The Express.
London, England, 1863-11-10 00:00:00

ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.

Yesterday evening the first meeting for the
SIMMS of the Royal Geographical Society was bold in
Be liegtos ROM% Sir RODLRICK 3fCBCIIBON in the chair.
Timm was a very full atteridanoe of follows and visitors;
and in coosequeoce of the increasing number of visitors
who now attend the meetings of the society and usually
eecapy front places to the exclusion of fellows, it bas been
arranged by the council that no visitor, shall in future be
admitted before the chair is takes unless introduced
personally. Sir Roderick Murchison prefaced the busi-
ness of the meeting by reading the names of 33 noblemen
and gentlemen who are candidates for admission to the
society, and observed that at so former meeting had be
kaowu so large a number. A paper wee then read,
from Baron von der Decker, a Hanovei "an noble-
man who, at his own expense, fitted out au expedition for
exploring the snowy mountains of eastern equatorial Africa.
The baron has proved the existesee of each mountains, sad
by barometrical observations and by the temperature of
boiling water, it had been determined that the mountain Kill-
amadjaro is 20,000 feet high, sod is coostently capped with
snow, To obtain the favour of one of the native kings, the
bares was obliged to drink blood with bin', that disgusting
ceremony being considered as • bond of friendship, after
which all difficulty was removed so far as that chief eras coo-
coned • but the extent of his territory was so small that
his frk;edship was oily of limited advantage. A small lake
which the heron crossed in an iron boat that he had had
ecostructed for the purpose, abounded with hippopotami,
crocodiles, and freshwater snakes, but they did not attack
him. At the conclusion of the paper, Captain Maury, Mr.
Cranford, Sir E. Belcher, and other gentlemen made some
observances, and io answer to questions by them Baron
von der Decker said that, ate height of 4,000 feet the wind
blew steadily from the south-east ; that there were plenty
of made in them:miry, bat no oases, and that the natives
were moss astoeisbed at the appearance of a donkey thee at
that of • white man. There was a peculiar insect which
attacked the awn and goats, and destroyed several, but they
did not attack the other animals,

The other business of the eseettog consisted in the read-
ing of the lad letter of the late Mr. Richard Thornton to
Sir Roderick Murchison, from Slispusga oa the Zambesi;
some letters from the late Dr. Vogel, from the interior of
Africa, wene also read; and as account was given of the
Niger expedition, in which Dr. Baikie and a party of Dutch
ladies, with se escort of 400 people, an engaged. The
ladies were represented u exitance with great spirit into
the adventures io which the expedition was engaged, and
their letters described the country in the centre of Africa
se being extremely picturesque and beautiful. Their only
anxiety was to get into soma safe shelter before the rainy
erre set in, which would continue for four months.
The meeting thee adjourned to the Wed Meant.

THE ROYAL DALEY AT FILOONORE--Tbe interior
of the sew royal dairy at Frogmen is Wert decorated in
a very beautiful mom. The walls an lined with white
end coloured tiles, designed is • rich and tasteful style,
and bearing repraseetations of the sersom of the year de-
picted is a series of selectiose from agricultural We. The
windows are filled with coloured glass, aad slam the deco-
rations of this beautiful little buildiug are entirely com-
pleted it will afford one of the most striking tramples of
what taste sod refinement ma do towards eleratiqg even
tree of the commonest and simplest operations of rural
life. In fact. it is a complete gem M its way, and an ea-
ample of the architectural taste of which the late Prison
Cooeort was the Arent.
THE COURT-MARTIAL ON COLONEL CRAWLEI.—.
Although oe Saturday it was arranged officially that the
court-martial es Coined Crawley should commence es
Thursday neat, doubts have aim arisen whether it will be
eible for the tribunal to begin it. sitting, on that day.
The military authorities are quite reedy, and have her for
some time anxious to proceed ; and Colonel Crawley perms.
ally wee understood to be as sesesting party to the arrange.
meat. Yesterday morning, however, Colonel Crawley's
legal &driers preferred • request that the coortranartial
should be further postponed to the 17th net., GO the erased
that they lied not yet succeeded in perfecting the evidence
for the defence. This application has bees referred by the
Home Guards to the Judge-Advocato-Cramal, and await,
him deciatun.—Time.