CHAPTER XVIII. 



CORRESPONDENCE WITH SCIENTIFIC MEN. 



Letters of Berzelius. Berzelius proposes a Correspondence ; Alludes to 

 his own Work on Chemistry, to Professor Silliman's Experiments with 

 the Deflagrator, to the " Journal of Science," to Dr. Hare. Letter 

 from Dr. Henry. Correspondence with Mr. Maclure. Mr. Maclure 

 on the Subject of Education: Professor Silliman on Owen, on Specula- 

 tive Opinions in Politics and Religion ; Recommends a Benefaction to 

 Science; on Mr. Ly ell's Geology, on European Politics, on the Tariff, 

 Slavery, and Nullification. Letters of Robert Bakewell. Mr. Bake- 

 well on the Mosaic Cosmogony, on Lyell and Buckland, on Lyell's Geol- 

 ogy, on his own Geology, on Scientific Journals, on Oxford and Dr. 

 Buckland, on Mantell and his Museum, on Coal-Beds in America, on 

 Storms, on Murchison's Geological Work, on a Universal Language, on 

 the Insect Tree. 



AMONG the scientific men of Europe with whom 

 Professor Silliman occasionally corresponded for a 

 long series of years, was the eminent Swedish chem- 

 ist, Berzelius. This correspondence began at the 

 request of the latter, a few of whose letters are given, 

 either entire or in extracts, below : 



STOCKHOLM, July 13, 1820. 



You cultivate a science to which I have de- 

 voted the greater part of my time. It would be very pleas- 

 "ant to me if you could maintain a literary correspondence 

 .with me. I cannot promise you that my letters will have 

 the same interest as those of an inhabitant of France or 

 England ; but, as we are not entirely confined to Sweden, 

 I can perhaps from time to time furnish you with interest- 

 ing news. 



