president's address. 33 



in numbers probably still roll on in their courses around the sun 

 unseen by man. We know that more than three hundred of 

 these little asteroids are revolving in unerring orbits between 

 Mars and Jupiter, and possibly many hundreds more may be 

 discovered during the life of the present generation. Stars, the 

 centres of other systems as boundless as all that we behold on 

 the most brilliant night in winter, have been proved to possess 

 the most mysterious peculiarities, some of which we may be able 

 to explain, while the rest must remain to be deciphered by the 

 advanced astronomy of the future. 



But though astronomy may claim an antiquity reaching, by 

 tradition, so far back as the time of Abraham, when the 

 Chaldeans, according to Herodotus, gave the names to thirty-six 

 of the principal constellations, much that is included in modern 

 astronomy makes it comparatively a new science, if we consider 

 the wonderful discoveries made during the last 120 years. 

 However, astronomy is still advancing with giant strides, in 

 company with many of the other physical sciences, and we 

 entertain no fear for the future nor need we envy our descend- 

 ants the enjoyment of the accumulation of observed facts, or 

 the comprehensive grasp which they must naturally have of the 

 science of the visible universe, compared with what we are 

 enjoying near the end of the nineteenth century. It is sufficient 

 for us to know that there is still good astronomical work 

 remaining for us to do, while at the same time we may devoutly 

 recognise the scantiness of our knowledge compared with the 

 vast universe of created worlds, and humbly exclaim when we 

 give an intelligent glance upwards to the starry heavens, " 

 Lord, how manifold are Thy works ! in wisdom hast Thou made 

 them all." 



