442 



NATURE 



[March 9, 1899 



"Prof. Lodge was appointed to Liverpool University College 

 in 1881, and since that lime he had been closely associated 

 with the work of the institution and done much to advance its 

 reputation. Those who had come under the guidance and 

 instruction of Prof. Lodge testified uniformly to his urbanity, 

 courtesy, and kindness, and to the clearness and completeness 

 of the instruction which he afforded them, but, apart from that, 

 the original experimental work of Prof. Lodge entitled him to 

 the greatest distinction. Their guest was a many-sided man, 

 but the irreproachable certificate of his cccellency as a man of 

 science he received when he was awarded the Rumford 

 Medal by the Royal Society. As to Prof. Lodge's attach- 

 ment to Liverpool, it was so far back as 1 88 1 that they 

 were fortunate enough to secure association with him, and, 

 notwithstanding temptations — some they knew of, and others 

 of which they did not know — he had remained faithful 

 to Liverpool. He thought he voiced the feelings of his 

 fellow-citizens when he expressed the hope that Prof. Lodge 

 would long continue his work in their midst. University 

 College was an institution of which, with every reason, they 

 were most proud, and he believed that in addition to the in- 

 struction which was there imparted, the taste of the community 

 was directly raised, and the relations of the community to 

 thought were very considerably ennobled by the existence of 

 the college in their midst. The honour done to Prof. Lodge 

 by awarding him the Rumford Medal was emphasised by the 

 presence that night of some of the foremost men of science — 

 Sir William Crookes, Prof. Fitzgerald, Prof. Myers, and others. 

 If it required any further emphasis, it would have been afl'orded 

 by the letters which he had received from some of the most 

 prominent men of the time, in which they all expres.sed their 

 deep regret at not being able to be present to do honour to their 

 distinguished guest." 



The Lord Mayor in conclusion alluded to the necessity 

 for the erection and endowment of a physical laboratory 

 at University College, and expressed the hope that before 

 long one worthy of the institution would be provided, in 

 which Prof. Lodge could carry on his important scientific 

 work. 



Prof. Lodge said he could not adequately express his sense of 

 gratitude to the Lord Mayor for his speech — a speech of trans- 

 parent sincerity — whether he deserved it or not. The chief 

 magistrate had spoken about the endowment of a physical 

 laboratory. The man or men who endowed such a laboratory 

 in Liverpool would be doing a tremendous piece of work for 

 the advancement of science. They of University College felt 

 greatly indebted to the Lord Mayor for that magnificent recep- 

 tion and entertainment, and they rejoiced in the links that 

 were every year drawing closer the city and University 

 College. The contact could not be too close. He desired 

 to take that opportunity of expressing his deep sen.se of 

 the extreme kindness which had been shown to him during the 

 time he had been in Liverpool. A few of his friends had gone, 

 and amongst others, (ieorge Holt. No one helped him more 

 directly in his scientific work than George Holt. The require- 

 ments of a man of science were not only friendly, but, un- 

 fortunately, they were also material, and it was a great thing 

 that citizens of Liverpool and other places helped men of science 

 to do their work. That was what George I lolt and others had 

 done, and what he believed others would do. The gathering 

 that night was a remarkable proof of the amount of good 

 feeling and appreciation shown by scientific men for the magni- 

 ficent act of the Lord Mayor in di>ing honour to science, for the 

 honour was really done to the Rumford Medal of the Royal 

 Society. The chief magistrate of Liverpool recognised in the 

 Royal Society the fountain of all purely scientific honour in this 

 country, and he also recognised the biennial award of the Rum- 

 ford Medal as an event of national— nay, even sometimes of inter- 

 national importance — because it was often given to foreigners, and 

 in this way promoted friendly feeling among the workers in 

 science in different parts of the world. Jt was undoubtedly a 

 great honour to receive the Rumford Medal, and he was 

 astonished when he got the intimation that by some concaten- 

 ation of circumstances it had been awarded to him. After a 

 reference to the splendid work done in connection with Uni- 

 versity College by Dr. Rendal, the former principal. Prof. 

 Lodge concluded by saying that they in this peaceful and pros- 

 perous time had inherited the fruits of the labours of thousands 

 who had gone before, and as the Lord .Mayor had reminded 



NO. 1532, VOL. 59] 



them, they owed a great deal to the splendid era of peace 

 through which they had lived, for it had given them an insight 

 into the processes of nature more deeply than ever it was possible 

 before. Science was yet in its infancy, human civilisation was 

 but emerging from its cradle, the smoke and the noise and the 

 squalor outside were evidences that we had not proceeded far on 

 the road to civilisation ; but we had made a start — a secure start, 

 he hoped, this time — and he thought the human race would not 

 again fall back. 



Principal Cdazebrook, speaking later, said that the esti- 

 mated cost of a physical laboratory for Liverpool was 

 between 30,000/. and 40,000/. One generous donor who 

 at present wished to remain unknown had promised 

 10,000/, and that night Sir John Brunner had offered 

 5000/., whilst Mr. ."Mfred Booth had made a challenge 

 offer of 2500/. if three other gentlemen would give the 

 same amount. 



The dinner, then, has not been without important 

 results, and we hope that such an admirable precedent 

 will be often followed. 



AN ANTARCTIC MEETING IN BERLIN. 

 T7\"ER since the idea of despatching a German e.\- 

 -'--^ ploring expedition to the Antarctic was first 

 mooted in 1895, the leading scientific men of that 

 country, headed by the veteran champion of Antarctic 

 research, Ur. Xcumayr, have been untiring in their 

 efforts to bring the idea to practical realisation, 

 and one by one most of the preliminary difficulties 

 have been overcome. A year ago the project beg.an 

 to take definite shape, and the important question 

 of the choice of a leader was solved by the adoption as 

 such of Dr. Erich von Drygalski, then on the point of 

 completing his lengthened studies on the inland ice of 

 Greenland. During the past twelvemonth meetings 

 have been held in many of the chief cities of Germany, 

 where the proposals put forward by Dr. Drygalski and 

 others have met with an enthusiastic response. The 

 only remaining obstacle to success is the largeness of the 

 sum required for the expedition, which can hardly be 

 raised by private subscriptions, although these have 

 already reached a considerable amount. It has there- 

 fore been necessary to look for Government aid in the 

 matter, and the promoters of the enterprise have met 

 with cordial encouragement in official c|uarters ; but, 

 with a view to further arousing the interest of influential 

 circles in the capital, a combined meeting of the Berlin 

 Geographical .Society and of the Berlin-Charlottenburg 

 section of the Clerman Colonial Society was held on 

 January 16 last, under the presidencx of Baron von 

 Kichthofen, for the purpose of putting before the public 

 the reasons for the despatch of an expedition and the 

 plans which have already been formed for its prosecution. 

 The meeting, at which many distinguished visitors 

 were present by invitation of the two societies, was 

 opened by a short preliminary address from Baron von 

 Kichthofen, who sketched the history of the movement, 

 and gave sonic account of the previous polar work of the 

 chosen leader. Then, after some remarks by Prince von 

 .'\renberg, who represented the Colonial Society, Dr. von 

 Drygalski spoke on the scientific, practical and national 

 importance of the jjioposed expedition. He began by 

 contrasting the broad features of the North and South 

 Polar regions — the former now known to be occupied by 

 a deep sea, the scattered islands in which form but the 

 outposts of the known continents — while, in the South, 

 men's minds have from very early times pictured the 

 existence of a vast polar continent, the glamour of which 

 long exercised a potent attraction on voyagers, and was 

 finally dissipateil only by the discoveries of (,'ook at the 

 end of the last century. Sketching the progress of dis- 

 covery since that navigator's time, the speaker laid stress 

 on the important influence e.xerted by the German 



