Annual Report of the Council. 225 



writing, the business of several learned bodies, and the 

 society of his friends ; but he was never really strong after 

 his return home, his health suffering perhaps from the 

 change of climate. 



He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical 

 Society in 1854, and served on the Council from 1888 to 

 1892. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 

 1865, a Corresponding Member of this Society, and a 

 Member of the London Mathematical Society in 1870; 

 he filled the Presidential Chair of the last named Society 

 from 1886 to 1888. He was President of the Queensland 

 Philosophical Society from 1863 to 1879, and was elected 

 an Honorary Member of the Royal Society of New South 

 Wales in 1876. He was a Commissioner for the Queens- 

 land Section of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition held in 

 London in 1886 ; and was nominated to represent the 

 Australian Colonies at the Washington Prime Meridian 

 Conference in 1884, but was unable to accept the 

 position. 



Of his personal and social qualities the writer may be per- 

 mitted to speak from personal knowledge. Our acquaintance 

 began forty-eight years ago, and soon ripened into a friend- 

 ship which lasted to the end of his life, and was never 

 clouded even for a moment by the slightest misunder- 

 standing. We had similar scientific tastes, but otherwise 

 little in common. In our political and ecclesiastical opinions 

 we differed fundamentally, and had it not been for Cockle's 

 imperturbable temper and graciously tolerant spirit, these 

 differences would often have disturbed our cordial relations. 

 Controversy, however, was distasteful to him ; and he 

 avoided the conflict of argument. When it was suggested 

 on one occasion that he should offer himself for a seat in 

 Parliament, he said playfully : " My address to the electors 

 shall run thus — Gentlemen, I am in favour of making 

 things agreeable all round — all round ! " That was the 



