NATURE 



509 



THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, i5 



AGASSI Z AT SAN FRANCISCO 



THE completion of its labours by the United States 

 Hasslcr Expedition presents many points of almost 

 dramatic interest. We have the veteran naturalist, a 

 native of the little republic of the old world — having trans- 

 ferred his home to the great republic across the Atlantic, 

 and settled himself to his scientific work at the University 

 in Massachusetts which derives its name from the old 

 seat of learning on the banks of the Cam, — there gathering 

 about him a band of earnest students, the master and his 

 disciples together building up at Cambridge, in the course 

 of a few years, one of the best appointed schools for 

 practical instruction in Natural Science, and one of the 

 finest Museums of Comparative Zoology in thev/orld. The 

 citizens of the Great Republic are constantly discovering 

 within their own vast territories some extraordinary 

 natural production which in old times would have ranked 

 among the great wonders of the world : now a grove of 

 gigantic trees in CaUfornia; now the marvellous canons of 

 Colorado; now a wonderful assemblage of hot springs and 

 geysers in Nebraska. But not content with the Govern- 

 ment exploration of their own domain, the munificence of 

 a private citizen of Massachusetts fitted out this Hasslcr 

 coasting survey expedition with the necessary appliances, 

 and placed the veteran Agassiz at its head, for the purpose 

 of investigating the natural features of the extremity of 

 the Southern Continent, and the inhabitants of its seas, 

 the latter department being specially placed under the 

 management of the accomplished naturalists Pourtales 

 and Steindachner. Our readers already know how the 

 experienced eye of Agassiz detected in Patagonia the same 

 evidences of extensive glacial action with which he was 

 already so familiar in the northern hemisphere; and the 

 contents of the dredging nets will furnish employment to 

 the staff of American naturalists for many a month to 

 come. After cruising up the Pacific Coast of South 

 America, the voyage of the Hasslcr finally ended in United 

 States territory at San Francisco, where the expedition 

 met with such a reception as has probably never before 

 been accorded to any body of scientific amateurs. The 

 Alia California thus welcomes the great naturalist on his 

 return to his adopted country : — 



" San Francisco has in its midst a man of science than 

 whom none in America, or out of it, more richly deserves 

 the love and homage and respect of our people. He has 

 come all the way around our -Southern Continent, not for 

 gold, as many came, n.t for silver, as many came, not for 

 di;imonds, as many would come or go, but for scientific 

 knowledge, for discoveries in the hitherto unsearched 

 waters of the seas, the unexhausted treasuries of Nature 

 growing, budding, and blossoming along the shores of a 

 continent. When such a man, if there be any other such, 

 chances to visit a distant city, he is quite likely to be 

 made the guest of it, to be filed, and to be made to feel 

 that his merits of head and heart have endeared him to 

 the people, and that the city feels itself honoured particu- 

 larly, instead of honouring him. All the dukes and 

 princes that ever stepped foot in America, never deserved 

 a tenth part of the attention which is due to Prof. Agassiz. 

 There is in America no man living who, as a scientist, 

 compares with this gentleman in acquirements in his lines 

 of study, and in the triumphs achieved. Many of our 



No. 156- -VOL. VI. 



citizens have called upon him, and extended such cour- 

 tesies as private parties may, and perhaps quite as exten- 

 sively as is agreeable to him. But the question is, what 

 does this city owe to itself in this matter ? A public re- 

 ception by the city would be a very graceful courtesy 

 extended to a very great and most worthy gentleman, and 

 the honour to herself would be one of which every citizen 

 might well be proud. We hope it may be done." 



The same paper and the San Fraticisco Morning 

 Bulletin both print full reports of the professor's address 

 on the occasion of his reception in the Pacific Hall by 

 the California Academy of Sciences, heading their article, 

 in genuine American style, by sensation headers of the 

 following description :—" Agassiz. Grand Reception un- 

 der the Auspices of the Cahfornia Academy of Sciences. 

 Pacific Hall in a Blaze of Intellectual Light. From Polyp 

 to Mammal. Modified Darwinism — The Prophecy and 

 Advice of a Man of Science." 



From the address itself we may be permitted to make 

 a few extracts, for the purpose of illustrating what are the 

 subjects that are now uppermost in the minds of our 

 scientific friends on the other side of the Atlantic. But, 

 first of all, let us cordially congratulate the representa- 

 tives of Science in that remote State, on the honour which 

 has been reciprocally conferred upon them and upon 

 Agassiz and his fellow workers by the enthusiastic welcome 

 which they have given him, and on the encouragement 

 which his visit has afforded for the further prosecution of 

 their arduous labours. In the words of Prof. Davidson, 

 the Principal of the California Academy of Sciences : — 



" Less than one month since, the great master of 

 modern scientific thought and research addressed a few 

 earnest students of science, who have patiently and 

 bravely kept their lamp trimmed and burning. The magic 

 of his words thrilled our hearts and cheered our hopes ; 

 but, best of all, that gave renewed confidence to friends 

 who had an abiding faith in our efforts. That you might 

 have a richer feast, we have prevailed upon him to break 

 a long and comparative silence, when he most needed rest 

 and repose. In less than one hour after our last Academy 

 meeting, the seeds sown by him had borne fruit in giving 

 to the Academy a greater number of life members than 

 we had gathered in ten years. Within a fortnight the 

 Agassiz Professorship of Oriental Languages and Litera- 

 ture was established for the Universities of California by 

 the munificent endowment of our fellow citizen, the Hon. 

 Edward Tompkins ; and now, after eighteen or nineteen 

 long years of arduous and desperate struggle with poverty 

 in this State of marvellous wealth and boundless properity, 

 the California Academy of Sciences is amply rewarded 

 in being the instrument of introducing to the citizens of 

 San Francisco Prof. Agassiz." 



In the opening of his address, Prof. Agassiz made the 

 following remarks on the present aims of science : — 



" For the last three years I have been prevented from 

 appearing in public, owing to the indifferent condition of 

 my health. I venture this evening to address you. I have 

 been asked to give some account of the voyage of the 

 Hasslcr, which has terminated its cruise in the harbour of 

 San Francisco. I am afraid that the incidents of that 

 scientific expedition are too monotonous to be very enter- 

 taining ; and willing as I am to accede to the request, I 

 think 1 will submit to your attention remarks upon the 

 present aims of Science, which may at least have a more 

 solid foundation than our past efforts during that voyage, 

 to increase the bases and material foundation of know- 

 ledge. Allow me to say that this examination, as I may 

 call it, has been entirely incidental to the necessities of the 

 Coast Survey. The good ship which brought us here is 



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