Proceedings. exvil 
an amateur, and, as an amateur, one must be excused for being 
envious of him. 
Mr. Alderman Page, by desire, kindly acted as chairman on 
this occasion. 
On January 13th, Dr. Tempest Anderson gave the Society, in 
the Small Public Hall, a most interesting paper on the recent 
volcanic eruption in the West Indies. He dealt, firstly, with the 
eruptions in the island of St. Vincent, giving a fine series of 
lantern-slides showing very clearly the great devastation caused 
over the northern part of the island. He drew attention to the 
fact that on the leeward side of Mount Souffriére the negroes, 
being warned by the reports and dense smoke issuing from the 
crater, had time to make good their escape, but on the windward 
they were overcome by the burning ashes and sulphurous acid 
fumes, and on trying to flee from the spot were completely cut 
off by a river of boiling water from the mountain. In places 
the laval dust was lying to a depth of 80 feet, under which for 
weeks was smouldering the once luxuriant vegetation. 
The doctor then drew attention to the French island of 
Martinique, showing a fine series of photographs of Mount Pelée 
and the ruined city of St. Pierre, of which only a few bare walls 
remained. 
The exact number of lives lost can never be known, but it is 
estimated that two to three thousand perished in St. Vincent, 
and perhaps forty thousand in Martinique. It was indeed a 
woeful day, and only those that were in the islands on that day 
can realize the awfulness of it. 
Our members now number 218,—197 seniors and 16 juniors. 
I regret to say that we have lost one member by death this year. 
We have had 13 members resign, 12 seniors and 1 junior; and 
5 seniors struck off for non-payment of subscriptions. Against 
this loss we have during the twelve months elected 16 senior 
and 5 junior members. 
The Balance Sheet which our Honorary Treasurer has placed 
before us this evening is in no way satisfactory, showing, as it 
does, a deficit of £1 5s. 8d. This is explained away by our 
Treasurer by the fact that about eight pounds worth of subscrip- 
tions for 1902 are still outstanding. 
I find on comparison with the Balance Sheet of ten years ago 
that our finance does not do us credit. This is all the more to 
be deplored after the increased activity of the Council in pro- 
viding this year three special and capital papers and a Soirée. 
Members are greatly to blame for this ; there is not the activity 
and enthusiasm amongst them that there should be to make it 
_a@ flourishing society. I do implore members to take more 
