25 
Turspay, Aprit Sts, 1884. 
The usual meeting was held in the Council Chamber, the 
President in the chair. There was a large attendance. The Rey. 
J. Burgess gave an experimental lecture on Etxcrrican Discuaree, 
_ which was highly appreciated. There was an extensive collection 
of apparatus on the table and the experiments were quite success- 
ful by the aid of a Wimshurst’s Machine and a large Induction 
Coil. Those illustrating discharge in very high vacua were 
especially interesting as showing how differently Electricity acts 
under such conditions. 
A cordial vote of thanks was passed, in acknowledging which the 
lecturer kindly expresssd his readiness to assist on any future 
occasion. 
JuNE 247TH, 1884. 
The sixth meeting was held at the Town Hall, and was very 
largely attended. The President read the following paper on 
EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES. 
There is a constant struggle between the forces of earth and 
water for the dominion of our globe, the earth continually striving 
to upraise herself, the mighty waters as continually striving to 
engulph her. Each tiny dew drop, each rippling stream or rushing 
river, each placid lake or raging billow, are equally bent on wearing 
away, or grinding down the rocky surface of the earth and burying 
it beneath the bosom of the mighty ocean. As the bulk of the sea 
preponderates over that of the raised land in the proportion of 
nearly three to one, it would be a mere question of time (a few 
million of years, a mere bagatelle in geological calculations) before 
the whole of the now raised surface of the world formed the bottom 
of a universal, shallow ocean, that 1s to say, always supposing there 
Were no counterbalancing forces in operation. Noris it water alone 
_ which carries on the seemingly unequal contest ; the atmosphere, 
the winds, ice, snow and frost, all aid in the process of disintegra- 
tion and destruction. And this (by the way) is the reason why the 
mountains and craters in the moon are so enormous and sharply 
. defined, for there no atmosphere or water exists to disintegrate and 
wear down their surface. Yet earth has a mighty and unlooked 
ally in the disguise of a violent enemy; for Vulcan constantly 
thrusts new land (in ancient times as in the present), above the 
