Proceedings, &c. } for 1884. 163 



telegraph. It would be an invidious and indeed impossible task 

 to arrange in order of merit the names of the early workers 

 in this direction. But he thought there could be no doubt that 

 Dr. Davy's name could deservedly take its place among those of 

 the founders of the electric telegraph. 



Mr. M'Gowan said he had the honour of intimate acquaintance 

 with Dr. Davy, and he could attest, from his own personal 

 knowledge, that the relay instrument, invented and constructed by 

 Dr. Davy nearly fifty years ago, was identical in principle with 

 that now universally used. 



Mr. Selby said that, having studied the history of the early 

 development of the electric telegraph, he was quite certain that 

 Dr. Davy had every claim to be considered one of the founders of 

 the telegraph. 



Mr. Bosisto moved, and Mr. Posales seconded, the following 

 motion, which was unanimously adopted : — " That the Royal 

 Society, being assured of Dr. Davy's claims to consideration as 

 one of the inventors of the electric telegraph, resolves to do all in 

 its power to secure the recognition of his services." 



Mr. Sutherland moved, and Mr. Macdonald seconded, the 

 following resolution, which was adopted unanimously : — " That 

 the President, the Vice-Presidents, Mr. Bosisto, Mr. M'Gowan, 

 Mr. Blackett, Mr. Newbery, and Mr. Selby be asked to form a 

 deputation to the Premier to urge the claims of Dr. Davy on the 

 Government of Victoria." 



Mr. Sutherland moved, and Mr. White seconded, the following 

 resolution, which was carried unanimously : — " That a subscrip- 

 tion list be opened for the purpose of presenting a testimonial to 

 Dr. Davy, and that the Council of the Society be empowered to 

 grant a sum not exceeding £50 with which to head the list." 



The meeting then resolved itself into an ordinary meeting of 

 the Society, when the librarian reported the receipt of 26 volumes 

 and 192 parts during the past three months. 



Mr. Johnston Hicks and the Hon. W. M. K. Vale were elected 

 members. 



A paper by Dr. Curl, of New Zealand, was read, in which he 

 endeavoured to prove that the drawings and inscriptions found by 

 Captain Grey in caves in Western Australia are of Phoenician 

 origin. He considered that the marks as given in Captain Grey's 

 volumes are sufficiently close in appearance to some of the Syrian 

 alphabets to warrant the translation, " I am Goliath," and that the 

 figure is in many respects in keeping with such an origin. 



A vote of thanks was passed to Dr. Curl for his paper, and the 

 secretaries were directed to refer it to Mr. Andrew Harper, M.A., 

 for his opinion as to the correctness of the views it contained in 

 regard to the alleged resemblance of the inscriptions to the letters 

 of the Syrian alphabet. 



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