18/5.] E. Lafont — Sjjectroscopic Observatory. 59 



Will you be so kind as to place my present request before tbe Council 

 of the Society for consideration and have it also notified to those Members 

 who may feel disposed to contribute to this eminently useful work. 



I may mention that a rough estimate of the outlay, fixes the lowest 

 limit at Rs. 10,000, of which one half at least is to be covered by private 

 contributions. 



I have the honour to be, 

 Dear Sir, 



Your most obedient servant, 



. E. LAFONT, 

 Rector St, Xavier's College. 

 Calcutta, February, 9th 1875. 



The President reported on the part of the Council that they recom- 

 mended a grant of Rs. 500 be given to Father Lafont towards the expense 

 of setting up the proposed Observatory. 



The motion was put to the vote and unanimously carried. 



Father Lafont said — 



It is, I think, useless to dwell on the importance of the spectroscopic 

 study of the Sun, but it may be necessary to explain before- you, how I came 

 to what may look a rather ambitious undertaking, being a mere tyro in a 

 department of science so novel and difficult as that of the physical consti- 

 tution of the Sun. The very names of those who went before me, might 

 have frightened me out of the way ; Lockyer, Huggins, Secchi and Qacchini 

 are great men and it is somewhat presumptuous on my part to attempt even 

 to follow them. Had it not been for the pressing invitation of my friend 

 Professor P. Tacchini I would never have dreamt of establishing a Spectrosco- 

 pic Observatory with the very scanty knowledge of Astronomy I possess. 

 But when the eminent founder of the Italian Spectroscopic Society reassured 

 me and explained to me that the work was more that of a pl^-sicist than 

 of an astronomer I confess I yielded with pleasure and promised to do 

 every thing in my power to carry out his views. I received encourage- 

 ment from all to whom I communicated my plans, and His Honor the 

 Lieutenant-Governor having promised his assistance, a subscription was 

 opened, and I am happy to say is now more than half idled. 1 hope to 

 receive the encouragement of tins Society and with the help of those mem- 

 bers who would have been better qualified than myself for the work, I am 

 confident to realise the sanguine expectations of the patrons of my scheme. 

 I may be permitted to say that the stability of the Observatory is guar- 

 anteed by the conditions communicated in the Bengal Government order for 

 the grant-in-aid, conditions proposed by me in order to satisfy every one as 

 to my earnestness of purpose. In conclusion, gentlemen, I beg to state 



