382 



side by thick forest, which, at the point approaclied, had 

 been improved into a pleasant grove. 



According to the diverse promptings of taste, the mem- 

 bers scattered from this point in quest of further curiosities, 

 and having completed their explorations, assembled in the 

 Town Hall at 3 o'clock, P.M., for the afternoon meeting. 

 The record of the previous meeting having been read, dona- 

 tions to the Cabinet and Library were announced as fol- 

 lows : — 



To the Library — From J. L. Russell : Historical Society 

 of South Carolina ; Henry F. King ; American Antiquarian 

 Society ; Chicago Historical Society ; Charles Stearns of 

 Springfield ; Massachusetts Historical Society ; J. W. 

 Thompson ; Boston Society of Natural History. 



To the Cabinets — From John S. Ives ; John M. Ives ; 

 Brown E. Shaw ; R. H. Wheatland ; Caleb Cooke. 



Letters were read from Charles Stearns of Springfield ; 

 S. P. Fowler of Danvers ; Daniel E. Graves of Middleton ; 

 George Livermore of Cambridge. 



The Chair, in some opening remarks, alluded to the in- 

 tense heat of the time when the Institute had come to hold 

 this, its first Field Meeting in the worthy town of Middle- 

 ton. True it was that this Society was located in one of 

 the cities of Essex County and with an extensive library 

 and cabinets, required an expenditure of time, means and 

 labor for its support ; but no country town, village, or ham- 

 let, was too insignificant to be worthy of the attention of 

 the Essex Institute. Its aim was to gain and impart inform- 

 ation at the same time — to gain a knowledge of all the pro- 

 ductions, natural phenomena and historical facts belonging 

 to the county, and, in turn, to assist our fellow citizens to 

 many items of interesting and important information that 



