46 A CENTURY OF SCIENCE 



technical discussion of " Musical Temperament" opens 

 the first number (1, pp. 9-35) and is concluded in the same 

 volume (pp. 176-199). An article on "Mystery" is given 

 by Mark Hopkins, A.M., "late a tutor of Williams Col- 

 lege" (13, 217, 1828). There is an essay on "Gypsies" 

 by J. Griscom (from the Revue Encyclopedique) in vol- 

 ume 24 (pp. 342-345, 1833), while some notes on American 

 gypsies are added in vol. 26 (p. 189, 1834). The "divin- 

 ing rod" is described at length in vol. 11 (pp. 201-212, 

 1826), but without giving any comfort to the credulous; 

 on the contrary the last paragraph states that "the pre- 

 tensions of diviners are worthless, etc." A long article 

 by J. Finch on the forts of Boston harbour appeared 

 in 1824 (8, 338-348) ; the concluding paragraph seems 

 worthy of quotation : 



"Many centuries hence, if despotism without, or anarchy 

 within, should cause the republican institutions of America to 

 fade, then these fortresses ought to be destroyed, because they 

 would be a constant reproach to the people; but until that 

 period, they should be preserved as the noblest monuments of 

 liberty." 



The promise to include the fine arts is kept by the pub- 

 lication of various papers, as of the Trumbull paintings 

 (16, 163, 1829) ; also by a series of articles on "architec- 

 ture in the United States" (17, 99, 1830; 18, 218, 220, 

 1830) and others. Quite in another line is the paper by 

 J. W- Gibbs (33, 324, 1838) on "Arabic words in 

 English." A number of related linguistic papers by the 

 same author are to be found in other volumes. Papers 

 in pure mathematics are also not infrequent, though 

 now not considered as falling within the field of the 

 Journal. 



Applied science takes a prominent place through all the 

 volume of the First Series. An interesting paper is that 

 on Eli Whitney, containing an account of the cotton gin ; 

 this is accompanied by an excellent portrait (21, 201-264, 

 1832). The steam engine and its application are repeat- 

 edly discussed and in the early volumes brief accounts 

 are given of the early steamboats in use; for example, 

 between Stockholm and St. Petersburg (2, 347, 1820) ; 

 Trieste and Venice (4, 377, 1822) ; on the Swiss Lakes 



