140 OPENING OF THE MARINU 



very noble building' which they had placed witliin the borough. 

 If they were proud of Plymouth before they should be 

 doubly proud of it now that it had an institution which it 

 had never possessed before. He had visited the Laboratory 

 at Naples, and knew that it was visited by hundreds and 

 thousands of English people. Probably few people were 

 aware of the magnificent view obtainable from the Labora- 

 tory. Plymouth people were very proud of their bay ; it 

 was not certainly so large as that of Naples, but it was 

 quite as beautiful. It had been called the Bay of Naples in 

 miniature, and he was quite certain that, whatever attrac- 

 tions it had before, the Biological Laboratory would prove 

 an additional one. 



Sir George Paget proposed " The Health of the Prime 

 Warden," and paid a graceful compliment to his hospitality. 

 Alluding to the practical results arising from science, he 

 pointed out that navigation would be impossible except for 

 the appliances of science. Again, travelling by steam was 

 the practical outcome of scientiBc discovery, and the same 

 might be said of the telegraph. But whether practical 

 advantages were speedily advanced or not they were casting 

 their bread upon the waters. 



The Prime Warden, in response, said it was a great 

 pleasure to him that his other engagements enabled him to 

 revisit Plymouth. He had often visited the town before; 

 but, as he told his friend the Mayor yesterday, he scarcely 

 recognised some portions of it on account of the great im- 

 provements which had been made. Eeference had been 

 made to the great progress made generally during the last 

 few years. Certainly in this age of progress Plymouth had 

 not been behindhand, and he thought it had at length 

 attained the position of the Metropolis of the West. Long- 

 might it hold that position, and long might the Fishmongers' 

 Company feel that in contributing in any way to the benefit 

 of the town of Plymouth and to the advancement of science 

 at the same time, they were in their proper place, doing 

 their proper duty. 



In the afternoon those who had not to return to London 

 were able, through the kindness of Lord John Hay, Admiral 



