Page:Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Vol 4.djvu/427

Rh The pleasure experienced by you on this occasion was enhanced by the presence within these walls of Baron Humboldt, Avho ac- companied his Majesty. It is very seldom that we can expect to see among us any of our Foreign Associates. It was therefore doubly gratifying to receive, together with his sovereign, the distinguished philosopher who had travelled over so large a portion of the globe in the pursuit of every branch of knowledge.

Since 1 last addressed you, two years ago, a great degree of suc- cess has attended the expedition of Captain Ross to the Antarctic Region. I congratulate you, Gentlemen, on the results already de- rived from an expedition v/hich originated in a joint application to Government from your Council and the British Association. I re- joice that a British officer has had the honour, not only of making most important scientific researches, but also of approaching much nearer to the Southern Pole than any one had done before him, and of discovering a new Iceland and a new Hecla, more gigantic than the arctic volcano.

With respect to the magnetic observatories, I have the gratifica- tion of informing you that they are to be continued for three more years, in hopes of making the information to be obtained from them more extensive and more accurate. The consent to this continu- ance was granted by Sir Robert Peel : a continuance of the scien- tific measure of one minister by the statesman who had superseded and succeeded hjm. This is a gratifying circumstance, as proving that, as we hope and believe that British patriotism belongs to all parties, so the love of science also belongs to all, or rather that in scientific pursuits there is no party feeling and no party jealousy. I must add, that on the present occasion, the application of the Council of the Royal Society was seconded by M. Brunow, the am- bassador of the Emperor of Russia ; thus showing that nations are ready to testify that any great acquisition of physical knowledge is a common object to the whole human race.

The hopes that the Expedition to the Niger might be productive of important additions to our stores of science, as well as great re- sults to the highest interests of humanity, have been unhappily in a great measure disappointed. At the same time the hopes of the scientific naturalist have not been entirely vain, for I am informed by Mr. Gray that many new species of birds and other animals have been brought to England from Fernando Po and the mouth of the Niger.

Your Council, Gentlemen, have taken into their consideration the great importance that microscopical researches have always pos- sessed, and the still greater influence upon science that they are now beginning to exercise, in the hands of Mr. Owen and others, as well as the extraordinary perfection to which the instrument itself is now brought. They have come to the conclusion that it is highly expedient that we should ourselves possess the means of repeating and verifying the experiments brought before our notice, as well as instituting new branches of inquiry. We have therefore thought it expedient, by summoning competition to our aid, to endeavour to