MiNtJTES OF MEETINGS. 1^5 



priation be made to defray the expense of publishing the 

 Report of the North Pacific Exploring Expedition, to be 

 signed by the Officers of the Academy. 



Mr. J. W. Smith exhibited a Gyroscope. Prof. Fairchild 

 made a few remarks on the instrument. 



Mr. Palmer exhibited a collection of different species of 

 wood from South America. 



Col. Whittlesey exhibited drawings, and specimens of 

 tools found in the ancient copper mines of Lake Superior, 

 and explained the position and condition in which they 

 were found, and their supposed uses. 



The method the ancient miners had ajiparently taken to 

 separate portions from the large blocks of copper, was to 

 beat off tlie angles or projecting corners, with large stone 

 mauls or hammers, having previously softened the copper 

 by the action of fire. The Colonel stated that there was no 

 evidence that these people knew anything about melting 

 the ore, all the tools found having been beat out with 

 hammers when cold. This is the more remarkable, as por- 

 tions of the old copper masses, operated on by them, were 

 evidently heated nearly to fusion. The tools had no other 

 temper than the increased density which the cold hammer 

 would give them, and none presented any appearance of 

 alloy. 



No graves, or human remains, have been found in the 

 neighborhood of the mines that can be identified as belong- 

 ing to this ancient people. Their mining was, in all proba- 

 bility, performed during the summer months, and in the 

 autumn they returned to their homes in the Mississippi 

 valley, the region of the ancient mounds. 



Mr. G. R. Tuttle having been proposed for membership, 

 was elected. 



The meeting then adjourned until next Friday evening, 

 when Prof. Brainerd will deliver a lecture on Vegetable 

 Stimulants., which the public are invited to attend. 



John Kirkpatrick, Sec^y. 



