PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS. 325 



safely removed ; in the event of possible danger there seemed time enough to 

 secure the cabinets, which were already so arranged as to be readily carried out, 

 when an ill-judged explosion of ponder in the building on the left blew out the 

 few windows in our premises, and drove the burning mass of splinters and boards 

 quite over the lower floor of our lecture-room, and left this, of course, in a moment, 

 only a sheet of flame. This unexpected blow, almost destroying several mem- 

 bers of the society, rendered all further efforts to save our property vain. 



You will be pleased to learn that all our books and pamphlets, including our 

 own and the Smithsonian publications, were saved. I wish that I could say as 

 much for the collections, but, excepting about 100 species of shells, withdrawn 

 for a special purpose and not then returned, all was lost. 



And now we beg to assure you that the society still lives. Not even this 

 second trial by fire shall destroy our existence and work. Although since that 

 night of disasters every one's heart and brain have been overtaxed, we have not 

 lost a single meeting. One result you will see in the enclosed appeal, which 

 document we have circulated among such men of science as were catalogued in 

 the " Naturalist's Directory." "We find ourselves almost penniless. Our city is 

 too well drained of its resources to afford more than a few scanty crumbs of aid. 

 What response will f»e made to our petition we do not as yet know ; certain it is 

 that if this machinery fails we shall try some other. Our fortune, by its very 

 hardness, rouses and stimulates us. We are very anxious to have some building 

 of our own, however humble, rather than multiply risks by sharing with other 

 organizations the common shelter of one roof. Wo feel better to-day, because 

 no part of our loss is to be charged upon our own want of forethought or imme- 

 diate care. 



Our present location might again serve us were it not for public demands and 

 interference. The walls of our building are as good as when first built ; but 

 the city, in making the street in front of us wider, cuts off about 20 feet of our 

 building, reducing the dimensions of our land too much to leave the rest of use 

 to us. I need scarcely add that, under the most favorable terms of sale, we 

 cannot close our business matters up to have more than $2,500 remain above our 

 mortgage debt. 



But we ought not to tax your patience further. We shall be most grateful 

 for your sympathy, suggestions, aid. Situated as we are, there is not another 

 institution of science that has been forced to record two such terrible chapters of 

 misfortune. But we mean, if Providence blesses our labors, to make it true that 

 no local society of natural history shall leave in years to come a better chapter 

 of hard-earned prosperity and fame. 



[Note. — We are happy to state that this society is again in a flourishing con- 

 dition, and that permission has recently been given to it by the city government 

 to occupy, free of charge, rooms in the new city hall building ; also, that the 

 Smithsonian Institution has presented it with another very complete set of its 

 duplicate specimens of natural history. — J. H.] 



From Josiali Goodwin, secretary and editor of the Bath and West of England 

 Society for the Encouragement of Agriculture, Arts, Manufactures, and Com- 

 merce. 



Bath, September 3, 1866. 

 On behalf of the president and council of the Bath and West of England 



society, I have the honor to acknowledge the safe arrival of the several books 



enumerated in the invoice numbered 804a, 1866, which I beg to enclose receipted; 



and I have much pleasure in conveying to the honorable the officers and Regents 



