The bound volume of literary works and notes in manuscript that makes up this collection belonged to Benjamin M. Darby of St. Louis around 1870, the date appended to his name written on the flyleaf. It is not known how or when the book made its way to Saint Louis University. The bookplate at the front of the volume lists its owner as J. (or I.) I. Ira Adams, who also provided the dedication to the goddess Minerva, patron of literary endeavors. There seem to be three sections of material in the journal, each in a different hand.  The first part contains poems, prose, and copies of others' published works inserted by Adams, who may have been a student at the Union (Durham) Academy in Durham, New Hampshire. Adams identifies himself as the editor of a newspaper of 1844 and 1845 called _Aurora Borealis_, which he describes thus: "At Durham N.H. arriving the years 1843-44-45 papers were published and read in the Academy." These papers, one of which was the _Aurora_, seem to have been literary efforts by Academy students. This journal contains handwritten copies of material that appeared in the Aurora. Also here is a poem entitled "Alulah: Or, a Tale of Roman Catholicism." The second section of the journal consists of notes on the Indians of Central America written in another hand. Yet a third hand contributed the material in the third section that includes notes on the eighteenth century.