xxiv Proceedings, &;c. 



in the then penal colonies of Australia, I perused an account of a 

 certain ship's captain, who, having been wrecked off Maria Island or 

 creek, on the coast of South Australia, was there outraged by the 

 natives. On a subsequent voyage to Sydney, by the Cape, he had pro- 

 cured a lion at the latter place, and succeeded in landing him safely 

 for the benefit of the natives of that coast. While a resident in that 

 locality, I greatly employed and befriended the natives, and on occa- 

 sion of my becoming the first local proprietor of a cat (carried up 

 from Portland, distance seventy-five miles, on the saddle) some of my 

 black fellows at once on seeing it brought this long previously for- 

 gotten story to my recollection by describing, with much excitement, 

 that a large and ferocious animal 'liket big one that one ' had at a 

 former period made a mysterious advent amongst them, and for a 

 brief period been the terror of their lives — killing and devouring 

 lubras and pickaninnies, eventually disappearing as incompre- 

 hensibly as at first he had arrived. His remains were subsequently 

 discovered in a cavern down which he had either fallen or crept for 

 water, fresh water in that locality being rarely obtainable in summer 

 except in caves, most of which have extraordinary chimney-like aper- 

 tures, from many of which egress is impossible to a quadruped. The 

 natives proposed to show me the locality and remains which would 

 probably be still extant, and now coated with calcareous deposit, if 

 not wholly petrified, as every substance exposed to the water in 

 these caves gradually becomes. The alleged locality was not far 

 from Cape Northumberland. 



"I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 



" Cranbourne. " Wood Bielby." 



Dr. Macadam brought forward the motion standing in his name. 

 The motion was carried, with the substitution of the name of W. 

 Bryson, Esq., C.E., for that of Professor Neumayer, who declined to 

 act on the Committee, on account of his duties in carrying out the 

 Geodetic Survey, and his consequent absence from Melbourne. 



Mr. Hill read a paper, entitled " An attempt to simplify and 

 generalise the Theory and Practice of Railway Curves." — [Vide 

 " Trans actions. "] 



A short discussion ensued. 



With the author's consent, Mr. Bryson's paper, entitled " Our Re- 

 sources, and their development either in Peace or War," was post- 

 poned until the next Ordinary Meeting — then to take precedence. 



The Institute then separated. 



5th October, 1859. 



Ordinary Meeting. 

 The President, Dr. Mueller, in the Chair. 



His Excellency the Governor was present. 



The minutes of the previous Ordinary Meeting were read and 



