HISTORY OF THE SMITHSONIAN EXCHANGES. 787 



with foreign goverumeuts. The departmeut will communicate to the 

 minister the substance of any statement which maj' be received from 

 you in relation to the subject. 



I am, sir, your obedient servant, 



F. W. Seward, 

 Assistant Secretary. 



[7nc?08Mre No, 1. — Translation.] 

 i\rofe from Viscount Das Nogueiras. 



Legation of Portugal, 

 Washington, 19th of October, 1878. 



Mr. Minister : I have the honor to inform you that for the purpose 

 of organizing, upon the basis of the geographical congress of Paris in 

 1875, the service of scientific, literary, and artistic exchanges between 

 Portugal and the foreign nations, and to the end of profiting by the offers 

 already made by different countries of commencing to send to Lisbon 

 several collections of inestimable value, the government of His Most 

 Faithful Majesty has named, in order to provisionally constitute a Por- 

 tuguese committee of exchanges, the Marquis of Souza Holstein, peer 

 of the kingdom, vice inspector of the Eoyal Academy of Fine Arts, mem- 

 ber of the Royal Academy of Sciences, member of the central i)ermanent 

 committee of geography, and Jos6 Julio Eodrigues, professor to the 

 polytechnic school, chief of the photographic section of the general direc- 

 tion of geodetic works, member of the Eoyal Academy of Sciences, sec- 

 retary of the permanent central committee of geography. 



In making the communication to you, I hoi)e, Mr. Minister, that the 

 persons composing the Portuguese committee will be officially recognized 

 in their relations with the committees of the United States. 



I profit by this occasion to renew to you the assurance of my high 

 consideration, 



Viscount das Nogueiras. 



[Indosure No. 2. — Translation.] 



Declaration of the Portuf/uese Government relative to the establishment 

 of a provisional commission of international exchanges. 



Ministry of Foreign Affairs, November 21, 1876. 



In consideration that it is of the greatest importance to organize with- 

 out delay the service of scientific, literary, and art exchanges between 

 Portugal and foreign countries, although it be only provisionally and 

 until such definite action may be taken as the importance of the subject 

 demands, in conformity with the basis laid down at Paris at the congress 

 of 1875, and in accordance with the negotiations entered upon ; 



In consideration that it is imj)ortant not to delay the work commenced 



