﻿566 
  Proceedings, 
  

  

  Ulrich. 
  I 
  have 
  no 
  doubt 
  the 
  seed 
  will 
  now 
  be 
  planted, 
  and 
  bis 
  skilful 
  care 
  and 
  guidance 
  

   will 
  train 
  it 
  into 
  a 
  goodly 
  tree 
  whose 
  fruit 
  is 
  knowledge 
  and 
  wealth 
  to 
  the 
  community 
  at 
  

   large. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  taken 
  up 
  so 
  much 
  of 
  your 
  time 
  in 
  the 
  consideration 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  first 
  heads 
  of 
  

   my 
  subject 
  that 
  a 
  passing 
  reference 
  only 
  can 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  the 
  last 
  — 
  the 
  state 
  of 
  applied 
  

   science 
  in 
  the 
  colony. 
  It 
  might 
  have 
  been 
  interesting 
  to 
  trace 
  our 
  material 
  progress 
  in 
  

   mtercommunication 
  within 
  the 
  last 
  few 
  years, 
  the 
  facilities 
  that 
  now 
  exist 
  for 
  the 
  

   exchange 
  not 
  only 
  of 
  commodities, 
  but 
  of 
  ideas, 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  what 
  they 
  werB 
  when 
  

   the 
  Institute 
  was 
  founded. 
  And 
  to 
  speculate 
  as 
  to 
  what 
  the 
  future 
  will 
  bring 
  forth. 
  The 
  

   astounding 
  discoveries 
  made 
  every 
  day 
  in 
  practical 
  electricity 
  alone 
  are 
  sufficient 
  to 
  enlarge 
  

   our 
  expectations 
  to 
  the 
  verge 
  of 
  the 
  impossible. 
  Already 
  the 
  heavenly 
  bodies 
  are 
  rivalled 
  

   in 
  the 
  brilliancy 
  of 
  artificial 
  light, 
  and 
  I 
  believe 
  the 
  day 
  is 
  not 
  far 
  distant 
  when 
  man 
  can 
  

   convey 
  his 
  thoughts 
  to 
  his 
  fellows 
  through 
  a 
  thousand 
  miles 
  of 
  ocean 
  without 
  the 
  inter- 
  

   vention 
  of 
  his 
  senses 
  by 
  the 
  mere 
  force 
  of 
  volition 
  conveyed 
  along 
  the 
  electric 
  wire, 
  or 
  

   perchance 
  even 
  without 
  that 
  medium. 
  

  

  In 
  conclusion, 
  I 
  would 
  impress 
  on 
  all 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  Otago 
  Institute 
  the 
  desira- 
  

   bility 
  of 
  observing 
  and 
  recording 
  whatsoever 
  may 
  seem 
  to 
  them 
  new 
  facts, 
  no 
  matter 
  how 
  

   trivial 
  they 
  appear. 
  Considering 
  the 
  opportunities 
  we 
  enjoy 
  as 
  residents 
  in 
  a 
  new 
  country 
  

   we 
  are 
  woefully 
  remiss 
  in 
  this 
  duty, 
  and 
  no 
  class 
  is 
  so 
  culpable 
  as 
  my 
  own 
  professional 
  

   brethren 
  — 
  engineers 
  and 
  surveyors. 
  Much 
  of 
  this 
  apathy 
  is 
  probably 
  due 
  to 
  a 
  want 
  of 
  

   confidence 
  in 
  our 
  own 
  knowledge 
  or 
  judgment. 
  The 
  amateur 
  is 
  afraid 
  of 
  appearing 
  

   ignorant 
  in 
  the 
  eyes 
  of 
  the 
  expert. 
  What 
  he 
  considers 
  new 
  and 
  unique 
  may 
  turn 
  out 
  to 
  

   be 
  old 
  and 
  commonplace. 
  In 
  the 
  old 
  world, 
  where 
  every 
  path 
  of 
  scientific 
  knowledge 
  is 
  

   trodden 
  bare 
  by 
  ages 
  of 
  research, 
  such 
  a 
  danger 
  exists, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  case 
  here. 
  All 
  

   the 
  recorded 
  observations 
  on 
  any 
  j^articular 
  subject 
  can 
  be 
  mastered 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  days, 
  so 
  the 
  

   remainder 
  of 
  the 
  field 
  is 
  equally 
  free 
  and 
  open 
  to 
  all 
  comers. 
  

  

  By 
  exercising 
  their 
  observant 
  faculties 
  to 
  a 
  moderate 
  extent, 
  embracing 
  the 
  oppor- 
  

   tunities 
  they 
  have 
  of 
  observing 
  and 
  afterwards 
  recording 
  the 
  result 
  in 
  a 
  systematic 
  

   manner, 
  the 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  Otago 
  Institute 
  would 
  gain 
  credit 
  to 
  themselves, 
  and 
  confer 
  

   an 
  inestimable 
  benefit 
  on 
  all 
  their 
  fellow-colonists. 
  

  

  