416 



[Proc. B.N.F.C, 



Natural Science in the University of Adelaide, South Australia), 

 who became Resident Lecturer in Zoology, Botany and Animal 

 Physiology. Stewart attended most of these courses and carried 

 off honours in them. These lectures doubtless gave his studies a 

 systematic lead which must have been of immense value to him. 

 Owing to his zeal and thoroughness he soon became a favourite 

 pupil of Tate's, and later a close friendship which proved to be 

 life-long ensued." 



Mr. Joseph Wright, another old friend of Stewart's, states that 

 on a recent visit to Belfast Prof. Tate said "he had passed a great 

 many pupils through his hands in the course of a long professional 

 career, but he had only met with one Samuel Alexander Stewart." 

 Mr. Wright says " he was one of the most intelligent persons in 

 his younger days I ever came across. He had a wonderful gift of 

 observation, even in respect of things with which he was not 

 familiar, as I have proved when we were on expeditions together." 



Here is an example : Mr. Stewart, when botanising on Ben 

 Bulben observed some pale yellow clay in the Carboniferous rocks 

 near the summit. He sent some to Mr. Wright who found that it 

 contained sponge-spicules of great scientific interest. 



Geology was the subject which first attracted him. Tate was 

 both geologist and botanist. On Saturdays he used to take his 

 pupils out for excursions, amongst others, George Donaldson, 

 William Gray, Hugh Robinson, William M'Millan, William 

 Swanston, and Stewart. His sister says her brother liked better 

 to walk on these occasions than to drive or go by train. Tate 

 used to go by rail or car, it saved time, but her brother " trotted " 

 when he could ; she knows, for she had the washing of his socks. 

 It was characteristic of the man. 



In 1863 Tate published his Flora Belfastiensis. The 

 master was considerably younger than the pupil. Tate was 

 twenty-three and Stewart thirty-seven. To quote Stewart's 

 own words (Introduction Flora N-E. Ireland, p. xxi.) "These 



