296 Presidentship of Da<vies Gilbert 1829 



winding up of the affairs of the late Treasurer so far as 

 the interests of the Club were concerned. The result of 

 the investigation was entirely satisfactory : the meeting could 

 be informed that " the embarrassment in the accounts of 

 the Club occasioned by the loss of the late Treasurer is thus 

 terminated." 



It was further reported that the expenses since the previous 

 Anniversary amounted to 120 us. 6d. and that the balance 

 actually in hand was 38 I2s. iod., though to this sum 

 when arrears of subscriptions were paid 23 would be 

 added. 



The contribution for the ensuing year was again fixed 

 at 2. 



The losses of the Club by death during the past year were 

 exceptionally severe, for they included two of the most dis- 

 tinguished members William Hyde Wollaston and Thomas 

 Young. Wollaston became seriously ill from a painful 

 brain disease in the latter part of the year 1828. On St. 

 Andrew's Day the President announced the award of a 

 Royal Medal to him for his scientific work ; but it came too 

 late, for he died three weeks after the announcement. Sir 

 John Barrow records of Wollaston's illness that " when he 

 was nearly in the last agonies, one of his friends having 

 observed, loud enough for him to hear, that he was not 

 conscious of what was passing around him, he made a sign 

 for pencil and paper. He then wrote down some figures, 

 and after casting up the sum, returned the paper. The 

 amount was correct." I 



The death of Thomas Young at the comparatively early age 

 of fifty-six was a grievous loss to science. He continued 

 up to the end to fill the office of Foreign Secretary to the 

 Royal Society which he had held since 1804. Another death 

 this year was that of Roger Wilbraham. 



In considering the question of the enforcement of the 

 regulation as to non-attendance, the meeting at this Anni- 

 versary decided that Major Rennell should be in future a 

 permanent member of the Club without reference to his 

 1 Sketches of the Royal Society, p. 65. 



