IGG Proceedings of the Royal Socletu of Victoria. 



last meeting, of two gentlemen who had been prominent 

 fio-ures in times past in connection with Science in 

 Australia. Tlie Rev. Tenison Woods was well known for 

 his Geological investigations. He was a corresponding 

 Member of this Society, and his name was known in all 

 scientific circles throughout Australia. The other name he 

 would mention was that of Mr. R. Brougli Smyth, who was 

 Secretary to the Philosophical Society of Victoria. His 

 name appeared as Secretary in the earliest volume. It would 

 therefore appear that he was one of its founders. After a 

 few years, that Society changed its name to that of the 

 Philosophical Institute, and then became merged into the 

 Royal Society of Victoria. Mr. Smyth published a large 

 number of Geological maps, and also a very large and 

 complete book on the Aborigines of Victoria, of which we 

 had a copy in this Library. Mr. Smyth recently occupied 

 the position of Director of the School of Mines at Sandhurst. 

 He died at the comparatively early age of 59. 



Mr. E. J. White F.R.A.S., read a paper " On Results of 

 Longitude from Lunar Observations." 



Mr. Ellery said that, if lunar observations were more 

 frequently made, the loss of ships would not be so great. 

 There had not been so great an advance in the manufacture 

 of sextants as of chronometers, but the sextant was the most 

 valuable stand by. 



The President said it was matter for regret that the 

 Society could not do something to remedy the state of 

 affairs on ships described by Mr. Ellery. If a lunar 

 observation required even so much as ten hours solid work, 

 it would certainly, in view of the life and property that was 

 risked, be advisable to have it done on shipboard. 



Mr. White said that ten minutes' time was all that was 

 necessary for the purpose of taking the observation. There 

 was no power granted to any one to condemn a bad 

 chronometer, and Mr. Ellery could not do such a thing were 

 he asked to test one at the Observatory^ He had no power 

 to compel the ship captain to get a new one ; in fact, the 

 captain could go to sea without a sextant or chronometer. 



The Rev. J. J. Halley suggested that the Government 

 might be approached on the matter, so that provision might 

 be made to compel captains to have proper instruments on 

 fjoins: to sea. 



