Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-01-28
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.


Climate Of the Summer of 1853 in its relation to the Agri-
cultural interests of the United States "a report to
the Secretary Of the Smithsonian Institation.) By
LoRiS BLeDGET Assistant in charge Of Meteoroogy-
washington, November, 1853. Octave, PIP. 26.
The author has been SO kind to send pamphlet
with the title we have copied above. We have read il
with good deal Of interest, and have been satisfied
from the facts exhibited and the observations accompa
nying them that continuation Of the system of meteo
roogcal observation and the extension Of it all the
States and Territories Of the Republic under fuller
and more adequate organization would be the means OF
leading to ncalcuable improvements the condition Of
our agriculture But in order to effect this adequate
ganizaon the Government of the United States should
lend their aid to the voluntary and abors
of individuals with whom the Smithsonian Institution
have established correspondence in various parts Of the
country the results of which form the matter Of the
present pamphlet 1t cannot be expected that scientific
men, most Of whom but poorly endowed with the
goods of this world will devote their time and talents
the diffusion of useful knowledge without reapng from
it at least the Of subsistence The Smithsonian
Institution furnishes the centre, the prium mobile the
rad the branches, and ramifcations necessary to
pete the vitality of advantageous circulation of
suits be looked for in the liberal public spirit Of
political functionares The pa5alum rita must
from the Treasury of the United States.
Mr. BLoDGEr deserves great credit for the manner in
which he has illustrated the usefulness of these meteo
rological observations. '... '...
]" America Discovered: Poem, in twelve books" New
York. Trow, 1850 u. 49,"
from among the numerous literary offerings still lying
upon table from authors and publishers OF the past
year. and probably Of several years picked up
few days ago, the title Of which induced to look into
its contents sAmerca Discovered, Poem, in twelve
hook bv American - Each hook An
age of seventy of eight lines making Of the lat
ter no less than 6920! Since the "Columbiad," we
have nothing American in the field of poetry at all
comparable to it mean in fecundity of versifcaton
The great difference between them however is that the
Coumbad dealt in plain, commonplace matters Of facts
the poem before altogether in felton, which somebody
or other has said whether wisely not is the legitimate
business of poetry. For part we do not think
so, and for the that upon time, prophet
and poet signifed the thing and all know that
it the business of the prophets of old to speak tine
truth, which they did sometimes in plain unadorned
simplicity Of dicon and sometimes in the gorgeous
dress of trope and metaphor, but never in rhyme.
Our first idea upon casting our eye the poem
that it had been brought into existence little
If it had been kept back year it might, with
fair chance of success have made the hundred and
second of the Latham prize-fghters His judges would
doubt have found it sufficiently national to with
in the conditions of his liberal proclamation We regret
that have not to spare that might treat
readers few of the stanzas but the plot of the poem
is so entirely poetcal that cramped for space,
we must give the authors own analysis Of it. If that
will not excite the literary world to give it their atten-
ton nothing that could say of the melody rythm,
fluent fances Of the poem would be likely to pro-
duce that effect The author imagines the world be
under the ministry of angels By the way, this is
thing than supposition and belongs rather to the
old than to the new Interpretation of poetry. These
angels are supposed to meet among the mountains Of
Chill about the year 1885, to deliberate on the best mode
of making kEown this continent to Europeans The re-
suit of these deliberations is that two Of their number
Abdah and Habdiel delegated to spread the matter
before the throne of the Eternal. In their journey
through space they light upon worlds the allen
but not redeemed the other unallen They afterwards
reach the place of their destination entertained by
Hallan former acquaintance, have interviews with
Abraham, Adam, &c., and finally admitted to the
presence of the Son of God where they obtain their Pc
rtion On their return Abdah is appointed to suggest
the matter to Columbus, then youth at the College Of
Payia and also to upernend him in all his changes to
the final consummation Of the enterprise This is enough
to show that if the merits of poem consist Off boldness
of fiction and wdness of imagination this has extern
sive claims to distinction. .....