88 THE PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. 



tions Imposed by their governments, are, one by one, yielding to the 

 perseverance of explorers, or the skill of diplomacy. 



That great empire whose rulers have for ages jealously and syste- 

 matically excluded every " outside barbarian" from all but the very 

 threshold of its dominions, has at length been throvra open to the 

 nations of the West ; and China, with its immense territories stretching 

 from the centre to the eastern extremities of Asia, is now accessible to 

 the researches and investigations of those whose love of science or 

 desire for adventure may prompt them to turn their steps thitherward. 



The past year has witnessed, too, the landing of ,"a British admiral 

 and British ambassador at the capital of another country, for many 

 ages almost a sealed book to the nations of Europe. The island em- 

 pire of Japan — " the Zipangu" of whose wealth and civilization Marco 

 Polo wrote in such glowing terms more than five centuries ago — has 

 once more opened her ports, and allowed the adventurous English- 

 man to enter. 



In Central Africa and Australia our explorers are continuing their 

 researches with unabated vigor, and while gaining fresh laurels for 

 geographical science, we may trust that by their discoveries they are 

 gradually preparing the way for the introduction into the dark regions 

 of the earth of the inestimable blessings of Christianity and civilization. 



If we turn now to the progress of discovery in the regions of science, 

 what vast results have followed the researches of those who have been 

 laboring in fields hitherto unexplored or but imperfectly known. Dur- 

 ing the last few years physical science in all its branches has been 

 advancing with gigantic steps, and enlarging its domain, not only by 

 the discovery of much that is new, both in facts and in the laws which 

 govern them, but by the correction of former errors, and the unceasing 

 improvements in the methods and instruments of enquiry ; and science 

 is now made to yield practical results to the uses of man much more 

 largely than heretofore. The development and progress of chemistry, 

 geology, palseontology ; the inventions and practical applications of 

 photography and telegraphy — how marvellously have they increased, 

 and to what perfection have they been carried ! 



Few amongst these inventions have made more rapid strides, or 

 achieved resvilts more interesting, even to the non-scientific portion of 

 the community, than photography. During my late visit to England 

 and the continent, I had frequent opportunities of examining and col- 

 lecting specimens of this most beautiful art ; and of the various exhibi- 



