l^ REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



characteristics of the race. At the same time the loss has fallen very 

 heavily upon Mr. Stanley, the painter and owner of this collection. 

 It was the result of the labor of many years among the Indians; it 

 constituted the pride, as it has been the crowning effort, of his life, 

 and he ardently desired that it might be transmitted to posterity as 

 a monument of his enterprise and industry. The hope is entertained 

 that the government will see fit to give him an order to paint a pic 

 ture for the Capitol, in which the principal figures of this collection 

 and the characteristics of the Indian race may be portrayed. 



The apparatus presented by Dr. Hare was interesting on account 

 of its association with the history of the advance of science in this 

 country. The collection contained most of the articles invented by 

 the donor, and which are described in the scientific journals of the 

 first half of the present century. Among the chemical implements 

 were those used by that distinguished chemist, in procuring for the 

 first time, without the aid of galvanism, calcium, the metallic basis 

 of lime. A number of the articles of apparatus presented by Dr. Hare, 

 though injured by the fire, may be repaired, and I have taken meas- ^ 

 ures for their restoration. 



Among the articles of historic interest which were lost is the lens 

 used by Priestley for the evolution of oxygen from the oxide of mer- 

 cury, and by means of which the first distinct recognition of this ele- 

 mentary substance was effected. It had been presented to the Insti- 

 tution by the nephew of the celebrated philosopher, as was also the 

 apparatus employed by Priestley in his experiments on bodies in con- 

 densed atmospheres. The latter was but slightly injured, and can 

 readily be repaired. The other articles of apparatus may be re- 

 placed at an expense of about ten thousand dollars. 



The most irreparable loss was that of the records, consisting of 

 the official, scientific, and miscellaneous correspondence, embracing 

 35,000 pages of copied letters wdiich had been sent, at least 30,000 

 of which were the composition of the Secretary, and 50,000 pages of 

 letters received by the Institution; the receipts for pubhcations and 

 specimens; reports on various subjects which have been referred to 

 the Institution; the records of experiments instituted by the Secre- 

 tary for the government; four manuscripts of original investigations, 

 which had been adopted by the Institution for publication; a large 

 number of papers and scientific notes of the Secretary ; a series of 

 diaries, memorandum and account books. Fortunately, however, a 

 detailed history of the general operations of the Institution is pre- 

 •served in the printed reports; and a large amount of correspondence 

 connected with natural history and meteorology was saved. 



