I2O PIONEERS OF SCIENCE IN AMERICA. 



and confined for some time; returned to Paris; and'then made 

 his way to La Rochelle. He took passage from a northern 

 port, beyond French jurisdiction, in an American vessel, for 

 New York, whence he hoped to reach the East Indies under 

 the protection of our flag. This vessel was captured by a 

 French privateer and Troost was kept a prisoner till the French 

 became aware of his true name and character, when he was re- 

 leased. He went at once to Paris. In March, 1810, he was 

 elected a correspondent of the Museum of Natural History of 

 Paris. A few days afterward he was allowed to embark again 

 on an American vessel for Philadelphia. The turn of political 

 events in Europe, among which was the abdication of Louis 

 Napoleon as King of Holland and the surrender of Java to 

 England, caused him to abandon his contemplated visit to the 

 East Indies and to remain in the United States. 



His decision to remain here may have been partly due to 

 his forming the acquaintance of Miss Margaret Tage, of Phila- 

 delphia, whom he married on the i4th of January, 1811. They 

 had two children Caroline, who married Mr. A. G. Stein, a 

 civil engineer, and went with her husband to live in Mobile. 

 The second child was Louis, who became a civil engineer, and 

 removed to Mobile, where he resided until his death. Mrs. 

 Troost died in 1819, when Louis was little more than a year 

 old. The facts here given in regard to the parentage and mar- 

 riage of Dr. Troost and the birth of his children are derived 

 from the record in an old family Bible, kindly transcribed by 

 his grandson, Mr. Louis Stein, of Mobile. The entries are in 

 Latin, and presumably in Dr. Troost's own hand. Dr. Troost 

 married a second wife, a Mrs. O'Riley, who by admirable house- 

 keeping greatly aided him in the conduct of his affairs. There 

 were no children by this marriage. 



A brother of Dr. Troost, Dr. Benoit Troost, came to the 

 United States, and was living at Kansas, Mo., when Gerard 

 Troost died. 



In 1812 Dr. Troost participated in the foundation of the 

 Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and became its 

 first president. Of the origin of this society, Dr. W. S. W. 

 Ruschenberger, from whose account we derive much of the 

 material of this sketch, says there were some young persons in 

 Philadelphia disposed to study the laws of creation. Occupied 

 with their business during the day, they were accustomed to 



