196 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
mostly stones; for but a small portion of the income can be appro- 
priated for the real objects of the Institution. In accordance with 
this arrangement the sum which will next year be allowed to the 
department of collections, after deducting current expenses is $3650.00. 
Of this $3000 is required to pay for books and engravings bought 
of Mr. Marsh. Thus, only $650 will be left for the purpose of books 
and for other operations of the library during the year! I trust, 
however, this is not the whole of the story. Prof. Henry proposes 
to ask the Regents to vary a little from their plan, so as to produce 
the same result with reference to the building fund—but to prolong 
the time from two years to three or four. We might thus draw from 
the building fund $5000 or $6000 a year for two years and repay 
it the two following years. In case this is done I consider it quite 
certain that Mr. Baird will be appointed at the next meeting of the 
Regents. I cannot tell what doubts and difficulties may arise and 
I am telling tales out of school, to say what I have said. But I can 
fully appreciate your desire to know all the probabilities of the case, 
when the certainty cannot be known. We shall not be able to speak 
with much confidence until about the time of the meeting of the 
Regents the first week in January. If anything new occurs, I will 
inform you. 
From Joseph Henry to Spencer F. Baird. 
SMITHSONIAN INnstITuTION, November 1849. 
My pear Srir,— 
During my absence at the North my letters were forwarded to 
me and among the number was one from you which by accident was 
mislaid at Princeton and has just now come to light. I regret that 
it has so long remained unanswered. 
After leaving Cambridge to Professor Bache, I then went to 
Toronto, U. C. to confer with Capt. Lefroy relative to the co-opera- 
tion of the observers in the British provinces in our system of meteor- 
ology, and also to get some instruction in the manipulation of the 
self-registering photographic magnetic instrument. My visit was 
highly gratifying. I received all the information I desired and the 
assurance of a hearty co-operation in all the operations of the Smith- 
sonian Inst. 
