72 
Benjamin Lee, made seventy-five or more years ago, but having 
one valuable feature. Near the village he gave the soundings 
three times across at intervals of a quarter mile, then of a half 
mile, then in every mile in the middle of the lake, his last sound- 
ing being ten miles up. All the way he recorded the kind of bot- 
tom. 
The other map was made by the Cornell University engi- 
neering class, with the best instruments, and with ample time 
and care, and is a fine piece of work. The contour of the hills, 
ravines, the points and streams, the surroundings and other 
things are there. A far less elaborate work would it be for a class 
from the High school or university to give us a similar map of 
Onondaga lake. Perhaps it would not be difficult enough. It is 
worth doing, however, and members of this academy could see it 
done. 
There are some questions of interest about animals which 
once lived here. In this city strange bones and horns have been 
reported from excavations. I saw some fine elk horns not long 
since from this vicinity, and have drawn a tooth of the fossil 
elephant which once dwelt here. As time goes on more of these 
traces of early animals will be found, and a society like this will 
see them cared for. For lack of one much has been lost. Let us 
hope that a permanent home for future material will soon be ours. 
You will observe in this that I have passed over some im- 
portant branches of science. ‘‘ The heavens declare the glory of 
God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork.” To my mind 
there is nothing so elevating, so plain an evidence of the Creator’s 
wisdom and power, so suggestive of the endless enjoyments of an 
eternal life, as considering the heavens as they appear, or their 
greater glories as seen through the glass. Earthly things be- 
come insignificant; earthly life is as nothing. 
We may not be able to do much here, astronomically, but 
the mere machinery and work of the Syracuse Observatory, well 
explained, would be of great interest to some. How much more 
to all would be occasional addresses on the more striking phe- 
nomena of the heavens. 
We have not overlooked the skill of the physician and sur- 
