26 Life and | th -of Nathaniel Bowditch. 
actions of the Royal Sides of London, which he treated pretty 
much in the same summary way, making a very full and minute 
abstract of all the mathematical papers contained in it; and this 
course he pursued with the whole of that voluminous work. He 
was too poor at this time to purchase books, and this was the only _ 
mode of getting at their results, and having them constantly at — 
hand for consultation. These manuscripts, written in his small, — 
close, neat hand, and filling several folio volumes, are now in his 
library, and, in my opinion, are the most.curious and previods 
part of that large and valuable collection. 
T have more than once heard him speak in the most grateful 
manner,—and he repeated it the last time that I saw him, 
_ the kindness of those friends in Salem who aided him in his early. 
by the loan of their books. He named particularly the — 
1e0 ‘Dr. Prince,* the pastor of the First Church, who gave . 
e access to his library ; and he likewise mentioned.a soci- _ 
ty of gentlemen who had a private collection of their own. The 
manner i in which these latter books came into the country, is 30 
remarkable, that I am happy to be able-to relate it in Dr. Bow: 
ditch’s own words, as contained in his last Will. The extract im 
as follows :— 
-“Ttem. It is well known, that the ai scientific library 
of the celebrated Dr. Richens Kirwan} was, during the revolue” 
war, captured in the British Channel, on its way to Ireland, 
ps a Bexaahy privateer ; and that, by the liberal and enlightened 
views of the owners of the vessel, the library thus captured was 
sold at a very low rate; and in this manner was laid the founda 
tion upon which have since been successively established, The 
Philosophical Library, so called, and the present Salem Athe-— 
neum. ‘Thus, in early life, I fohind near me a better collection 
of philosophical and scientific works than could be found in any 
other part of the United States nearer than Philadelphia. And : 
by the kindness of its proprietors I was permitted freely to take — 
oe 
_* It is gratifying to. find the clergy, the acistidin Dr. Prince, and the learned Dt- 4 
rliest encouragers of. the. precocious powers of the American y mathe | 4 
out Snag ed a Ho died is 160 
