x.^ u IN TROD UL TION. 



the world, for their invaluable assistance to this unique undertaking, 

 which had made it, what he might now with confidence pronounce it 

 to be, a great success, of which not only this country but the civilized 

 world might be justly proud. He could not however refrain from 

 bearing his special testimony on this, the first public occasion which 

 presented itself, to the unwearied zeal which had been shown, and the 

 extraordinary sacrifices of time which had been made by the first men 

 of science in this country, working together as one brotherhood in 

 endeavouring to make this collection as complete, as useful, and as 

 widely instructive as possible. He would at the same time wish to 

 express the warm appreciation of Her Majesty's Government of the 

 exertions which had been made by gentlemen of the highest distinc- 

 tion in scientific pursuits on the Continent to promote the success 

 of this work to which their Governments have given a most cordial 

 and gratifying support. It was the earnest hope, both of the Lord 

 President and of himself, that this collection would not be a mere 

 gazing place where nothing but feelings of wonder and pride would 

 be excited by the past triumphs of science, but that much instruction 

 would be gained from it. With this view the preparation of hand- 

 books had been committed by the Education Department to gentle- 

 men of the highest capacity, and he had reason to believe that they 

 would be found invaluable aids to such instruction, and would be 

 considered to be in themselves of high intrinsic value. With this 

 same view they had given their cordial consent to the Conferences, of 

 which this was the opening meeting, and he trusted that at these 

 gatherings many an old friendship between the workers in the fields 

 of Science would be renewed, and many a new friendship between 

 those who were labouring in the same cause in the different countries 

 of the world would be formed, so that by the interchange of ideas and 

 the comparison of their various researches and labours, the seeds might 

 be sown on the occasion of this Loan Collection of Scientific 

 Apparatus, of fresh achievements, to the general advantage of the 

 human race. 



Before they proceeded to the business of the day, he must be 

 allowed to call their attention to the high services which had been 

 rendered by the officers of the Science and Art Department, to the 

 undertaking, the success of which they were now celebrating : he had a 



