leaves Carlisle as a residence, in 

 which event my own conveniences and facilities for investigation and 

 study will be greatly curtailed, by the necessary restrictions of a 

 boarding house. I can at any time make arrangements for a substi- 

 tute in the College to take charge of the uncompleted portion of the 

 year (collegiate). My plan would be if I were appointed for the first 

 of January, or even the first of July, 1850, to transport most or all 

 specimens to Washington in the spring, and after remaining there 

 for a while, to go North and explore the region on the north of New 

 York, the wildest portion of the United States, there to collect 

 specimens of all kinds and to make such observations of various 

 kinds as might be in my power. Professor Guyot intends visiting 

 the same region, and the explorations belonging to our mutual 

 department will be appropriately carried on together. I have many 

 connections in the Adirondack region, and have already visited it, 

 although several years have since elapsed. Before I started I could 

 put matters in train for calling in collections from various parts of 

 the country by the distribution of various circulars. Could I but 

 ask in the name of the Smithsonian Institution for objects of interest, 

 their acquisition would be much easier than it is now. If you could 

 not spare as much as $500.00 per annum for expenses, I could do a 

 great deal with half the sum. This sum, with $1000 for myself, 

 would not be a heavy drag upon the funds for a year or two. I may 

 have opportunities now for making collections which may not soon 

 or may never recur, and I would like to commence working the 

 great machinery which I trust I can set up for making a true and 

 genuine collection of objects of science. I am afraid I have wearied 

 your patience by what I have written, but hope you will forgive 

 my prolixity and importunity in regard to what is a somewhat vital 

 matter. . . . 



The policy of Professor Henry in not desiring the 

 Exploring Expedition's collections transferred to the 

 proposed Smithsonian Museum was doubtless due to 

 13 



