174 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



land States, but the brightest point of view in which to 

 regard it has reference to the facilities its results may here- 

 after afford to your energetic countrymen for exploring the 

 volcanoes of that interesting country. If I were younger 

 I should only wait for your obtaining quiet possession and 

 establishing order before I undertook to visit them. 



FROM PROFESSOR DAUBENY. 



February 26, 1848. 



You will hear of the great discovery of phos- 

 phate of lime in the green land of Surrey. That coprolites 

 containing it existed in that formation, had been pointed 

 out by Dr. Buckland and Dr. Fitton ; but that the sponges, 

 coralines, &c., were fossilized by that material instead of by 

 the carbonate is, I believe, new, although it might have 

 been conjectured that the mineral ingredients of the fish 

 which produced the coprolites would not have altogether 

 disappeared, and especially as the soft parts contained 

 phosphates as well as the bones. We are thunderstruck 

 with the news from Paris. If the French are to have a 

 republic, God grant that it may be as consistent with pub- 

 lic order as it has proved in the United States. But this I 

 greatly doubt. Pray remember me to your son, and to Mr. 

 Dana, and believe me, very dear sir, 



Very truly yours, 



CHARLES DAUBENY. 



FROM PROFESSOR DAUBENY. 



January 17, 1852. 



I REGRETTED much that your prolonged stay on 



the Continent should have not only prevented me seeing 

 you there, but also your repeating your visit to Oxford, 

 where I had hoped to have enjoyed a little more of your 

 society before your return to America. It was, however, a 

 source of much gratification for me to renew, even for so 

 short a time, at Oxford, the acquaintance I had had with 



