GUPPY — SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE IN TRINIDAD. 
79 
sary for us, nay, our very existence depends upon our 
knowledge of the laws of nature ; and to acquire this we 
must make use of every help to knowledge that we can ob- 
tain. I may be answered that hitherto the world has got 
on well enough. But is there not far too much misery and 
suffering in the- world ? Can any one deny that mankind, 
or by far the greater part of mankind, is really and truly 
in a state of abject slavery ? And the more civilization ad- 
vances the more this will be the case unless there is some 
counteracting tendency. This counteracting tendency can 
only be Science, man’s sole hope for the future, his redemp- 
tion in fact. I urge it now and in this Colony for our own 
sakes ; for should this advice be rejected, and should we be 
content to shuffle on as hitherto without a ray of light to 
illumine our darkness, I do not fear for Science, in spite 
even of the number of those who ignorantly oppose her 
progress, but who should be the first to welcome her in 
consideration of the benefits to be received from her. I 
could, without difficulty, give you examples of the advan- 
tages to be derived from that knowledge so often called 
useless, but you will agree with me that our limits will not 
admit of it. Neither do I expect that any one who does 
not already agree with me is to be convinced by my feeble 
efforts ; but I hope that I may in some measure be the 
means of directing their attention to these subjects, and no 
man can study Nature without perceiving the truth of what 
I say. And even the most casual observer, if he will try 
to trace out conscientiously the exact boundaries of what 
he may consider useful and useless knowledge, will find 
how hopeless is the task, and how ill-founded is the idea 
that any knowledge is useless. 
Coming home to our own progress in matters of Science* 
