Report op Society^s Meetings. 17 j 



to another of course, it is worse. The crush of work in the Custom 

 house is immense, and the delay is of necessity great, where so many 

 forms have to be gone through. More than this I have to move all our 

 ethnological things, for export, over to the Agricultural Building, before 

 I can pack them ; and this is the simplest way under the circum- 

 stances ! 



A good many of the representatives of foreign countries will be here 

 till February and March before they willbe able to close up their work. 

 Most of the Chief Commissioners have already gone away, leaving the 

 packing and such like arrangements to be carried out by their Secretary 

 or Assistant Commissioner. The Jamaica section has just lately been 

 finished, but then they had exhibits only in one building, in Manufac- 

 tures, and they had little packing to do, since the greater part cf their 

 exhibits was either sold for what it would fetch or given away. Mr. 

 Vincent of Trinidad has not yet gone away — he has had to wait a very 

 long time for transportation papers but is now free and likely to get 

 away soon, though even then he has to leave the few packages that 

 have to be sent away, in charge of some agent here. There is so great a 

 difficulty in getting cars to take away the packed goods that I may 

 have to do the same thing, for if I stay here till our things are actually 

 sent off, it might not be perhaps till a long way into January. However 

 for the present I wait and see how matters go. 



As regards selling our things that were not to go back to Demerara 

 or to England, we have done better than I expefted. As will be seen 

 from the statement I submit to Mr. Conyers, as Treasurer, I have in 

 hand S902 29 from sales, besides the money sent by the Imperial Insti- 

 tute Committee, the greater part of which will also represent things 

 sold. As the original funds are exhausted, current expenses are being 

 defrayed from the money from sales. From this same sum, the rail- 

 way freights on the stuffed animals, books, etc., will be paid, the other 

 things such as came by St. John's being returnable free to that port by 

 arrangement made by the shippers, as they have lately notified me. I 

 hope to have another $300 for sales of ethnological objects to the 

 Columbian Museum — but it is not yet settled. Besides, there will be 

 $35 from the Exposition Company as rebate on the sum charged by 

 them for storage of packing cases. Before we could get any packing 

 cases delivered we had to pay a storage charge of more than $67, but 

 as this was in excess of the original rate agreed upon, we claimed re- 

 bate, and we shall get back about $35. 



