Anniversary Address.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 3, 1870, Unnumbered Page

Anniversary Address. In entering upon the third session of our Institute, it is pleasant to be able to congratulate you upon the continued increase in our numbers. At the end of our first year (1868) we had on our list the names of 68 members out of 255 belonging to the four societies incorporated with the New Zealand Institute. In the return for last year we rank first, having 100 members out of a total of 342, and our list for this year at the present date numbers 130. It must be gratifying to the founders of the New Zealand Institute to witness the success with which their efforts have hitherto been attended. The fact that so many persons in various parts of the colony should thus have united together to promote the objects for which the Institute was founded, is highly encouraging, and full of hope for the future. Hitherto it is true that the active workers have been comparatively few in number; but there is reason to hope that from time to

time new recruits will be enlisted, until ere long the Society will muster a goodly force of earnest men, each in his own place and according to his gifts and opportunities working for the common good. The two volumes of “Transactions” already issued contain much interesting matter on many subjects, and some of the articles possess considerable scientific value. The first volume included a few essays which had been previously printed, but the second belongs entirely to the Institute. Of the 62 articles and 10 lectures now first printed, 22 were read at our meetings, and of the 32 contributors to the second volume, eight belong to Auckland. We may well regard the “Transactions” as an encouraging proof of the force of co-operation, as well as a testimony to the care and diligence of the editor, to whose zeal and ability the colony is largely indebted. Turning again to our own Institute, we have another cause for congratulation that we are now located on our own property. This valuable site has been granted to the Auckland Institute by the Government, and the museum, which is in our custody, is now contained in these buildings until we shall be enabled to build ourselves a suitable home. In order to carry out the objects for which we have associated ourselves, we shall require the outlay of a considerable sum of money. Our plan for future buildings should include not only a museum, but also suitable rooms for a free public library and a laboratory; also, a spacious lecture-hall, with class-rooms, and accommodation for meetings of the Council, as well as a dwelling-house for the curator and librarian. I look upon the establishment of a free public library in connection with the Institute, as one of the first and most important duties that can engage our attention, and earnestly hope that a successful effort will be made to obtain so great a boon for the community. It appears to me that it would also be desirable to avail ourselves of the opportunity afforded by the preparations now in progress for observing the approaching transit of Venus, to ask the assistance of the proper authorities in England in the establishment of an observatory in this neighbourhood. If the necessary buildings could be prepared on a suitable site, and in accordance with the plans of the English astronomers, it might not be too much to hope that the valuable instruments which will necessarily be brought out from home would be left for use in the colony. Our freedom from earthquakes, and, as a general rule, from fogs, would be a recommendation in favour of the choice of this place as one of the stations for the intended expedition. It would be well, therefore, to bring the subject before the Provincial Government, in

order that timely action may be taken, if the proposal should meet with approval. I think that we ought also to ask for a grant from the public funds for the general purposes of the Institute, on the ground that, if fairly supported and used by the people, it must become an instrument of great value in the work of education. By hearty co-operation and good-will, all obstacles may be removed, and opportunities of instruction, which could not otherwise be enjoyed, may be provided for all who are willing to use them. We may, therefore, fairly call upon all who care for the welfare of our country, to give us their help. We have no selfish ends in view, but the common good of all. We desire to afford every one the opportunity of gaining for himself, and of helping others to gain, a knowledge of the wonderful and beautiful works of the Creator. We desire that our Institute may become to the people of this province, a centre, round which those who love knowledge may gather—a meeting- place for men of all shades of politics and opinions, provided they have but one thing in common, viz., a love for, and a desire to know, truth. For what is the object of science but the discovery of truth in reference to the works of the Creator? Its aim is to search out, and to study the laws which govern the physical condition of all created things, whether they belong to the class of organized beings endowed with life, or the inorganic materials of the universe. In so vast a field no man can hope to know all that may be known. Individuals must be content if they can gain a general knowledge of the great principles which have been dug out for us by the labours of a multitude of workers, and then take each one for himself some particular portion of the field for the exercise of his own labour, in the hope that he also may be able to win some portion of truth, and thus add his share to the general stock of knowledge. It may be thought that the life of a colonist is altogether unfavourable to scientific pursuits, but there is not really any reason why a man may not cultivate some branch of science with sufficient success not only to afford pleasure to himself, but also to be of use to others. Take, for instance, some fact of natural history, which we may say is within the reach of almost everybody, and is of surpassing interest in a new country. Let each begin with what is nearest to him, such as the plants that grow in his own immediate neighbourhood. Let him find out for himself what they are; let him notice the classes they represent, distinguishing those which are common from those which are rare—the indigenous plants from those which have been introduced—endeavouring to note the time when the latter were first seen. Then as his interest grows,

and his knowledge increases, he will delight to observe the variations produced by soil and situation, by dryness and moisture, by exposure and shelter; and he will be pleased and surprised to find how greatly the form and condition of plants are affected by those and other circumstances of their growth. Or if botany has no charms for him, he may take some branch of zoology for his special study. One may give his attention to the vast variety of forms in insect life. Another may take more interest in the feathered tribes, or, it may be, in the dwellers in the waters, whether of lakes, brooks, and rivers, or of the mighty deep. Wherever he turns his eyes, the thoughtful man will find an endless variety of marvellous beauty in the forms and manifestations of the mystery of life. Others, again, may do good service by keeping careful records of meteorological observations, noting at regular hours every day the condition of the atmosphere in respect of temperature, pressure, moisture, clouds, force and direction of winds, etc. A series of such observations, made with patience and accuracy at various points of our long and narrow islands, and extending over a series of years, would furnish data of great value to any one who may undertake the task of investigating and describing the meteorology of this country. In connection with these subjects, our worthy secretary reminds me that there is an impression abroad that some sections of natural history have already been so thoroughly worked as to leave no room for the discovery of further novelties. This is shown to be erroneous, by the fact that additions are constantly being made in those sections which have been most closely investigated—namely, botany and ornithology. For instance, the botany of the northern part of this island has been more carefully examined than that of any other part of the colony; and yet, since the publication of the “Handbook of the New Zealand Flora,” several new genera of phenogamic plants, and upwards of thirty additional species (many of which are new to science, and of great interest), have been found within its limits; while as regards the lower orders of plants, much less is known. Other branches of natural history are hitherto almost untouched. Very little is known of the shells, and next to nothing of the insects and fishes of the colony. But the discovery of novelties in the flora and fauna of the colony is not so exclusively important as is too commonly supposed. The vertical and horizontal range of each species, its abundance or rarity, the nature of its habitat, its variation under altering or altered circumstances, the nature of its food, and all other peculiarities

should be carefully observed and accurately noted. All these matters are too commonly neglected, so that little is certainly known of the effect of different soils, or of altitude even on our commonest plants, such, for instance, as the native flax. Thus a wide field is open for investigation, to which may be added the observation and record of the progress of introduced plants, insects, and birds. Great changes are going on around us, but many take no notice of them, owing to the fact that the extent and importance of this branch of study is not sufficiently understood or appreciated. To work up the natural history of even a small well-defined district in a reliable manner, would be to make a contribution of definite value to scientific knowledge. A complete account of the plants, say of the Island of Waiheke, of its shells, fluviatile and marine, of its insects, its birds and reptiles, if reliable, would have a permanent and increasing value, arising from the fact of the rapid modification which the flora and fauna of these islands are now undergoing. So, too, of the Wade, Titirangi, and Waiuku districts, and of many others. But there is no need to refer particularly to each of the many branches of science open to those who are willing to devote attention to them. I will content myself with urging all who have the direction of the education of our young people, to endeavour to procure for them the great advantage of instruction in the elements of science. There is no reason why our sons and daughters should be suffered to grow up in ignorance of the great truths which have been made known to the world by the labours of the master minds of recent times. Faraday and Tyndall have shown that even the highest mysteries of nature may be made intelligible to a class of attentive children, and the eagerness with which their lectures have been listened to, shows plainly enough that such subjects, rightly handled, may be made full of entertainment as well as of instruction. It is deeply to be regretted that there is not at present, so far as I am aware, a single class in Auckland for instruction in any branch of science. Our lads and young men are now without the means of satisfying any desire they may feel to acquire knowledge of this kind, and, as a natural consequence, in many cases the precious hours that might be occupied in intellectual pursuits, are frittered away in idleness, or occupied in degrading pleasures. There is no reason why we should be behind other places in these respects. There is nothing to hinder us from providing facilities for our children, such as are available almost everywhere in the old country. This Institute of ours, if rightly supported, could very soon be made the means of supplying all that is

lacking. What we want is intelligent co-operation in the work of education, and not selfish competition, which defeats its own object, and brings disastrous failure on what might otherwise prove a glorious success. Let those amongst us who are able, undertake a share of the work. Let parents and teachers, trustees and commissioners, make common cause against ignorance, and with the mighty power of united effort, make due provision for the thorough education of our sons and daughters. The matter rests altogether with the people themselves. If they will not take the necessary trouble to fulfil this great duty, the blame will be wholly their own, but the loss will fall upon their children. There are some, indeed, who refuse to encourage scientific training, in che mistaken idea that it must, of necessity, tend to irreligion. They appear to imagine that there is some inherent opposition between the teaching of science and the Holy Scriptures. But those who have true faith in Divine revelation, have no such misgivings. They feel assured that there can be no opposition whatever between the spiritual truths which have been made known to man by the spirit of God, and the physical truths which the same Divine Being has enabled man to discover by the diligent use of the faculties implanted in him. The Divine teaching contained in the Scriptures has been given for the purpose of training man in the knowledge of God. It sets before us principles for our guidance through life, it inspires us with hopes that reach beyond the grave, and unfolds to us a glorious destiny. The object of revelation is indicated by the meaning of the word; it is the uncovering that which was hidden—the making known that which otherwise would have remained unknown—whereas the aim of science is to use the God-given faculties of observation and thought in the investigation of the works of the Creator. Nobody thinks of looking in the Bible for instruction in mathematics or in botany, although Moses, who was learned in all the knowledge of the Egyptians, must have been acquainted with the principles of the former; and the latter must, in some measure, have been known to Solomon, since his wisdom not only “excelled the wisdom of the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt,” but also included a knowledge “of trees, from the cedar tree in Lebanon to the hyssop that springeth out of the wall.” Nobody ever looks into those sacred writings for instruction in agriculture or architecture, or any of the arts which flourished in those days of old, when the mighty pyramids first cast their shadows on the sands of the desert, or the magnificent cities of the Valley of the Euphrates bore witness to the knowledge and skill to

which men had attained. Why, then, should we expect to find a guide to the knowledge of geology or cosmogony? Why should men be offended when they find that the way in which the sacred writers speak of common things is simply in accordance with the state of man's knowledge of those things at that time? The fact is that common things were spoken of in common language. And so it is now, and ever will be. Whatever the facilities given to us would enable us to find out, must be sought for by the use of those facilities, or it will not be attained. It is true, indeed, that all human attainments are but Vanity of vanities, and nothing worth if cherished for selfish ends, or allowed to usurp the place of Divine culture; but, when kept in due subordination, and cultivated as a part of the work given to us by the one Father to do for the good of His household, and for the exercise of the faculties which He has implanted in us, they become a true and worthy part of the Divine worship. There is no more mistaken idea than that true religion is opposed to real progress. On the contrary, it is from Him whose name we bear that we have the promise of one who shall guide us along the path which leads to all truth. Surely the histories of these centuries of the Christian era bear witness to the continued fulfilment of that promise. In spite of the passions and prejudices of men, in spite of the opposition of interested ignorance, in spite even of persecution itself, the banner of truth is carried onward, the errors and fallacies which shut out the light are from time to time exposed, and the whole human race will eventually be partakers of the blessing. The greatest enemy of true religion is superstition; but science is superstition's deadliest foe. Let, then, these twin sisters walk together hand in hand, not fearing, but materially assisting one another, and the nations will rejoice in their progress; and let us who have associated ourselves together in this Institute, keep before us, as the one object of all our efforts, the attainment for ourselves, and the dissemination among others, of a knowledge of truth. Since writing the address I have just read, I have been informed that some of the astronomical instruments I have referred to in my address, necessary to make observations on the transit of Venus, have come to this colony. I have had a conversation with Captain Heale, of the Survey Office, respecting the establishment of this district as one of the points of observation at the coming transit, and have been informed that a very little expenditure would be required to obtain the necessary observations to secure this district being chosen as one of the stations.

Were another clerk provided to his office, at a salary of £200 per annum, for a period of three years, the necessary preliminary work could be accomplished in that time to secure the coveted prize; and if an effort could be made to secure that, he thought it very likely that, when once the instruments were erected by the Home Government, they might be left to this place by the observers, when once the transit was past. After considerable discussion, it was resolved, on the motion of Archdeacon Williams, seconded by Dr. Stratford,— “That this meeting approves of the appointment of a Committee of the Council, to consider the utilization of the present site of the Museum, and requests that the report be laid before the Institute at an early date.” 1. “On the Botany of certain parts of the Waikato District, especially with regard to the occurrence of Littoral Plants in the Upper Waikato,” by T. Kirk. (See Transactions.) The result of a series of observations made on a visit to the Waikato district a short time ago, undertaken for the Geological Survey Department. He described the plants peculiar to Waikawau, and at Port Waikato, where he found a peculiar kind of grass, known in the district by the name of “Chilian grass,” but which was indigenous to New Zealand, although not generally found. The cattle were very fond of it, and cropped it closely, notwithstanding its rough appearance. It formed a close and thick sward, and was deserving of the attention of agriculturists. He then visited Tuakau, Koheke, and Whangape lake, and the other lakes in the same district. Between Rangiriri and Taupiri he was particularly struck with the great number and vigour of the littoral plants found in that district, and looked upon their existence in such numbers as a strong argument in favour of the position advanced first by Dr. Hochstetter, although it has since been disputed—that the lower and middle portions of the Waikato have been until lately an arm of the sea. He thought from the configuration of the country, that not many years ago the tide had flowed up the Firth of the Thames, and over the lowlands towards Middle Waikato, and thence down the Waikato valley to the west coast. This supposition would account for the great abundance of salt-loving plants found in the Middle Waikato district. The President pointed out that the views propounded by Mr. Kirk supported the theory originally advanced by Dr. Hochstetter, as to the Waikato district having formed, at no distant date, a shallow estuary of the sea,—the truth of which had been disputed chiefly on the grounds afforded by the formation of the river banks at Tuakau and elsewhere in

Lower Waikato,—these objections were entirely obviated on the theory now advanced, which afforded a striking instance of the support rendered by one branch of scientific research to another. 2. “On the Sailing Flight of the Albatros, in reply to J. S. Webb,” by Captain F. W. Hutton, F.G.S. (See Transactions.) — Read by the Secretary, in the unavoidable absence of the author.—The writer pointed out the errors into which Mr. Webb had fallen, and strengthened his former conclusions by means of the formula furnished by that gentleman.