Cromwell Argus. AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. CROMWELL: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17.

Cromwell Argus, Volume II, Issue 101, 17 October 1871, Page 4

Cromwell Argus. AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. CROMWELL: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17.

Nature affords more food for thought than any of the handiworks of man, no matter what shape or form the latter may take, nor how beautiful and worthy of praise the objects of his skill and genius. Nature is unapproachable in the endless variety and matchless beauty of her animate and inanimate productions. The earth teems with objects which no living man could ever attempt to reproduce by 1 artificial means—objects perfect in every *■ detail of their elaborate construction ; infinitesimal as the grains of sand on the sea shore many of them, their wondrous beauties only to be revealed by the aid of powerful magnifiers, but then brought out in all the glorious beauty in which they are clothed. Here, and here only, can science and skill lay any claims to a rivalship with nature. Man's vision is limited, and many of the beauties of nature would never be known were it not for the grand intellectual power which enables him to devise artificial means whereby the visible beauties of particular objects are eclipsed by those which the scientific agents of his will aid in produeiug. Nature, then, being our grand instructor, incapable of directing our footsteps in a wrong direction in our search after knowledge, is it not strange that we should so culpably neglect the cultivation of that wisdom which the study of the countless objects with which the earth is so abundantly stocked alone can give us 1 Botany, geology, mineralogy, astronomy, and the other natural sciences, are worthy the I study of all men as tending to promote the i intellectuality of the species by directing men's thoughts into chanuels which are I the true source of all knowledge. And be it remembered, "knowledge is power." 1 We are led to make these remarks by occasionally observing notices of what may be called the practical meetings of the Field Naturalists' Club in Dunedin, a small but enthusiastic body of students of Nature, who do not confine themselves to meeting in a room and entering into scientific discussions, but meet weekly, and under energetic guidance traverse the forests, the open land, and the rocky j shores of our Province in their researches [ and ramifications after Nature's beauties and curiosities. The club is composed of Members of the Otago Institute, and judging from the energy and enthusiasm which are evidently characteristic of its members, it bids fair to becoma an important auxiliary of the latter learned body. The proceedings of the Otago Institute will no doubt acquire additional interest from the | fact that they will be from time to timo supplied with many interesting facts in connection with the natural history of the Province, the result of scientific research { , by the Members of the Club ; and also [ because, such being the case, the unsatis- I factory process of drawing conclusion l from mere surmise and conjecture will be [ in a great measure obviated. We are only J sorry that the natural features of thd

country in this part of the Province are of such an uninteresting nature as to hold out no inducements for the establishment of a branch of the Field Naturalist's Club in CromwelK Except so far as regards geological specimens, the district is almost barren of objects of interest; but in other localities the Club might obtain Valuable assistance if branch Societies were established. According to the energy with

which its affairs are conducted, so will its usefulness manifest itself. It is worthy of at the hands of the outside public, and as its utility becomes more generally known and appreciated, so will increased support and encouragement be given to it.