496 [Proc B.N.F.C., 



The desirability of having all reports and, if possible, all 

 transactions published of uniform sizes was recommended, to 

 facilitate their orderly binding for reference. Mr. Gray gave 

 particulars as to the two best sizes recommended. 



The Ethnographical Survey Committee recommended this 

 subject for the investigation of the corresponding societies. The 

 work already done in Ireland was acknowledged, but one branch 

 of the subject had not received in Ireland the attention it 

 merited — namely, the archaeological survey of this country. It 

 was pointed out that with the number of capable organisations 

 now operating in Ireland there should be no difficulty in com- 

 piling a very complete catalogue of all the ancient monuments 

 of Ireland. The Conference Committee resolved at Bristol to 

 write to the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland pointing 

 out the necessity for undertaking this work. 



Mr. Gray referred to the fact that two meetings of the 

 British Association had been held in Bristol since the last 

 meeting in Belfast in 1874. Since then the Association met 

 several times in England, Scotland, Wales, and Canada, as well 

 as in Dublin. It was therefore time to ask the Association to 

 come to Belfast again. Should an invitation be sent this year, 

 the Association is not likely to come to Belfast before 1901 ; so 

 the sooner the invitation is issued the better. Such an 

 invitation would be very cordially responded to by the members 

 of the Association generally. 



Mr. Gray, in his description of Bristol, referred to John 

 Cabot, who, sailing from Bristol in 1497, was the first to 

 discover the mainland of America. Columbus in 1492 reached 

 the West Indian Islands via the Canary Islands. Cabot and 

 his sons sailed direct from Bristol, and landed on the mainland 

 of America. In 1897 Lord Dufferin laid the foundation-stone 

 of a Cabot memorial tower on Brandon Hill, Bristol, and he 

 opened the finished structure the day before the opening meet- 

 ing of the British Association. The citizens of Bristol boast 

 that the Great Western steamer, sailing from Bristol, in April, 

 1838, was the first steamer that ever crossed the Atlantic, 



