advancing Science. 8095 



Vessels. Vessels. 



From France 317 From South Ports of Russia 31 



„ Spain 295 „ Cbannel Islands 36 



„ Portugal 169 „ Norway 13 



„ Italian States 174 „ Wullachia and Moldavia ... 13 



„ Belgium 123 „ Syria 13 



„ Holland 116 „ Fernando Po 3 



„ Germany 101 „ Ionian Islands 11 



„ Turkey 101 „ Gibraltar and Malta 10 



„ Egypt 98 „ Philippine Islands 11 



„ Cuba, and foreign West In- „ Morocco 10 



dies 96 „ Sweden 7 



„ Prussia 75 „ Java 2 



„ Denmark 74 „ Greece 7 



„ West Coast of Africa — „ Tunis 1 



Foreign ports 74 „ Burman Empire 1 



„ Ditto, British possessions ... 37 



„ North Ports of Russia 71 Total... 4528 



The above, it must be borne in mind, represents only the ships 

 arriving at a single port in a given year, and the numbers are 

 annually increasing. 



Nor is the port of Liverpool, although the largest, representing one- 

 third of the commerce of England, the only one to which similar 

 remarks are applicable ; and it therefore becomes a question worthy 

 of consideration. How is it that such a vast staff of enterprising men, 

 constantly sailing to all parts of the globe, do so little to add to our 

 knowledge of the natural productions which they, of all men, are in 

 the very best position to explore, and best able to provide for the 

 investigations of scientific naturalists at home ? Why do these men, 

 confining their attention to the immediately useful results of the trade 

 in which they are engaged, altogether pass by natural objects, the 

 collection and contemplation of which could not fail to be a source of 

 interest, and which, to men with a moderate degree of education, 

 would, it might be imagined, afford the stimulus of a rational pride } 



One thing is certain, viz., that no accessions of importance are- 

 derived to our museums and collections from the labours of sea- 

 faring men. A piece of coral, a parrot, a shell or two, or something 

 which has received attention from its oddity, is occasionally brought 

 by the sailor from the rich and interesting regions which he has 

 visited ; but, as a general rule, anything of value or importance is not 

 even to be looked for. No system of any kind marks the seaman's 

 gatherings, and when they have been distributed among his friends 



