PEOCEEDINGS, AUGUST. XUl 



was evident to him that the weather of the fortnight he was in Hobart 

 would have enabled him to do as much as he had done in Sydney during 

 the preceding two months. i\nd, in conversation with some friends, he 

 expressed regret that such fine skies for the astronomer should not be 

 taken advantage of, and an Astronomical Photographic Observatory 

 established. He was told that Tasmania, like other parts of the world, 

 was passing through a period ot commercial depression, and the 

 Government did not seem to be disposed to add to expenditure by 

 starting an Observatory, but that the late Mr. Leake had left a sum of 

 £10,000 for the foundatioa of a School of Astronomy, and it was hoped 

 that an Observatory would be established very soon. And it seemed to 

 him most fitting that the colony in which this noble bequest was made 

 should be the first to take it up and benefit by its provisions ; and the 

 establishment of a Tasmanian University would, with the co-operation of 

 the Council, enable the trustees to carry out in a most satisfactory 

 manner the wishes of the testator, who indeed seemed to have contem- 

 plated such a natural combination as that now proposed between his 

 tiustees and the Council of the University for the establishment of a 

 School of Astronomy, Such an addition as this to the functions of the 

 University would be an immense advantage. In the first place, it would 

 add to the curriculum another subject which students may take up, 

 either as technical education or as a most valuable mental training in a 

 general course of study. Next, it would induce some students to come to 

 the University in order to attend the lectures on Astronomy, and if 

 provision were made for non-matriculated students to attend the teaching 

 in practical astronomy on payment of fees, there could be no doubt that 

 many would enrol their names. The desire to contribute in some way 

 towards the consummation of the proposed Observatory scheme, which 

 seemed to him so desirable, and so easy of attainment with the means at 

 command, had induced him to make the following suggestions ; but 

 before going on to these Mr. Russell said he would wish to point out 

 that Hobart, in addition to its clear atmosphere, possessed in its high 

 southern latitude a great advantage over any other available place for 

 the new Observatory in the southern hemisphere. It was true that a 

 slightly higher latitude was available in New Zealand, but the climate was 

 less favourable, and the means to build an Observatory were apparently 

 not forthcoming, and if one were erected in New Zealand it would no 

 doubt be at Wellington. So that, practically, Hobart not only possessed 

 the means, but also the best available site in the southern hemisphere 

 for the Leake Observatory. 



The paper dealt very fully with the subject, giving an estimate as to 

 cost, etc. 



The Eev. Geoege Clarke, Vice- Chancellor of the University, said : 

 I am sure that I only express the universal sentiment when I say 

 that our very warmest thanks are due to Mr. Russell for the able 

 and practical paper which has been read to this meeting. It is full not 

 only of his interest in the general cause of science, but of his interest in 

 the particular honour and welfare of Tasmania. One does not need to be 

 an expert to accept his assurance that for position, climate, and atmos- 

 pheric conditions the neighbourhood of Hobart is probably the best place 

 in the Southern Hemisphere for astronomical observation. There are 

 problems waiting to be solved for which we can furnish the data more 

 easily than they can be obtained elsewhere ; and of Mr. Russell's kindly 

 feeling towards us, and his desire that we shovild have the benefit of our 

 position, his paper is sufficient indication. As far as I can gather, it is the 

 feeling of all the colonies that we should have the first and fullest chance 

 of appropriating Mr. Leake's munificent bequest, and that it should only 

 be on our failure in power to take it up that its benefits should be throwa 

 open to the competition of the outside world. It would be satisfactory to 



