H ROYAL SOCIETY OP CANADA 



Letters of excuse were received from Prof. James Fowler, Sir James 

 A. Grant, K.C.M.G., Dr. G. U. Hay, Dr. A. H. MacKay, Prof. T. Wesley 

 Mills, Dr. A. G. Nicholls, Mr. H. S. Poole and Dr. J. F. Whiteaves. 



After the calling of the .roll the President delivered the following 

 introductory address : — 



" At the opening of this the 28th session of the Royal Society of 

 Canada, I desire to bid a very licarty welcome to the members and dele- 

 gates and especially to those who have come from a distance. In regard 

 to the latter, I sincerely hope that their visit to the capital will prove 

 agreeable and that they will carry home a happy recollection of their 

 intercourse of a few days with the men of letters and of science who have 

 assembled on this occasion. 



During the year that has passed since our last annual meeting three 

 O-f the most distinguished members of our Society — I deeply regret to 

 have to state — have been smitte]'. by the hand of death. Scarcely, indeed, 

 had we closed our last spring session when a despatch from Montreal 

 announced the death of the poet Louis Frechette, who was one of the 

 charter members of the Society, and who filled the office of President in 

 the year 1900-1901. 



In the renaissance of 'French literature in Canada, Frechette took a 

 large and brilliant part. He incarnated in his verse all that was strongest 

 and most characteristic in the Canadian spirit. It is to the poetry of our 

 lamented confrère that our country owes the larger part of its literary 

 renown. His first efforts date back to the year 1858, and for half a cen- 

 tur}^ we may say, he found a theme for his lyre in the beauties and glories 

 of his native land. On the day after the poet's death the London Times 

 published an eloquent article in his praise, 3'et one the conclusion of which 

 it is impossible for Canadians to accept. "If," said the great journal, 

 "his verses are not read, the poet will at least not be forgotten by his 

 compatriots." The implied charge that we neglect our poet's verse is not 

 deserved. Frechette has in his literary product one work at least of 

 assured vitality. His " Légende d'un Peuple " is a monument erected to 

 the glory of French Canada, of its past history, of its essential character, 

 of its great men; and, as such, it will live as long as the race which 

 sprang from France shall inhabit the shores of the lovely St. Lawrence. 



The next loss which the Society sustained was one which caused pro- 

 found regret to us all. I speak now of the death of Dr. James Fletcher, 

 our late honorary secretary and one of our most active co-labourers. Dr. 

 Fletcher loved our Society and honoured it by his character and talents. 

 Everything that he did was marked by a scrupulous conscientiousness. 

 We think at once of the numerous papers contributed by him to our 

 Transactions and to the scientific journals of the country, the diversity 



