Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 153 



would reall}^ bind Australia so well together, as working for 

 a common object, an object that would fire the national 

 enthusiasm, so that all communities would feel interested in 

 what Australia Avas doing. For these reasons, he would like 

 to see the Society take the matter up. He would suggest a 

 little alteration in the form of the motion. The Council had 

 been unanimous in its decision. The money could not very 

 well be spared, but in view of the immense results that were 

 expected to follow, and the national character of the scheme, 

 the Council was willing to sti'ctch a point, and the Treasurer 

 had stated that he was in a pos;ition to honour a cheque. 

 He would rather, however, that the money should be left in 

 the control of the Council, to be given by the Council on 

 such conditions as it might think tit, so that, if any hitch 

 should occur, the money should not lie locked up in a fund, 

 ad iujinititm. He, himself, had given a subscription five 

 years ago to a project which had not yet come ofi*, and the 

 money had been lying idle all the time. Even Mr. Griffiths 

 could not guarantee that the thing would be carried through, 

 and their £100 might be paid into some fund, and lie there 

 for the next twenty 3'ears. He had great pleasure in pro- 

 posing the resolution. 



Mr. Griffiths said he had very much pleasure in second- 

 ing the motion, and cordially sujiported all that Mr. Suther- 

 land had said. Australia had shown herself very energetic 

 and successful in the pursuit of material advantages, but on 

 this occasion, they were asking the people of Australia to 

 support a scientific project, purely for the sake of science. 

 It was a project which, certainly, ought to be carried out by 

 Australia, for the area which it was proposed to examine, 

 lay within a week's sail of our shores. Baron Oscar Dickson 

 had offered to send out this expedition, if Australia would 

 find £5000 towards the cost of it. He (Mr. Griffiths) 

 had gone into some detail with reference to this matter, 

 and he was of opinion, that if two ships were sent 

 out, although one of them was but a small vessel, the 

 work could not be done for a less amount than £20,000. 

 Baron Oscar Dickson had stated (hat he might be able to 

 raise £5000 in Sweden ; still his offer to send the Expedition 

 if Australia would find £5000, meant that he himself would 

 find £10,000, which was a very liberal offer. The Baron, 

 however, was a very liberal man, and had already at his 

 own cost, sent out seven different Expeditions to the Polar 

 Regions. He was not, therefore, likely to be daunted by 



