THE GENESIS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 303 



gist, aufl Oapt. D. B, Douglass, U. S. Army, as topographical engineer; 

 and both of these sent home considerable collections reported upon by 

 the specialists of the day, most of whom were at that time coucentrated 

 in Philadelphia. 



The fourth and fifth expeditions were those under Maj. Long, in 

 the far West; the first, or Rocky Mountain, exj)loration in 1819-20; 

 the second, to the sources of the St. Peter's in 1823. In the first ex- 

 pedition Maj. Long was accompanied by Edwin James as botanist 

 and geologist, who also wrote the narrative published in 1823. The 

 second expedition was accompanied by William H. Keating, professor 

 of mineralogy and chemistry in the University of Pennsylvania, who 

 was its geologist and historiographer. Say was the zoologist of both 

 explorations, and the results of his labors went to the Philadelphia 

 Museum. 



The sixth Government expedition was that by G. W. Featherston- 

 haugh, in 1834-'35, to explore the geology of the elevated country 

 between the Missouri and Red rivers and the Wisconsin territories. I 

 have found no record of the disposition of his collections, but it is not 

 improbable that he may have carried them with him to England. 



The seventh expedition was that under Lieut. Wilkes, already re- 

 ferred to as having been sent out in 1838, under the direction of Presi- 

 dent Van Buren, who seems to have intrusted the plans very largely 

 to Mr. Poinsett, who was the first to urge the formation of a national 

 museum, and to whom was doubtless due the insertion of the clause 

 instructing the ofiicers to preserve and bring back collections in natural 

 history, a j)recaution which might easily have been overlooked, since 

 the expedition was organized professedly in the interests of the Ameri- 

 can whale fishery. 



It was, perhaps, the fact that there was no suitable depository for 

 collections at the seat of government that stimulated Mr. Poinsett to 

 immediate action in 1840, when he founded the National Institution, 

 the arrival of these collections from the Pacific being at that time 

 expected. 



The purpose of Mr. Poinsett's efforts is shown clearly in his first an- 

 niversary address. 



"There are many of our countrymen," said he, "who, like Sir Hans 

 Sloaue, th(i founder of the British Museum, look forward with regret 

 to the sale and dispersion of their collections, and desiring to have 

 them preserved entire would deposit them with an institution which 

 will be as stable as the Government that protects it. For these pur- 

 poses, and especially if the National Institution be intrusted, as we 

 hope it will be, with the specimens of natural history collected by the 

 exploring squadron, it will be necessary that measures slutuld be early 

 adopted to have erected on a suitable site a plain, fireproof I)uilding, 

 where the increasing and valuable collections may be displayed aiicl 

 examined by the scientific inquirer. We cherish the hope that they 

 will form the foundation for a national museum and contribute to shed 

 the light of science over our land." 



