Inaugural Address. 15 



floods which come down from the Blue Mountains, and which have 

 been known to swell the waters nearly a hundred feet above their 

 usual level ; and these floods are uncertain and often destructive 

 of the growing crops. I once thought that Government (if it is 

 to farm at all) had better have kept the whole of this precarious 

 garden in its own hands ; since it is only public foresight that 

 would provide against the loss of a harvest, and only public 

 wealth that could support it." 



This was written in October, 1822. Mr. Wentworth also states 

 that in the early days of colonial history, the Nepean has risen 

 97 feet. I merely add to these notices, hoping to incorporate 

 them and others in a paper on the subject which I propose read- 

 ing at no distant day, that a deposit of drift pebbles, the work of 

 ancient floods, has been traced by me on the low grounds and 

 heights bordering the river, and for 80 miles, varying in level 

 from the river bed to upwards of 400 and 700 feet above the sea, 

 and these pebbles have been dispersed by more modern inunda- 

 tions. The present floods are, therefore, not in great excess of 

 any former inundations. 



To return now to our main subject. The interval between 

 1822 and 1856 was marked by a partial resuscitation of the Philo- 

 sophical under the name of the Australian Philosophical Society, 

 which was formed in the beginning of 1850, " for the encourage- 

 ment of Arts, Sciences, Commerce, (otherwith Manufactures), and 

 Agriculture in Australia." 



Of this his Excellency Sir Charles Pitz Roy was Patron ; the 

 Honorable E. Deas Thomson, P.L.S., President; the Honor- 

 able, now Sir Charles Nicholson, Bart, then Speaker of the Legis- 

 lative Council, Vice-President. A Council was also appointed, 

 consisting of the following members : — 



Arthur a'Beckett, Esq. 



Alexander Berry, Esq. 



"William Bland, Esq. 



Rev. W. B. Clarke, M.A., E.Cr.S. 



Charles Cowper, Esq., M.C. 



G-. K. Ho] den, Esq. 



Rev. R. L King, B.A. 



Erancis Merewether, Esq., B.A. 



Sir T. L. Mitchell, Ejit., Surveyor-General. 



