Notice of the Italian Scientific Association. 191 
the world does not know generally is the great sacrifice which the Grand 
Duke has made for this monument. I have been assured that the outlay 
hitherto (and there still remains something to be done to complete the 
tribune), amounts to L.86,000 Sterling, not including the purchase of the 
manuscripts of Galileo above alluded to—what an example for more 
powerful sovereigns! To return to the Congress,—it divided itself into 
five sections, viz. Agriculture ; Medicine; Geology, Mineralogy, and Geo- 
graphy ; Natural Philosophy, Mathematics, and Astronomy ; Zoology 
and Botany. The sections met at different hours ; those of Agriculture, 
Natural Philosophy, and Medicine being the most numerously attended. 
The Grand Duke and his Duchess attended one or more of the sections 
every day without any state or ceremony. The greatest good humour 
prevailed at all the sections, and I was astonished to witness the great 
facility with which the Italian savans spoke on the most abstruse subjects. 
In the geological section we had some very good papers on Italian geo- 
logy, and several interesting discussions. 1 took some part in the latter, 
having, during my former journeyings in Italy, attended much to the sub- 
ject, and I communicated at the first meeting a brief outline of Ross’s 
brilliant discoveries in the Antarctic regions, which created subsequently 
a good deal of interest in Florence. On another occasion I gave a sketch 
of the geology of the Andes, as compared with that of some other moun- 
tain regions, and especially with the Apennines by which we were sur- 
rounded. We had all the best Italian geologists present, viz. Passini, 
Pareto, Savi, Sismonda, and Collegno. At our recommendation the 
Grand Duke has consented to found at Florence a Geological Museum, 
to contain a collection from every part of Italy, accompanied with sec- 
tions, maps, and every thing necessary to convey an accurate idea of the 
physical constitution not only of Tuscany, but of every other state of the 
Peninsula. He will pay all expenses and the salaries of curators; and 
the different geologists will be invited to send duplicates of their collec- 
tions. His highness has consented to found a similar central museum, 
for the vegetable productions of Italy, which will contain an herbarium 
of its different regions. This generous conduct on the part of Leopold II. 
will give you some idea of the liberality and enlightened views of the 
sovereion of this happy state, who, 1 may say without exaggeration, is 
most sincerely beloved by all classes, from the peasant to the highest 
nobleman in his dominions. Our meetings continued every day, except 
‘Sundays, until the 30th, and every one saw their approaching termination 
with regret. We geologists made some very pleasant excursions in the 
neighbourhood, and wherever we went, dinners were prepared for us 
by the gentry of the vicinity. Towards the close of the Congress the 
Grand Duke, who, during its continuance, had invited in parties of twenty 
several of us to his table, gave a grand banquet at one of his villas close 
to Florence (Poggio Imperiale) to the whole Association. The dangerous 
state in which his eldest daughter then was (she died three days after- 
wards), prevented his being present ; but the great officers of the household 
