266 Anmnversary Address by Sir A. Getkie. [Nov. 30, 
Society. Sir Francis Galton’s life has been one of ceaseless activity in many 
varied departments of intellectual effort. Few of us can remember how he 
began as an enthusiastic explorer and geographer, “urged,” as he confessed, 
“by an excessive fondness for a wild life,’ and with “ the love of adventure ” 
as his chief motive. He chose South Western Africa as the theatre of his 
exploration, penetrated into regions where no European foot had preceded 
him, and brought back with him a vivid impression of the scenery, physical 
geography, natural history, and ethnology of Damaraland and South 
Ovampoland. He embodied his observations in an interesting volume of 
travel published in 1853. That work showed that he was no mere hunter 
after game or seeker of adventure, but a shrewd and observant traveller, with 
his eyes open to every distinctive natural feature in the countries and their 
inhabitants. His experience in these African journeys led him to plan and 
to publish in 1854 his well-known and admirable hand-book, the “ Art of 
Travel,” which, as a pioneering treatise in the practical methods of scientific 
exploration, has proved of inestimable service to the travellers of the last 
half century. 
Sir Francis at an early period of his career was led to interest himself in 
meteorology, which, as a science of observation, was then in its earliest 
infancy. With much labour and skill he constructed weather-charts, and 
discussed meteorological statistics. His zeal and success in these studies led 
to his being chosen a member of the Meteorological Council at its origin, and 
he remained in that position until the Council was superseded in 1901 by 
the Meteorological Office. He likewise acted as. Chairman of the Royal 
Society’s Committee of Management of Kew Observatory from 1888 till 
1900, when the work of this Committee became merged in that of the 
National Physical Laboratory. . 
But it was not only in geography and meteorology that Sir Francis Galton 
manifested his versatile energies. He was much interested likewise in 
biological studies, especially in regard to questions of relationship and 
heredity. As far back as 1871 he began what has proved to be a voluminous 
and important series of contributions to these subjects. From his first 
paper, “‘ Experiments in Pangenesis,” down to his last volume on “ Eugenics,” 
his successive papers have shown a continuous development of ideas and 
conclusions. He was led from his early ethnological enquiries into the 
mental peculiarities of different races, to discuss the problenis of Hereditary 
Genius, from the fundamental postulate that “a man’s natural abilities are 
derived by inheritance under exactly the same limitations as are the form 
and physical features of the whole organic world.” To obtain further data 
for the discussion of this subject, he carried out the elaborate statistical 
