THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 259 



t am also happy to add, that the influence of the 

 IJritisJi Association on the Government is about to 

 be tested by an application to them immediately, 

 praying that an expedition may be sent out to the 

 Antarctic Regions, for the purpose of discovering the 

 exact position of the Southern Magnetic Pole. The 

 Society are aware that the late voyage of Sir John 

 Ross, to the Arctic Regions, has been the means of 

 ascertaining the North-West Magnetic Pole. 



It may be expected, that I should now enter on 

 some detail of the actual proceedings of the Associ- 

 ation, during their late sojourn in Dublin, and, as far 

 as that is practicable, I will endeavour to do so ; 

 but, for the reasons I shall presently assign, you will 

 perceive the difficulty of doing so. 



The Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, a 

 very extensive establishment, had appropriated every 

 part of their buildings to the service of the British 

 Association. In their hall we assembled for the 

 transaction of general business ; in their numerous 

 apartments many of the members were provided with 

 lodgings ; in another hall any member might obtain 

 his breakfast; and, besides the splendid banquet 

 which terminated our week of enjoyment, their tables 

 were open to us on all occasions. The Mathematical 

 and Physical section, the Chemical and Mineralogi- 

 cal, and the Statistical, were provided with apart- 

 ments in the College for their lectures, discussions, 

 the exhibition of apparatus, and the experiments de- 

 signed to be communicated by members. The Royal 

 Dublin Society, situated but a short distance from 

 the College, afforded ample accommodation to the 

 Geological and Geographical section, in a capacious 

 Theatre, used by the society as their lecture room. 

 And, in another apartment, the Natural History 

 section met, and both were accommodated with se- 

 parate committee rooms. The Royal Irish Academy, 

 in the immediate vicinity, accommodated the Anato- 

 mical and Medical section, besides permitting the 

 Genera Committee to assemble in their library. 



