Page:The library a magazine of bibliography and library literature, Volume 6.djvu/207

No. 15, Strand, where under the able guidance of the late Dr. Eddy, and afterwards of Sir Frederick Young, as honorary secretary, its success became assured, and the solid foundations of the present building were laid, which now affords a convenient place of meeting for Colonists, as well as the chief centre in London for purposes of reference upon all Colonial subjects; where the student, the historian, the statesman, the merchant, and the ordinary enquirer may obtain full and reliable information regarding all parts of the British Empire. This brief glance at the early history of the library shows that the Council and Fellows have to a great extent created and steadily supported one and, in my humble opinion, the chief department of the Institute, and to those who have rendered the library what it is, the Institute owes a debt of ceaseless gratitude. It is almost impossible to realise or estimate the immense amount of good which its treasures have exercised in every direction. The circulation of information through its books has undoubtedly contributed to raise the tone of thought and feeling, and to educate the British public throughout the whole of the United Kingdom, as well as to create a desire for acquiring a knowledge of the extent and resources of the Empire among no inconsiderable portion of the community. As regards the books comprising the various sections of the library, to attempt a description, or even to enumerate all those that I, in my enthusiasm, might consider especially important, would be too great an undertaking, so I will content myself by briefly referring to the general plan of arrangement, and pointing out a few books that I have selected as deserving of special attention, and which you will have an opportunity of inspecting at the termination of my paper. The library is arranged in sections, each Colony occupying a distinct position in the several presses, every part of the British Empire being represented, from the great Dominion of Canada to the smallest island dependency ruled by the British Government. Among the collections of voyages are those of Hakluyt (black letter edition), Purchas, Churchill, Harris, De Brosses, Callander, Dalrymple, Burney, Pinkerton, Astley, Kerr, and others, as well as a complete set of the publications of the Hakluyt Society (presented to the Institute by Mr. Washington Eves), which contain rare and, in many instances, unpublished narratives of travellers and navigators which exhibit the growth of intercourse among mankind, with its effects on civilization, and recount the toils and adventures of those