60 



HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE 



the advancement of science in our country, has suddenly terminated his mortal career at 

 the age of sixty- three, from a disease of the heart." 



These remarks were followed by resolutions, one of which expresses " That a record be 

 made in our transactions of the high estimation in which we hold the private qualities 

 and scientific labors of Mr. Teschemacher, as manifested in his excellent papers on bot- 

 any, mineralogy, some departments of geology, and particularly in his able and practical 

 investigations of the carboniferous formations. We also regard his productions in the 

 composition and improvement of soils, as a valuable and permanent contribution to the 

 agriculture of the country." 



A brief notice of Mr. Teschemacher was then read, and is here given. 



" James Engelbert Teschemacher, of Hanoverian extraction on the paternal side, was 

 born in Nottingham, England, on the llth of June, 1790. At the age of fourteen he 

 commenced his commercial career in a mercantile foreign house of eminence in London, 

 where he evinced application and business talents of a high order ; and amid the extensive 

 transactions of mercantile life, in which during a long series of years, he was engaged, 

 his fine comprehensive mind ever remained unshackled by any of the less elevating 

 habits sometimes contracted in commercial pursuits. At an early period of his life he 

 imbibed a taste for studying out of Nature's beautiful book, thus acquiring that purity 

 and love of truth, so constantly pervading all his thoughts and writings. In the year 

 1830, Mr. Teschemacher accepted the offer of a partnership in a house of considerable 

 standing in Havana, and proceeded to Cuba with highly advantageous prospects, but these 

 faded on his approach, and he returned to England. After a short time, he madfe up his 

 mind to repair to the United States with his family, reaching New York Feb. 7, 1832. 

 He finally settled in Boston, where during the space of twenty-two years he was unre- 

 mitting in his exertions for his family. Of his untiring zeal and devotion to science, we 

 need not speak ; his hours of leisure, it may naturally be inferred, were few, but those 

 few were emploj^ed (apparently as a recreation) in the severe branches of study which 

 frequently form the labor of a life, even with those who make science their occupation. 

 Truly may he be said to have improved the talents committed to his charge." 



To what was said of Mr. Teschemacher at the meeting, may be added that he was 

 engaged daily in active business through all the years of his connection with the Society, 

 but yet found time to do considerable Avork for it while Curator of Botany. In order to 

 secure time for this, he was accustomed to visit the rooms of the Society, after an early 

 breakfast, and stay until business required his presence perhaps an hour later. The pub- 

 lished Proceedings of the Society attest to his interest in the meetings, and the character 

 of the communications made by him to the value of his observations, and to the extent of 

 his scientific knowledge. He was an excellent mineralogist, a good botanist, and a 

 very accurate observer in both fields. One could not very well be a more careful and 

 painstaking investigator. Had he been able to devote more time to scientific pursuits, he 

 would undoubtedly have accomplished much more than he did in this direction, as he 

 lacked neither ability, industry nor perseverance. 



Besides papers to be found in the printed Proceedings of the Society and in its Journal, 

 several addresses by him were published. One before the Society at its annual meeting 

 in 1841, one before the Horticultural Society, and one before the Harvard Natural Hist- 

 ory Society. 



