The Rhode Island Republican

From the Anthology.

Col. Gibbs's grand Collection of Minerals.

ONE of the most zealous cultivators of mineralogy in the United States, is Col. George Gibbs, of Rhode-Island. And his taste and his fortune have concurred in making him the proprietor of the most extensive and valuable assortment of minerals that probably exists in America. This rich collection consists of the cabinets possessed by the late Mons. Gigot D'Orcy, of Paris, and the Count Gregorie de Razanowaky, a Russian nobleman, long resident in Switzerland. To which the present proprietor has added a number, either gathered by himself on the spot, or purchased in different parts of Europe. -The collection of M. D'Orcy is particularly rich in the productions of the French mines : Such, as the phosphates, carbonates, and molybdates of lead ; the iron ores of Bangor, Fraumont, and the Isle of Elba ; the silver of St. Maria and d'Ailemont ; the mercury of Deuxponts; a great variety of marbles, calcedonies, and agates, quartz, calcareous, and other spars from France and different parts of Europe. The collection of the Count Razanowsky consists chiefly of the minerals of the Russian empire. It is particularly rich in gold and copper ores, chromates of lead, the native iron of Pallas, Beryls, Jaspers, &c. The Russian specimens alone are about six thousand in number. The remainder are chiefly German and Swiss. To these Mr. Gibbs has added all the newly discovered minerals, a complete collection of English, Swiss, and Italian specimens, including the ancient marbles, porphyries, &c. the muriates and carbonates of copper from Chili ; the spinel and oriental rubies, of which this is the third complete collection existing. Also, a large geological collection. The whole consists of about twenty thousand specimens. A small part of this collection was opened to amateurs at Rhode-Island, the last summer, and the next, if circumstances permit, the remainder will be exposed. In giving this account of a collection, so much wished for in the U. States, it may be justly acknowledged, that it is principally by the assistance of the savans of France, that it was rendered so complete ; and that if it should prove useful to our country, the proprietor will share the pleasure with De d' Aumont, Daubuisson, Struve and Bournon.