4 
MAEQUIS OF PJPON; 
occasion, because he was altogether five years behindhand with 
most of those who were present in his knowledge of what had been 
going on in the scientific world, for he had had other things to do 
during the last few years than to devote himself to keeping up even 
a superficial knowledge of the progress of science during that time. 
Any man who fell behind that progress for such a period as five 
years in these days when science is advancing with such rapid 
strides must be altogether behind his time with regard to it ; for 
though he had visited a country in many respects interesting from 
a geological and scientific point of view, and though he dwelt for a 
large portion of the year not very far from those Sewalik hills 
which were so interesting to geologists, he was not able to study 
any of the geology of India, and he therefore could not give them 
any information upon those interesting matters which might have 
come under his notice if he had had time to devote himself to them. 
But he could, however, say that the Government of India were well 
alive to the importance of scientific investigation, and recognised it 
as part of their duty to encourage it as far as they could consist- 
ently with their financial means. But coming back after a lapse of 
five years, he had naturally been anxious to ascertain what had been 
the course of the society during that time, and what progress it had 
made in the work to which its members are devoted, and he conse- 
quently made an appeal to Mr. Davis, their excellent secretary, 
whose services to the society he was sure they all must cordially 
recognise, to give him such information as would enable him to form 
some judgment as to the wa}^ the society, during the last five years, 
had been maintaing the position which it occupied the last time he 
had the pleasure of filling that chair, namely, in the commencment 
of the year 1880. And he was very glad indeed to find that during 
that period, so far as he could judge, the work of the society had 
been successfully carried on, and that it was now in a satisfactory 
position. Looking back to the list of papers which had been 
brought before the society during that time, he thought they 
would all agree with him if he said they had been of a description 
fully to maintain the reputation of the societ3^ He found ample 
proof of that in the value which appeared to have been attached to 
