424 



Europe — such men as Arrowsmith, Keith Johnston, Petermann, Hochstetter, etc. — call 

 it always the South Island, while in New Zealand, even in official documents, it is called 

 sometimes by the one, sometimes by the other name. In order to avoid further 

 misunderstanding, would it not be appropriate to give this island the name of Cookland ? 

 for, so far as I am aware, no country visited by that illustrious navigator has been so 

 designated ; or in the case of the Northern Island claiming that name, on the ground of 

 it being the first part of the country where Captain Cook landed, might not another 

 distinct name be given to it, D'Urville Land, Antipodea, and Alexandra Land, having 

 already been proposed. I should have suggested its being called Tasman Land, had not 

 the inhabitants of Tasmania rightly appropriated the name to their island. However, I 

 am quite content to have mooted the subject, and leave it in the hands of our legislators 

 to move in the matter, which, as I believe, deserves some consideration at their hands. 



I have to congratulate you upon the near completion of the new museum building, 

 where it will be possible to find the necessary room for the proper arrangement of the 

 collections belonging to the province, and to which the public has so liberally contributed, 

 and I am proud to say that our Institute may claim some little credit in the work of 

 bringing about this desirable result, it having for several years urged the erection of a 

 proper building upon the Provincial Government, and those of our members who also hold 

 seats in the Provincial Council having likewise laboured in the same direction. 



The report of your Council, laid before you on the 8th of July in this year, justly 

 points ottt that we all have cause to be satisfied with the advance made by the Society 

 during the past year with the accession of new members, and its general prospects in the 

 future. Our principal aim being to promote the intellectual and material progress of 

 Canterbury, a great deal still remains to be done towards accomplishing so desirable an 

 object. At the same time, I may claim the sympathy and assistance of the inhabitants of the 

 province for our Society, which can only progress when the province at large takes an 

 interest in our doings and augments our ranks, so that we may gain more workers in the 

 common field of enquiry. Will you here allow me to offer you my warmest and most sincere 

 thanks for the honour you have done me in again electing me your President, and will 

 you kindly receive my promise that I will endeavour to do my duty to the Society to the 

 best of my ability. I desire, however, to express a hope that you will allow me to retire 

 at the next election into your ranks, giving place to some other member, who will be 

 able to conduct the business of the Philosophical Institute more efficiently than I have 

 done. 



Althoixgh much has been discovered, and wonderful inventions have been made, a 

 great deal of the general field of enquiry stdl remains unexplored ; not to speak of the 

 peculiar rewards which New Zealand offers to the student and lover of nature. Let us, 

 therefore, strive to contribute our share towards the accumulation of those facts, by 

 inductive reasoning on which sound knowledge can only be gained, and however small 

 the mite which we may be able to add, it will always be some addition towards the great 

 mental edifice raised by the intellect of mankind to the glory of that First Intelligent 

 Cause, in Whom all ultimate knowledge rests, Whom we vainly seek to conceive or to 

 understand, and "in Whom we live, and move, and have our being." 



Tenth Meeting. November 3, 1869. 

 J. Haast, Ph.D., F.R.S., President, in the chair. 



The Honorary Secretary (Rev. C. Fraser) intimated that he had written to Dr. 

 Hector respecting the expenses of delegates for electing Governors, etc., but had as yet* 

 received no reply. He understood, however, that it would be necessary for the delegates 

 to proceed to Wellington in order to take part in the election. 



Mr. G. W. Hall moved, — "That a committee be appointed to obtain information as 

 to the various grasses, native and artificial, suitable for stock feeding, and especially as to 

 the best means of utilising the grasses indigenous to the colony." 



The motion was seconded by Mr. Fereday, and carried, after some discussion on the 

 result of experiments which have already been made, the necessity of extensive 

 correspondence, and a liberal allowance of time to the Committee for bringing up their 

 report. 



The Hon. J. B. Acland, Messrs. J. Hall, ft. Wilkin, J. F. Armstrong, A. Duncan, 

 and the Mover, were appointed a Committee to carry out Mr. Hall's resolutions, and 

 power was given them to add to their number. 



Mr. Nottidge moved, — "That a Committee be appointed to draw up a code of rules 

 for the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury ; such Committee to consist of the 

 Rev. J. Wilson, Mr. R. Fereday, and the Mover." 



The motion was carried, on the understanding that the new code would be merely a 

 simplification of the present rules. 



* Letter received on November 1st ; answered on 2nd. — J. H. 



