51 



measures have been taken to procure, as objects of 

 comparison, those of the United States. 



Several individuals have transmitted donations to 

 the Institution, while others have deposited their col- 

 lections with us, from a desire to have them preserved, 

 and, at the same time, to benefit science. We have 

 reason to believe that this will be extensively done 

 as soon as the Institution is firmly established. There 

 are many of our countrymen who, like Sir Hans Sloan, 

 the founder of the British museum, look forward with 

 regret to the sale and dispersion of their collections, 

 made at great cost and pains, 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 purposes, and especially 

 if it be intrusted, as we hope it will be, with the spe- 

 cimens of natural history collected by the exploring 

 squadron, it will be necessary that measures should 

 be early adopted to have erected on a suitable site, on 

 the public ground, a plain fire-proof building, to con- 

 tain them, where the increasing and valuable collec- 

 tions may be displayed, and be examined by the 

 scientific inquirer, and where he may resort for evi- 

 dence to support his theories or to correct his views. 

 We hope that this further contribution to science will 

 not be withheld. The expeditions themselves have 

 received the favorable notice of every civilized na- 

 tion, and were fitted out in obedience to the will of 

 the people, who would not desire to see the fruits of 

 so much toil and danger perish for want of this trifling 

 additional expense. We cherish the hope that they 

 will form the foundation of a National Museum, and 



