PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS IN SECTION E. 
GEOGRAPHY. 
By We Ha MISKENGS shy BS: 
Ir was not without a certain degree of reluctance that I accepted 
the honor and responsibility of the post of presiding over the 
deliberations of Section E of this, the second Congress of the 
Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science ; but 
the desire to promote the views, as I understand them, of the 
authorities to whom has been entrusted the direction of these 
proceedings, 7.e., to secure the representation of each of the 
various colonies in the presidential chairs of the several sections, 
tempted me to overcome the scruple that otherwise prompted me, 
from the consciousness of my own unfitness, to presume to take 
the lead in the presence of so many gentlemen of far greater 
experience and capacity. Having, however, committed myself to 
the task, it behoves me to proceed to fulfil to the best of my 
power the duties that devolve upon me as your President 
upon this auspicious occasion, the first of which—a most pleasur- 
able one—I take to be the offer of a hearty welcome to the 
numerous assemblage here present, and my congratulations upon 
the happy meeting of so many colleagues gathered together from 
all parts of our great southern land—a felicitous augury, I 
venture to express the hope, of future federation upon other and 
more extended subjects—to deal with the particular branch of 
science that has been deputed as our share of the proceedings of 
the present Association meeting. 
The pleasure which, however, we may derive from these 
considerations is shadowed by the reflection of the cause that has 
led to the occupancy of the chair by the present holder. You 
will, of course, anticipate that I refer to the loss to the science of 
Geography and to our deliberations to-day—the lamented decease 
of one who has done so much in Australasia in the furtherance 
of the cause we have at heart, and who would have so much 
more worthily and efficiently under happier circumstances have 
addressed you upon this occasion—the late Sir Edward Strick- 
land. Reguiescat in pace. It is also my mournful duty to refer to 
another heavy loss to the, alas, but too meagre ranks in this part 
of the world of men who are able and willing to devote their 
energies and talents to the pursuit of science—the late Rev. J. 
E. Tenison-Woods, a fellow of the R. G. Society, and an hon. 
