• which an English schoolmaster copied with so much skill, that it 
appears to have been printed. * In the mathematical lecture room 
I did not observe a very complete apparatus. They have also but 
few astronomical instruments, and in one observatory there are 
none. A new electrical machine with a glass globe had but lately 
arrived from England. The mineralogical collection is under 
obligations to Mr. Ritchie for most of its finest specimens, which 
he bought during his travels at Dresden, and presented to the uni¬ 
versity. A piece of basalt found under ground in this neighbour¬ 
hood, bears some similarity to the profile of a human face. It is 
not known whether it be a lusus naturae or the work of human 
hands. Does this belong to the remains of an earlier race of men 
which has vanished from the earth, but which has, not without 
reason, been supposed by many to have once existed? The other 
natural collections were of slight importance; there are no collec¬ 
tions of insects and butterflies. I saw there also the antlers of 
two stags, which had become so completely entangled in fighting, 
that they could not be separated, and in this state they were 
killed. The chemical laboratory is arranged in a separate house, 
strongly resembling a chapel. The anatomical theatre has been 
removed for want of room, from Cambridge to Boston. In the 
former lecture room, however, there are still several handsome 
wax preparations made in Florence, among which are two fine 
full length figures, male and female. The latter represents a preg¬ 
nant woman, and is separable. Near the chapel is the assembly 
room of the academical senate, where there are some very hand¬ 
some engravings. I was surprised to find among these engravings 
the defence of Gibraltar, by Elliot, and one which represented 
Admiral Dewinter taken prisoner by Admiral Duncan. I gave 
the attendant who conducted us two dollars, and he seemed to be 
so much gratified by my generosity, that when we were in the 
chapel he whispered to the organist, who immediately played 
u God save the king,” at which I was much surprised. We were 
escorted through the botanic garden by Professor Nuttall, an 
Englishman, who has made several scientific journeys in the 
western parts of the United States. Among the green-house 
plants I observed a strelitzia, which had been raised from seed in 
this country, and also a blooming and handsome Inua gloriosa, 
and a Hedychium longifolium. The green-house and the garden 
are both small; in the latter I remarked no extraordinary shrubs 
or flowers, on the contrary, however, I saw many beetles, which 
[* This manuscript is perhaps one of the most curious specimens of calligra- 
phy extant. Without the aid of a microscope it is almost impossible to disco¬ 
ver that it is not a printed work, so extremely uniform and accurate is every 
letter. We believe it was originally prepared for the celebrated Dr. Richard 
Meade of London.— Trans.] 
