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324
indefatigable Mr Francis Abbott. The zealous and
gratuitous pains taken by this well-informed scientificobserver
(at no inconsiderable cost for the best instruments
and publications) to supply the Government and the public,
through the Royal Society (of which he has been so long an
ardent member) with carefully taken meteorological facts ,
entitles him, at the very least, to the warmest gratitude,
not only of the pub lic of this his adopted country but of
scientific meteorologists throughout the world. Honours
have been conferred upon him by renowned societies both
in Europe and America. Many elsewhere will hear with
sorrow that the infirmities of his four score of years
prevent him from continuing his inestimab le contribution
to meteorological and astronomical science . Tasmania has
now thirty-nine years of consecutive meteorological daily
records, thirty-five of which have been printed and published
under the auspices of our Royal Society. In the summing,
averaging and analysing these tables, the Curator of the
Museum (Robbin) and myself have taken an active part . 1 7
Since no private individual could ever again be expected to devote so
much labour and expense to what was really a national interest, Hall
hoped that the Government would very soon take steps to fill the gap left
by Abbott .
Hall's tribute to his friend was generously echoed by the
Mercury which fittingly went on to speak of the partnership between the
two men.
These two gentlemen have been for more than a generation
joint volunteers in what ought to have been the work of
state paid officers, and the graceful tribute which
Dr Hall pays to the past services of Mr Abbott is creditab le
to them both . Almost of an age, their desire to be of use to
the land of their adoption has been very much of a par.
Government has too long presumed on the gratui-tous services
rendered and is now unprepared for what is its duty, however
little unob servant and heedless people may value the aids of
meteorological and sanitary science.l8
Though over seventy, frail, and poorly in health ever since he
was thrown from his gig whilst returning home from visiting a destitute
widow and her children, Hall, nonetheless, was a very active Health Officer
from 1875 to the end of 1880; as the number of measles , scarlet fever ,
typhoid fever and diphtheria cases were on the increase during this period.
his letters to the press were even more frequent as he debated the causes
of the infection and advised the Public how best to prevent and control
their spread.
Nor was he any less active in the Benevolent Society:
on January 26, 1880 , he was elected Chairman of the Executive once more
1 7
1 8
Mercury , March 29, 1880 .
Ibid.