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say that if the real object of an acclimatisation society were com 
pletely carried out, not a single creature would remain in their 
charge, for they would be all dispersed throughout the country. 
Again, it was not possible that the association could be assimilated 
more to a zoological society, because the funds at the disposal of its 
council would not admit of that being done. ITe had observed that 
in his address at the annual meeting last year, Sir Hpjn'y Barkly 
had made reference to that point, and had explained that the adop¬ 
tion of a system of that kind would be a most expensive one; and 
he might add to what was then said, that the amount necessary to 
cover the support of a couple of lions or of tigers for the year would 
probably be not far short of the amount of the butcher’s bill 
for the Benevolent Asylum or the Public Hospital. It was, he 
believed, the wish of tho society that he should, in his capacity of 
chairman, express strongly the feelings its members had been led to 
entertain by the enterprise of Mr. Duffield, in introducing the alpaca; 
and they desired to convey in the strongest terms their apprecia¬ 
tion of that gentleman’s labours. But at the same time, they had to ex¬ 
press their regret that it was not within their power to offer him 
anything like the compensation which his services to the colony 
demanded. Tn conveying to Mr. Duffield the thanks of the associa¬ 
tion, he required, of course, from the position he occupied, to be 
chary in saying much on tho subject ; and therefore he would 
simply add the hope that that gentleman’s services might re¬ 
ceive due recognition from another quarter. Conscious that such 
societies were calculated to accomplish a vast amount of good, from 
reasons within his own knowledge of acclimatisation, he was only 
surprised that further progress had not been made long ago. For 
example, who could say what the position of a country like Victoria, 
with reference to exploration and settlement, might have been if 
camels had been introduced some years back 1 It must have been 
within the recollection of the father of exploration in Victoria, Sir 
Thomas Mitchell himself, that the camel was well adapted for travel¬ 
ling in a country like this. When Sir Thomas Mitchell and himself 
were fellow-passengers to Australia, some thirty-six years ago, they 
landed, in the course of the voyage, at Teneriffe, and after having 
found their way, waist deep, through the surf to the shore, a party 
was organized by them for a brief trip over the island — Sir Thomas 
Mitchell going to the top of the peak, while he, not being quite so 
enthusiastic an explorer as his friend, was content with visiting the 
interior. On that occasion camels were provided, not only for 
themselves, but for the ladies of the party ; and although he had 
