THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 145 



UluslTatlons will consist of fifty-five quarto plates of the mounds, earth- 

 works, and maps of the adjacent country ; also, ot about two hundred 

 wood-cuts, principally delineations of the various articles found in the 

 mounds. Those who consider no branch of knowledge of any value 

 but such as relates to the immediate gratification of our physical wants, 

 have objected to the acceptance of this memoir as one of the first pub- 

 lications of the Institution ; but it must be recollected that the will oi" 

 Smithson makes no restriction in favor of any particular kind of know- 

 ledge, and that each branch is, therefore, entitled to a share f)f his be- 

 quest. The ethnological memoir of Messrs. Squier and Davis was 

 the first, of the proper character, presented for publication, and hence 

 it was entitled to the first place in the series of Smithsonian Contribu- 

 tions. Beside this, it furnishes an addition to a branch of knowledge 

 which is at this time occupying the attention of a large class of minds, 

 and which cannot fail to be interesting to every intelligent person who 

 would learn something of the changes to which man has been subjected. 



It is proposed to insert in one of the volumes of the Contributions a 

 sketch of the life of Smithson. The materials for this have been 

 collected from the several volumes of the Transactions of the Royal 

 Societ}^ and the scientific journals of the beginning of the present and 

 the latter part of the last century. The first volume will be published 

 as soon as the wood-cuts and plates, now in the course of preparation, 

 are finished. 



Besides the memoirs before mentioned, a number of others have been 

 presented, some of which, though apparently of interest, and the product 

 of thought and labor, were not of the character required by the resolution 

 of the Board, and these have either been returned to their authors, or are in 

 the possession of the Secretary. A number of others have also been pro- 

 visionally adopted, or are in the course of preparation. Some of thesh are 

 on the most abstruse parts of physical science, and all will do honor to the 

 intellectual character of our countrv. Though the number of original 

 memoirs which will be found worthy of a place in the Contributions will 

 probably not be large, yet it will, perhaps, be best to set apart a definite 

 portion of the income of the bequest — as, for example, at present three 

 or four thousand dollars annually — to defray the expense of this part of 

 the plan of increasing knowledge. A considerable portion, however, 

 of the sum thus expended will be returned to the Institution in the form 

 of additions to its library. I may also suggest, in this place, the pro- 

 priety of the adoption by the Board of a resolution inviting all engaged 

 in original research to send the results of their labors for publication in 

 the Smithsonian Contributions. 



The Boai'd also directed me to commence the collection of apparatus ; 

 and I accordingly sent orders to Europe, to the amount of" twelve hun- 

 dred dollars, for the purchase of such articles as could nut be procured 

 in the United States. Most of the instruments have been received, and 

 will be found of importance not only in the way of original research, 

 but also in illustrating some of the most interesting and recent pheno- 

 mena of physical science, as well as serving as samples for imitation 

 to the artists of this country. It was thought that these articles would 

 be admitted free of duty, and a petition to this effect was presented to 

 the Secretary of the Treasury; but — though this officer is well known 

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