Letter from Major Delafield to the Columbian Institute, January 21, 1821
Close
Request permissions
Download image
Print
Usage Conditions Apply
The Smithsonian Institution Archives welcomes personal and educational use of its collections unless otherwise noted. For commercial uses, please contact photos@si.edu.Narrow Your Results
Refine Your Results
Filter Your Results
Smithsonian Museum & Research Centers Information
Close Browse records and papers documenting the history and research of major Smithsonian divisions. Pre-set filters help narrow searches by museum or research center.- United States National Museum (6661)
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (5557)
- All (5175)
- National Museum of Natural History (4191)
- National Zoological Park (4139)
- National Museum of American History (3297)
- National Air and Space Museum (2230)
- Smithsonian Institution Building (1645)
- Smithsonian American Art Museum (1159)
- Freer Gallery of Art (914)
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (692)
- Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (569)
- National Portrait Gallery (564)
- National Museum of the American Indian (361)
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (308)
- Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (258)
- National Museum of African Art (253)
- National Postal Museum (93)
- National Museum of African American History and Culture (69)
- + Show More
- - Show Less
Smithsonian Records Information
Close Browse official records created at the Smithsonian Institution’s museums, research centers, libraries, and archives, now in the Smithsonian Institution Archives’ collections. Pre-set filters help narrow searches by major topics or disciplines.- All (5175)
- Museum Studies (3896)
- Art (1029)
- History (506)
- Natural History (388)
- Zoology (284)
- Astronomy (261)
- Exhibitions (245)
- Science (168)
- Traveling Exhibitions (152)
- Paleontology (68)
- Conservation (66)
- Entomology (58)
- Ecology (57)
- Biology (45)
- Mammalogy (37)
- Vertebrate Zoology (36)
- Botany (34)
- World War I and II (33)
- Mineralogy (33)
- Women (31)
- Geology (29)
- Anthropology (28)
- Meteorlogy (23)
- Invertebrate Zoology (20)
- Military History (19)
- International Education (19)
- Ichthyology (14)
- Herpetology (8)
- Telecommunications (6)
- Tropical Biology (2)
- + Show More
- - Show Less
Smithsonian Secretaries Information
Close Browse records and papers of the Smithsonian Secretaries, from 1846 until today. Pre-set filters help narrow searches by individuals who have held that office.- All (2790)
- Joseph Henry (974)
- Alexander Wetmore (463)
- Spencer Fullerton Baird (388)
- Sidney Dillon Ripley (368)
- Charles D Walcott (254)
- Leonard Carmichael (213)
- S. P Langley (210)
- C. G Abbot (196)
- Ira Michael Heyman (92)
- Robert McCormick Adams (56)
- Lawrence M Small (53)
- G. Wayne Clough (36)
- + Show More
- - Show Less
Expeditions Information
Close Browse records and papers documenting scientific and collecting expeditions either affiliated with the Smithsonian, or with which Smithsonian researchers participated. Pre-set filters help narrow searches by geographic regions predominantly represented in expedition records.Personal Papers Information
Close Browse papers and special collections created by institutions and persons who have contributed to and collaborated with the Smithsonian. Pre-set filters help narrow searches by major topics and disciplines.- All (1829)
- Aeronautics (251)
- Botany (218)
- Entomology (164)
- Mammalogy (159)
- Paleontology (126)
- Museum Studies (106)
- Geology (98)
- Zoology (96)
- History (74)
- Natural History (60)
- Astronomy (40)
- Science (37)
- Invertebrate Zoology (37)
- Ichthyology (33)
- Biology (32)
- Art (30)
- Meteoralogy (26)
- Herpetology (25)
- Mineralalogy (16)
- Anthropology (16)
- Ecology (12)
- Women's Studies (10)
- Vertebrate Zoology (9)
- World War I and II (6)
- Conservation (6)
- Tropical Biology (5)
- Exhibitions (5)
- + Show More
- - Show Less
Professional Societies Information
Close Browse records of professional societies closely associated with the Smithsonian, that focus on areas of scientific research and museum studies. Pre-set filters help narrow searches by major topics and disciplines.- All (465)
- History (50)
- Science (39)
- Biology (38)
- Museum Studies (35)
- Natural History (34)
- Zoology (27)
- Herpetology (24)
- Vertebrate Zoology (23)
- International Education (23)
- Preservation of Materials (17)
- Mammalogy (17)
- Ichthyology (15)
- Paleontology (11)
- Entomology (10)
- Marine Biology (9)
- Conservation (8)
- Ecology (5)
- Botany (5)
- Geology (3)
- Mineralalogy (1)
- Meteorlogy (1)
- Invertebrate Zoology (1)
- + Show More
- - Show Less
Oral Histories Information
Close Browse oral and video history collections containing interviews with current and retired Smithsonian staff, and others who have made significant contributions to the Institution. Pre-set filters help narrow searches by major topics or disciplines.- All (132)
- History (57)
- Museum Studies (48)
- Tropical Biology (19)
- Conservation (13)
- Astronomy (13)
- Zoology (11)
- Women's Studies (11)
- Entomology (11)
- Smithsonian Employees (10)
- World War I and II (9)
- Paleontology (9)
- Biology (9)
- Art (8)
- Military History (7)
- Geology (7)
- Anthropology (7)
- Aeronautics (7)
- Mammalogy (6)
- Ecology (6)
- Molecular Biology (5)
- Invertebrate Zoology (5)
- Ichthyology (4)
- Exhibitions (4)
- Natural History (3)
- Meteorology (2)
- Marine Bilology (2)
- Herpetology (2)
- Science (1)
- Mineralogy (1)
- Botanny (1)
- + Show More
- - Show Less
Washington Jany 21. 1821
[[underlined]] For the Columbian Institute.[[/underlined]]
I have the pleasure to present, /thro. Doctor Huntt/ to the Columbian Institute, two specimens of the Sulfate of Strontian; the one, the fragment of a large tabular chrystal; the other the fibrous variety. As this substance has but few known localities in the United States, and as the locality from whence these specimens came, is thought both remarkable and interesting, the following description may be acceptable.
The Sulphate of Strontian abounds in the lime stone of some of the Islands of Detroit ^[[insertion]] River [[/insertion]]. in the Islands known as the Bass Islands in Lake Erie; and on the main[[strikethrough]]e[[/strikethrough]] shore of Lake Erie in the neighborhood of Sandusky. The most remarkable locality however is upon one of the Bass Islands, now called Strontian Island, four miles West, of the well known Put-in-Bay-Island. The present specimens are from this locality. The shores of Strontian Island are of perpendicular limestone cliffs, and every where is seen the opaque, white and massive Sulphate of Strontian, filling cavities in the lime stone.
On one side of the Island, the Rocks have been lately rent by severe frosts, or other causes, and projected into the Lake, and here is exposed a vein of this mineral, of great beauty and
extent.
This vein as now exposed is about three feet in depth, forty feet in length, and its extent into the Island unknown. It is parallel to the adjacent rocks, and horizontal to the waters of the Lake. It consists of the regularly chrystalized, the fibrous, and the foliated Sulphate of Strontian, unmixed with any foreign matter whatever, other than a little clay, in the cavities, or between the interstices of chrystals.
The chrystals partake of all the forms described in the works of Profr Cleveland, under this head, and of some others arising from singular combinations, preserving however like angles.
They are sometimes in masses forming steps, and cuneiform. They are opaque, translucent, and beautifully transparent: are iridescent, and of double refraction; are white, bluish white, and occasionally tinged with green. The tabular chrystals of six sides, with summits of four sides, are usually the most limpid. They are of various sizes. The largest perfect tabular chrystal I possess is six inches long, three inches wide, and two and a half inches thick. Fragments of chrystals were obtained, that belonged to some, of much larger dimensions. I took away
[[end left page]]
[[start right page]]
the summit of a chrystal simply, that is five inches wide.
Fibrous Sulphate of Strontian. This variety abounds in the same vein. The fibres are parallel to each other, and commonly perpendicular to the limestone bed. It is of a pure white, always having a strong lustre; and is sometimes a compound of translucent and transparent fibres, forming beautiful specimens. It is also iridescent. This variety may be had in masses of any size, not to exceed too great a bulk to support its own specific gravity -
Foliated Sulphate of Strontian. This variety is found in the same vein. I regret that a specimen does not accompany this description. It [[strikethrough]] is [[/strikethrough]] occurs in better specimens, detached from the vein, in cavities of the lime stone. Grosse Isle Detroit River, is perhaps the best locality for this variety - It is there found in handsome fascicular groupes. The chrystals are translucent and transparent, and vary from white to dark blue.
I should be gratified to lay before the Institute, and account of the minerals, fossils, and organic Remains, that I have been led to observe, and collect, upon the
shores and Islands of our Northern Lakes. Their great variety and interest, would require more labor to explain than it is in my power to bestow, but should an opportunity offer, it will afford me pleasure to present the Institute with specimens of the Minerals and Remains of the Great Lakes.
Jos: Delafield.