314 TlMEHRI. 
the Trustee in Ridgways' bankruptcy, I attended the meeting of credit- 
ors held yesterday at the Guild Hall Tavern, but as I was unable to remain 
to the close of the proceedings, I am unable to state what the de- 
cision may have been. General Kay, however, on the part of the 
Committee of Inspection, made statements seriously impugning the con- 
duct of the Trustee, and I can hardly doubt that his resignation would 
be accepted. 1 shall, of course, forward any further information which 
may reach me. Meanwhile I regret to be obliged to add that nothing 
transpired to warrant any sanguine anticipations of a satisfactory result 
to the winding-up of the estate. I may mention, amongst other state- 
ments made by General Kay, that the Solicitor to the Trustees' taxed 
bills of costs amounted to close upon ^2,000 and that the Board of Trade 
has sanctioned a review thereof ; and that Colonel Ridgway and his 
family had been allowed to continue in possession of the Devonshire 
estate called Shopley Court, with the use of carriages, horses, servants, 
and grounds until a comparatively recent period. 
Letters from Mr. Hawtayne, C.M.G. Commissioner at 
the Indo-Colonial Exhibition, giving information re- 
garding the breeding of silkworms, Tobacco culture, ex- 
change of Museum specimens with kindred institutions 
&c, were laid over. The papers relating to the minor 
industry were on the suggestion of the Secretary re- 
ferred to the Agricultural Committee, and the thanks of 
the Society were directed to be conveyed to Mr. Haw- 
tayne for his communications. 
Regarding the possibility of introducing silk culture 
as a minor industry into this colony, Mr. Hawtayne wrote 
as follows under date of 24th Sept : — 
" Mr. Wardle, Honorary Superintendent of the India Silk Culture 
Court, is taking great pains to extend the 'culture of silk worms and 
strongly recommends that the subject should be brought under the 
notice of the Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society because he 
believes that silk could be produced in British Guiana, and because it is 
an employment, a small industry, which can be undertaken by small 
capitalists and land owners. 
The entomological specimens exhibited in our Court arc not numc- 
