CORRESPONDENCE. 429 



to do SO from the bibliographical researches afforded by the public 

 and ])rivate libraries of" Berlin. Having first })ublished such an index, 

 I would send it to all the large libraries and the eminent scientific 

 men of the world, asking for additional information, while I myself 

 w^ould subsequently compare it with the contents of the different 

 foreign libraries I should visit. By these means, I should be enabled 

 to find out what may remain to be done and to complete the work. 

 A scientific account would then be given of the contents of every publi- 

 cation, and recorded together with its perfect title. The place of pub- 

 lication of each would be given in addition to the title and contents. I 

 should trace out the sources of all extracts and translations together 

 with the original publications, but distinguish them carefully, mark 

 esjjecially where the full description and illustration of apparatus and 

 machines may be found, &c. In this way the titles and contents of 

 about forty or fifty thousand publications would probably have to 

 be recorded and arranged in a systematic order to be afterwards ex- 

 plained. Memoirs which have been translated or republished in 

 different periodicals should be brought under one title, and every source 

 v/here they can be found noticed, and information given as to where 

 the original was published, and whether the translation or republica- 

 tion be complete or not. 



It will be necessary to devote the greatest care and attention to the 

 systematic arrangementof the work. I would certainly not pursue the 

 method of arranging according to authors' names. My classification 

 would be according to the scientific systems, with their various and 

 most extensive subdivisions. This would evidently be by no means the 

 least laborious part of the task. 



After the systematic arrangement of the whole, the printing of the 

 work can be commenced in several departments at once. Every title 

 of a publication should have a particular number, and an index of 

 authors' names be added at the end. I may here remark, that it is 

 not intended to embrace the departments of mere technical inventions 

 and machinery, but of all scientific, theoretical and analytical memoirs. 



Having thus given a general outline of the proposed work, I will 

 nov/ state to the Smithsonian Institution the conditions under which 

 I offer to undertake it. The sum which I ask from the Smitiisonian 

 Institution for the execution of the whole work is §5,000. $2,500 to be 

 paid in eight instalments during the progress of the undertaking, and 

 $2,500 on its completion, i. e., after the printing. 400 well printed 

 copies of the work are to be delivered gratis to the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution. I will commence with the publication of the preparatory index, 

 the expense of which I shall defray myself. This volume will be the 

 guide to the whole work, and I shall proceed to make all the necessary 

 abstracts from the works mentioned in this first publication and those 

 met with subsequently. By means of the preliminary volume, I 

 shall be enabled to state when the one-eighth of tlie whole publication 

 will be completed. Baron Alexander de Humboldt, Professor Dove, 

 Professor Magnus, and Professor Poggendorf, witli whom I have the 

 honor to be acquainted, are all anxious for the publication of such a 

 work and will undoubtedly be willing to assist its execution. I 



