U PRBsroENT'8 Address. 



in bluebooks, if not mummified in manuscript, and lie (lilce Mendel's 

 report, which was communicated to the Brunn Society in 1865, and 

 was lost to view until 1901), unnoticed and unread, on dusty shelves. 

 But there is no such thing in South Africa as a South African 

 journal of science, which might serve as a common channel of com- 

 munication between the scientific workers throughout South Africa, 

 and between them and the general public. It has been suggested to 

 me that the foundation of such a journal, which is obviouslv desir- 

 able, would be p>ossible, and that there is no reason why it should 

 not be successful, if managed on the proper lines. 



It has occurred to me, too, in the course of preparing this 

 Address, that we ought to possess, and to publish from time 

 to time (perhaps in the Journal) a summary record of the 

 names and work of those who have devoted themselves, or 

 are devoting themselves, to scientific investigation in South 

 Africa. I have mentioned the names of a certain number, and 

 have touched on the work, or on some of it, that they are doing 

 or have done ; but the list is far from complete, even as regards the 

 living, nor does it include names such as Thunberg, " the father of 

 Cape Botany," Bain, "the father of South African Geology," 

 Pappe, Maclear, Layard, nor the names of many others who have 

 passed away. In the matter of scientific development, this is rela- 

 tively a young country; but we are making history in South Africa, 

 in scientific as in other m.atters : and a summary record of scientific 

 work, kept up to date from year to vear by this Association, would 

 be an exceedingly useful work of reference when the time comes to 

 v.-rite it. Admission to the record, if entrance to it were, as it should 

 be, carefully guarded by those entrusted with the framing of it. 

 would no doubt be eagerly desired : and the record itself would be 

 not onlv a pledge of the moral support which the Association is desir- 

 ous of affording to the advancement of science, but a considerable step 

 in the direction of systematizing the work of scientific enquiry. 



Apart from these questions, there is reason to believe that in the 

 matter of scientific enquiry in South Africa there is and has been a 

 considerable amount of duplication, overlapping, and therefore waste 

 of effort — of repetition of experiments which would have been un- 

 necessary had the experimenters been in closer touch with each other 

 — had they been working as parts of one organization. We hear a 

 great deal, in these days, of closer union : and whatever branch of 

 policy or administration be brought under discussion — whether Native 

 policy. Customs policy, railway administration, administration of 

 the law, economical finance — whichever be the subject of discussion, 

 one conclusion is always arrived at: — " Under some form^ of closer 

 " union, these things could be better arranged." People differ about 

 what form closer union should take : some diff'er, even, as to whether 

 it is possible at all ; but the conclusion is always the same. We 

 may sav the same thing about scientific investigation. I do not sav 

 what form closer union, as regards scientific investigation, should 



