Reply from His Excellency Sir George F. Bowen to the Address presented to him by the Governors of the Institute.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 6, 1873, Page 454

Gentlemen— I am very much gratified by the farewell address presented to me by you, and by the mark of distinction which you have conferred upon me in electing me to be an Honorary Member of the New Zealand Institute. Any services which I may have been able to render are thus abundantly rewarded, and they were indeed a labour of love, for it is only simple justice to ascribe to me the most active and enduring interest in the welfare of the association of which I have had the honour of being the first President. Among the many agreeable recollections of this country which I shall always cherish, not the least satisfactory will be the memory of my connection with the Institute, and with the gentlemen who have formed with me its governing Board. The chief aim of the Colonial Parliament in founding and endowing the Institute was not so much to make provision for the study and cultivation of art, science, and literature in general, but rather to supply guidance and aid for the people of New Zealand in the practical work of colonization. The yearly volumes of the Transactions and Proceedings show that this primary and essential object has been kept in constant view. Rest assured, gentlemen, that I shall always remember you with respect and gratitude, and that I shall continue, although absent, to watch with lively interest the progress of the New Zealand Institute. 1. “Lecture on New Guinea,” by Captain Moresby, R.N., of H.M.S. “Basilisk.” (Appendix, p. lxxxi.) The lecture was an account of recent discoveries made by Captain Moresby in H.M.S. “Basilisk,” and was illustrated by native implements, ornaments, musical instruments, and various curiosities, many of which had been presented to the Colonial Museum by Captain Moresby and his officers.