INAUGURAL ADDRESS. ie 
but does not solve the problem. Can the principle of stenography 
be drawn into use for this purpose? Classic languages, grandly 
developed more than 2,000 years ago, continue to give an 
antique firmness to Gaipenaipnal writing ; but, after all, England 
has given its language to already one-fonr th of the world, a 
language of powerful conciseness and flexible expressibility, 
doubtless destined to become still more and more predominating 
in the course of time. 
There is one publication which concerns Australia much, but 
is in its value here too scantily recognised—that of the Royal 
Colonial Institute, a union much brought about by the thoughtful 
activity of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, and largely tending 
through essays and discussions of leading colonists, to unite the 
interests of the British Colonies with those of the great home- 
country for more solidifying the Empire. 
Chronologic writings exist for political but not for scientitic 
events ; a volume of the Histor y of the British Association 
would almost be equivalent to a connected record of discoveries 
effected since its founding, as foreign achievements were never 
lost sight of. A history of all universities from original local 
archives would carry authentic and comprehensive records of all 
sciences also into medieval remoteness, and yet could be held within 
trenchant briefness—local extra-academic working not likely 
being passed at the respective seats of universal knowledge. By 
the co-operation of specialists the prominent points of still earlier 
discoveries might be readily adduced quite into the dawn of 
civilisation. 
A new principle for facilitating scientific pursuits deserves to 
be alluded to at this occasion on account of its wide applicability, 
namely: to afford special convenience for original research in 
distant countries, as thereby additional inducements are offered 
for particular studies far abroad. A commencement thus far was 
made by the establishment of the biologic station at Naples. 
But to the Dutch belongs the credit of adopting ampler measures 
in this direction, so far as to fit up local working rooms, and as to 
lessen the expenditure for a lengthened stay of naturalists in 
Java, one of the most attractive places, as you are aware, for 
whoever wishes to study nature in its tropical grandeur. Several 
leading scientists have availed themselves already of this induce- 
ment; and Ceylon—still nearer to Europe—so as to be with 
sufficient advantage within reach during the long annual profes- 
sional vacations, is now also resorted to. If Australia could 
follow this example, we would see oftener on our shores illustrious 
strangers, who might wish to spend a scientific furlough rather 
among widely different scenes in nature, and to roam among 
a vast number of new objects, than to travel within much traversed 
and scientifically more exhausted areas ; and they might perhaps 
come accredited also as delegates to the Australian Association— 
B 
