8 
character, so that, as the years roll on, the circle of science will be 
completed and extended, and the benefits arising from a diffusion of 
useful knowledge will become more and morea blessing to the world 
at large. 
It is difficult for me to find words with which I can pour out the 
fullness of my heart to you, my brethren, who are here around me, 
and I trust from the greetings which I have witnessed this evening, 
in the gratulations and friendships which have saluted my ears, that 
this occasion will be memorable in the history of our scientific life ; 
and that if we have the advantages which seem to me to be prom- 
ised to us from this gathering, when we shall separate at the close of 
the week there will be not only a union of hearts and a union of 
hands, but aunion of common purposes and pursuits. Our country 
is so large, our population is so great, our resources of all kinds are so 
abundant, that everything which can stimulate the human intellect 
to labor, for the increase of knowledge and for the increase of hap- 
piness, lies all around us. 
While you are here you will, I hope, accept and participate in 
those social enjoyments that will be tendered to you outside of the 
mere exercises of our meeting, and that you will visit our ancient 
University, the Girard College for orphans, the Drexel Institute, 
the United States Mint at Philadelphia, and, among others, those 
two hives of industry which bear testimony to the great improve- 
ments in the extension and perfection of steam machinery, in its 
application to naval purposes and to land transportation, the work- 
shops of the Cramps and the ‘‘ Baldwin’s.”’ 
These opportunities are freely tendered to you, and our Commit- 
tee of Arrangements will divide themselves into squads and take 
charge of you, so far as your individual preferences may choose, for 
visiting these different institutions. 
Again renewing the cordial welcome that I have given you, I bid 
you now, gentlemen, Godspeed in the enterprises in which you may 
engage for the coming three days of this week, so that when the 
time comes for drawing upon us the curtain of separation, we will 
disperse with the conviction that we have added to our knowledge 
and to our friendships, and that we have done something for the 
benefit of our country and for the world at large. 
It will be a great gratification to me personally, and I know that 
it will gratify our friends who are here assembled, if some of our 
