xxxviii Proceedings of the South African PJiilosophical Society. 



part adopted, others that the Society or the Country would do well 

 to take to heart and adopt in the future. 



The first of these addresses was on the subject of the Native Eaces 

 •of South Africa — and here he draws attention to the need for pre- 

 serving ail that we now can of the languages, history, folk-lore, poetry, 

 and characteristics — intellectual as well as physical — of the native 

 African races. It is not now my object to follow this address — 

 interesting, important, and eloquent as it is — but there is one 

 suggestion which it contains that the Council of the Society might 

 well consider. It is this, I quote Sir Bartle's words : — 



" Your Society could not open (in ethnology) with a better preface 

 than by publishing a Summary of Dr. Bleek's literary labours and 

 republishing all his reports to the Government Department of 

 Native Affairs between 1873 and time of his death." 



Sir Bartle's second address is full of helpful and far-seeing 

 suggestion ; as instances of such foresight I may perhaps mention 

 his indication of the importance of " inquiries regarding the 

 Tetse-fiy, its habits, and a possible cure for its bite," an inquiry 

 which in the hands of Colonel Bruce, of the Army Medical 

 Department, has within the past few years led to such important 

 results, and earned for the inquirer a well- won Fellowship of the 

 Eoyal Society. It is but right to add that the man who gave the 

 opportunity to Colonel Bruce was His Excellency Sir Walter Hely 

 Hutchinson, then Governor of Natal, who intended to be present at 

 this meeting, but is prevented by the results of a severe chill. 



A Bathometric Survey is urged by Sir Bartle Frere, and the 

 Geological Commission is now thinking about it. The need for 

 accurate survey of the Country is strongly urged by our first 

 President, and action, as we shall see later, has followed his 

 suggestion. 



There is a great temptation to continue my address in this strain, 

 to dwell on the important suggestions and interesting reminiscences 

 contained in other Presidential addresses, and on the valuable 

 original scientific work, especially in South African botany and 

 entomology, contained in the Transactions of the Society. 



But I have been led away from this subject by another considera- 

 tion, viz., that to-night we not only celebrate the first semi-jubilee of 

 the South African Philosophical Society, but the third jubilee of an 

 event of no small scientific importance, viz., the laying of the 

 foundation of exact Sidereal Astronomy in the Southern 

 Hemisphere. 



