30 



ity was uncertain or unknown certainty being an indispensible 

 desideratum in the formation of a cabinet of minerals. 



In the instructions given by His Excellency Governor Slade to 

 the first State Geologist, he was directed " to procure one suite of 

 specimens fora State collection, and one for each of the three liter- 

 ary, and two medical colleges, and one for the Troy Conference 

 Academy at Poultney.* Some of these institutions have not sent 

 for their quota, and, unfortunately the number received by each 

 institution was not minuted down in the books connected with the 

 Geological Survey in such a manner (if at all) as to be a guide to 

 any one but those who forwarded them. Probably the late Pro- 

 fessors Adams and Thompson would have had no difficulty in 

 discharging this part of their duty while others might be greatly 

 embarrassed who have no access to their private correspondence 

 or key to their memoranda. 



But I have endeavored to assign to each institution its quota of 

 minerals as set apart and numbered by Professor Thompson 

 packing the contents of each tray and box and noting them care- 

 fully in my book ot memoranda ; and agreeably to your order, 

 have forwarded them to Montpelier, so that the entire collection of 

 minerals obtained by Professors Adams and Thompson is now at the 

 Capitol either in number fourteen or number thirty-seven of the 

 State House except what have already been forwarded to their final 

 destination. The number already collected for the suites as con- 

 templated by Governor Slade amounts to about twenty-seven 

 hundred specimens for the State Cabinet, and a like number for 

 each of the aforementioned literary institutions and medical col- 

 leges of Vermont, or about twenty thousand specimens, including 

 a large number of surplus specimens which may be useful for fu- 

 ture exchanges. 



It will be my aim to collect, pack and get in readiness all of the 

 minerals and fossils assigned for each institution, so that each col- 

 lege and literary institution can procure its quota upon applica- 

 tion, at the State House, during the session of the Legislature, 

 and if I am present at the Capitol I shall take pleasure in facili- 

 tating their delivery. 



With respect to other kinds of property belonging to the State 

 which was stored in the geological depot at Burlington, I took 



*See Professor Adams First Annual Report, page 7. 



