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knowledge in all branches of science," has quite capti- 

 vated the philosopher. " Never," says Kalm, " has 

 natural history had a greater promoter in this country,, 

 and it is even doubtful whether it will ever have his 

 equal here." A statesman, an orator, a great sea 

 captain, a mathematician, a botanist, a traveller, a natu- 

 ralist : such, the Marquis. He knew about "trees,, 

 plants, earths, stones, ores, animals, geography, agri- 

 culture, &c, writing down all the accounts he had 

 received; whereby, he soon acquired acknowledge of 

 the most distant parts of America." He was an object 

 of wonder to all who came in contact with him. "Some 

 of the inhabitants believed he had a preternatural 

 knowledge of things," and when, naively says Kalm, 

 he began to speak with me on natural history and of 

 the method of learning and of employing it to raise the 

 state of the country, I imagined I saw our great Lin- 

 naeus under a new form." " Never was there a better 

 statesman than he ; and nobody can take better mea- 

 sures and choose more proper means for improving 

 a country and increasing its welfare. Canada was 

 hardly acquainted with the treasure it possessed in the 

 person of this nobleman, when it lost him ; the King 

 wanted his services at home." Thus, one hundred and 

 thirty years ago, discoursed the learned Peter Kalm of 

 the most accomplished French Governor, Versailles 

 ever sent to Quebec, Michel Barrin, Marquis de La Galis- 

 sonniere. Ladies and Gentlemen, can we not find a.. 

 parallel in our day ? In Kalm's portraiture, has any 

 one failed to recognize Frederick Temple Hamilton 

 Blackwood, Earl of Dufferin, that accomplished states- 

 man, versatile orator, munificent friend of education, 

 enlightened and sincere benefactor of Quebec, our late 

 Governor, absent, he also, because his sovereign 

 " wanted his services at home." Have we forgotten his 

 open-handed hospitalities, his genial, ever kind Countess ? 

 Is there any harm in wafting a grateful remembrance 

 to the absent friend of our country ? ( Applause. ) y 



