RELATION TO COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE. 313 



often reverses summary judgments upon mineral masses, we can always 

 at least distinguish a bad from a very good stone, and appraise with 

 some nicety the blocks from every quarry. 



The qualities of timber are not recondite or mysterious. As for the 

 metals, the most valuable are the most easily detected. The softness, 

 yellow lustre, abiding splendour, and insolubility of gold ; the quickly 

 tarnished paleness of silver ; the liquid silveriness of mercury ; the ob- 

 trusive density of platina ; the magnetic characters of iron ore ; the 

 striking colour of ores of copper ; the prominent crystals of ores of lead, 

 forbid their escape from keen eyes. Each, indeed, of the great classes 

 of industrial materials have qualities with which any moderately 

 sagacious, and sufficiently patient observer may soon become fa- 

 miliar. 



In proof of this, look at the astonishing amount of information con- 

 cerning the resources of a strange country which a single intelligent 

 traveller can give us. The solitary example of Livingstone is sufficient 

 for my purpose. He had far fewer advantages, before he left this country, 

 as I who was his fellow student know well, than could be placed at the 

 disposal of travellers now-a-days ; but he made himself as skilful as he 

 could in the knowledge likely to be serviceable to him in Africa, and 

 he turned it all to excellent account. 



Some of our industrialists have discovered the importance of system- 

 atically employing trained agents abroad, and have profited by the dis- 

 covery. Foremost among them are the horticulturists and florists of 

 the country, who have long been in the habit of sending skilful practical 

 botanists to distant regions to select and send home their rare and 

 useful plants. All whom I address are familiar, I presume, with one or 

 more of the works on China by Mr. Robert Fortune, and know how 

 much he has done to introduce Chinese plants into this country, as well 

 as into India. 



Recently, this example has been followed, in even a more interesting 

 w T ay, by the great English firm, Price's Candle Company, who have 

 published directions for the use of all visitants of distant lands who 

 care to look out for plants yielding wax, butter, or oil, and desire to 

 form on the spot some notion of their value, as sources of candle and 

 lamp -fuel, and as elements of importance in the soap-manufactory. 



This example has in turn been followed by the energetic scientific 

 officers and civilians in India, in all the Presidencies. One of those 

 gentlemen in particular, Dr. A. Hunter of Madras, has drawn up rules 

 for the selection and treatment of textile fibres from new plants found 

 in the East, which would serve for the guidance of searchers for such 

 in all parts of the world. 



Next to the horticulturists, in recognition of the principle under 

 notice, are the metallurgists. The great metal merchants of Birmingham 

 despatch over the world skilful mineralogists to seek for precious ores. 

 One former assistant and friend of mine is at present in Spain on such 



