XXVI. ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS 



the middle of 1823, after little more than a year's work. 1 

 From the time of Rumker's retirement the main work was 

 carried on by Dunlop, with even an increase of enthusiasm. 

 Altogether a marvellous output was presented to the world, 

 through the home societies, including the famous Parra- 

 matta Star Catalogue, observations of Encke's comet at its 

 first predicted return (seen nowhere else in the world), 

 catalogues of nebulae and star-clusters, determinations of 

 latitude and longitude, etc. 



In the whole scientific history of New South Wales I 

 doubt if we can And any period to which we can point with 

 greater pride than to the first four years after the founda- 

 tion of the Philosophical Society. The Governor's estab- 

 lishment at Parramatta was the home of a scientific 

 enthusiasm and activity rarely equalled, and it is a 

 remarkable fact that each of the three astronomers was at 

 different times awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal 

 Astronomical Society. 2 



Anthropology. — Mr. C. Hedley said; The subject of the 

 aboriginal population presents itself to us under two aspects, 

 first the rapid decrease of this people pointing to their 

 extinction at an early date, and secondly the negligence 

 with which their fate is regarded by our scientific institu- 

 tions. Early explorers found a large population here ; a 

 surveyor, engaged in making the first map of Sydney Har- 

 bour, relates how he encountered eighty or ninety armed 

 men in one party* It was estimated by Governor Phillip 

 that the coast between Botany Bay and Broken Bay, now 

 occupied by suburban Sydney, then supported a population 



1 Ruinker appears to have acquired 1000 acres of land near Picton, and 

 on the Parish Map of Picton is the following: — Portion 145, " Stargard," 

 Charles Luis Rumker. — [Editors}. 



2 See Aust. Assoc. Adv. Science, Vol. i, p. 4. Also Hist. Rec. Aust., 

 Series I, Vols, x and xi. Also Reminiscences of General Sir Thomas 

 Makdougall Brisbane, Edinb. 1860, pp. 13, 14 and 43. 



