178 



NATURE 



[June 25, 1896 



tributing to whatever can possibly be done by their daily meetings 

 together. I dislike the term lecture applied here. I prefer the 

 French e.\pression — "conference." I feel that every meeting 

 of a professor with his students is rather a conference than a 

 pumping in of doctrine from the professor, perhaps ill-under- 

 stood and not well received by his students. The Scottish 

 universities have enabled us to carry out this French idea of 

 conference. In many of our classes the professor is accustomed 

 to converse with his students sometimes in the form of vk\i 

 voce examination and oftener, I hope, in the manner of the 

 interchange of thoughts, the professor discovering whether or 

 not the student is following his lecture, and being thus 

 really helped in his treatment of the subject. I have had 

 addresses also from my old Japanese students of Glasgow 

 University, now professors in the University of Tokio, or occu- 

 pying posts in the Civil Service and Engineering Service of 

 Japan, for which I thank them heartily. I wish particularly 

 also to thank my Baltimore coefficients for their address. They 

 have been useful to myself in my own keen endeavour — 

 unsuccessful, I must say — nevertheless keen— to know some- 

 thing about the true dynamics of light and ether and crystals. 

 The addresses which I have received to-day contain liberal 

 and friendly appreciation of all my published mathematical 

 and physical papers, beginning in 1S40, and ending — 

 not yet I hope. The small proportion of that long series 

 of writings which has led to some definite advancement of 

 science is amply credited for its results. The larger part, for 

 which so much cannot be said, is treated with unfailing and 

 sympathetic kindness as a record of persevering endeavour to see 

 below the surface of matter. It has been carried on in the faith 

 that the time is to come when much that is now dark in physical 

 science shall be seen bright and clear, if not by ourselves, by 

 our successors in the work. I am much gratified by the 

 generous minner in which these addresses have referred to the 

 practical applications of science in my work for submarine tele- 

 graphy ; my contributions to the advancement of theoretical and 

 practical knowledge of the tides ; my improvements in the oldest 

 and next oldest of scientific aids to navigation, the sounding 

 plummet and the mariner's compass ; and my electric measuring 

 instruments for scientific laboratories, for the observation of 

 atmospheric electricity, and for electrical engineering. I now 

 ask the distinguished men who have honoured me by presenting 

 to me these addresses to accept for themselves personally, and 

 for the societies represented by them, my warmest thanks for 

 the great treasure which I have thus received — good will, kind- 

 ness, friendship, sympathy, encouragement for more work — a 

 treasure of which no words can adequately describe the value. 

 I cordially thank the French Academy of Sciences for their great 

 kindness in sending me by the hands of my loved and highly 

 esteemed colleague Prof. Mascart the Arago Medal of the Institute 

 of France. I thank all present in this great assembly for their 

 kindness, which touches me deeply ; and I thank the City and 

 University of Glasgow for the crowning honour of my life which 

 they have conferred on me by holding a commemoration of the 

 Jubilee of my Professorship. 



A more dignified and imposing ceremony than that 

 which was now closed with the benediction pronounced 

 by Prof. Stewart, was never witnessed at the University 

 of (ilasgow. Anything more striking and impressive of 

 an academic nature it is hardly possible to conceive. 

 The demeanour of the students and general public was 

 respectful, and at the same time displayed the most 

 enthusiastic regard for the hero of the occasion, and all 

 the arrangements worked without the slightest hitch or 

 fault. 



In the evening at seven o'clock a grand banquet was 

 given in the St. Andrews Hails to about six hundred 

 gentlemen, including all the delegates and other dis- 

 tinguished strangers present at the celebration. On the 

 platform of the hall three principal tables were arranged, 

 at which were seated the Lord Provost, with Lord Kelvin 

 and other gentlemen, who were afterwards to speak, or 

 who, for various reasons, it was proper should be so 

 honoured. 



The Lord Provost occupied the chair at the first table, 

 and was supported on the right by Lord Kelvin, His 

 Excellency General .Annibale Ferrero, the Italian Am- 

 .bassador, the Right Hon. Lord Rayleigh, D.C.L., LL.D., 



NO. 1 39 1, VOL. 54] 



F.R.S., Prof Newcomb (Washington), Lord Overtoun, 

 the Lord Justice General of Scotland, Prof Picard (Paris), 

 Lord Shand, General Sir Archibald Alison, Bart. ; and 

 on the left by the Earl of Rosse, K.P. (Chancellor of the 

 University of Dublin), Sir Joseph Lister, Bart. (President 

 of the Royal Society), Lord Napier and Ettrick, Prof. 

 Quincke (Heidelberg), Dr. Gill (Astronomer- Royal, Cape 

 of Good Hope), Signor Montcfiore Levi (Brussels), Prof 

 Abbe (Washington), James A. Campbell, LL.D., .M.P. 



On the main floor of the hall were arranged fourteen 

 tables, accommodating about forty guests each. The 

 length of each table ran at right angles to the platform, 

 so that each person could regard the after-dinner speakers 

 comfortably without changing his position. 



.A.fter dinner the front seats of the galleries round the 

 hall were occupied by ladies, who had previously been 

 received on entrance by Lady Bell and Airs. Caird. 



The Lord Provost began by saying — I have been 

 entrusted with a message from Her Majesty the Queen, 

 and, as is customary, I would ask you to stand while 

 Her Majesty's message is being read. It is as follows : — 



The (Jueen commands me to beg that you will kindly express 

 to Lord Kelvin her Majesty's sincere congratulations on the 

 occasion of the jubilee of his professorship in the Glasgow 

 University. Her Majesty trusts that many years of health and 

 prosperity may be in store for him and Lady Kelvin. The 

 Queen is particularly gratified at the presence of so many eminent 

 representatives from all countries of the world who have come to 

 do honour to your distinguished guest. — (Signed) Arthur Bigge, 

 on behalf of her Majesty. 



This message was received with great applause by the 

 company, and the knowledge that Her Majesty had joined 

 her congratulations to those of the whole scientific world 

 gave great and evident pleasure. 



After the toasts of Her Majesty the Queen, the Prince 

 and Princess of Wales, and the other members of the 

 Royal Family had been duly honoured, the Lord Justice 

 General of Scotland proposed that of the Houses of Parlia- 

 ment, coupling it with the names of Lord Rayleigh and 

 Dr. James A. Campbell, member of Parliament for the 

 Glasgow and .\berdeen Universities. 



In concluding his reply on behalf of the House of 

 Lords, Lord Rayleigh said : — 



I suppose there are not very many here present who have 

 followed more closely than I have done the writings with which 

 our guest has furthered science for many years. It would be a 

 commonplace to say that much which now passes as current 

 science has its origin in those writings. But what gives to me 

 more to think about, what is to me a matter of deeply-felt grati- 

 tude, is the twenty or twenty-five years' friendship with him that it 

 has been my own privilege to enjoy — a friendship enlivened by 

 many discussions, some perhaps not without a spice of con- 

 troversy ; but it would be difficult to convey the deep debt 

 of gratitude due for all 1 have learned from him, in his writings 

 or in his stimulating conversation. I feel, however, if I were to 

 enlarge upon this subject, I should be very soon called to order, 

 because I should be trenching on a toast which is soon to 

 be proposed ; but I feel I cannot abstain from saying a few 

 words as a result of the very heartfelt feelings which I have on 

 this subject. 



The Lord Provost, in a most excellent and appreciative 

 speech, next proposed the toast of the evening. He began 

 by reading cable messages from the University of 

 Toronto and the students of the University of Moscow. 

 The latter ran as follows : — 



To the celebrated Lord Kelvin, famous, learned, we send 

 our congratulations, the Moscow University Students. 



Telegrams of regret for absence were read from Lord 

 Salisbury, Sir John Gorst, and others. The Lord Provost 

 also read the following letter from the Principal of the 

 University, unhappily laid aside by illness : — 



The University, Glasgow, June 10, 1S96. 



My dear Sir James, — Will you allow me to express to you 

 and to any others who may chance to notice iny absence, my 

 great disappointment and regret that I am not permitted to be 



