ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 33 



On the twenty-fourth of November, 1862, the Board of Super- 

 visors of this city received, through Mayor Teschemacher, a letter 

 from General George Wright, commanding the Department of the 

 Pacific, stating that he had received a mass of meteoric iron from 

 General Carleton, commanding the " Column from California," and 

 which mass he, in accordance with General Carleton's request, 

 placed at the disposal of the city authorities. 



General Carleton's letter is here appended : 



Head Quarters Column' from California ) 

 Tucson, Arizona, June 30th, 1862. f 



To General George Wright, U. S. Army, 



Commander J)cp. of the Pacific, San Francisco, Cal. 



My dear General : — Soon after my arrival at this place I sent by a train to 

 Fort Yuma, to be shipped to your address at San Francisco, a very large and 

 beautiful Aerolite, which I found here and which I had heard and read of for 

 many years. In Bartlett's Explorations, vol. 2, page 297, it is described as fol- 

 lows : '"In the afternoon," July 18th, 1853, "I called to take leave of General 

 Blanco, and at the same time examine a remarkable meteorite, which is used for 

 au anvil in a blacksmith's shop. This mass resembles native iron, and weighs 

 about six hundred pounds. Its greatest length is five feet. Its exterior is 

 quite smooth, while the lower part which projects from the larger leg is very 

 jagged and rough. It was found about twenty miles distant on the road 

 towards Tubac and about eight miles from the road." 



I desire that you present this aerolite to the City of San Francisco, to be 

 placed upon the Plaza, there to remain for the inspection of the people and for 

 examination by the youth of the city forever. It will be a durable memento of 

 the march of the Column from California. 



I am, General, sincerely and respectfully, 



Your friend and servant, 



JAMES H. CARLETON, 



Brigadier General U. S. A. 



Soon after this mass of meteoric iron came into the possession of 

 the city, I obtained permission from the Board of Supervisors to 

 have sawn from it a small piece for analysis and for distribution to 

 a few of the principal public institutions in this country and Europe 

 having collections of aerolites ; this has been done, and also a fine 

 photograph of it taken by Mr. C. E. Watkins, of which copies will 

 be forwarded, with the specimens of the mass itself, as convenient 

 opportunity offers. 



The piece intended for analytical examination was sent to Pro- 



Q Sept. 1863. 



Pro. Cax. Acad., vol. hi. u 



