5 
these principles with many striking experiments and lantern 
slides. Then he explained that the tremulous sound of the organ 
“vox humana” is produced by using two pipes for each note, 
one of which is slightly out of tune, thus causing beats. Different 
theories that have been held as to the production of the human 
voice, and of the different qualities to which the vowel sounds 
are due, were also touched upon. 
On Tuesday, October 30th, the General Meeting took the form 
of a Conversazione, to inaugurate the Session 1906-7. 
The proceedings began by the presentation of a wedding present, 
subscribed for by the members, to Mr. C. O. Bartrum, the Hon. 
Secretary. It consisted of a pair of binocular field-glasses and 
a number of volumes of valuable standard works. 
Lieutenant E. H, Shackleton, late of the Discovery, gave 
an address entitled ‘* Furthest South,”’ illustrated with lantern 
slides. The lecturer began by giving details as to the building, 
equipment and cost of the ship Discovery and of the expedition. 
The Government supplied a great part of the necessary funds 
in order that investigations of the meteorological and magnetic 
conditions might be made, and other scientific observations taken. 
The lecturer described the voyage from New Zealand, and showed 
photographs of the scenes met with and of the winter quarters 
of the expedition. He told of the method of obtaining fresh seal 
meat and of the life on board, including the forms of recreation 
during the long winter. The conditions under which magnetic 
observations were made were shown by several photographs, and 
the lecturer stated that during the whole of the time the Discovery 
was in the Southern regions they never once failed to make an 
observation every two hours. The lowest temperature recorded 
was sixty-eight degrees below zero, about a hundred degrees of 
frost. Mr. Shackleton then went on to picture and describe the 
historic sledge journey which resulted in Capt. Scott, Dr. Wilson, 
and himself reaching the furthest point South yet touched by 
man. They started out on November 2nd, 1902, with nineteen 
dogs, sledges, provisions for eighty-four days, and other necessary 
equipment, and he thought that if they had taken more dogs they 
' would have got still further South. The dogs died off, and finally 
they had to drag their own sledges. Half of the baggage had to 
be taken forward, and the other half returned for, and, under these 
circumstances, it was impossible to advance more than five miles 
daily, which meant that they had to cover fifteen miles a day. 
