126 REVIEWS. 



they remained until the last year, when they were transferred to th&- 

 Uegents' room in the Smithsonian building. They have beea ar- 

 ranged for exhibition in a large case of black walnut, and now form 

 an interesting portion of the collections of the Institution. Thej 

 consist of a very extensive series of rare though minute 'specimeaB 

 of mineralogy ; of the table service of plate of Smithson ; and of 

 the portable chemical and mineralogical apparatus with which lie 

 made his investigations. Besides the above mentioned articles, tb® 

 Institution has had in its possession for several years the library of 

 Smithson, containing 115 volumes, and a collection of manuscripts;,, 

 principally consisting of what would appear to be the materials of a 

 philosophical dictionary." 



The collection of personal effects of the founder of the Smithsom- 

 ian Institution is even more curiously minute than the above notice 

 indicates. When last we visited the Smithsonian galleries at "Wash- 

 ington, there were displayed in the Eegents' Eoom not only the 

 founder's minerals, chemical laboratory, balance, thermometer, and 

 other scientific apparatus, but his sword, riding whip and walking 

 cane, his candlesticks, travelling portmanteaus, snuff box, and um- 

 brella. 



In the report of 1857 it is justly added in reference to those 

 varied personal relics of Smithson : "The whole collection takem 

 together serves to exhibit the character of the man, and clearly to 

 indicate his intention as to the nature of the Institution to which 

 he gave his name. It serves to strengthen the conviction, if anything 

 of this kind were needed, that the proper interpretation of the wili 

 has been given by the Eegents in adopting the plan which makea 

 active operations, the discovery of new truths, and a diffusion of 

 these among men, the prominent object of the establishment. In 

 this connexion it may be interesting to repeat a statement made 

 in a former report, that the Institution is in possession of two* 

 likenesses of Smithson : one, a portrait of him while a yoiitb», 

 in the costume of a student at Oxford, the other a medallion, from 

 which a steel engraving has been executed. The first was purchased 

 from the widow of John Fitall, the servant of Smithson, and the 

 other was among his effects, and identified by a paper attached to it, 

 on which the words ' my likeness ' were written in Smithson'^s owm 

 hand." 



In the same report, the Eegents add this remark : — " A list of tise 

 papers published by Smithson, and a record of all the facts whicfe 



