2 o 6 [August, 1902.] 
IMPERIAL INSTITUTE JOURNAL. 
Vol. VIII. No. 92. 
Of the scientific communications arising out of the work of the Department which have 
been published during this period there may be mentioned two papers, by Professor Dunstan 
and Dr. Henry, on the nature of the poison contained in certain fodder-plants and food- 
grains ( Lotus arabicus from Egypt, and Sorghum vulgare from Egypt, India, and the West 
Indies) which have been published in the “ Proceedings” and “ Philosophical Transactions ” 
of the Royal Society ; and two papers on the chemistry and medicinal action of the 
Indian Aconites, which have also appeared in the “Philosophical Transactions” of the 
Royal Society. 
During the present year it is intended to collect together and publish in a volume the 
principal scientific papers and technical reports which have been issued by this Department 
since 1896. 
The Colonial Collections 
have received many additions, and renewals in the form of samples of natural products sent to 
replace corresponding specimens of a perishable character which had deteriorated. Especially 
noticeable among these are the excellent samples of the most important products of the 
agricultural industries of the Seychelles Island, recently sent to the Institute by the 
Administrator, the Hon. E. B. Sweet-Escott, C.M.G., who is taking a most active interest in 
the representation of the resources of this Colony. These samples have been exhibited at the 
City Branch of the Institute at Eastcheap (to which further reference will presently be made) 
and have attracted much attention from produce brokers and merchants. Very favourable 
reports on their commercial value in the London market have been received. 
In the Bermuda Section, an admirable series of photographs of the scenery, industries, 
and points of attraction in the island is now displayed in the Court. An important addition 
has been made in the New Zealand Court in the form of a statement printed in prominent 
characters of statistical information relating to the progress and position of the trade and 
industries of the Colony. A similar statement relating to each Colony would form a most 
valuable addition to other sections of the Institute Collections. Some interesting samples of 
hard woods obtained from a forest in the East African Protectorate, by H.M. Consul at 
Mombasa, were received and examined and reported upon by Mr. H. Stone, one of the 
expert-referees on timbers to the Imperial Institute, who stated that the samples were a 
valuable series ; one, a species of ebony, alone being valuable enough, if sufficiently 
plentiful, to justify the exploitation of the forests. 
In the New South Wales Section the exhibits of Cereals have been renewed, and a 
very complete collection of Flours, etc., has been added. The Queensland Section has 
received very interesting additions to the collections of products, selected from last year’s 
Exhibition at Glasgow, and a supplementary Exhibition of products (including a fine collection 
of opals and other gems from Queensland) forms part of a special Colonial Exhibition which 
has been installed in the North Gallery of the Institute. 
A really magnificent collection of specimens of recent Cereal crops has just been received 
from South Australia. 
The International Exhibition at Glasgow included a Colonial Section, as part of the 
British Empire Exhibit, which more than rivalled the corresponding part of the British 
Section of the Paris Exhibition of 1900. In addition to the Queensland exhibits just 
referred to, there was a perfectly unique collection of minerals representing, upon a very 
extensive scale, that most important section of the natural resources of the Dominion OF 
Canada, while the resources of Rhodesia were also illustrated by a highly interesting and 
instructive collection, which included a number of exhibits borrowed from the Rhodesian 
Section of the Institute, established in 1900. Western Australia also exhibited a 
thoroughly representative illustration of its value in Gold, and very interesting examples of 
the important applications of Jarrah, Karri, and other West Australian woods, to industrial 
and ornamental purposes. 
At the conclusion of the Glasgow Exhibition, endeavours were made to organise arrange- 
ments for transferring the exhibits of the British Colonial Section to London for public 
exhibition, which eventually resulted in the grant, by the City Authorities concerned, of the 
use of the Royal Exchange for this purpose for a limited period last Spring ; the Collec- 
tions from Canada, Western Australia, Rhodesia, and that of British North Borneo from the 
Imperial Institute, were arranged in that Building, and were supplemented by some local 
dealers in products from certain of the Colonies, forming a very attractive and instructive 
exhibition in the City, which was visited by large numbers of the commercial and general 
public. 
The Prince of Wales, President of the Institute, having decided to allow of the public 
exhibition, at the Institute, of the Gifts and Addresses presented to His Royal Highness and to 
the Princess of Wales during their tour in the Colonies last year (the proceeds thereof to be 
presented to King Edward’s Hospital Fund), arrangements were made for the exhibition, in 
one-half of the same Gallery, of the Canadian, Rhodesian, and North Borneo Collections, 
and of portions of the West Australian Collection shown in the Royal Exchange, to which 
were added the Queensland exhibits from tire Glasgow Exhibition (already referred to). A 
number of specimens of Canadian furniture and carriages were added to the Canadian Section 
of this Special Colonial Exhibition, which has formed a very interesting addition to the 
general Colonial Collections of the Institute. 
The Indian Section 
continues to be under the zealous administration of the Special Committee appointed by the 
Secretary of State for India, whose Secretary, the Curator of the Section, Mr. J. R. Royle, 
C.I.E., is also their Executive Officer. Sir Steuart C. Bayley having, to the great regret of 
the Committee and of the Institute Authorities, resigned the office of Chairman of the 
Committee, Sir Owen Tudor Burne has been appointed his successor by the Secretary 
of State. This Section has received important additions since the last annual report, 
through the Reporter on Economic Products, but its contents have, in addition, been 
considerably augmented by the transfer to it of a large proportion of the raw products, 
dyed fabrics, photographs, maps, etc., sent by the Government of India to the Paris 
Exhibition of 1900. There are now exhibited in the Galleries of the Section over 12,600 
specimens of raw and manufactured products, after elimination of a number of old specimens, 
which had suffered deterioration. Among other additional accommodation for the exhibition 
of specimens, is a very large elaborately-carved show-case of blackwood, made for the Paris 
Exhibition at the Madras School of Art ; this has been erected in the Pavilion, to which the 
collection representing the mineral resources of India has been transferred from the northern 
Gallery of the Section. Steps are being taken for the similar transfer of the Fibres-collection, 
so as to make room in the Gallery for other specimens of raw products recently received, and 
which are now in the sample-stores of the Section. The accommodation afforded by these 
has been much increased during the past year by the provision of additional racks and other 
fittings. 
A considerable number of specimens of products has been supplied from the Indian 
Section to the Science and Art Department at Dublin, and to other Institutions, for educa- 
tional purposes. 
South African Section. 
The Rhodesian Collection at the Institute now includes a considerable number of 
exhibits shown at Glasgow, which, as already stated, were removed this Spring to the Royal 
Exchange for public exhibition, and have since been installed in the North Gallery of the 
Institute as part of a special Colonial Collection. 
New offices have been erected for the Curator of the Cape Colony Section, which open 
into the Court of that Colony, and will shortly be used for conducting the business of the 
Section. Mr. Lewis Atkinson, the Curator, has been very much occupied during the past 
eighteen months with interviewing applicants desirous of emigrating to South Africa. 
The Cape Government decided last year to send over two of their best informed Officials 
to give practical information to people wishing to settle in South Africa, and Dr. D. Hutcheon, 
Chief Veterinary Surgeon, and Eustace Pillans, Esq., Agricultural Assistant and Fruit- 
Expert, were engaged, with Mr. Atkinson, from May to October last year in interviewing a 
large number of people, giving them most valuable advice and assistance. 
The Scottish Sharpshooters’ Association decided to send one hundred young farmers to 
Cape Colony, and Mr. Atkinson has had to deal, in conjunction with Colonel Hill, the 
Managing Director of the Association, with about 900 applicants for these openings. Many 
of the men selected are now working on farms in South Africa, in the conquered territories. 
Seeing that the large number of remounts which had to be sent out required good horse- 
attendants, and that the shipping companies simply engaged men by advertisement, it was 
arranged by the Cape Colony Authorities that Mr. Atkinson should undertake the selection 
of men who would be useful to South Africa, and make good attendants. These men 
received letters to enable them to get work on landing in the Colony, and the latest advices 
received are to the effect that every man who produced his letter to the proper Authorities 
gained employment at once. 
Since the opening of the Imperial Institute, over a thousand good settlers and artisans 
have been assisted through the action of the Curator; in 1901 not less than 2,500 were 
personally interviewed, and furnished with information ; in many cases, applicants received 
assistance and letters which have enabled them to secure employment in the Colony, 
At the present time 700 artisans are being engaged for the Cape, for which purpose 
Mr. Atkinson is continuously occupied at the offices of the Agent-General for Cape Colony. 
Canadian Section. 
The Curator for Canada, Mr. Harrison Watson (who has recently been appointed Agent- 
General for Prince Edward Island), has continued, with very useful results, his operations 
for the promotion and extension of trade-relations of Canadian manufacturers with the 
British markets, and his Annual Report (for 1901) to the Minister of Trade and Commerce, 
Ottawa, of the work carried out by him contains much interesting information regarding the 
usefulness of the Canadian Section of the Institute, in the commercial interests of the 
Dominion. 
A selection of trade enquiries continues to be regularly supplied to certain newspapers 
and trade journals both in Canada and Great Britain ; these have elicited a considerable 
number of replies, and in several cases have been the means of bringing buyers and sellers 
together. An advantage of the system is that it permits of constant additions to one’s 
knowledge of houses interested in particular lines of goods, and in the case of Canada it 
shows which special houses out of a number known to be producers of certain goods are 
desirous of taking up export trade. 
There have been the customary enquiries for the names of Canadian shippers and pro- 
ducers of goods now in staple demand, and applications for information from Canada have 
included several new subjects. 
In the Colonial Sections of the Exhibition held at Glasgow last year, the Canadian 
exhibit constituted one of the most important and attractive features. It has already been 
stated that the unrivalled collection illustrating Canada’s mineral wealth was transferred to 
the Royal Exchange for public exhibition, and was removed thence, last May, to the North 
Gallery of the Institute, where it constitutes the most important portion of the special 
Colonial Exhibit. 
Supply of Collections. 
Applications continue to be constantly received from public Institutions and Schools 
for specimens of natural products from the Colonies and India for educational purposes, or as 
contributions to exhibitions. During last year more than 5,000 specimens were, in conse- 
quence, distributed among over 80 different schools. Moreover, a collection of 220 samples 
of agricultural produce from the Colonies has been supplied to the Department of Agriculture 
and Technical Instruction for Ireland, as additions to the Science and Art Museum, Dublin. 
Samples of Indian products have also been supplied to that Museum and to other public 
Institutions. 
A special collection has been supplied to the Cheltenham Grammar School, and a 
collection of Colonial specimens of various kinds has been contributed to a Naval and 
Military Exhibition which is being held at Portsmouth. 
A large number of exhibits were temporarily removed from the Queensland and 
Rhodesian Collections early last year for the purposes of the Glasgow Exhibition, and the 
British North Borneo exhibits were lent for the Royal Exchange. 
Public Lectures and Demonstrations. 
The series of Lectures open to the public during the Winter Seasons of 1901-2 have 
certainly not been inferior, in interest and importance in regard to the information they con- 
veyed concerning various parts of the Empire from specially authoritative sources, to those of 
preceding Seasons, as will be seen from the following list of subjects and lecturers ; — 
1901. — January-March : “ The Decay of China,” “ China and Japan Contrasted,” and 
“European Interests in China,” by Ian C. Hannah, Esq. ; “ New Brunswick,” and “ The 
Maritime Provinces of Canada,” by W. A. Hickman, Esq., B.Sc. ; “Jamaica, the Isle of 
Springs,” by T. H. Wardleworth, Esq., F.L.S. ; “The West Indies and their Attractions,” 
by W. R. H. Trowbridge, Esq. ; “ The Locust Plague and its Suppression,” by A. Monro, 
Esq., M.D. ; “Canada and the Empire.” by the Right Hon. Lord Strathcona and Mount 
Royal, G.C.M.G. (The Duke of Argyll in the chair). 
October-December : “New Zealand,” by the Rev. Joseph Berry; “Jamaica,” 
by H. T. Thomas, Esq. ; “ Facts and Fancies about Canada,” by J. W. Bengough, Esq. ; 
“The Brown Coal-beds of Victoria,” by J. Stirling, Esq.; “Western Australia,” by the 
Agent-General for Western Australia (the Hon. II. B. Lefroy) ; “ Planters and Planting in 
Tropical Greater Britain,” by R. Pledger Wallace, Esq. ; “The Maroons of Jamaica,” by 
II. T. Thomas, Esq. ; “ The Economic Resources of the Straits Settlements and of the Malay 
Peninsula,” by II. N. Ridley, Esq., M.A. 
1902. — January-March : “Federal Fulfilment,” by the Hon. Sir John A. Cockburn, 
K.C.M.G. ; “The Native Races of Nigeria,” by C. F. Harford-Battersby, Esq., M.D. ; 
“ The Coloured Races in Australia,” by the Hon. Sir Horace Tozer, K.C.M.G. (Agent- 
General for Queensland) ; “ The Obstacles to Development in West Africa,” by 
C. F. Harford-Battersby, Esq., M.D. ; “British Columbia,” by the Hon. J. H. Turner 
(Agent-General for British Columbia) ; “ New Zealand, Her Record and Destiny,” by 
Edward Wakefield, Esq. ; “ The Condition of the People of India,” by J. D. Rees, Esq. ; 
“ Home Life in Canada,” by PI, Greenwood, Esq. ; “ Nova Scotia,” by John Howaid, Esq. 
(Agent-General for Nova Scotia). 
In addition to the Lectures, a new departure was made in utilizing the unrivalled 
Collections of the Institute, representing the resources of the various Colonies and India, for 
direct instruction purposes. In compliance with an application from the Principal of 
