4 Inaugural Address. 



so difficult nor so dangerous a body to manage as the channel 

 fleet ; we have no open enemies to attack or be attacked by, and 

 we have, I hope, no fear of a mutiny at the Nore, and of having to 

 hang up our seditious Secretary or Treasurer at the yard-arm. But 

 still our fleet will have to be kept clear of shoals and quicksands, 

 and laid on a fair course, and it will have to be victualled — by 

 which 1 mean that papers on Scientific subjects will have to be 

 supplied — and an occasional illustrious admiral, in cocked hat and 

 uniform, will have to be enticed to come and inspect us; and the 

 captain of the fleet will be expected to have, or, still worse, it will 

 tacitlv be taken for granted that he has, a considerable acquaint- 

 ance with various scientific subjects of which he is, unhappily, 

 quite ignorant : and, finally, we may be called upon to publish 

 our log — one log has been already published with great success 

 by the first captain — and it will be desirable for the governor of 

 the fleet to be complete master of the situation, in order to do this 

 happily. Now, gentlemen, I say that when I reflect on these and 

 similar topics, I feel that though there are a score of points in 

 which I should think it a high honour to be compared in any 

 degree to Lord Russell, yet I would rather have nothing said 

 about that story of the channel fleet at present, and therefore I 

 hope that there are no Sydney Smiths among us to-day. 



But, in spite of these alarms, I find ray courage restored for 

 the task when I reflect that we are all learners here, and that it is 

 not without its appropriateness that a learner should preside 

 among learners, a beginner among beginners. We may have a 

 cheerful and useful voyage together in our peculiar seas, and with 

 our peculiar style of navigation, and come safely to port, though it 

 would never do with the real channel fleet to put an ignoramus as 

 to seamanship at its head ; and perhaps if any of my crew should 

 venture some day to beard me on my own quarterdeck about some 

 scientific matter, and say, " Captain, you know nothing about the 

 subject," I may be emboldened to reply " No more do you, sir; 

 you may step down before the mast again." But enough of personal 

 hopes and fears. It will be more interesting to turn to the hopes 

 and fears, plans and prospects of our Society. Let us look at our 

 position. I think it seems an encouraging one. Though still, of 

 course, in our modest minority, we have already won something 

 of a position, and may consider ourselves an established fact. We 

 have already arrived at the dignity of having a history. Can we 

 not look back on two presidencies, and recall with gratitude and 

 admiration the brilliant oratory and fascinating touch of one Presi- 

 dent, and the solid learning and cheerful urbanity of the other? 

 Have we not been honoured by the visit and interest of such men 

 as Mr. Ruskin and Professor Tyndall ? Have we not published a 



