THE CONFERENCE AND DINNER. 225 



the country. I can go home and preach that doctrine in 

 Canada with a great deal more confidence and heart than I 

 could do before I came over on this occasion. Now, I do not 

 want to detain you longer. I can only again express for myself 

 and for the other delegates from the Dominions, and I think I 

 speak for India too, our appreciation of the invitation we 

 received and of the splendid reception and treatment we have 

 received since we came. We would wish to include also our 

 thanks to the Lord Provost of Edinburgh and the Council, for 

 the splendid entertainment which they gave us today, and the 

 opportunity of seeing some of the sights of this city, which has 

 well been described as the most beautiful city in the world." 



The Chairman said : — " I have now to call on yi. Rauner, 

 Russia, to propose the last toast.'" 



M. Rauner said : — " I have been sent by the Ministry 

 of Agriculture in Russia, to be the representative of the 

 Russian Government at the celebration of your Diamond Jubilee. 

 All that I have seen on this tour has been done by private 

 enterprise. We Russians are accustomed to think that all that 

 is done by your great people is done well, at the right time, 

 and is always a success. Of course this hard work that is 

 accomplished by your Society is done because all the members 

 of the Society possess that remarkable energy, high scientific 

 knowledge and love for forestry, which is possessed by your 

 President. The Russian Imperial Minister of Agriculture sends 

 you his congratulations on this occasion, and expresses his best 

 wishes for the future. I am further asked by the Ministry to 

 request you to accept this piece of plate in memory of this 

 occasion. Allow me to drink to the health of your President, 

 our Chairman." 



The toast was then enthusiastically drunk, the gathering 

 uprising and singing — " For he's a jolly good Fellow." 



The Chairman said: — "I have to thank M. Rauner from 

 the very bottom of my heart for the very kind words in which 

 he has proposed this toast. I have also to thank him, and 

 through him the Imperial Government of Russia, for this very 

 magnificent present which they have made to the Society, in 

 the form of a Quaich. The Imperial Government has given 

 to the Society what I think is the first and only piece of plate 

 which it possesses. I am sure that it will be highly prized and 

 long kept — as long as the Society endures, and that I hope, 



