12 President's Address 



Telescope, which by-the-bye is now to be styled the Great 

 Melbourne Telescope, was approaching completion, and its 

 arrival might be expected in the course of a few months. It 

 has, however, not yet reached us. Several unlooked for 

 delays in its construction occurred, principally owing to 

 the determination on the part of the manufacturer, 

 Mr. Grubb, that nothing but the very highest excellence in 

 all its parts should go to its construction. 



Many of you, no doubt, read the interesting letter of Dr. 

 Robinson, of Armagh, which appeared in the daily papers 

 a week or two since, respecting his inspection and trial of 

 this great instrument, and that he passes a high eulogium on 

 the excellence of its mechanical details, as well as of its 

 optical powers, so far as he was enabled to judge from the 

 imperfect trial he had with it in this respect. We are 

 expecting every mail to hear of its shipment, and there 

 appears to be every probability of its being even now on its 

 way. M. Le Sueur, a gentleman selected by the committee 

 as an observer for this telescope, comes out with it, and will 

 occupy the position of second assistant-astronomer at the 

 Observatory. Of this gentleman's high qualifications for the 

 work before him we have the best testimony. You are 

 aware, no doubt, that apparatus for celestial photogra- 

 phy and spectrum analysis of the light of the heavenly 

 bodies will form part of the appliances of this gigantic in- 

 strument, and I trust that Dr. Robinson's hope, " that an 

 inestimable harvest of discovery and triumph will crown 

 this magnificent enterprise," will be fully realised. I have 

 obtained a few photographs of a lithograph of the Great 

 Melbourne Telescope, which •will be handed to you at the 

 conclusion of this address. 



Tt appears that some kind of a building with movable 

 roof will be necessary to protect it from the great damage 

 likely to arise, if exposed to the dust-storms we are liable to; 



