68 



OBJECT OF MY COLLECTIONS. 



Chap. IV. 



would compreliend and appreciate. " In my own 

 land," said I, " many thousand le from this, we 

 have a great and good Queen who delights in the 

 welfare and happiness of her people. For their 

 instruction and amusement a large house* has been 

 constructed — far larger than any of your temples 

 or public buildings which have come under my 

 observation — and into this house have been 

 brought many thousands of plants and animals 

 collected in every country under heaven. Here 

 each species is classified and named by scientific 

 men appointed for the purpose, and on certain 

 days in every week the doors are thrown open for 

 the admission of the public. Many thousands 

 avail themselves of these opportunities, and thus 

 have the means of studying at home the numerous 

 forms of animals and plants which are scattered 

 over the surface of the globe. Many of the insects 

 and shells which you see before you are destined 

 to form a part of that great collection, and thus 

 persons in England who are interested in such 

 things will have the means of knowing what forms 

 of such animals exist in the hills and valleys about 

 Tse-kee." My visitor seemed much interested with 

 the information I gave him, and, although he did 

 not express any surprise, I trust he received a 

 higher idea of our civilisation than he had enter- 

 tained before. What surprised him more than 

 anything else was my statement that a Queen was 

 the sovereign of England. I have often been 



* The British Museum. 



