maine state society. 19 



On Japanese and Chinese Articles. 



The Committee appointed to examine the extensive collec- 

 tion of curiosities exhibited in the Fair, from Japan and China, 

 take pleasure in reporting: 



That no articles contributed to the fair added more to its 

 interest, than did these wonderful specimens of the ingenuity 

 and practice of the people of these far off regions. The fact 

 that so little is known of them, by our people, makes every 

 thing from that quarter an object of special interest. 



Your committee consider that the thanks of the managers of 

 the fair are particularly merited by Lieut. George H. Preble, 

 of this city, by whose attention and kindness the collection was 

 furnished and arranged in the halls. The various and numer- 

 ous articles under this head, had been collected with much 

 patience and assiduity, by Lieut. Preble, in the course of his 

 voyages to different ports of those countries. By this zeal in 

 collecting the marks of the skill and ingenuity of these nations, 

 he has really obtained a most respectable nucleus or foundation 

 for a Chinese Museum, with Japan as an addendum. And it 

 may be, that from this nest egg may grow up a museum of curi- 

 osities of far off lands, as permanently interesting as some that 

 now exist, and ever attract strangers to their halls, in some 

 other cities of our country. 



It would be almost an endless undertaking to name separ- 

 ately, and comment upon, each of the multiplicity of articles 

 displayed. They were of nearly all forms and textures, and 

 requiring more than a casual glance to perceive all the beauties 

 of their material and construction. It is not the design of this 

 report, neither is it deemed necessary, to go into particulars to 

 that extent. We have obtained a catalogue of most of the 

 curiosities displayed, which is appended to this report. Your 

 committee would not close this brief notice of this attractive 

 portion of the fair, and of the acknowledgments due the gener- 

 ous contributor, Lieut. Preble, without expressing the hope, 

 that this valuable collection of curiosities may in some way, 

 find its proper location in some suitable place, where, while it 

 will be carefully preserved and added to, it may also be a grat- 



