The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-11 00:00:00

ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.

A general meeting of the fellows of the Royal Geo-
graphical Society was held last night in the theatre of
the Royal Institution, Albemarle-street ; Sir Roderick
Murchison, F.R.S., the president, in the chair.
The meeting was very numerously attended, amongst
whom were General Monteith, James Silk Buckingham,
Esq., W. Arrowsmith, Esq., J. Hamilton, Esq., Capt.
Kennedy, Lieut. Benton (from Arabia), Sir Frederick
Nicholson, Colonel Neil Campbell, Mr. W. Richard
Hamilton Dr. Hodgkin. James Bell, Esq., M.P., Capt.
Blackwood, R.N., Sir Woodbine Parish, Sir Charles
Fellowes, Admiral Percy, &c.
Dr. Norton Shaw, the secretary, having read the
minutes of the last meeting, the society proceeded to
ballot for Commander Miller, James Tilbard, Esq.,
Captain Moorsom, R.N., Commander Cracroft, Dr.
John Rae (of the Hudson's Bay Company, and the re-
cent explorer of the Arctic Regions), J. Cunningham,
Esq., R. M. Milnes, Esq., M.P., and the whole of theee
gentlemen were elected as fellows of the society.
Captain Allen, R.N., at the call of the president, read
a paper "On the feasibility of forming a canal between
the Gulf of Akabah and the Dead Sea." The purport
and object of this paper were to show that the Dead Sea
has now a depression of 1,300 feet below the Meditecr-
ranean, which had hitherto been unaccounted for, and
of which he had made certain observations during his
approach to it by the shores of Jericho. From these
observations he had come to the conclusion that the
Strait at Akabah might have been closed at some un-
known period, either by a gradual up-heaving of th e
land, or by the growth of coral, by deposits of sand and
gravel thrown up by the sea, and by the sandstones of
the Desert. He then went into some other statements
to show the practicability of the waters of the Dead Sea
being carried into the Red Sea and Mediterranean and
vice versa, the accomplishment of which important work
would open a new and shortened route to India and
China.

The PRESIDENT said this subject had alreacly•beem
treated of by Lieut. J. F. Symons, a member of their
society, who, in 1842, obtained the Queen's gold medal
for his survey in Palestine, and levels across the country
to the Dead Sea. It was a subject deeply interesting!,
and he hoped that Captain Allen would still further deo-
veiope his important observations.
After a few observations from Mr. Petermann and
Mr. Arrowsmith, the thanks of the society were passed
to Captain Allen for his paper.
The next paper read was a journal, by Dr. Robinson,
of a journey through Palestine.
Mr. S. BUCKINGHAM, as one who had visited the Dead.
Sea, as well as Balbec and Orentes, wished to make a
few observations, and, in doing so, generally concurred
in the observations made by Captain Allen, and bora
testimony to the rapid growth of coral banks. He men
tioned the case of a ship that was wrecked some year 3
ago on a line with Ceylon, when the persons made theiir
way to the shore, the water being then but breast high..
Some thirty years after this, one of the persons, com-
manding a ship, happened to touch on this very coast,
and there found a ship at anchor, with a large island
grown up, covered with palm trees, and from which.
island a supply of water was obtained. This gave a.
strong proof of the rapid growth of coral reefs. Mr.
Buckingham then at some length treated on the wonders
of the temples of Palmyra and Balbec, and concluded
his observations amidst general cheers.
Mr. HAMILTON, in allusion to the Temple of Balbec,
said so enormous were the stones used in its construc-
tion, that a former traveller had feared to give their im-
mense proportions in his work, as he was unwilling to
hazard his fame on a subject upon which the public
might be sceptical. He had himself measured them, and
found some of them upwards of 70 feet in length, and 12
feet in thickness.

Some other members having corroborated these state-
ments, thanks were voted to Dr. Robinson for his
paper, and the meeting was adjoarned until the 24th
instant.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.

LIVERPOOL, JAN. 10.

STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market has been very flat to-
day, without any change on Saturday's prices. The closing
business was as follows :—Aberdeen, 154 ; Birkenhead,
Lancashire, and Cheshire, 6* dis. ; Chester and Birken-
head, 22k dig. ; Caledonian, 344 ; Eastern Counties, 13 7-16;
Lancashire and Yorkshire, 838 ; Liverpool, Crosby, and
Southport, 182 ; London and North Western, 1242 ; ditto,
Fifth shares, 34 p. ; Midland, 804 ; North British, 913-16 ;
South Eastern and Dover, 244 ; York and North Midland,
291 ; Midland 4k per Cent., 1 prom. ; St. Helen's Railway
and Canal 5 per Cent. and div., 1382 ; North Union,
A, 263.