lyS Prehistoinc and Savage Man 



In perusing the ever fresh narrative of Captain Cook, it is, 

 I think, hardly possible to avoid a certain feehng of regret 

 that no lands any longer remain to reward the explorer, such 

 as again and again excited his astonishment and admiration. 

 These earlier efforts have been followed by explorations, 

 undertaken with increasing care as time has narrowed the 

 field of discovery. 



But much as has been done in the science, very much 

 still remains undone, which is the more to be regretted, both 

 on account of the perishing nature of the matter under 

 investigation and of its great importance. Very desirable 

 is it that we should know much more than we do know 

 of the history of each race, that we might be able to deter- 

 mine what social phenomena are due to the action of isola- 

 tion and degradation, and what to spontaneous and indepen- 

 dent advance. 



Great is my desire, great I am sure is the hope of the 

 promoters and encouragers of this exhibition, that further 

 steps in advance may date from this day, and from the 

 increased interest and the augmented zeal for ethnography 

 which the study of the objects here brought together may 

 call forth in this great city so important for its power to- 

 aid us. 



But, as I said at the beginning of this address, the great 

 end of human science is to enable us, through a knowledge 

 of truth, to act judiciously ; and (as I added) no knowledge 

 can be so conducive to rational conduct as a correct apprecia- 

 tion of human nature. 



Ethnography has become the very important science it 

 now is, because through it we must investigate one of the 

 most important branches of the inquiry ' What is man ? ' I 

 feel it incumbent on me to say a few words as to the bearing 

 of our sciences on this question, because a superficial con- 

 sideration of such facts as those before us evidently may lead^ 



