15 



exposure than anyone woald do, and so that 

 difficulty was obviated. The developoaent of the 

 film was quite free from difficulty, and there was 

 no necessity for modifying the developer for any 

 kind of exposure. The lecturer then developed a 

 roll of the Cristoid double-film, on the roll being 

 twelve exposures, viz., from one second up to 

 twelve seconds, and although the exposures varied 

 so much the whole roll developed quite easily in 

 the one bath, all the twelve pictures being equally 

 perfect. The audience watched this with deep 

 attention, and many questions were asked bearing 

 on the process. 



At the suggestion of the Hon. Secretary, Mr. 

 Sandell had brought about two dozen 10II9 of 

 exposed Cristoid films, on each roll beino- six 

 exposures varying from two to twelve ceconds 

 each. These were then distributed amongst the 

 members present for them to develop as a compe- 

 tition, and bring their results for comparison at 

 the next meeting. 



At the close Councillor Whichcord, who had 

 taken the chair on the departure of Capt. McDakin, 

 proposed a vote of thanks to the lecturer, which 

 was seconded by Mr. Fielding, and carried unani- 

 mously. 



FIFTH WINTER MEETING, 



TUESDAY, DECEMBEE 4th, 1900. 



COMPRESSION, A FACTOR IN THE FORMATION OF MOUNTAINS. 

 EECTURE BY CAPTAIN J. GORDON McDAKIN. 



A meeting of members of the Society was held 

 in the Reference Library at the Beaney Institute 

 on Tuesday, December 4. In the absence of the 

 President (Councillor Horsley), Mr. W. P. Mann, 

 B. A., presided, and there were also present : — Capt. 

 J. Gordon McDaki i, Mrs. McDabin, Captain Stead, 

 Mr. and Mrs. Kay, Councillor Wright Hunt, Mr. 

 J. T. Smith, Miss Abbott. Miss K. Holmes, Miss 

 Philpotts, Miss M. P. Drake, Mr. J. Kennedy, 

 Mr. A. Lander (Hon. Secretary), etc. 



In opening the proceedings, the Chairman ex- 

 pressed his sorrow at the absence of their Presi- 

 dent. He was still very indisposed, and he (the 

 speaker) was afraid that Mr. Horsley worked too 

 hard for the Society and the Beaney Institute 

 generally, and did not take the rest he ought to 

 when he felt a little overdone. One of the oldest 

 members of the Society, Dr. James Reid, had 

 resigned owing to advancing age and failing 

 health, and he (Mr. Mann) proposed that he be 

 elected an honorary member of tho Society. Dr. 

 Reid had been a member of the Society since its 

 formation — a little over forty years ago— and was 

 one of its chief supporters. He had done an immense 

 amount of work for the Society in botanical and 

 geological observations, and in recent years as 

 librarian, and had re-arranged and supplemented 

 the Society's herbarium. He hoped when the Hon. 

 Secretary communicated with Dr. Reid he would 

 tell him how very much they appreciated his great 

 services in the past. Mr. Mann also proposed Mr. 

 Blaxland as a member of the Society. 



This was put to the meeting and carried 

 unanimously. 



tj;.The Hon. Secretary then called attention to the 

 exhibits on the table. The Rev. W. Rodwell had 

 very kindly presented to the Society a box of 



microscopic slides ; there was also a finished 

 Cristoid film, which had been developed by Mr. 

 Sandeil at the last meetino. Apropos of the 

 interest which was being shown in wireless 

 tslegraphy, Mr. Lander said he had brought an 

 instrument for members to examine. It was a 

 ironderful thing, and by means of that instrument 

 messages could be transmitted thiity or forty 

 miles, and could be read or printed in the Morse 

 Code at the other end. He then briefly outlined 

 theprogramme for the next Session, and announced 

 that on December 18 he would give a lecture on 

 " Tele-photography," the new method of taking 

 pictures at a distance. 



Captain J. Gordon McDakin next delivered an 

 instructive and interesting lecture on "Compres- 

 sion, a factor in the formation of mountains." He 

 illustrated the lecture by means of photographs 

 taken when on a journey to Zermatt. in Switzer- 

 land. The subject of compression might not be, 

 perhaps, all important, but it had played a very 

 prominent part in the formation of those promin- 

 ences on the earth's surface called mountains. 

 The lecturer then proceeded to show pictures of 

 the strangely contorted rocks on the Axenstrasse 

 above Tell's Platte, also the structures of the 

 Jungfrau mountain, and passing on to a descrip- 

 tion of the Matterhorn, gave a thrilling account 

 of its first ascent, and the sad fatdlity which 

 occurred on that occasion. Having described the 

 Valley of Zermatt and its geological structures. 

 Captain McDakin spoke of the beauties of the 

 sunrise among the mountains. He also mentioned 

 some experiments made by himself on the effect 

 of pressure on clay, fuller's earth, chalk, etc.; 

 saying that those parts which had been compressed 

 enabled ^theni to resist denudation to a much 



