President’s Address. 
7 
gave a most interesting description of tlie newest and richest 
of our gold-fields at Wood’s Point, which lie had just visited ; 
and entering at some length upon the vexed question of 
whether, as a general rule (omitting small exceptions or 
little rich patches or spurs), the gold-reefs of the Colony 
were richer near the surface or at greater depths, he ven- 
tured tire suggestion that as the richest known reefs, those 
at Wood’s Point, were 4,000 to 5,000 feet above the sea, 
while Ballarat for instance was only 1 ,000 feet, and various 
less rich places still lower, that it seemed as if the reefs were 
rich in proportion to their height above the sea. These 
observations of Mr. Ligar on a new and remarkable locality, 
tend, together with a great body of evidence taken by the 
last Gold-fields’ Commission, to support Sir Roderick M ur- 
chison’s original views on this point, which always seemed 
to me to be borne out by this country generally. 
The most glorious work of the Royal Society has been 
brought to a formal termination during the past year, by 
the presentation at our Meeting in August last of the “ Final 
Report of the Exploration Committee of the Royal Society 
of Victoria.” This great undertaking, of exploring a route 
from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria through the 
central area of the Australian Continent, was set in motion 
by the anonymous donation by a member of our Society, 
Ambrose Kyte, Esq., of £1,000, on condition of our Explora- 
tion Committee raising £2,000 more, by public subscription, 
within a year. The condition was fulfilled, and with this 
£3,000 of private money in hand, the Government of the 
Colony was asked for £6,000 in addition, which, with that 
enlightened liberality which lias always distinguished the 
Victorian Parliament towards scientific objects, was voted 
at once, and the task of organizing the Expedition was 
confided to the Exploration Committee of the Royal 
Society, and vigorously commenced. Five thousand pounds 
worth of camels, both of the swift and of the strong carry- 
ing breeds, were sent for to India, and on their arrival the 
members of the party were appointed, and equipped with a 
most ample provision of stores of every kind that could be 
useful. 
When the most advanced portion of the party with their 
stores had reached Cooper’s Creek, a depot was formed 
there, and left in charge of Mr. Bralid and a small party, 
while the leader, R. O’Hara Burke, with only Wills and 
