i:ite King's Most ^xttlUni Maii^stB. 



In common with millions of their fellow sub- 

 jects, the members of this Association, while 

 deeply deploring* the demise of His late Majesty 

 King" Edward VII., would offer their humble duty 

 to His Most Gracious Majesty King <>5corgc- th^ 

 2^ittltt their Honorary President, on this occasion 

 of His Majesty's accession to the Throne. 



We call to mind, at this time, with gratification, 

 the two visits of His Majesty to South Africa, first 

 as Prince Georg-e of Wales, nearly thirty years 

 ag-o, and again, twenty years later, as the Duke of 

 Cornwall and York. On each of these occasions 

 His Royal Highness associated himself with and 

 interested himself in the progress of education in 

 this land, and that this interest still continues we 

 are reminded by the message which His Majesty, 

 as Chancellor of the Cape University, was pleased 

 to send in reply to the recent expression of con- 

 dolence submitted by the University Council. 



In consenting to be the Honorary President of 

 this Association, and thus giving evidence of 

 direct interest in the advance of Science, His 

 Majesty followed the precedent of His lamented 

 predecessor, who throughout His reign continued 

 to be the Patron of the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science : herein His late Majesty 

 too had betokened an interest similar to that 

 evinced by His August Father H.R.H. Prince 

 Albert, who occupied the position of President of 

 the British Association at its Aberdeen meeting in 

 1859. In the remarkable address then delivered 

 by the Prince Consort he expressed himself as 

 being there, not only as the representative of that 

 large public which profited by the advance of 

 Science, but also as the living testimony that the 

 labours of such an Association as ours were not 

 unappreciated by our Sovereign, who wished all 

 Her people to know this. For half-a-century 

 successive generations of scientists have laboured 

 on in the satisfaction of this consciousness, and 

 His present Majesty, like His two illustrious 

 ancestors, has gratified us with the assurance of 

 both word and deed that the interest which they 

 manifested is His also. May He long live to 

 exercise it and to foster the Advancement of 

 Science within His wide dominions ! 



