The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-14 00:00:00

ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.

A crowded meeting of this society was held on Monday
evening; Sir Roderick I. Murchison, K,C.8., President,
in the chair.
Among those present were the Count de Paris, the Earl
of Sheffield, Earl Somers, Lord Colville, General Baron
Jochmus, the Count Escayrac de Lature, Sir Thomas Fre-
mantle, Sir C. Rawlinson, Admirals Sir George Back, Sir
E. Belcher, Collinson, and Hall; Generals Monteith and
Luard, Colonels Sotherby, Mackenzie, and Shaffner, &c. ;
Capt. Bedingfield ; Majors Goldsmid, Shaw, Stewart, &c. ;
Drs. Rae, Ogle, Camps, Day-Goss, &c. ; and Messrs. A.
H, Layard, M.P., Monck'on Manes, M.P., Gregson, M.P,,
Reuter, Handley, Osborne Smith, Henry Johnston, W.
Winwoode Reade, A. Swanzy, George Bishop, C. White,
Spottiswoode, Marshman, Bidduiph, Arrowsmith, Findlay,
Walker, &c.
Rear-Admiral Horatio Thomas Austin, C.B. ; Messrs.

Alex. Baring, James N. Dick, Wm. James Farer, Patrick
Douglas Haden, John Henry Mackenzie, Wm. Simpson,
J, A. Wright, and Lieut. S. Sale were elected fellows.
The minutes of the former meeting having been read by
Dr. Moreton Shaw,
The PRESIDENT called attention to the telegrams recently
received announcing the arrivals of Captains Speke and
Grant at Khartum. There was every reason to believe
they must have reached the White Nile, and descended it

from Lake Nyanza, baying traced the source of it. It
could not be said that the source of the Nile had been dis-
covered until further details had been received, but he be-
lieved, from that pregnant passage in the telegram. " The
"Nile is settled," that it bad. The expedition was sent out
by the Royal Geographical Society, first under Burton and
Speke, and next under Speke and Grant, purposely to de-
termine its source; and as Lake Nyanza is a great fresh
water lake, said by the Arabs to be 300 miles long, situate
nearly 4,000 ft. above the level of the sea, and tends from
south to north, its waters must have an exit towards the
north ; hence the belief that Speke and Grant, in corning
down from the lake, had really traced the sources of the
great river.

Mr. GALToN doubted that the source of the Nile would
have been found in Lake Nyanza, for he thought the size of
that river above Gondocoro was not commensurate with
such a supposition.

Dr. BEKE said that in 1848 he placed on record his opi-
nion that the source of the Nile would be discovered by
taking very much the route followed by Captains Speke and
Grant, and was glad to find that his views were now sub-
stantially confirmed.

Dr. SHAW then read despatches from Governors Sir H
Barkly and Sir G. Bowen on Lanthaborough's transverse a
Australia, &c.

Mr. LANDSBOROUGH having been introduced to the
meeting by the President, stated that, from his experience
of sheep rearing, Queensland was eminently adapted for the
growth of wool, and the climate suitable for European con-
stitutions ; the Plains of Promise were as fine a pastoral
country as he had ever seen.

Mr. MIDDLETON, second in command of the M'Kinlay
expedition, gave a variety of interesting details respecting
the journey, stating that the thermometer sometimes stood
as high as 160 deg. in the sun.

Mr. CRAWFURD was of opinion that wool could not be
grown in the tropics ; sheep were intended for a temperate
climate, and the fleece was given to protect them from the
cold. In the tropics the fleece was not required.
Mr. LANDSBOROUGH—Yon are theorizing. Who of all
the human race have the most wool on their heads, is it
not the inhabitants of the tropics ? (Roars of laughter.)
Sir C. NICHOLSON congratulated the travellers upon the
success of their expedition,and stated that he was of opinion
that a new Crown colony should be established in Northern
Australia.

The PRESIDENT said for a long period he had advocated
the policy of forming North Australia into a separate
colony, and he hoped the question would now be taken up
by Government. Sir R. Murchison finally stated that he
had directed cards of invitation to be issued to two sofreee
at Willis's-rooms, St. James's, to be held on the 27th May
and the 15th June respectively, his own house not being
large enough to accommodate the greatly increased number
of Fellows.

The meeting then adjourned to May 27, the anniversary
of the society, to take place at 1 p,m., at Burlington-
house.

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