Exploration Work of the Institution 475 



corporations as well. Secretary Henry's statement in the 

 Report of 1856 is as follows: 



"Brief mention was made in my last report of the fitting 

 out of Mr. Samuels by the Boston Society of Natural History 

 and the Smithsonian Institution, aided by the liberality of 

 the United States mail line to California, via Panama. Mr. 

 Samuels returned in July last, having thoroughly explored 

 the field of his labors, and gathered a rich collection of speci- 

 mens, embracing many rare and new species. The liberal 

 promises of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, the Panama 

 Railroad Company, and the United States Mail Steamship 

 Company have been more than realized in the free passage 

 home given to Mr. Samuels and all his large collections 

 an act of generosity which may well excite the attention and 

 recognition of the lovers of science. Nor should less meed 

 of praise be awarded to Messrs. Wells, Fargo & Co. for their 

 free transmission to San Francisco of Mr. Samuels' boxes, 

 thus facilitating their semi-monthly despatch to Washington. 



" It may, perhaps, not be out of place here to state that 

 the above-mentioned mail line still continues its kind offices 

 by transporting, free of charge, all packages of the Smithso- 

 nian Institution containing books of specimens of natural his- 

 tory. The United States mail line, also, has furnished free 

 freight of a similar character from Cuba and New Orleans to 

 New York. 



"The results of Mr. Samuels' explorations will shortly be 

 published in connected form in the journal of the Boston 

 Society of Natural History, illustrated with the necessary 

 plates and figures." 1 



The notable explorations of Robert Kennicott in British 

 America and Alaska were made possible by the cooperation 

 of several private individuals and scientific organizations and 

 the Hudson Bay Company. This intrepid explorer, whose 

 early death was a severe loss to American natural history, 



1 " Smithsonian Report," 1856, page 52. 



