Vill. PREFACE. 
American Journal, (which were all that he had then seen) 
says; ‘I hail it as the commencement of American scien- 
tific periodical works, and have no doubt from the valuable 
matter which you have already presented us with, that 
America will rival the most scientific countries in the old 
world.” The citing of this passage would be inconsis- 
tent with decorum, were not the commendation of this illus- 
trious author, and teacher, and editor, chiefly the property 
of our contributors, and but in a small degree our. own. 
The celebrated Professor Ferrara of the University of Pa- 
in the Island of Sicily, speaking on the subject of 
American Science, said recently to a friend of the editor, 
that he “ did not doubt that ths Sciences and Arts would be- 
fore long, pass to America in their highest perfection, and 
that we should ere long, succeed to Asia and Europe, in the 
tMeraty, empire of the world. 
t, on the other hand, we are now bound i in justice to the 
interests of merican Se 3! vithhold from 
fact that the two first volumes of this Toatiek have been, 
sea te, “mm a pecuniary view, losing con The pro- 
prietors of the first Volume have Hot jet receh received A 
money which they have expended—nor is the editor yet re- 
paid, simply for the paper, printing and engraving of the sec- 
ond volume, and that upon the supposition that all the mon- 
ey is collected from the contractors for quantities. 
But it is some relief to add, that the ine duri x the 
acokhed! has been n gradually, but on the whole, reg 
nereasing, and as it now stands, will pebabie just about 
the expense of the materials and mechanical Jabour of 
sie third volume. Nothing has ever been paid for contri- 
butions to the pages of the work to the honour of our sci- 
entific friends, they have contributed the: 
with 
cheerfulness and perseverence, sind: the scientific pub- 
lic, both at home and abroad, have already decided favour- 
ea their productions. 
ith this simple statement of facts, we now dismiss the 
=p so pea Shae.) our ae ee hotwithstandit 
liscou ee to proceed, cheerfully, and with 
, in our + bor contented also to relinquish it when- 
ever Sibes will more ‘faithfally and successfully perform it, 
or: our country ‘have clearly decided att does not 
FO ©, oF will not support our undertal king. - 
May, 1 
