6th July.
THERE is scarcely another local institution so sadly neglected as the North-China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, although it is a meritorious institution of which we ought to be proud, constituting as it does in a grent measure the claim of Shanghai to be regarded as the intellectual centre of foreigners in China, Established nearly fifty years ago, the Society has bequeathed to the world of science and letters a rich collection of Oriental lore, as may be seen from its journal, in which figures many a scholarly name that has attained world-wide cele~ hen the community was much smaller than ib now is, public-spirit ed men were not wanting who could find time and means to establish the library and museum, which are now, alas, but monuments of past efforts and present neglect. 'I'he new generation, engrossed in business pursuits and physical exercises, seems utterly indifferent to these relics of a more civic and enlightened epoch.
The meagre attendance at most of the Society's meetings is a damper to those who think of preparing interesting lectures, while some of the papers read are too dry to ye anything bub an infliction. 'through lack of funds the publication of the journal his been somewhat spas-medic, and this may in turn lead to other societies ceasing to send their periodicals in exchange. The bookshelves, replete wih the litera-tur> 0. or: es, contain scarcely any of 19 sntous standard works in the Far East of recent times. Thus sunderd from modern thought and researches, the library may cease to be of interest save to antiquarians.
The museum is in no better condition. Though established thirty years ago, it possesses hardly any object at all of historic interest except a few relics of the Taipings. ren the natural history of Chisa is but poorly represented. "Altogether the mo'ley collection is a byword for such an important city as Shanghai. The founders had an extensive plan in view, but want of funds, too, evidently itin the bud.
theless, the Museum, shabby as it is, has become a popular resort among the natives, hundreds of them visiting the place daily. It requires no stretch of imagination to perceive the eivilising influence, the impulse to modern education, which such crowds may derive from a museum worthy of the name.
But while increasing in wealth and population, while sparing 1 to add to the material cor life, the Model Settlement 5 overlooked the fact that it docs a museum befitting its ey mercial and educational standing. Let us hope that this is not to be for ever overlooked even in view of any seasonable opportunity to show due re ition to the Royal Asiatic Society for having udod to whas
of every modern ¢:1;, avd this, notis one of the pr quirements withstanding the difficulties which have constantly penalized its altruism tic work, in the midst of general] prosperity.
The early vicissitudes.ad rescue of the Society are recorded by Henri Cordier: "After various fortunes, ahd I may add misfortunes, after endless removals—Shanghai Library (Masonic, Hall Ningpo Ron in une 1865—this room was due to! the generosity of the ex-Taotai of Shanghai; new Masonic Buildings (1869), Commercial Bank Buildings, Nanking Road (16th May, 1870), the Society, thanks to the liberality of the British Gorernment, to the public spirit of the Shanghai community, and to the energy and enterprise of its members, at length found a permanent home, in 1871, in the Guao-men Road" (now Museum Road).
The deteriorated, if not dangerous, condition ofthe premises fs now such, that it has been decided to reconstruct the building, although the financial problem awaits solution. There can hardly be any doubt; however, that, in the high tide of {ts prosperity, Shanghai will prove equal to its civic obligation of lending a helping, band to an institution which is an/ honour to the city, and has won for a ib a status in learned circles by means of literary and scientific productions with which are associated most. of the gifted and distinguished foreign residents in China during the last fifty years, Apart from local resources, mors-over, perhaps the Chinese Goverument may be persuaded to endow the museum out of the indemolty funds to be returned by the American Government so generously for educational purposes; and an appeal to the munificence of Carnegie for a modern library may likewise help to realise the Society's hope that its jubilee in 1907 may be a pledge of fter days.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.