— 89 — 
lit« de Creole de nolre ile, par sou grand desir de faire partie de 
la Societe et les succes qu’ont ol)te;ms les ouvrages qu’il a pubiies 
sur diverses branches des Sciences naturelles. 
Les personnes suivantes sout proposees en qualite de membres 
residants : 
1 M. Charles Zachary Macaulaiy, Greffier en Chef du Tribu- 
oal de Premiere Instanee, pur M. L. Leclezio et M. R. Dermarais, 
2. Le Dmleur Thomas F. Cotton, Chirurgien du I2me. Regi- 
tnent, par Je Lieutenant-Colonel Blanshard et J’Honorable G. F. 
Dick. 
3 . M. Charles DFpinay, par M. Aug. Castellan et ML Bojer. 
M. J. Morris presente ä la Societe une ana'lyse des travaux 
entrepris par ceux (j ui se sont occup.es de J’etude des marees, 
il s’attache particulierement ädemontrer l’exccllence des resullats 
obtenus par le Profysseur Whevvell de Cambridge, dans l’expose 
qu’il douue sur la maniere dont s’accomplit ce phenomene. M. J, 
Morris en eutrant en mutiere, s’exprime ainsi sur ce sujet : 
« Though ihesubject of die present paper may be sosnewhat removed from lh6 ordi» 
nary lopics thal usually occupy yoor attention, y t-t heing in strict conneclior. with tbe 
grand phenomina of nalure, ffing also one of such paramonnt impoilance lo man in 
the varions amt multiplex relations of commerce ; and moreover, heing almosl one of 
die lairsi of the resnlts of those vast inquiries «hielt are ihe characleiistics of the pre» 
seni Century, 1 ihonghl thal I rnight be pardoned by ihe Society for thus somewhat 
abstrusely tax r.g iis attention on Ibis my first inlroduction lo its member». To ine, 
far away as I now am from my native country and situated loo in tlte midst of an 
ocean. the mysteries of which 1 am aboul to ii vestigaie, it is indeed a sweet and con- 
soling thougt, thal even in the heart of this small volcanic fmmation, this romantic 
Island of Mauritius there is even a society tlourishing, ihe objects cf wtocli are tbe 
cu 1 1 i v a t io ii of Science, and the piopagalion of those grand trtiihs of which so many 
dislant nations aie ihe discoverers. And is not (bis one of ihe high prerogatives 
of sciaotific and philosophicat enquiries, that whilst ihey ex, dt ihe > n lei lect ua 1 porlion 
of man’s nalure, and consequeniy re acl on Ute mass of mank nd, they also assemble 
löget her individual» of different creeds, of different ojtinions, of different stations of 
life in the one peaceful and usefttl aim of benefitling by itieii inquiries their fellow 
men for generalions to route. We are now arrived an an age, in which the positive 
slaie of Ute human in i ml (as it is ihus termerl by the philosoplters of flermany) is in 
full activity ; for lecognising Ute irnpossibility of obl aining absolute notions, il has 
rtinou nced Ute atiempt of e> quiring imo ihe okiohst and Destination of ihe Üniverse, 
or ol deieciii g the intimate causg's of phenomina, and only iabonrs to dtscover by a 
judnions combinalioii ol reasonmg and Observation their kffectivk laws, thal is their 
invariable relations of -uccession and simililude. The explanaiiou of facts ihen, re- 
ditced toieal lerins, ishencefonh itul the connexion eUabU hed be'wen different indivi- 
dual phenomeua and some general facu ( he mim her of w hielt becomes more and more di- 
nmtiihed in Ute prngress of science. This meiltod of Investigation, Ihe only irue one, 
was loug ago annoiinced in thal profound axiom of Bacon; t h"mo ninisier et inierpres 
t natu ae. lanlum faeil et i n lei I igii , quautum de na' u> je ordine re vH mente oDservaveni ; 
« iiecampliusscii am pot. st. "(Novum Organum Aphor. I ) Si . e helivtie of Ualileo, Bacon 
and Newton, eveiy brancli ol kuow edge has heen »dvancing towarus a fixed and positive 
staie. The precepts of Bacon, and ihe methods a< tually used by Calileo and Newion, have 
eslaUished it as a fundamental iru'h, ihat there nan be no red physical knowiedge 
but ihm which is founded on observaiion and experiment. Facts and obscv itions 
however, wlien Standing aione and unconnecled, aflord no ultimate satisfaction to (he 
