7 
and natural history of the earth and, 
therefore, to comprise a full account so far 
as practicable of all man’s surronnd'ugs, the 
remark I quoted respecting the importance 
to the people of that study in my paper bit 
the Sangre Grande borings (Proe. VI.. 1903. 
p. 7), the gist of which is that the study of 
geology is of more importance than that of 
any other kind of knowledge outside, of 
course, of the usual elementary subjects 
which are rather the machinery and tools of 
knowledge than knowledge properly speak¬ 
ing. The real test in the affairs of life is 
indeed that contained in Matthew vii. 20, 
but as I am not now concerned with political 
or social questions I shall refer to the test 
which is applicable in all matters of natural 
knowledge, that is the test of verification It 
is this test that is required for our present 
use, and it is this test above all questions 
of mere utility that constitutes the great 
value of the cultivation of natural knowledge. 
Truth, indeed, is that which is verifiable, and 
though this is not a definition of truth it is 
the character of it. It may not always be 
possible to verify the truth of a proposition. 
But every truthful proposition must be at 
all times open to verification, and if it is not 
susceptible of verification it cannot he re¬ 
ceived as truth. The question of making 
provision for the cultivation of natural 
science and for a museum and scientific 
institute of some kind was for many years 
before the Government. The earliest mention 
of the subject is probably forgotten ; but we 
find a reference to it in the transactions of the 
Scientific Association of Trinidad 1864. page 
43, and again in the proceedings of the same 
societv 1867, page 88. About that time the 
colony had come into possession of Leo baud’s 
collection of birds. Iveate s collection ol 
shells only awaited museum accommodation, 
and to these were added Court’s collection 
of reptiles (unfortunately unnamed in 
which state they continue until this day). 
Asa temporary measure these collections 
were lodged in the Council Room at the 
Government buildings. But in 18^6 
Governor Sir William Robinson lecognizing 
the urgency for some provision being made 
for the suitable housing of these collections 
and the establishment of a scientific Insti¬ 
tution in connexion therewith, took ad¬ 
vantage of the movement for the erection of 
a monument in commemoration of the 
Jubilee of Queen Victoria’s reign to give 
such monument the direction of Jin Inst 
tutionof that kind. The Institution -vvlw > 
arose out of this movement was called ,t«s 
