796 HISTORY OF THE SMITHSONIAN EXCHANGES. 



It is to be noted in this connection that the Smithsonian Institution 

 discharges its function of intermediary of exchange, not merely between 

 the institutions of the United States, but also of all America; and that 

 it is the established agent of exchange for the societies of Canada, as 

 well as of Mexico, of Chili, and other Central and South American States. 

 This policy it is entirely willing to continue, and you can, therefore, with- 

 out hesitation, send any parcel that may come to your agency addressed 

 to any portion of America, the further transmission and final delivery of 

 which we promise within such time as may be practicable. 



I now beg leave to make some suggestions for the more thorough ac- 

 complishment of the object which we both have so much at heart. 



In the first place, I would ask that all boxes be addressed " Smith- 

 sonian Institution, Washington, care of the Collector of Customs, New 

 York," and that two regular bills of lading of the shipment from Havre 

 or other seaport of France to oSTew York be sent to the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution simultaneously with or before the transmission. In this way 

 we shall have no difiiculty in looking after the box or boxes and in se- 

 curing their arrival in Washington nt the earliest i)0ssible moment. 



"Of course, if you have an agency in jSTew York, we shall be pleased to 

 be placed in cominunication with it. But such agency is not necessary 

 if you will send dui^licate bills of shipment, as suggested. 



If it is more convenient to you to have all the charges from Paris to 

 Washington paid here, and in the same way to receive the boxes from 

 Washington and pay the expenses in Paris, it will be equally agreeable 

 to us. 



May we not assume — which I trust is the case — that your bureau will 

 receive, without any restriction whatever, everything sent by the Smith- 

 sonian Institution intended for public bureaus, learned societies, libra- 

 ries, and men of the whole of France and its dependencies in Algeria, and 

 that it will see to the further transmission of these packages from Paris? 



Should this trust be accepted, we will notify the consignee of each 

 sending that a package has been forwarded through you, and instruct 

 him or it to apply to you for the same. 



Of course, we accept an equally exhaustive mission on our part. If 

 authorized, we will send a circular to each of our correspondents in 

 France, instructing them to send all parcels to you instead of to M. 

 Bossange, our present agent, who has recently failed in business. 



I greatly regret to state that the collection of books advised by you 

 under date of July 23 has not yet come into our possession. I have 

 written to M. Bossange, asking him for information on the subject. Is 

 it certain that it was sent to that agent 1 



The invoice of the 27th of September has been duly received, but all 

 the works enumerated were not found. I beg to send herewith a list 

 of what is still wanting. 



If I understand aright, the rules of the international bureau contem- 

 plate the placing of packages intended for a particular country in the 



