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University Institutions and Schools, each sample requiring detailed 

 labelling, and thus taking up a good deal of time. Add to this the 

 delay from the intensely cold and horrible weather we have been 

 having lately, which has made it quite impossible to work for any 

 length of time in the great cold buildings, which are in reality huge 

 refrigerators, and you will have some idea of the conditions for work, 

 and I think you will recognise that it has to be but slow at the best 

 The weather has been awful lately— for days the temperature being at 

 zero, with very heavy snowfall, and going to 38 deg. below freezing 

 point. Since then there have been alterations of thawing and freezing; 

 and the streets, and especially the Fair grounds, have become quite 

 tiresome and even dangerous for walking, owing to the slippery pave- 

 ments and glassy masses of ice. Owing to the huge piles of 

 snow on the acres of roofs of the big buildings, work in them 

 is becoming in many parts quite a dangerous matter, for the roof is 

 giving way continually in different parts. In such enormous buildings 

 the sheets of glass are naturally very large and heavy, and it would be 

 certain death to get a blow from even small portions as they fall from 

 the great height. In the Agriculture and Manufactures buildings, 

 great areas of more than, in some cases, 200 feet in length, collapse at 

 once. No effort is made now the Fair is over to relieve them of the weight 

 of snow, and as the upper portions slide, and congregate lower down, the 

 glass has to give way. These are the amenities of the end of the Great 

 Fair. In February and March, when I came up, the conditions were 

 somewhat similar, but then they did attempt to clear off the snow and to 

 preserve the shelter ; the Fair was yet to be then ; now it is over, and it 

 would cost too much ! 



I hope to be finished with all packing by the end of this week ; but 

 then there will be further delay in getting the packed lists through the 

 Customs and waiting for permits for transportation, and for a car to 

 take the things through to St. John's, It seems to me to be the con- 

 summation of red tape that when we have already made out and passed 

 through the Customs, triplicate lists of our things, shewing what was 

 to be done with each individual item, however small, in the exhibit 

 before we could pack,— we yet, after packing, have to submit new lists, 

 of the contents of each individual case, and wait for permits to move 

 even though each thing was packed in the presence of an inspector. 

 Such is the course, and all have to go through it who send away 

 things. In our case, where some of the things go to one place and some 



