17 



persons who directed their attention to snch inquiries, having 

 neither cabinets nor books in the special departments of natural 

 science at their command, were forced to contend with many diffi- 

 culties. 



Amidst such inauspicious surroundings, and upon the eve of a 

 war with Great Britain, the founders of the Academy began their 

 great work, which, long ago, would have perished in the bud, had 

 it not been for the important principles involved in the attempt. 

 For it often happens in the affairs of men that the importance of 

 the objects to be accomplished gives to the efforts made in their 

 behalf a degree of perseverance which becomes the guarantee of 

 ultimate success. 



Did the time permit, I would fain dwell upon the trials and diffi- 

 culties experienced by the resolute men whose labors we this day 

 commemorate. I might interest you with details of their early 

 meetings held at Mr. Speakman's residence, and of the subsequent 

 sittings which took place at the house known to the citizens of 

 that day as " Mercer's cake shop," where the title, " Academy of 

 Natural Sciences," was first adopted ; I might describe to you the 

 little room over the milliner's shop in Second, near Race Street, 

 in which the present magnificent museum and library of the Aca- 

 demy were begun by the donation of books and dried plants, a 

 few stuffed birds, some shells and insects, and a handful of arti- 

 ficial crystals, all presented by the members themselves ; I might 

 tell you how, as the museum increased, it was found necessary to 

 move it to the larger accommodations afforded by a house in the 

 neighborhood ; how a collection of minerals was purchased for 

 the Academy by Mr. Speakman, who advanced the money from 

 his own private means ; how public lectures were delivered on 

 mineralogy by Dr. Troost, on entomology by Mr. Say, and on 

 botany by Drs. Waterhouse and Barnes, to large audiences of 

 ladies and gentlemen; how, in July, 1815, the cabinet and libraiy, 

 now considerably increased, were moved to a building expressly 

 erected for them on a vacant lot in the rear of Mr. Gilliams's resi- 

 dence on Arch Street ; how the war with Great Britain which 

 broke out in 1812, and continued during the first three years of 

 the society's existence, interfered very seriously with its progress 

 by interrupting, to a considerable extent, intercourse with Europe, 

 and thus almost entirely preventing the importation of much- 

 needed scientific books ; how several of the members were drawn 

 2 



