Address by Sir David Gill. 27 



more complete description of the actual practice or the British 

 Association. 



In the second place we wish to emphasise the fact that the 

 last thing which this Association desires to do is to interfere with 

 the existence or function of any existing Society. 



Some misunderstanding has arisen on this point, an idea that 

 this As.sociation was to usurp all the scientific functions of the 

 country — to absorb all the other Societies in itself, to have active 

 branches in all parts of South Africa, each of them with frequent 

 meetings and popular lectures given by lecturers supplied by the 

 Association — and I know not what besides. In fact we were to 

 combine in ourselves not only the functions performed in England 

 bv the British Association, but also those of the Royal Society, of 

 the whole of the metropolitan and local Scientific Societies, of the 

 University Extension Lectures, and of the sensational popular lec- 

 turer as well. Even if this were possible on an Annual Subscription 

 of jQi — which it is needless to say it is not — it would be hard to 

 conceive any plan more likely to discourage working Scientists and 

 to do more harm to scientific progress in this country. 



Take, for example, the South African Philosophical Society, 

 which in spite of much neglect and discouragement after its founda- 

 tion by Sir Bartle Frere, has fought a good fight for 25 years and 

 won for itself a recognized position amongst the Scientific Societies 

 of the world by publishing regular transactions containing some 

 papers of classic value ; and it has also acquired by exchange and 

 purchase a valuable scientific library of reference. 



Is it reasonal)le to suppose that such a Society and its followers 

 in other parts of Africa are to extinguish themselves because this 

 Association has come into being ? Certainly not. The hard work 

 of original research and its presentation, discussion and regular 

 publication are the business of these Societies. That important 

 work should go on quietly at their regular meetings, and we beliefve 

 it will do so with increased efficiency in future, not in spite of but 

 partly because of the very existence of this Association. 



But to return to the " Objects of our Association." You may 

 note that we describe the field of our operations as that of promoting 

 intercourse " in different parts of Africa '" instead of the more ambi- 

 tious field " the British Empire and foreign philosophers." 



Thei-e modifications of ours appear to be justified. We can 

 hardly — not yet at least — expect to attract man\- foreign philosophers 

 to our shores for the sake of this Association alone, although we do 

 expect to help in a humble l)ut effective way in bringing the parent 

 Association here, and with it not a few foreign Scientists in its 

 train, as well as many m(jre from the Old Country and from all 

 parts of the British Empire. (I may perhaps be allowed here to add 

 parenthetically that I have heard from Lord Kelvin to the effect 

 that although he does not forget that in 1905 he would be 81 years 

 of age. yet, if he is as well then as he is now. nothing would give 

 him greater pleasure than to visit us at the Ob.servatory and attend' 



