LIFE OF JAMES DWIGHT DANA 



For a while he dwelt in Washington under positive and 

 irksome restrictions as to the employment of his time. 

 He found there little scientific companionship. The 

 Smithsonian Institution was not then founded; there 

 were no national museums of importance. There was a 

 dearth of books. In a letter he describes a midnight 

 robbery in his boarding-house, and his immediate and 

 successful search for the thieves, followed by their arrest ; 

 but this was the only exciting incident of which there is 

 a record. Vexations and annoyances arose respecting 

 the government publications, and this involved a great 

 deal of letter-writing. Endeavors were made to discredit 

 some of the naval officers who had been responsible for 

 the conduct of the expedition. The commander was 

 subjected to a court of inquiry, and vindicated from all 

 the charges but one. From all such controversies Dana 

 kept aloof as far as he could, and he succeeded very well. 

 He had no time to waste on trifles, no grievances to be 

 aired, no rivalries to maintain, no reclamations to fear. 

 His eye was fixed on the end in view, the increase of 

 human knowledge by means of elaborate, accurate, sys- 

 tematic publications in various branches of natural science. 

 There is no indication that Washington society cared in 

 the least degree to see the traveller or to hear his story. 

 Constant work was his constant solace. New Haven, his 

 scientific cradle, continued to attract him. He made 

 occasional visits there and ere long the attraction was 

 irresistible. 



It is not a grateful task to mention the obstacles and 

 annoyances to which the scientific corps were exposed in 

 fulfilling the duties of publication with which they were 

 charged. There were many complaints and recrimina- 

 tions in respect to the conduct of the voyage, and a great 

 deal of time and patience was consumed by official in- 

 quiries. As if this were not enough, Congress adopted a 

 benighted policy in respect to publication. The number 



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