384 MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 



native but to conform with France, if we desire general uniformity. 

 The change might easily be introduced in scientific literature, and 

 in that case it would probably extend itself by degrees among the 

 commercial classes without much legislative pressure. Besides 

 the advantage which would thus be gained in regard to uniformity, 

 I am convinced that the adoption of the decimal division of the 

 French scale would be attended with great convenience, both in 

 science and commerce. I can speak from personal experience of 

 the superiority of the decimal measurement in all cases where ac- 

 curacy is required in mechanical construction. In the Elswick 

 Works, as well as in some other large establishment of the same 

 description, the inch is adopted as the unit, and all fractional parts 

 are expressed in decimals. No difficulty has been experienced in 

 habituating the workmen to the use of this method, and it has 

 greatly contributed to precision of workmanship. The inch, how- 

 ever, is too small a unit, and it would be advantageous to substitute 

 the metre, if general concurrence could be obtained. As to our 

 thermometric scale, it was originally found in error ; it is also most 

 inconvenient in division, and ought at once to be abandoned in 

 favour of the Centigrade scale. The recognition of the metric 

 system and of the Centigrade scale by the numerous men of science 

 composing the British Association, would be a most important step 

 towards aflecting that universal adoption of the French standards 

 in this country which sooner or later will inevitably take place ; 

 and the Association in its collective capacity might take the lead 

 in this good work, by excluding in future all other standards from 

 their published proceedings. 



DISCOVERY OF SOURCES OF NILE. 



The recent discovery of the source of the Nile by Captains Speke 

 and Grant has solved a problem in geography which has been a 

 subject of speculation from the earliest ages. It is an honour to 

 England that this interesting discovery has been made by two of 

 her sons ; and the British Association, which is accustomed to 

 value every addition to knowledge for its own sake, whether or not 

 it be attended with any immediate utility, will at once appreciate 

 the importance of the discovery and the courage and devotion by 

 which it has been accomplished. The Royal Geological Society, 

 under the able presidency of Sir Roderick Murchison, was chiefly 

 instrumental in procuring the organization of the expedition which 

 has resulted in this achievement, and the success of the Society's 

 labours in connexion with this and other cases of African explora- 



