The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-25 00:00:00

ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.

The usual periodical meeting of this society was
held lest evening, at the Royal Institution, Albemarle-
street; Sir R. T, Mcacalsos, the president of thesociety.
in the chair. There was a large attendance of members,
The subject which occupied the attention of the society was
the geography of Africa, the three papers which were
mad all having reference thereto. Several new members
were admitted, including Capt. Lefroy, R.N., and James
Locke, Esq., M.P.
Dr. HODOZIN read a paper communicated by the Cheva-
lier Nigri Christoloro, of Turin—being an account of the
ascent of the White Nile, to the second degree of latitude,
by M. Rollet, of Sardinia. The writer described the counts
of the river, and gave the names of the various tribes
through which he passed, with notices of their appearance
and manners. In some parts the river was so narrow,
that it was crossed on the trunks of trees thrown
from one bank to the other. Occasionally their passage
.was interrupted by cataracts, where the river seemed to
Mae Dom narrow fissures of rock. Some of the tribes be-
tween 6 deg. and 8 deg. N. lat carried on an extensive
trade in ivory. The expedition was accompanied by a
Boma catholic priest, named Don Angelo, who was well
with the language of many of the tribes, and
Mmie:stalletely gained their confidence. He had ascer-
tained that none of these tribes had an. religion or govern-
ment of any sort—some believed that the sun had made the
heavenly bodies, and that the elephant bad made man,
They were fond of dancing and licentiousness; occasionally
they held saturnalia, commencing at sunset, which were
participated in by 7,060 or 8,000 persons of both sexes
amongst whom all restraint was laid aside. They had a
superstitious fear of killing any person, believing that his
death would be revenged oa their families. The soil was
fertile, but through ignorance of the means of culture, the
natives often suffered from famine.
Dr. HoDOIIN said he bad submitted this paper to his
friend Mr. Manliness, who thought that some of the mea-
surements given by the author were incorrect, and doubted
the statement that the waives were able to travel 30 geo-
graphical miles in a day; his experience led him to believe
that they could not seemaplish more than 12. Still the
papers were exceedingly valuable and useful. All the most
reliable recent discoveries confirmed the statement of
Martina' Tyre, 2,000 years ago, that the Nile sprung under
the equator.
The thanks of the society were voted to K. Rollet, Chev.
Christoforo, Don Angelo, and Mr. Macqueen.
The CHAIRMAN announced that a general discussion on
African geography would be taken after all the papers bad
A
Mr. Nom, the secretary, reed an amount of • P
emcee attics, from Zansebeir on the east to Benguelao4:2:
west crust. by a Moorish caravan, communicated by the
Fareigu-odice. This expedition, it was stated, had settled
the proetisabelity of time journey. The Moors had left
Zsamebar, and proceeded into the interior, for the purpose
of trading with the natives, exebeeging their goods for
ivory_asd slaves. Their journey had occupied els months;
kr 1b dap they mot with so inhabltents whatever. Their
me% so defiant en the map, appeared to lie between the
M mid 12th dog. of south latitude. They occupied a day
end a sight in crossing Lake Tangana in a boat which they
boat kr the puimosii. On the west side of the lake
twist with • tribe who are in the habit of filing their
The sand vete of thanks was paned to the sonitleesan
wins bad somuswaiustal the paper ; also to Kr. W. D. Coo-
ley who lad furnished alma remarks on the pager.
Mr Dams DONDAI steed that the thanks-al the qty
shoal aim be given to by Iknelleney the P
twassat) Ihr OM ascatragement his go-
hal shear stenala pegtarbisel ditarrery.
tilifiettrd mianntakelien wee a ruse Omni of two ex-
peditions made into Central Africa by the Pomp, com-
municated by Dr. Barth.
Chtiesider Burrow made moo remarks on a recent expo-
Atka into the interior of Mika, under the diseetioa of the
=tllll,llMlNKrid:sui• understood), and expressed a
at' the two bed travellers now •
there would be enabled to pursue their rmearchee =
'rely. The latest accounts from them were dated in
September, and he was in expectation of shortly reesiviag
further information. . _ .

Tit;6a:;filsanexpirsseed his belief that the most anthem-
tie information as to the geography of Africa would be
received through the Portuguese government. He had no
doubt that some interesting record. were to be found in the
archives of Lisbon. (lbw, hear.)
Excellency the PORTVOURSII MINISTER neat ad-
dressed the meeting in French.
Colonel Stan• said: that Portuguese cannon had been
discovered 300 mile* in the interior of Africa. Before that
it had
had penetrated so far into that continent. He had
no doubt that the researches now making would lead
to some very valuable discoveries as to the course of the
rivers in the interior. The thanks of the society were due
to the authors of the papers.
Mr. MONTOOXIIRT MARTIN said he thought that, while
so mush attention was paid to the interior of Africa, it
would be well if the society would turn its attention to ca-
plets the interior of Australis, whereby they would confer
a great benefit on the country. (Applause.)
Some further discussion followed, and the proceedings
terminated with the usual vote of thanks to the chairman.

EARLY CLOSING ASSOCIATION.—The following
" Early Shopping -Pledge" is beins signed, through the
agency of the Early Cloning Association, by that numerous
slam the assistant tradesmen of London : " Believing the
late-hour system to be unnecessary for all purposes of bust-
ens ; feeling it to be a grievous burden, and • bather to
oas moral, mental, and social advancement ; and, believing
the custom of late purchasing to be the mainstay of that un-
just and oppressive system, we, the undersigned young
men and young women, engaged as assistants in the various
houses of business in the metropolis, hereby solemnly
pledge ourselves—let. That, henceforward, we will neither
purchase nor order any article at a hatter's, hosier's,
jeweller's, chemist's, tailor's, perfumer's, stationer's,
draper's, or any. other kind of shop, after six o'clock in the
evening excepting in cases of extreme emergency. 2nd.
That we will, other things being equal, deal at those shops,
of whatever trade, which elo%e the earliest in their respec•
live districts. 3rd. That we will, to the utmost extent of
our power, induce our several friends and acquaintances to
act upon the same resolutions." It is stated that arrange-
ments are being made to have a similar document signed by
the public generally, especially by the lain of the metro-
polis. It i% believed that by this means an immense im-
petus will be given to the movement.
THE Laws OF ENGLAND.—On the re-assembling
of the hose of Commons, Mr. Phillimore, M.P., is to move
an "address that her Majesty wil! he pleased to appoint
commissioners to digest the law of England into a code."

DESERTION OF SEAMEN IN ADS MALIAN

PORTS.

The following important letter, addressed to the
editor of the Nydney Beepers of Nov. 9, by Captain
the commander of the Peninsular and °newel Company's
screw steamer Formosa, reveals a most eitraortlinary state
of things in Amtrak*:

Sir,—My name has been brought forward so frequently
of late, in connexion with the Water Police, that I feel
forced to publish a plain statement of all the facts (from
first to last) concerning the Formosa's crew.
By your inserting this you will not only oblige me. but
lay before the public an example of the great difficulties
against which the shipping interest has to combat in Syd-
ney, and therehy, I trust, urge them to strong measures to
inquire into and root out the evil, and establish a more
healthy system (in the administering of the laws relating to
shipping) in the place of the rotten and unjust one at pre-
, sent in practice.
During the passage from England to Port Phillip, the
Formosa's crew, in common with all other ships coining to
Australia, conducted themselves disgracefully, so much so
as to compel me on one occasion to keep all the seamen in
irons for three days, and the two rink leaders, till I arrived
at Port Phillip, where I prosecuted them and left them in
gaol.
Yet not one of this troublesom., crew did I lose at Port
Phillip, a place with far more inducements for seamen to
desert than Sydney, and in our case (having to coal along.
side three colonial vessels Muse to the shore), it offered equal
facility. I have to thank the derision and promptitude of
the Water Police Magistrate at William's Town for keeping
my men.
On arriving at Sydney, I was aware that my men would
use every endeavour to desert, and, to induce them to re-
main, I offered to enter into an agreement with them, to
give them up to Singapore, 101. per month, in addition to
the pay they had, at Southampton, agreed ti serve fur, for
three years. At this time they agreed to the proposal, but
in the evening I received a letter signed by 21 seamen and
firemen, stating that unless I eaneeiled my old articles, and
agreed to bring them back from Singapore at the terms I
offered, they would "stand their chance."
I then told them the, as they refused my offer, I with-
drew it altogether. I then made arrangements for keeping
the ship in the stream during her stay in port, allowed uu
liberty or visitors to the crew, and, in fact, took such pre-
cautions to prevent desertion, that at length they refused to
perform duty at all. flum.i.onses were then taken out by
me for their arrest. The official log-book was read to them,
collectively and individually, ani all the legal rigmarole
was duly coniormed to, and the men were lodged in the
watchbouse, the water police nragirrate giving me every
assistance, and info-ming me that, after the committal of
the men to gaol, I could, upon due application, have them
sent on board previous to sailing out of the harbour. Thus
far, whilst the matter remained in his hands, all seemed in
• fair way towards success. Now mark the turn given to
affairs as soon as the city of Sydney became the scene of
action. I attended at the Police Court by appointment, I
wait patiently for my case, I am sent for by the water
police magistrate, and lammed that probably my case wil.
not come on till very late, but that I may get it postponed
by application to the bench through Mr. Powell, the in-
spector of police. I apply to Mr. Powell to make the appli-
cation, he consents, and I leave the court. Next comes my
legal adviser, Mr. Nichols, who ascertains from the oppos-
ing solicitor that the case was postponed ; accordingly he,
Mr. N., leaves the court. down after this the case is called
on. Mr. Powell asks for postponement. The bench quar-
rel on the subject, and at length the majority admit the
crew to bait on their own recognisances. Away go the
men iota the town, mid in the afternoon some half dozen
of them, drunk, repair to the ship, demanding some dinner,
and stating that the megierates told them to come on board
and make themselves comfortable. The chief officer of
course refused them admittance, well knowing the hin-
drance which a gang of drunken and disorderly seamen
would be to a ship teen in a critical position and requiring
every attention, with a number of men employed in the
room of these fellows at 10s. per day each. When these
facts came to my knowledge, I saw immediately that the
mischief was dune, and knowing that these men, after com-
munication with the crimps, lodging-house keepers, and
runaway sailors in the town, even if compelled to sail in the
ship, would come on board so prepared as to create • mu-
tiny of a very serious nature as soon as we got to sea.
Not being anxious to be brought before the public (as
the captain of the Georgians has been), I at once deter-
mined to abandon all prosecution, and let the men go about
their business; intending at the same time to refu-e their
discharges and clothes, as they all received two months'
advance on the 4th August last, and, with one exception,
all left behind them a monthly note, which cannot be
stopped till the 19th January next, thus leaving them in
debt to the slip some two months' wages. The men, half
druok, then in a body stop me in the street, and creating a
great disturbance, much to me annoyance and hindrance of
passers-by, demand in angry terms their discharge. 1 re-
rased. They then ask it I will admit them on board the
ship. I reply, "Yes, to work on the original and existing
agreement." They say, "No; if we come, we come on our
own terms."

On Wednesday last, the plies apprehended two men at
Morpeth, without any warrant or instructions from me.
Why these two men were taken I cannot conceive, when
16 others of the crew had been daily lcuoging about Lower
George-street, and no notice taken of them. I declined
prosecuting them, for the same reason as before, because
they no :onger could be of any use to me, and the expendi-
ture of my time is of more value than the mere gratifica-
tion of having them lodged in gaol. I was next sued by 14
of these men in the Supreme Court for 291. each (why this
exact sum was pitched upon I know not), and I found that
as they sued as paupers (the lawyers and crimps I presume
round the money fur the expenses), that to defend the
action would cost some 3001., and then, when a verdict was
gained, I could not recover 300 farthis ge. My solicitor
then applied to the seamen's solicitor to stay all proceedings
till the next day, when an arrangement could be made,
which was agreed to. Yet after this, Thursday morning, I
find six more summonses issued, and threatened, if theft
were not paid, the others would not settle the affair. One
of these men left Sydney in the Shamrock the day before,
and could, therefore, have had no interest in the affair. I
was therefore compelled to compromise, and yield to any
demand the lawyer chose to make (for Jack now appears to
me to have had little more to do with the matter), rather
than expend time and money upon a vexatious lawsuit, and
become a martyr for the public good ; and, liberal ant
wealthy as the company is in which I serve, yet the diets-
tors would scarcely like to find that they were obliged to
st ind up alone to expose an abuse which affects the whole
shipping interest, and has for some time been tolerated in
Sydney, and appears likely to exist still longer, if the press
and public do nut take the matter up, both here and in
England.
I remain, air, your obedient servant,
WILLIAM PARFITT.
_

Steam-ship Formosa, Sydney, ii;7.1,1i32:--
P.S.—The ship is now detained for want of men, after
our going to the enormous eapense of working day and
night to get ready, in order to start punctually and save the
mail, for the accommodation of the public.

CHARM° CROSS HOSPITAL—The committee in
the annual statement of the operations of the hospital state
that in the course of the tut year 16,286 indigent sick
persona were admitted on the books for relief, at a cost of
2,6631. 4s. Old. ; of these, 1,282 were in-patients, and
15.204 were out-patients (many of whom were visited at
their own homes, and the greater part were restored to the
blessings of health and to their occupations for the support
of their families.) These, with the cases reported informer
annual statements, make a total of 211.144 sick and needy
individuals who have partaken of the advantages of the
institution, from its commencement, in 1818, to the 31st
December, 1852. In their last statement, the committee
furnished a detail of the cases of accident and sudden inju-
ries which had been brought to the hospital in the preced-
ing year. These cases have, during the last year,
amounted to 2,428; of which, 324 were so dangerous as to
require to be immediately samitted in-patients. Altoge-
ther 16,286 patients were admitted during the last year,
I,4o4;were with letters of recommendation, and 14,882
were admitted without any recommendation.
AUSTRALIAN EMIGILANTB.—A brother to a highly
respectable tradesman in Southampton left the Dewns on
the 3rd of July last, in the ship Pavement, bound for Port
Philip. He took out two nephews with bim—one 14 and
the other 16 years of ego, who went out to seek their
fortune. On Setarday the tradesman is question received
a letter from his brother. The letter states that they had •
very prosperous voyage. They sailed on the great circle
principle, and as high as 64 deg. south latitude. They ex-
perienced no head winds, and there wee no sickness on
board during the whole of the voyage. They arrived at
Port Philip en the 30th of September. He sap also that
he and his nephews obtained situations almost Immediately
in Melbourne. He himself got into the establishment of a
jeweller, watchmaker, and gold-broker. There jobbing
watchmakers get from 20s. to 30s. per day.
Labour of all kinds is very plentiful and provisions
are enormously dear. Flour Is 461. a ton in Melbourne,
and 150 L • ton at the diggings. Robberies were very nu-
merous and murders and hangings wtre common. Just
before he landed at Port Philip he bought a pistol of a
fellow passenger for 21., and told at for 121. to the boatman
who landed him, and he foun I afterwards that he could
have got 241. for it amber*. Revolvers which can be par-
chased for six guineas is London, fetch forty view in
Melbourne. _ _

PEMBROKESHIRE MILITIA.—In consequence of the
quota of men for the county not being attainable by enlist-
ment, a meeting of the lieutenancy is to be hi ld on the sth
of February for arranging the ballot. The plenitude of
labour on the railroads in the neighbourhood, and not the
dislike of soldiering, is the cause of having thus to resort to
the ballot. _

MIDDLE CLABBER FREEHOLD LAND SOCIETY.-
Yesterday evening a meeting was held at Peele's Coffee-
house, Fleet-street, for the purpose of explaining the ob-
jects of the above society, and to elect trustees and receive
subscriptions. This chair was occupied by one of the direc-
tors. The Secretary having read the report, the Chiir-
man said it was proposed to form this society, the objects
of which were to raise, by subscriptions of members and in
shares of 601. each, a fund, out of which every member
should receive the amount or value of his share for the par-
chese of real or leasehold estate, and which he thought
would prove a good investment for both We middle and the
lower classes. After speaking of the benefits which build-
ing !societies conferred on the country and the public, ho
said that this society, unlike the National or Conservative,
did not care what were the p+litical opinions of its member..
After some remarks horn Mr. Rogers, the Solicitor, and
the Secretary, some resolutions were pused, and three
gentlemen elected as trustees and sic as arbitrators, when
some subscriptions were received and the meeting sepa-
rated.

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 25, 1853.