Address by Sir David Gill. 19' 



2. That a sum not exceeding ^6,000 be guaranteed towards 

 the cost of passages to and from the Cape for the above- 

 mentioned officials and visitors. This amount to be shared 

 by the Governments of the Transvaal, Natal, and the Cape. 



I have, etc., 



(Signed) HENRY DE SMIDT, 



Acting Secretary to the Prime Minister. 



Sir David Gill, 



H.M. Astronomer. 



The other Governments have undertaken to share the half of this 

 responsibility, and to grant similar free use of their railways. I am 

 assured that there will be no lack of private hospitality, and, as you 

 are all now proltably aware, the Council of the British Association, 

 on the 6th of March, unanimously resolved to recommend to the 

 General Committee of the Association at the Southport Meeting 

 next September that the invitation to hold the Annual Meeting in 

 1905 in South Africa be accepted. 



This much for our history up to the present moment, and so far 

 as it goes it is a very gratifying one. 



We have at the present time a roll of 702 ordinary members and 

 36 associates. In point of numbers this compares favourably with 

 the beginnings of the British Association, which at its first meeting 

 at York in 1831 had 353 members — numbers which, however, in the 

 following year at Oxford increased to 435 members. 



One cannot, of course, compare in weight of scientific importance 

 the present meeting with those at York and Oxford on the occasions 

 in question. But, if we consider how comparativelv small is the 

 white population of South Africa, how great are the distances which 

 separate it. we may at least congratulate ourselves on the fact that 

 there have been found so many ready to take a sympathetic interest 

 in the objects of the Association, and so large a proportion of men 

 who have come forward to contribute papers of scientific interest 

 and practical value. 



With such encouragement let us consider carefully in what way 

 the interest thus aroused may be turned to the best account for the 

 promotion of Science and the welfare and progress of this countrv. 



My first duty is to lay before you the claims of Science to the 

 sympathy and support of every citizen and every Government of a 

 civilized community. - 



Persons gifted by nature with the capacity for original scientific 

 research of high value are comparatively few in number — much in 

 the same degree that the number of original poets, musicians, 

 painters and sculptors is also limited. 



The world has long recognised the value of art and literature as 

 refining and elevating influences. But, for one who can lay claim 

 to the creation of classic work in literature, music, painting or 

 sculpture, there are thousands with minor claims to originality in 



