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368 Dr: Whewell’s Inaugural Lecture 
Liverpool Local Committee have enabled us to take a starting- 
point for such a survey, by sending to the Exhibition a noble 
collection of specimens of every kind of import of that great 
emporium ; among which, as might be expected, the varieties of 
vegetable produce. are the most numerous. But’ that objects 
should be reckoned among imports, implies that already they 
are extensively used. If we look at the multiplied collections of 
objects of the same kind, some from various countries, not as 
wares toa known market, but as specimens and. suggestions of 
unexplored wealth, we can have no doubt that the list of imports 
will hereafter, with great advantage be enlarged. Who knows 
what beautiful materials for the makers of furniture are to be 
found in the collections of woods from the various forests of the 
Indian Archipelago, or of Australia, or of Tasmania, or of New 
Zealand? Who knows what we may hereafter discover to have 
been collected. of fruits and oils, and medicines and dyes; of 
threads and cordage, as we had here from New Zealand and 
and.on this occasion America would have taught ‘us if we had 
construct maxims like those of the son*of Sirach.in the ancient 
ewish times—like him who. says. (Ececlus. xxxix, 26) ‘ The 
principal things for the whole. use of man’s life are water, fire, 
iron and salt, flour of wheat, honey, milk, and the blood of the 
grape, oil, and clothing”—he could hardly fail to make additions 
to the list, and these would be from the vegetable world. Again, 
how recent is the discovery of the uses of gutta-percha! In the 
great.collection were some of the original specimens sent by Dr. 
aor isomery to the India House, whence specimens were dis- 
enlarging sphere of the utility which man draws from the vege 
table world, what a View this also gives us of the bounty of 
* « Illustrated Catalogue,” p. 876. 
