468 
JUBILEE MEETING.— MARQUIS OF RIPON. 
an association of this description than that after fifty years of work 
it should receive such an imprimatur of the course it has been fol- 
lowing during that lengthened period; and if that work has won this 
meed of approval, to this extent it must convince us, without vanity 
or undue pride, that we have done something for the promotion of 
science; and it will also be a proof to us that there is a great work 
for us in the future in the same direction. The circle of science is 
widening every day. The conquests of science during the fifty years 
of the life of this society have been of the most marvellous descrip- 
tion. These conquests are not yet terminated. I speak with the 
greatest diffidence in the presence of the men here now, but I would 
venture to say that I believe I am not wrong in supposing that in 
very many branches of science these conquests are really only at 
their commencement. There has always been, and must always be, 
for every man a great deal more that he does not know than that 
which he does know, and it is for him to dive and dig in the province 
of the unknown and bring forth its treasures, in small quantities it 
may be, but increasing from time to time. And the more we can 
increase the sphere of what we know and diminish the regions we do 
not know, the more perfectly shall we carry out the purposes of these 
scientific associations. Therefore, there is for us an enlarging and 
widenning field of labour. It is our work mainly to supply facts for 
the consideration of the great masters of science. Xew facts are 
turning up constantly, and even in a country like this, where 
geological investigation has been carried so far that you might almost 
think there was nothing now to discover, I think I shall not be wrong 
if I say that that would be an erroneous conclusion, and that it 
would be a great mistake to rest upon our oars and to suppose that 
new facts were only to be found out in distant and unexplored con- 
tinents. I believe there is a great deal to be done by the individual 
observer and the individual investigator, each in his own district, and 
it is to that matter especially that the members of a society of this 
description ought to give their special attention. The combination of 
science and industry is one of the most important objects of the 
present time, and I believe almost all men are convinced of its neces- 
sity. There may be still some persons who hold a sort of pedantic 
