cargo of coolies, was wrecked nlf the coast of Japan, and. under Mr. Smith's advice, the 230 wrecked Chinamen were detained by the Japanese t;iivrrninent. The case was submitted to thr arbi- tration of the emperor of Russia, and under his decision, Mr. Smith representing the Japanese government, lh<- coolies were sent back to China, with the result of breaking up the trade. Mr. Smith published a "Manual of Political Economy" (New York, 1853), in refutation of the theories of Ricardo and Malthus. It is "an attempt to con- struct a skeleton of political economy on the basis of purely physical laws, and thus to obtain for its conclusions that absolute certainty that belongs to the positive sciences." In this regard the work is wholly original, and has largely affected the work of later economists. It has been translated into French. Mr. Smith contributed a word to the English language in suggesting, through the Al- bany " Kvening .Journal," the use of "telegram" in p'lace of cumbrous phrases, such as " telegraphic message " and " telegraphic despatch." He re- turnee? from Japan in 1876.
SMITH, Erminnie Adelle, scientist, b. in
M.-uvellus, X. Y., 26 April, 1836 ; d. in Jersey City,
N. J., 9 June, 1886. Her maiden name was Platt.
She was educated at Mrs. Willard's seminary in
Troy. N. Y., and in 1855 married Simeon H. Smith,
of Jersey City, X. J. She early devoted herself to
geology, and made one of the largest private col-
lections in the country. She spent four years in
Europe with her sons," studying science and lan-
guage, during which period she was graduated at
the School of mines, Freiberg, Saxony, and after
her return gave frequent courses of lectures. She
organized and became president of the JEsthetic
society of Jersey City, whose monthly receptions
from '1879 to 1886 were widely known. In 1878
she undertook ethnological work under the au-
spices of the Smithsonian institution, and ob-
tained and classified over 15,000 words of the Iro-
quois dialects. To facilitate her work in this
direction, she spent two summers with the remnant
of the Tuscaroras in Canada. She published nu-
merous papers on scientific subjects, and was a
member of the Historical society of New York, of
the London scientific society, and the first lady
fellow of the New York academy of sciences. At
the meeting of the American association for the
advancement of science in 1885 she was secretary
ot the section of geology and geography. Her
Iroquois-English dictionary was in course of print-
ing at the time of her death. A volume of essays
and poems by the ^Esthetic society, written and
delivered under her direction, was issued in 1883.
In 1888 a geological prize was founded at Vassar
college in her honor.
SMITH, Ethan, clergyman, b. in Belchertown,
Mass., 19 Dec., 1762 ; d. in Ponipey, N. Y.,29 Aug.,
1849. He was apprenticed to the leather trade in
his boyhood, was a private in the Continental army
in 1780-'!, was graduated at Dartmouth in 1790,
and the same year licensed to preach. From 1791
till 1832 he was pastor of Congregational churches
in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and
Vermont, and he served as city missionary in Bos-
ton from the latter date until his death. He was a
founder of the New Hampshire missionary society,
its secretary for sixteen years, and the author of
numerous sermons: "Dissertation on the Prophe-
cies " (Concord, N. H., 1809) ; " Key to the Figura-
tive Language of the Prophecies " (1814) ; " A
View of the Trinity" (1824); "A View of tin- He-
brews," designed to prove that the aborigines of
America are descended from the twelve tribes of
Israel (Poultney. Vt., 1825) ; " A Key to the Reve-
lation " (New York, 1833) ; and a " Prophetic Cate-
hism" (1S39).
SMITH. Eugene Allen, geologist, b. in Ala-
bama, 27 Oct., 1841. He was graduated at the
University of Alabama in 1862, where he was as-
sistant in mathematics and Latin in 1863-'5, and
then spent three years at the universities of Berlin,
Gottingen. and Heidelberg, receiving in 1868 the
degree of Ph. D. from the last-named institution.
In 1868 he became assistant state geologist of Mis-
sissippi, and he held that office until 1871, and in
1873 he was made state geologist of Alabama, which
appointment he has since filled. Dr. Smith was
called to the chair of mineralogy and geology in the
University of Alabama in 1871, and in 1874 the title
of his chair was changed to that of chemistry, geol-
ogy, and natural history, which he still fills. He
was honorary commissioner to the World's fair in
Paris in 1878. and during 1880-'2 was special census
agent engaged in the preparation of reports on cot-
ton-production in Alabama and Florida. In 1885-'6
he was commissioner for selecting lands that had
been given to the University of Alabama. Dr.
Smith is a member of various scientific societies,
has been secretary of the section on geology and
geography of the American association for the
advancement of science, and is a member of the
American committee of the International geologi-
cal congress, and its reporter on the marine tertiary
in 1886-'8. Besides geological memoirs, his publi-
cations include annual " Geological Reports of the
Alabama State Survey " (Montgomery, 1874 et seq.
also special reports to the U. S. geological survey,
the U. S. entomological commission, and the U. S.
census bureau.
SMITH, Ezekiel Ezra, educator, b. in Duplin
county, N. C., 23 May, 1852. He is of African
descent and was born a slave, but enjoyed early
educational advantages, studied in the public
schools, and became a teacher in 1870. In 1873-'4
he was one of the Jubilee singers that raised $20,-
000 for Shaw university, at which he was gradu-
ated in 1878, and in the next year he was licensed
to preach. He was principal of the graded school
at Goldsborough, N. C., from 1879 till 1883, when
he became principal of the State colored normal
school at Fayetteville, N. C. He was secretary of
the State colored Baptist convention in 1876-'83,
commissioned major of the 4th battalion of the
North Carolina guards in 1880, and in 1888 was
appointed U. S. minister and consul-general to
Liberia, Africa. He was a founder of the North
Carolina industrial association, and established and
edited the " Carolina Enterprise."
SMITH, Francis, British soldier, b. in Eng-
land about 1720 ; d. there, 17 Nov., 1791. He be-
came captain of the 10th foot in 1747, major in
1758, lieutenant-colonel in 1762, colonel and aide-
de-camp to the king in 1775, and the same year
commanded the troops that were sent to destroy
the American stores at Concord, Mass. He was
wounded in the fight at Lexington, became briga-
dier-general in 1776, and commanded a brigade in
the battles on Long Island in August of that year,
and at Quaker Hill in 1778. He was promoted
to the grade of major-general in 1779, and lieu-
tenant-general in 1787.
SMITH, Francis Henney, soldier, b. in Norfolk, Va., 18 Oct., 1812 ; d. in Lexington, Va.. 21 March, 1890. He was graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1833, and was assistant professor there; also professor of mathematics at Hampden Sidney in 1837-'9, and, on the organization of the Virginia military institute in the latter year, became its su-
