Auckland Institute. 



399 



possibility. And, feeling in itself, the power and necessity of truth, the 

 scientific mind accepts no authority and subscribes to no faith which it cannot 

 if necessary test and verify ; whilst, on the other hand, it asks no acceptance 

 for its own conclusions without their being thoroughly tested, both as to the 

 reality of the facts on which they are based and the legitimacy of the conclu- 

 sions themselves. What the ultimate conclusions may be we know not, and 

 fear not, confident in this- — that if true scientific processes be employed to test 

 them, they must be either true, or the nearest approach to truth that we 

 mortals can hope to attain to. 



I thank you for your patience, and bespeak your indulgence for the hurried 

 thoughts I have this evening placed before you. 



1. " On the Geological Structure of the Thames Gold Fields," by Captain 

 F. W. Hutton, F.G.S. {Transactions, p. 272.) 



2. The following Report on, and Analysis of, the Water with which it is 

 proposed to supply Shortland and Graham stown, forwarded by Dr. Hector 

 from the Colonial Laboratory, was communicated by His Honour the 

 Superintendent : — 



"27th May, 1873. — Ghara-cter of Water. — Clear, tasteless; a slight 

 sediment had formed, the character of which was not examined. The water, 

 separated from this and analyzed, gave the following results, calculated upon a 

 gallon of it : 



V^lijUJllUC ... ... 



" Sulphuric acid 



... ... J. OU 1. 



-354 



" Carbonic acid 



1-783 



"Magnesia 



•665 



"Lime 



•308 



" Soda and potash ... 



2-772 



"Silica 



2-857 



10-290 



" Organic matter — the average of two determinations — 2-1 grains per gallon. 



" Amount of readily oxidizable matters per gallon, -384 grains. 



" The bottles enclosing samples being closed with corks, instead of glass, as 

 shovild always be done, the results have not that degree of value they would 

 otherwise have. 



"The quantity of readily oxidizable organic matter is probably a little too 

 high, as here given, owing to the presence of a little sulphuretted hydrogen in 

 the water tested, from the cork having deoxidized a portion of the sulphuric 

 acid present in the water, and for this reason the quantity of this acid, as 

 stated in results, will be less than it really is. 



" However, subject to these errors, the water proves to be of fair quality, 

 but inferior to some waters for brewing purposes, owing to a deficiency of lime 

 salts." 



