REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 17 



INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES. 



The Smithsonian system of international exchange still continues to 

 render an important service to the advance of civilization, and emphat- 

 ically to carry out the second clause of the will of Smithson for the in- 

 crease and diffusion of knowledge among men — that is, mankind. It is 

 the medium of exchange of literary and scientific materials between the 

 United States and all foreign countries. 



The effect of this system on the diffusion of knowledge can scarcely 

 be too highly estimated. Thousands of works, containing the details of 

 the latest inventions and discoveries, are through its means annually 

 brought to this country, while a knowledge through the same medium 

 is disseminated abroad of everything that is doing in the United States 

 to promote a higher civilization. 



As an evidence of the high estimation in which this part of the opera- 

 tions of the Institution is regarded, we may again mention that the 

 Smithsonian packages are passed through all the custom-houses of the 

 world free of duty and without examination, and, moreover, that tbey 

 are transmitted free of cost by the principal transportation companies, 

 namely : 



Hamburg American Packet Com- 

 pany. 



French Transatlantic Company. 



North Baltic Lloyd Steamship 

 Company. 



Inman Steamship Company. 



Cunard Steamship Company. 



Anchor Steamship Company. 



Pacific Mail Steamship Company. 



Panama Railroad Company. 



Pacific Steam Navigation Com- 

 pany. 



New York and Mexico Steamship 

 Company. 



New York and Brazil Steamship 

 Company. 



North German Lloyd Steamship 

 Company. 



The special thanks of the Institution are again due to the above-men- 

 tioned companies for their enlightened liberality. 



The following are the foreign centers of reception and distribution of 

 the Smithsonian exchanges : 



London — Agent, William Wesley, 28 Essex street, Strand. 



Paris — G. Bossange, 16 rue du 4 Septembre. 



Leipsic — Dr. Felix Fliigel, 12 Sidonien Strasse. 



St. Petersburg — L. Watkins & Co., 10 Admiralty Place. 



Amsterdam — F. Muller. 



Milan — U. Hoepli, 591 Galeria Cristoforia. 



Harlem — Prof. Baumhauer. 



Christiana — Boyal University of Norway. 



Stockholm — Boyal Swedish Academy of Sciences. 



Copenhagen — Boyal Danish Society. 



The following table exhibits the number of foreign establishments 

 with which the Institution is at present in correspondence, or, in other 

 words, to which it sends publications and from which it receives others 

 in return r 



2 S 



