25 



Tuesday, April 8tf, 1884. 



The usual meeting was held in the Council Chamber, the 

 President in the chair. There was a large attendance. The Eev. 

 J. Burgess gave an experimental lecture on Electrical Discharge, 

 which was highly appreciated. There was an extensive collection 

 of apparatus on the table and the experiments were quite success- 

 ful by the aid of a AVimshurst's Machine and a large Induction 

 Coil. Those illustrating discharge in very high vacua were 

 especially interesting as showing how differently Electricity acts 

 under such conditions. 



A cordial vote of thanks was passed, in acknowledging which the 

 lecturer kindly expresssd his readiness to assist on any future 

 occasion. 



June 24th, 1884. 



The sixth meeting was held at the Town Hall, and was very 

 largely attended. The President read the following paper on 



EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES. 



There is a constant struggle between the forces of earth and 

 water for the dominion of our globe, the earth continually striving 

 to upraise herself, the mighty waters as continually striving to 

 engulph her. Each tiny dew drop, each rippling stream or rushing 

 river, each placid lake or raging billow, are equally bent on wearing 

 away, or grinding down the rocky surface of the earth and burying 

 it beneath the bosom of the mighty ocean. As the bulk of the sea 

 preponderates over that of the raised land in the proportion of 

 nearly three to one, it would be a mere question of time (a few 

 million of years, a mere bagatelle in geological calculations) before 

 the whole of the now raised surface of the world formed the bottom 

 of a universal, shallow ocean, that is to say, always supposing there 

 were no counterbalancing forces in operation. Nor is it water alone 

 which carries on the seemingly unequal contest ; the atmosphere, 

 the winds, ice, snow and frost, all aid in the process of disintegra- 

 tion and destruction. And this (by the way) is the reason why the 

 mountains and craters in the moon are so enormous and sharply 

 defined, for there no atmosphere or water exists to disintegrate and 

 wear down their surface. Yet earth has a mighty and unlooked 

 ally in the disguise of a violent enemy ; for Vulcan constantly 

 thrusts new land (in ancient times as in the present), above the 



