TEE SAVING OF VANISEING DATA. 229 



secured them all and in a right order. It is probable that many native 

 objects have a deeper significance than would be suspected. This can 

 only be coaxed out of the native by patient sympathy. Some informa- 

 tion may be ' rushed, ' but the finer flowers of the imagination, the spir- 

 itual concepts and sacred aspirations, can only be revealed to those with 

 whom the native is in true sympathy and, quite apart from idiosyncrasy, 

 the time element is most important. No, the rapid collector does posi- 

 tive harm, as, like the unskilled excavator, he destroys the collateral 

 evidence. He may add a unit to a collection, but its instructive value 

 is reduced to a minimum ; it is the gravestone of a lost opportunity. 



My plea then is for investigators, not for mere collectors, as many 

 of the former as possible and as few of the latter. There is not much 

 difficulty in finding men willing and competent to undertake such inves- 

 tigations if funds were forthcoming. One point is worth mentioning: 

 in most branches of scientific enquiry, later investigations, owing to 

 more minute study, improved methods or a new point of view, are apt 

 to eclipse the earlier investigations. Now this is not the case with 

 ethnological research in the field. The earlier the observations are, pro- 

 vided they are full and accurate, the more liable they are to be of 

 greater importance than later ones. Students continually refer to the 

 oldest books of travel, and they will always do so. From this point of 

 view it is evident that properly qualified investigators should set to 

 work without delay. Every year's delay means that the work will be 

 so much the less perfect. All who are concerned in any field work can 

 have the satisfaction of feeling that students of mankind in future 

 ages will have to consult their publications, and they have the tremen- 

 dous responsibility that what they write will have to be accepted as 

 correct as there will be no means in the future of checking it. 



In order that satisfactory work may be done it ought to be con- 

 tinuous, and two or three good men should be always in the field; 

 to accomplish this an income of at least $5,000 per annum is required. 

 To insure an efficient, economical and fair administration it would 

 be desirable to appoint a small international council of some half 

 dozen members; the council should not be too large, as the business 

 must be carried on by correspondence. This council would decide as 

 to the field work to be undertaken at any particular time and as to the 

 disposal and working out of the material that was collected. Only 

 systematists are aware of the necessity there is that the types of new 

 species should be deposited in the most central institution and regard 

 ought to be paid to the special circumstances of each particular group, 

 independent of country or nationality. Patriotism should not over- 

 ride the practical requirements of science. 



