Dana — American Journal of Science, 1818-1918. 33 



The promise to include the fine arts is kept by the pub- 

 lication of various papers, as of the Trumbull paintings 

 (16, 163, 1829) ; also by a series of articles on "architec- 

 ture in the United States" (17, 99, 1830; 18, 218, 220, 

 1830) and others. Quite in another line is the paper by 

 J. W. Gibbs (33, 324, 1838) on "Arabic words in 

 English." A number of related linguistic papers by the 

 same author are to be found in other volumes. Papers 

 in pure mathematics are also not infrequent, though 

 now not considered as falling within the field of the 

 Journal. 



Applied science takes a prominent place through all the 

 volume of the First Series. An interesting paper is that 

 on Eli Whitney, containing an account of the cotton gin ; 

 this is accompanied by an excellent portrait (21, 201-264, 

 1832). The steam engine and its application are repeat- 

 edly discussed and in the early volumes brief accounts 

 are given of the early steamboats in use ; for example, 

 between Stockholm and St. Petersburg (2, 347, 1820) ; 

 Trieste and Venice (4, 377, 1822) ; on the Swiss Lakes 

 (6, 385, 1823). The voyage of the first Atlantic steam- 

 boat, the "Savannah," which crossed from Savannah 

 to Liverpool in 1819, is described (38, 155, 1840) ; men- 

 tion is also made of the "first iron boat" (3, 371, 1821; 

 5, 396, 1822). A number of interesting letters, on 

 "Steam Navigation' ' are given in vol. 35, 160, 162, 332, 

 333, 336; some of the suggestions seem very quaint, 

 viewed in the light of the experience of to-day. 



A very early form of explosive engine is described at 

 length by Samuel Morey (11, 104, 1826) ; this is an article 

 that deserves mention in these days of gasolene motors. 

 Even more interesting is the description by Charles Gris- 

 wold (2, 94, 1820) of the first submarine invented by 

 David Bushnell and used in the Revolutionary War in 

 August, 1776. An account is also given of a dirigible 

 balloon that mav be fairly regarded as the original ances- 

 tor of the Zeppelin (see 11, 346, 1826). The whole sub- 

 ject of aerial navigation is treated at length by H. Strait 

 (25, pp. 25, 26, 1834) and the expression of his hopes for 

 the future deserve quotation : 



"Conveyance by air can be easily rendered as safe as by 

 water or land, and more cheap and speedy, while the universal 

 and uniform diffusion of the air over every portion of the 

 earth, will render aerial navigation preferable to any other. To 



Am. Jour. Sci.— Fourth Series, Vol. XLVI, No. 271.— July, 1918. 

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