Anniversary Address. xxxvii. 



importance. So determined was M. Maclay to lose no opportunity 

 of acquiring a knowledge of the Papuan race, that he submitted to 

 all the discomforts of living amongst them for several months at a 

 time, away from all European society, dwelling in a small hut, and 

 for some time supporting himself by hunting. He has come to the 

 conclusion (in opposition to the view formerly held) that the inhabi- 

 tants of New Guinea are all of one race, although some who dwell 

 near the coast have intermarried with the Malays and the inhabitants 

 of other islands ; and so low is the stage of culture to which they 

 have attained that they have not learned even how to kindle a flame, 

 but can only carry a torch from another fire ; yet even amongst 

 savages such as these the labours of the missionaries have not been 

 in vain, as they have succeeded in teaching them something of the 

 truths of the Christian religion, and have introduced the art of 

 reading and writing. M. Maclay is of opinion, although he will 

 not speak positively until he has made further investigations, that the 

 Australian blacks are not connected either with the Papuans or the 

 Polynesians, but form an independent race. I have lately heard that 

 he has returned to this part of the world to carry on his ethnological 

 investigations'; and I trust that, should he come to New Zealand, he 

 will be cordially welcomed by the members of the Institute. 



Whilst speaking on this subject I should like to draw the atten- 

 tion of all here to the Geographical Society of Australasia, which, I 

 learn, has been founded, and before which an interesting paper on 

 New Guinea was lately read by Mr. La Meslee. I believe that the 

 establishment of a society by which the residents in the various 

 colonies would be united for the advancement of geographical know- 

 ledge, more especially in connection with the imperfectly known parts 

 of Australasia, would be of great value, whether regarded from a 

 scientific, commercial, or educational point of view, and I sincerely 

 hope that New Zealand will unite with the other colonies in so 

 admirable an undertaking. 



The hand of death seems to have been unusually busy during the 

 past year amongst men of science and letters. Scarcely had the 

 grave closed over the remains of Charles Darwin before the news 

 reached us of the fatal accident which had carried away Professor 

 Balfour, at the early age of 32, one of the ablest and most promising 

 men of his generation at Cambridge. In Professor Palmer we have 

 lost one of the brightest scholars of Oriental literature. Amongst 

 others whose loss we have to deplore are — Mr. Green, whose careful 

 researches, made in spite of all the obstacles of a life of anxiety and 

 feeble health, have placed English history in a new light • Robert- 

 son ; the Ecclesiastical historian ; Anthony Trollope, one of the most 



