Prehistoric and Savage Man 171 



and liberality this city owes so many of the antiquities of 

 which it is possessed. 



Amongst the gentlemen who have kindly lent valuable 

 objects for exhibition I may mention Mr. W. J. A., Grant, 

 to whom we are indebted for Eskimo articles — objects of 

 especial value and interest, as I shall have occasion to men- 

 tion shortly. To Dr. J. L. Palmer we are also indebted for 

 similar contributions, and for some rare sketches from that 

 wonderful Easter Island, the mysteries of which he is perhaps 

 better qualified by his knowledge to explain than any one 

 else. Mr. Henry C. Stephens has also contributed some very 

 remarkable fetish figures from New Zealand. To the Rev. 

 W. G. Lawes, missionary in New Guinea, our thanks are 

 especially due. Also several of the Liverpool West African 

 merchants have contributed a large group of West Coast 

 objects. Time does not permit me to enumerate all the kind 

 lenders, but the names of all are given in our catalogue. 



And now, after these preliminary remarks on the collec- 

 tion itself, I will venture to direct the attention of my hearers 

 to certain facts and theories a knowledge of which is neces- 

 sary for its profitable examination and study. 



No doubt a large number of my hearers, perhaps the 

 majority of those present, are already well acquainted with 

 them, but I feel I have no right to suppose that such is the 

 case universally, and I therefore crave the indulgence of one 

 portion of my audience while, for the sake of the other, I 

 briefly state a few very elementary facts and generally 

 admitted views. 



As I have already indicated, this exhibition illustrates on 

 the one hand the more or less ancient condition of at least a 

 considerable portion of mankind, while on the other it tends to 

 make known the state in which other portions exist to-day. 

 It illustrates, that is to say, the sciences of Prehistoric 

 Archceology, Ethnography, and Ethnology. 



