Page:Travels in Mexico and life among the Mexicans.djvu/180

172 of naturalist to an Arctic exploring expedition; this was declined, and later filled acceptably by the gallant young Newcomb, of Salem, whose adventures have been published, and are well known.

Our scientific institutions seem bent upon wasting their energies by dashing their heads against the icy barriers about the Pole. Why not turn their attention to the tropics, to that portion of our country where American civilization had its birth?