yvXNUAL MEKTlNCi. 197 



amongst tlie extensive correspondence received are applica- 

 tions for information of all kinds in regard to subjects upon 

 "vvhicli members desire to prepare for or arrange local lectures. 

 Translations also continue to be made.* 



The Special Fund. 



This fund was founded with a view to still further 

 advance the influence of the Institute. I. By the publi- 

 cation of the twelve papers in the People's Edition. II. For 

 helping to give grants of papers or volumes of the Trans- 

 actions to those Home and Color.ial bodies which luay specially 

 need such. (Many applications have been refused of late, 

 as the fund has not been sufficient.) III. To maintain the 

 Institute's Library of Keference. 



Conclusion. 



All must feel thankful for the Victoria Institute's progress^ 

 in the past. Its high objects and the manner in which these 

 axe sought to be carried out have earned it supporters in 

 most countries, but with so wide-spread a constituency it has 

 become necessary that it should be stronger in numbers. 



On behalf of the Council, 

 G. G. Stokes, President. 



* Last year it was reported that for many years, translations from 

 the Journal have been made by Members, resident abroad, into 

 various languages, and have been published by them ; such translations 

 have already appeared in several instances in the dialects of India ; 

 in French ; Italian ; Spanish ; Portuguese, and other languages,— in 

 arranging as to the last named, the late Emperor of Brazil (who was a 

 member and possessed a complete set of the Institute's Tiansactions) was 

 one who took a special interest. In regard to the value of such transla- 

 tions in China, the Archdeacon of Mid. China — who has been an earnest 

 supporter of the Institute for twenty-seven years — after describing the 

 changes coming over China at the present time, and the thirst there for 

 modern books on scientific and other subjects, says : — " What better books 

 can we place in the hands of these eager Chinese than the Transactions or 

 extracts from the Transactions of our Institute 1 I have great hopes in 

 this direction. I shall certainly suggest that some of the most valuable 

 works to be translated into that language wovjld be the Victoria Institute 

 Papers. I thank God for thi.^ Institute ; may it live long and prosper ! " 



