The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-16 00:00:00

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.

" PROBABLE " SAFETY OF DR. LIVINGSTON.
The first business yesterday morning was to criticise the
President's address, delivered last night. How much was
expected from Professor Huxley could easily be judged
from the large and brilliant audience which last
evening completely filled the main body of
the Philharmonic Hall, its double tiers of galleries
and its spacious platform. How appreciative
was the company to which the professor spoke, may be
gathered from the statement of the Earl of Derby, that he
never remembered to have seen closer attention paid to a
put-lie discourse. And now that the address is reflected
upon, the general verdict is unquestionably favourable,
and much of the enthusiasmthat was displayed at the time
of its delivery has been reproduced on its perusal in a
printed form this morning. Nine sections have
got into the full swing of work. At eleven o'clock the
several President% delivered their opening addresses to
audiences, the capacities of which were exceedingly
unequal, and varied according to the attractiveness of the
subjects.
The mechanical science section under the presidency of
Mr. Vignoles was only sparsely attended ; the subject of
boiler explosions, though important, being scarcely suffi-
ciently attractive. A discussion was raised on the
report on explosions prepared by a committee appointed
at the last meeting of the association. This report contains
a number of practical suggestions, some of which were
corrected and others approved of by the various speakers.
Of the several plans for the prevention of the numerous
disasters which take place from defective boiler, the one
most approved by the committee is that of enforcing in-
spection by law directly rather than indirectly by penalty.
In addition to the question of boiler explosions the me-
chanical section discussed some papers on the somewhat
unsavoury subject of sewage and the best means of utiliz-
ing it. The anthropologists were well to the
fore, the attendance in their section being
large, and the discussion animated. As usual,
Mr. Evans presided, and delivered an address which was
discussed. The veteran geographer, Sir Roderick Murchi-
son, looking haler even than ever, subsequently took his
place on the platform. He gathered as usual a numerous
company around him, to whom he discussed eloquently
and earnestly on the subjects that were to engage the
attention of the section. The portion of his address most
generally interesting was that referring to the exploration
of inner equatorial Africa by Sir Samuel Baker, and of
Southern Africa by Dr. Livingstone. Sir Samuel (said
the president) would by his researches add largely to our
acquaintance with the vast central and watery
region on either side of the Equator. The
one great object at which he was aiming was of course to
reach the southernmost end of the Albert Nyanza, be-
cause there he trusted to fall in with and relieve his great
contemporary Livingstone. If, indeed, said Sir Roderick,
that indomitable missionary, who unquestionably stands
at the head of all African explorers, should succeed in
tracing a connection between the waters of the Tan-
ganyika lake, where he was when we last heard from him,
and the south end of the Albert Nyanza; why
then the meeting of these two remarkable men
would be the happiest consumation of our
wishes ; and if that should be accomplished, Sir
Samuel Baker himself will, I doubt not, cheerfully award
the greater share of glory to his fellow explorer, who will
then have proved himself to be the real discoverer of the
ultimate southern sources of the Nile. In waiting for the
solution of this great problem, I adhere in the meantime
to the opinion which I previously expressed, that if
Livingstone be still at or near Ujiji on the
Lage Tanganyika, to which place supplies have
been sent to him, he will at once proceed
to determine that problem, and will not think of a return
to England until the grand desideratum is carried out.
And here I would ask why any one who knows what
Livingstone has undergone should despair of his life
simply because we have had no news from him during the
last fifteen months ? Did not much more than that period
elapse whilst he was in the heart of Africa without our
receiving a word of comfort respeoting him ? By the last
accounts he was hospitably redeived by Arabs who
are friendly to the Sultan of .Zanzibar, who is
Livingstone's patron, and also a protector of the negroes.
I had written thus far, and all was in type, when I re-
ceivad a letter from Dr. Kirk, at Zanzibar, dated 29th of
June, 1870, which has comforted me exceedingly : for
sanguine as I have been as to the safety and success of
Livingstone, I am now better supported than ever in my
anticipation of his ultimate triumph. Dr. Kirk thus
writes :—" News has reached me by natives from the
interior, that the road is now clear, and that the cholera
did not pass the town of Unyanyembe. Livingstone is,
therefore, out of danger, and I hope the stores sent have
now reached him. The rainy season being at an end,
Unyamwezi caravans are daily expected and will no doubt
bring, if not letters from the Doctor himself,
at least news of him from the Arab governor
of Unyanyembe. The coast near Zanzibar -is now

healthy. Sir Roderick concluded by expressing a strong
opinion that Livingstone would return in safety. Though
not forming a portion of his address proper, Sir Roderick
referred to the fact tnat a telegfam had been received a
few days ago from Lord Mnyo, stating that there was a
report that Mr. Hayward who had been sent out by the
Royal Geographical Society to explore if possible the
Pamir land, and who being unable to force his way thither
had taken a route which led him to Yark, and had been
murdered. The statement, however had not been confirmed
It was also mentioned by Sir Roderich that Captain
Sherard Osborne would be unable to attend the section
and read a paper, as he was quite unnerved by the loss
of the Captain, on board which were his intimate friends,
Captain Cowper Coles, Captain Burgoyne, and also a
near relative. Sir Roderick held that Captain Osborne's
letter in the papers gave a clear and satisfactory explana-
tion of the cause of the Captain's disaster.
The presence of the Rev. Robert Moffatt and the
Rajah of Kallipore created great interest in this section,
the veteran missionary being welcomed on the platform
with some hearty cheering. The papers which followed
the President's address, included one by General Sir H.
C. Rawlinson on the site of Paris, and another by Dr.
G. Campbell, which contained a variety of interesting
details on the physical geography and traces of British
India. The Department of Biology attracted a crowd of
visitors who were anxious to hear Professor Rolleston's
address. This was a lengthy deliverance, and
dealt with the various subjects to be brought under the
attention of the different subdivisions of the department
and though in the main somewhat too scientific to be
thoroughly understood by the uninitiated, there were many
points which all could appreciate. The address, too, con-
tained some practical hints of a most important kind.
These hints were received with many marks of approval
by the audience, which included Professor Huxley, Dr.
Hooker, Sir J. 'Lubbock, and Professor Balfour. The
President insisted strongly upon the great value
of scientific instructions by means of local field
clubs and museums, the specimens in which
latter, he urged, should not be confined entirely
to the locality. In a very lucid manner he pointed out
the harmonious relationship which should subsist between
literary and scientific education, and demonstrated the
value of the services rendered by the inquiries of Biology.
In the course of this address Professor Rolleston observed
that many distinguished foreigners invited to be present
had been unable to attend the present meeting owing to
the war. The papers in the three subdivisions of the
biology section were of a character too scientific to be
popular. Amongt the other matters discussed yesterday
were those appertaining to chemical science, to the
science of geology, and to economic science, and statistics.
As a whole the papers of were not of a particularly
interesting character, but the first day's sittings of the
sections is never specially attractive.

Ou the 25th of August a circus was struck by
lightning at Knipton, near New York. Five people who
were looking at the performance were killed, and about
200 others were injured.

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.—A letter has been
received from her Majesty's ship Galatea, which states
that his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, after
visiting the Fiji Islands, will sail for England in January
1871, calling at the Falkland Islands and Monte Video.
The above information came by telegram through Reuter's
office from Bombay.

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.—The first meeting
of the Court of Common Council, for the season, was
held at the Guildhall, London yesterday ; the Right lion.
the Lord Mayor presiding. On the motion of Mr. John
Sewell it was resolved that copies of the medals struck on
the following occasions be presented to Baron Bulow, for
the Royal Collection of Denmark—the opening of the
Coale Exchange; the visit of the Emperor Napoleon.;
the visit of the King of Sardinia ; the arrival
of the Princess Alexandra, and the visit of the
Sultan. Baron Bulow had requested copies of these
medals to be struck at his expense, but the Court resolved
to present the medals at their sown expense. —Alderman
Sir Benjamin Phillips moved that the Corporation
subscribe the sum of £l,OOO to the fund of the National
Society for aid to the sick and wounded in the war.—The
motion was carried by a•large majority.
AFFAIRS IN ROME.—A correspondent in Rome
writing on the 9th, gives the conditions which Count
Ponxa di San Martino, accredited Italian Envoy in place
of Baron Ricasoli, offered to the Pope as an ultimatum on
that day. 1. The Pope shall accept an Italian garrison •
in Rome and the provinces. 2. The foreign Papal troops
shall be sent to garrison Civita Vecchia. 3. Baron
Ricasoli shall be appointed Prefect of Rome. The Pope
was offered five days to consider this proposal. It was
believed in Rome that he would make a protest and remain
in the Vatican, allowing matters to take their course, as
he is unable to prevent them, but giving no content, and
relying on his spiritual power and the censure of the
Church against spoliation, The fall of Napoleon is
openly attributed by all the Catholic organs to his aban-
donment of Rome, and this has made an impression on
some waverers. Cardinal Antonelli is busily employed in
arranging his own affairs, and has just bought 40,000 fr.
worth of hothouse plants for his palace garden, on the
Quirinal having evidently no Quixotic intentions of
sharing the fortunes of the Pope in exile. His Eminence
is strongly in favour of admitting the Italian troops.
The Italian journals express great anxiety as to the
attitude Prussia will take in case the Roman States are
forcibly annexed. The .anguage of the Prussian represen-
tatives is very ambiguous on this head,