THE YOUNG PROFESSOR 193 
so fortunate as to be selected for the post. I am afraid with the 
limited attendance of students this year that it will be impossible 
for the Treasurer of the college to pay the full amount of salary 
($1000). Next spring, too, my father-in-law, Gen. Churchill, breaks 
up his establishment here, and leaves Carlisle as a residence, in 
which event my own conveniences and facilities for investigation and 
study will be greatly curtailed, by the necessary restrictions of a 
boarding house. I can at any time make arrangements for a substi- 
tute in the College to take charge of the uncompleted portion of the 
year (collegiate). My plan would be if I were appointed for the first 
of January, or even the first of July, 1850, to transport most or all 
specimens to Washington in the spring, and after remaining there 
for a while, to go North and explore the region on the north of New 
York, the wildest portion of the United States, there to collect 
specimens of all kinds and to make such observations of various 
kinds as might be in my power. Professor Guyot intends visiting 
the same region, and the explorations belonging to our mutual 
department will be appropriately carried on together. I have many 
connections in the Adirondack region, and have already visited it, 
although several years have since elapsed. Before I started I could 
put matters in train for calling in collections from various parts of 
the country by the distribution of various circulars. Could I but 
ask in the name of the Smithsonian Institution for objects of interest, 
their acquisition would be much easier than it is now. If you could 
not spare as much as $500.00 per annum for expenses, I could do a 
great deal with half the sum. This sum, with $1000 for myself, 
would not be a heavy drag upon the funds for a year or two. I may 
have opportunities now for making collections which may not soon 
or may never recur, and I would like to commence working the 
great machinery which I trust I can set up for making a true and 
genuine collection of objects of science. I am afraid I have wearied 
your patience by what I have written, but hope you will forgive 
my prolixity and importunity in regard to what is a somewhat vital 
matter. 
The policy of Professor Henry in not desiring the 
Exploring Expedition’s collections transferred to the 
proposed Smithsonian Museum was doubtless due to 
13 
