152 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 
of organizing this Department as shall seem to the Committee best 
adapted to promote its final usefulness and success in relation both to 
the Government and to the country at large.” ‘The undersigned mem- 
bers of this Committee, in execution of the duty thus imposed, would 
now rprepertially offer such views on this subject as seem most PORE 
The Harvard collection, the collection of the State Department, the 
Hydrographic Office, the Topographical and Engineer Bureaus, the 
Coast Survey, the Smithsonian Institution, and those of Libraries, Col- 
leges, Societies and scholars generally, throughout our ot have 
been fo rmed for some Aner and limited purpose, and hence, all are 
ar by year partial localities assume the highest temporary im 
ance; as for instance, quite recently, Hungary, the Black Sea, Japan, 
China, Australia, the Pacific Islands, Central America, our entire west 
ern coast, the Amazon, the La Plata, and especially our unexplored 
estern Territories. None can say how great the value of loca in- 
formation on any country, either old or new, may become ina single 
year. t, there is not on this continent a ngle place where we 
can resort with confidence for the materials requisite for precise and 
complete s hageaceai on such questions, as t i Publications 
lak so fara eod on So Be ; but these HE hiss 
only been systematically collected in some of the great libraries of the 
European ca nce, we are forced to seek acro Atlaplics 
the means of shire investigation into many of the important ques 
ions infl eographical considerations, or unquestioningly 
accept the information vouchsafed by foreign pe Saga by whatevet 
prejudices or designs their views may be affected. For rangi 
a 
AZ 
would we follow critically the military set aaa ee Turkey 
Russia : tara are not to be found in this country the geographical, 1 ids 
peueeils for a strategic insight into the present and coming cnpaas 
In the French Dépét de la Guerre, on the contrary, we would be Ae 
to trace ach step and probabi sak because the French Govern 
isa eile ae = fact rie the most ein elletion of caps 
it me 
now in America, ev American department collected by 
rof. Epeuine of Rockers and that this collection, iat aa by Ms. 
Thorndike of Boston, and presented to th rd Library» 
Not only is there a mong us a ney deficiency of collections on fore sia 
geography, but there is at best only a most imperfect and frag fied 
centralization of materials illustrating the past and present geogrr 
of the states, counties, towns, cities and historical localities o! as 
