OF THE AUSTRALIAN MEETING. 703 
The Lord Mayor of Melbourne (Mr. Hennessy), President of the 
Overseas Club, and other members of its Council, waited upon 
Professor Bateson at Federal Government House in order to presen‘ 
him as President of the Association with an address of welcome from 
the Club. 
At 8.30 p.m., in the Auditorium, Dr. F. W. Dyson, F.R.S., 
Astronomer Royal, delivered a Discourse on ‘ Greenwich Observatory.’ 
He discussed the history of the Observatory, its work, and the labours 
of some of his predecessors in office; a number of astronomical photo- 
graphs were shown and explained. A vote of thanks was proposed by 
Professor Orme Masson, F.R.S., and seconded by Mr. P. Baracchi, 
Government Astronomer. 
At 8 p.m., in the Town Hall, Professor H. B. Dixon, F.R.S., 
delivered a Citizens’ Lecture on‘ Explosions,’ His Excellency the State 
Governor presiding. 
Wednesday, August 19.—Sectional work was continued in the 
morning, but the time available was limited by the hour fixed for the 
ileparture of the party from Melbourne for Sydney. 
Railway Arrangements.— The departure took place at 2.15 p.m. A 
very heavy train of the finest rolling stock, including observation and 
dining cars and drawn by two locomotives, conveyed the party as far 
as Albury, where a break of gauge occurs between the railways of 
Victoria (5 ft. 3 in.) and of New South Wales (4 ft. 84 in.). The 
Members were the guests of the Victorian Railway Commissioners 
at afternoon tea and dinner on this train. 
At Albury Members were transferred to three special sleeping-car 
trains. 
Changes in Homeward Steamship Sailings.—It had become known 
by this time that the three ships by which the majority of the 
Members had travelled out (the Orvieto, Ascanius, and Huripides), and 
by which many intended to return, had been requisitioned, among 
others, for Government purposes (conveyance of troops, &c.) in con- 
nection with the war. Mr. Atlee Hunt, of the Commonwealth 
Department of External Affairs, and the representatives of the ship- 
ping companies concerned, gave the executive officers of the Associa- 
tion every help in ensuring that definite information in this matter 
should be furnished to Overseas Members as soon as available. The 
official arrangements for the visit of a party of Members to New 
Zealand had been cancelled (as narrated elsewhere). It therefore 
became necessary to the organisation that a further inquiry should be 
made of Members as to any change in their plans regarding their stay 
in and departure from Australia. This inquiry was made by means of 
a printed form distributed in the train between Melbourne and Albury. 
Overseas Members’ Contribution to Australian Patriotic Funds.— 
It had also been decided, at a meeting of the General Officers on 
August 15, that Members in the Overseas Party should be given an 
opportunity of subscribing to one of the Patriotic Funds then being 
raised in Australia, and in this connection also advantage was taken 
of the gathering together in one train of practically the whole party to 
