APPLETONS' 



POPULAR SCIENCE 



MOI^THLY. 



JANUARY, 1896. 



THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 



ITS OEIGIN. GROWTH, AND ACTIVITIES. 



By Peof. henry CARRINGTON BOLTON, Pii. D. 



PART I. ORIGIN OF THE INSTITUTION. 



"YTy'HEN the packet Mediator, commanded by Captain Chris- 

 VV topher H. Champlin, sailed into New York harbor on the 

 28th day of August, 1838, after a stormy voyage of forty-three 

 days from London, it brought in its hold a legacy from an Eng- 

 lishman to the United States of America, which was intended and 

 destined to benefit all mankind. This precious freight consisted of 

 eleven boxes, containing one hundred and five bags, each bag con- 

 taining one thousand gold sovereigns. The boxes were carefully 

 landed and stored for safe keeping in the Bank of America ; a few 

 days later the gold was sent to the United States Mint at Phila- 

 delphia, where it was immediately recoined into American money, 

 yielding $508,318.46. This magnificent sum was the bequest of 

 James Smithson, Esq., F. R. S., to the United States of America. 



We propose in these articles to consider the purpose of this be- 

 quest, the manner in which the United States administers it, and 

 the benefits to mankind accruing therefrom. 



James Smithson was born in France, in the year 1765, of dis- 

 tinguished English parentage ; as he himself wrote : " The best 

 blood of England flows in my veins; on my father's side I am a 

 Northumberlander, on my mother's I am related to kings." 



Of Smithson's early life little is known. At Pembroke Col- 

 lege, Oxford, the young man was an earnest student and showed 

 a liking for scientific pursuits; he was especially proficient in 

 chemistry, and spent his vacations in collecting ores and minerals 



VOL. XLvm. "21 



