THE FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE INSTITUTE. 31 



difl'erent fields of knowledge. Thus its collections in 

 natural history, already interesting and important, are 

 likely to be of more and more service as time goes on. 

 Our fathers did not expect botany, zoology and geology 

 to be cultivated in the elementary schools; but we have 

 come to believe that these subjects should be diligently 

 taught in all schools, and that local collections should be 

 generously provided to illustrate these sciences. "We 

 believe that every primary school teacher and grammar 

 school teacher in Salem should have a good knowledge of 

 the natural history of the place, and should cultivate in 

 her pupils a taste for exploring the flora and fauna of the 

 county. Every year will increase the importance of the 

 natural history collections of the Institute. 



The Essex Institute has also a unique collection to 

 illustrate the adventurous life of Salem men when com- 

 merce with the far East was a large element in Salem life. 

 Here is a unique collection of records of voyages, ship's 

 logs, and ship-letters covering one of the most interest- 

 ing and important periods in the commercial history of 

 our country. These are records of enterprise, adventure 

 and daring exploration ; they are records of the struggles 

 of Salem men with the dangers of unknown seas and 

 coasts, struggles which furnished to thousands of Essex 

 sailors an heroic discipline. It is in such struggles that 

 those constructive moral and physical qualities are de- 

 veloped which occasionally get opportunity of destructive 

 expression in war. The qualities of endurance, alertness, 

 and boldness which give victory during the destructions 

 of war have been developed in the struggle with adverse 

 nature during long periods of peace. 



You citizens of Salem have the privilege of living in 

 one of the most historic towns of America. Ten years 

 ago I had the privilege of visiting, early in the delightful 

 month of May, the city of Athens. I soon came to the 



