BY ALEX. MORTON. Ill 



That brilliant scholar and eminent divine, the Rev. Dr. 

 Lillie, contributed an introductory paper to the first volume 

 of the pi'oceedings, and took a keen interest in the work of 

 the various branches, into which the energies of members 

 were directed. He was for a time Hon. Secretary of the 

 Royal Society, and did much while in that position to further 

 its highest aims. 



The famous geologist, Count Strzelecki, who walked a 

 ■distance of 7,000 miles in investigating the geological con- 

 ditions of Australia and Tasmania, gave some account of his 

 journeyings to this Society, and desci'ibed many little known 

 parts of the island. The Count examined a natural mineral 

 ■water found near Circular Head, and observes, among 

 other things, that it is sufficiently nauseous to be of 

 medicinal value ! Count Strzelecki, in 1845, published the 

 first systematic sketch of the geology and general physical 

 ^hai'acter of Australia and Tasmania. 



A series of very interesting articles, by Captain Cotton, on 

 irrigation, and one on a newly discovered steam digging- 

 machine, remind us that then, as now, there were not 

 wanting those who saw the advantages that would accrue to 

 Tasmania if a more enterprising spii-it were manifested by 

 the residents. 



It is difficult, in looking over volumes in which every word 

 is of historic interest, to leave out any item, but that would 

 need so much more time than I have at my disposal that I 

 must be content to make a selection, not perhaps the best 

 that could be made, but one that is possible to compress into 

 the limit of time available. For a like reason, while there 

 are many names of useful workers left out of this short 

 chronicle, it is not to be supposed that they were not worthy 

 to be all on the roll of honour, but the inexorable demands 

 of time forbid. 



The second volume contains a fuller account of the 

 Antarctic Expedition, and of the lauding in two places, and 

 taking possession in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, of 

 the whole Antarctic Continent. It has not yet become a 

 •summer resort ! 



We are reminded that in the time of Sir John Franklin 

 the " Beagle," with Darwin on Board, called at Hobart, 

 and the great man had opportunities of observing the many 

 interesting things in so new a country. One of the things 

 that filled him with surprise was, that the steamer in which 

 he went to Kangaroo Point had been entirely built in the 

 colony. 



A paper contributed by Dr. Agnew, on the poison of 

 snakes, marks not his first membership, but his first 



