MEETINGS. 23 



looked with disdain, will suddenly be reared into a magnificent temple, 

 in which, at every step, he will feel constrained to bow in silent 

 adoration and acknowledgment of the wisdom, the power and the 

 goodness of its Divine Architect. 



" These are but a tithe of the advantages and enjoyments arising 

 from a well directed observation of the most ordinary phenomena of 

 nature — phenomena, to which he who leads an unobtrusive rural life 

 must be an everyday witness. But in these days of steamboats and 

 railroads, of world's exhibitions, agricultural fairs and cattle shows, 

 the farmer will not certainly, like the vegetables he cultivates, ever 

 remain rooted to the contracted span of earth from which he derives 

 his nourishment. Interest or pleasure may urge him occasionally 

 away from his daily avocations and the land of his birth ; and here 

 also a thousand new opportunities for the legitimate exercise of his 

 imagination and the improvement of his mental faculties will be ever 

 presented to his observation. But if his intellect has not been pre- 

 viously enriched with at least a moderate stock of general knowledge ; 

 if his imaginative powers have not been trained to a just appreciation 

 of the sublime and beautiful in nature and art ; all these opportunities 

 for improvement will be entirely lost and will pass by unnoticed. 

 Carried away by the popular current, like a straw drawn along the 

 course of a rapid stream, he may indeed visit all " the lions" of the 

 day, but of all these on his return naught but the empty name will 

 remain. He may have travelled from Dan to Beersheba, but for him 

 all has been * barren.' " 



I hope, ladies and gentlemen, I have not exhausted your 

 patience with these long details. I have felt that this was an 

 opportunity, which I ought to profit from, in giving you my 

 views on some measures of popular instruction, which, as you 

 have seen, have occupied my thoughts during a long lifetime, 

 and which I should wish to see realized. 



And now, to return to the affairs of the Natural Science 

 Society, it only remains for me, in thanking you for your uni- 

 form kindness during my term of office, to relinquish my 

 position, and vacate the presidential chair. Last year, on the 

 completion of the first twelve months of my presidency, you 

 were good enough to re-elect me. Now, however, in accord- 

 ance with the salutary rule that no President shall continue 

 in office more than two years at a time, the selection of a 

 successor is incumbent upon you, and, happily the choice of a 

 suitable candidate will not be difficult. Although, as I have 

 said before, I have not been able to attend the meetings so 

 regularly as I could have wished, yet I have always taken the 

 warmest interest in the Society's welfare ; and it has been a 

 great pleasure to me — and so also it has to my friend and col- 

 league Mr. Alles — it has been a pleasure to both of us to be 



