president's address — SECTION J. 199 



The profession of engineering is one of the most interesting 

 and attractive in the world : the open air life, the variety and 

 importance of the operations which require tlie attention of the 

 engineer, the busy life, with constant change of locality, the 

 absence of the monotony common to many professions, and the 

 conspicuous nature of the work in which he takes part, 

 infallibly tend to attract young men to the profession, with 

 the equally infallible consequence of an amount of over- 

 crowding which is the bitter drop iu the engineer's cup of bliss, 

 and often brings anxiety and disap])ointment at the time of life 

 when the young engineer is full ot his highest hopes. 



Like the soldier and sailor, the engineer is a long-suffering 

 and much enduring man ; he cheerfully follows his duty, 

 whether it calls him to the burning plains of India or Australia, 

 the fever haunted wilds of Africa, or the frosty heights of the 

 Andes, and leaving great and enduring works to serve as 

 monuments to the century he lives in, he is content with the 

 most modest recognition of his services, and is satisfied if he 

 has been useful to his country and faithful to his profession. 



To the public the engineering profession is the most 

 important of all professions in the domains of peaceful 

 iiiclustry ; without it the community is helpless, and must 

 I'etrograde into semi-barbarism . The standard of civilisation, as 

 well as the industry and wealth of a people, are measured by 

 their engineering works, and this is not exclusively a feature 

 of our days. In the remote.^t times of antiquity, whose records 

 are lost and tradition even is silent, the sight of some vast 

 reservoir, some rows of lofty columns buried in the primeval 

 forest, some great causeway crossing a wild and deserted 

 country, points with certainty to the work of a great and 

 wealthy people now entirely forgotten. 



Let these colonies not forget that wealth and greatness are 

 measured by their engineering works, and if they would 

 entertain the honourable ambition, once more popular than 

 now, of being remembered to the distant ages of the future, let 

 them emulate those mighty peoples of the past who left 

 imperishable records of their life in the ruins of their vast 

 public works. 



