THE PROGRESS OF AMERICAN MINERALOGY. 801 



was needed here which should include the modern discoveries, and one 

 also which should gather up the scattered facts already published in 

 regard to American minerals. 



Fortunately for the further progress of science in this country, this 

 was done by Professor Parker Cleaveland. His work was published 

 in 1816, and was entitled " An Elementary Treatise on Mineralogy and 

 Geology." 



Professor Cleaveland was Professor of Mathematics and Natural 

 Philosophy in Bowdoin College, and, like many other professors of sci- 

 ence in the early history of American colleges, was charged by the 

 trustees to lecture also on mineralogy and chemistry. He was an en- 

 thusiastic student of mineralogy, was well acquainted with the litera- 

 ture of the science in various languages, had been a successful teacher 

 of the suV'ect for many years, and withal was both an explorer and 

 investigator, and held intimate relations with the leading mineralogists 

 of the day. The work was modeled on the general plan of Brongni- 

 art, combining the excellences of both the French and German schools, 

 and gave in detail almost everything then known in regard to Ameri- 

 can minerals. It supplied the pressing need for a thorough, systematic, 

 and American treatise on mineralogy, well suited to all classes of stu- 

 dents, and it was written in such a masterly style that it won for its 

 author the highest praise from the leading mineralogists of the world. 

 " It brought," says Professor Silliman, " within the reach of the 

 American student the excellences of Kirwan, Jameson, Haiiy, Bro- 

 chant, Brongniart, and Werner, and we are not ashamed," he says, " to 

 have this work compared with those of these celebrated authors." His 

 biographer states that " he received letters of respect and congratula- 

 tion from Sir David Brewster, Sir Humphry Davy, and Dr. McCul- 

 loch, in England, from Berzelius, in Stockholm, Germar of Halle, from 

 Brongniart, Baron Cuvier, and the Abbe Haiiy, in Paris." 



The work at once took rank as one of the leading authorities on 

 the science, and was introduced as a class-book in the principal schools 

 and colleges in America. The first edition was soon exhausted, and a 

 new and revised edition, with more than a hundred pages of new mat- 

 ter, was published in 1822. The demand was so great that this like- 

 wise was soon out of print, and a third edition was called for by the 

 public ; but Professor Cleaveland had about this time become so en- 

 grossed in the administration of the affairs of the new Medical School 

 at Brunswick that he was unable to respond to the call, having turned 

 his thoughts and efforts in new directions. 



Unfortunately for the science of mineralogy, in which he had ob- 

 tained such eminence as an author and teacher, he no longer contrib- 

 uted actively to its progress, although he continued his work as lect- 

 urer on the science so long as he lived. 



The last to be mentioned of these early leaders is Professor Benja- 

 man Silliman. HJs name is so intimately associated with the progress 

 TOL. xxi. 51 



