L PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 



rejoice to see restored to his normal robust health, in his presiden- 

 tial address to the Royal Society of New South Wales, delivered 

 1st May, 1912. Extremely important meteorological observations, 

 especially with reference to the higher atmosphere and its tempera- 

 ture, pressure, and movements, have been obtained by Dr. 

 Simpson, who, by means of unmanned balloons, has been able to 

 study accurately the conditions in the higher atmosphere of the 

 Antarctic up to heights of about 26,000 feet. 



His method of recovering the tiny meteorograph apparatus 

 no bigger than a watch when it fell sometimes at a distance of 

 as much as 10 miles from where it was sent up, by means of a 

 delicate silken thread paid out automatically as fast as the balloon 

 rose, and set free by a timed attachment which dropped the self- 

 recording meteorograph from the balloon, was as simple and 

 effective as it was ingenious. 



Important researches in physics are being carried on by Mr. 

 S. Wright, who in the absence of Dr. Simpson and Mr. Griffith 

 Taylor, is now in charge of both the meteorological and magnetic 

 work formerly undertaken by Dr. Simpson. One of the most 

 interesting results obtained by the biologist, Mr. Lillie, and Mr. 

 Nelson, has been the securing of enormous quantities of that 

 remarkable vertebrate Cephalodiscus. Some very interesting 

 geological surveys and glacial explorations were conducted by Mr. 

 Griffith Taylor and Mr. Frank Debenham. 



One may rely on a young scientist of Mr. Taylor's genius to 

 make important original contributions to our knowledge of these 

 branches of knowledge, and, to judge from the accounts from 

 head-quarters of the work of Mr. Frank Debenham, it is clear 

 that it too will form a valuable addition to our knowledge of 

 the petrology and physiography of the Ross Quadrant. Mr. R. 

 E. Priestley, my geological colleague in the Shackleton Antarctic 

 Expedition, though cramped, geologically, at Cape Adare on 

 account of the surrounding inaccessible mountains, has accom- 

 plished most useful meteorological work, and no doubt has 

 obtained valuable geological information; when, as a member of 

 Lieut. Campbell's party, he explored the region around the base 

 of Mt. Nansen. 



Although there is every reason to hope that Lieut. Campbell's 

 party have long ere this returned in safety to head-quarters, there 

 is still some little room for anxiety. Last February, the Terra 

 Nova attempted on several occasions to take up this party, but 

 were prevented by dense belts of pack ice, which prevented the 

 ship getting within less than about 10 m.iles of the shore. Pro- 

 bably they would either winter near Evans' Cove, opposite Mt. 

 Nansen, or would retreat by the very difficult and dangerous 

 route along the coastal plain, intersected at intervals by more 



