THE 



AMERICAN 

 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. &c. 



Art. I. — Meteorolomcal Observations during a Residence in 

 Colombia, between the Years 1820 and^ 1830.* By Colonel 

 Richard Wright, Governor of the Province of Loxa, and 

 Confidential Agent of the Republic of the Equator, &c. &c. 



If the materials of science could be gathered only by the sci- 

 entific, the following collection of observations would be a useless 

 labor; but it frequently happens that, in distant countries, the 

 opportunity of observing natural phenomena falls to the lot of 

 those very ill fitted in most respects to profit by it. The genius 

 of Humboldt, like an incantation of science, descends upon the 

 New World but once in a series of ages. The most that can be 

 done by an ordinary observer, is to offer his mite, — a single stone 

 towards the pyramid of knowledge, — in the hope that he may 

 casually prove useful ; and with such humble pretensions can 

 scarcely be deemed importunate. Should even this apology 

 barely extenuate the sterility of a ten years' residence in a coun- 

 try so admirably varied and rich in natural phenomena as Colom- 

 bia, something farther may be urged in excuse of the military 

 traveller, obliged frequently to /iwrr^/ through the most interesting 

 parts, and to vegetate whole years in others of minor importance ; 

 without books, without instruments, without resources ; fettered 

 too often by the chain of his own daily wants and sufferings ; and 



* From the London and Edinburgh Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Sci- 

 ence, Vol. 14, No. 85, January, 1839. 

 Vol. XXXVII, No. 1.— July-Oct., 1839. 1 



