Cmiparative Encouragement to the Study, ^-c. 



403 



Lima, ■.',"•' ' \ ".".'- 1,000,000. 

 British American Colonies, - J^ ' ^ . whites, 10,000,000. 

 United States ot America, - ^ wui«:=s . 



218 total 

 Our readers will be struck with the omission of Spain in this Ust 

 of nations and communities. At this moment we are not aware ot 

 any scientific work, of the character of those we have enumerated 

 being published in that country, which has a population ot 

 12 000 000. The agitations and embarrassments which have at- 

 fected both her people and government so long, have been unfa- 

 vourable to those pursuits, that require private ease andpubhc 

 tranquiUity ; but the example of the English geologists, who have 

 recently visited that country, and the general spirit of inquiry, 

 will soon rouse her up. The government appears to be by no 

 means insensible to the advantages which attend the cultivation 

 of natural science, and either has estabUshed, or proposes to es- 

 tabUsh, a school of mines at Ahnaden, the beneficial eflfects of 

 which wUl soon be felt. Many students have already been sent to 

 the school of mines at Freyberg in Saxony. In the current litera- 

 tm-e of this year, published in that country, we observe many 

 valuable works on mineralogy, botany, meteorology, natural his- 

 tory, even treatises on rail roads, which are akeady constructing 

 there There is reason to beheve that this country, so rich m 

 ereat and glorious remembrances, and still inhabited by the 

 Lme high minded race, is making sure and steady advances m 

 those improvements which mark the present age. 



The twentv publications we have enumerated, exceed the 

 proportion of "the United States, which is about sixteen,-takmg 

 England as the standard,-but there are considerations which 

 require considerable abatements to the fair understandmg of the 

 comparative state of the scientific Uterature of this country, with 

 that of Great Britain. In this last country, what is done has a 

 permanent character, because it is well and punctually paid ; 

 we do not hear of works undertaken by competent persons bemg 

 discontinued, for want of encouragement; on the contrary, new 

 pubUcations are constantly appearing under promismg circum- 

 stances, independent of the various works on natural history, 

 with which the press teems. Here, on the contrary, no origmai 

 works appear, except the enumerated ones; neither have these 

 a permanent character. The American Journal of Science, 



