BY ALEX. MORTON. 119 



Launcestou. Sir William Detiisou, whose interest in the 

 society was very great, Avas responsible for many papers on 

 agricultural subjects, and had some experimental plots 

 prepared in the paddock in front of the present Groveroment 

 House to determine the best way to sow potatoes for large 

 crops. He also had some observations on the best way to 

 grow turnips, which seemed to be full of practical common 

 sense. 



When one remembers that' from 1849 to 1854 the period of 

 unrest and excitement in consequence of the discovery of 

 gold were at their height, one can the better appreciate the 

 devotion shown by those who remained at their ordinary 

 avocations, and gave so much in time and money to further the 

 cause of science and education in the laud of their adoption. 

 It was, however, impossible that the Royal Society should 

 not feel some reflex of the tide of excitement which was 

 turning the heads of so many in the community. Yet their 

 work seems neither to have oeen left undone, or done badly, 

 in the stress of the times. Every subject that was at all 

 likely to educate the people, either iu agriculture or engineer- 

 ing, in social science, or in manufactures, was taken up in a 

 spirit of readiness and helpfulness, that must have been of 

 the greatest use in a new community, and that marked it as 

 an educative force in all directions. Natural History was, of 

 course, not neglected. The discoveries of giant extinct 

 marsupials, whether in New South Wales or elsewhere, were 

 reported to the Journals of the Society, and aroused much 

 intelligent interest. Reverting for a moment to the gold 

 discovery, I am reminded that gold was discovered in 

 California in 1847, but in 1846 Sir R. Murchison, who two 

 years before that stated that no gold had been discovered in 

 Australia, though he expected it would eventually be found 

 there, received from New South Wales a small parcel con- 

 taining gold in quartz, as a proof that his expectation had 

 been realised. Some Cornish miners were advised by him to 

 go and seek for gold iu the alluvial of New South Wales, and 

 in 1848 he interviewed Earl Grey, then Minister for the 

 Colonies, informing him of the strong ground he had for 

 believing in the existence of large bodies of gold ore, in 

 Cjuartz, at that remote spot; but Earl Grey took no steps in 

 the matter, as he thought that the discovery of gold would 

 be very embarassing to the interests of a wool country. He 

 had yet to learn how adaptable a wool country may be to 

 other forms of industry. 



A medical paper was contributed by Dr. Bedford on the 

 treatment of Scarlet Fever, which attained the dimensions of 

 an epidemic during the years 1852-3. His recommendation 



