Manawatu Philosojjhical Society. 627 



First Meeting: 17th August, 1904. 

 The President, Mr. Kenneth Wilson, in the chair. 



Mr. A. Hamilton, Director of the Colonial Museum, gave 

 an address on the work of the New Zealand Institute, in 

 which he traced the growth of the society from its earliest 

 inception by Sir George Grey in 1851 up to the present time, 

 when the whole of the societies and institutes in the colony 

 were constituted one Institute by the Act of 1903. 



Second Meeting : 15th September, 1904. 

 The President, Mr. Kenneth Wilson, in the chair. 



A paper by Mr. Skinner, of New Plymouth, was read by 

 the Secretary on " Marsland Hill, New Plymouth," wherein 

 was reviewed the stirring events centred round that historic 

 spot during the early-settlement days. (Transactions, p. 211.) 



A paper was also read on " Some Chinese Bronzes," bv 

 Mr. William Welch, and he exhibited several that were looted 

 from the Forbidden City in Pekin at the time of the relief of 

 the Legations in August, 1900, also a Buddha sent by the 

 Dalai Lamina of Lhassa to the Emperor of China in the 

 eighteenth century, in which was secreted several parchment 

 scrolls. The translations made by the British Museum were 

 also read. {Transactions, p. 208.) 



A discussion followed each paper. 



Third Meeting : 15th October, 1904. 

 The President, Mr. Kenneth Wilson, in the chair. 



A paper was read by Mr. G Hirsch of a translation of an 

 unpublished letter by Professor Hochstetter to Sir David 

 Munro about fifty years ago on the geology of the Nelson 

 district in relation to its gold-bearing properties. 



Mr. Hirsch also made some copious remarks bearing on 

 the subject. 



A discussion followed, in which several members took 

 part. 



Mr. H. T. B. Drew was duly elected a member. 



Fourth Meeting: 17th November, 1904. 



The President, Mr. Kenneth Wilsou, in the chair. 



A paper was read by Mr. Duncan Sinclair on local geology, 

 and after the reading he exhibited a large number of specimens 

 collected between the Manawatu Gorge and the Oroua River. 



