The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-28 00:00:00

THE BRITIS.II- ASSOCIATION.

OTTOMAN (SMYRNA TO AIDIN).
The annual meeting of this company was held
yesterday at the London Tavern ; Sir Macdonald
Stephenson, the chairman, presided.
Mr. J. L. ELKIN, the secretary, read the report.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, congratulated the proprietors on the favour-
able position of the company and on the progress
that had been made in carrying out the undertak-
ing. Scarcely 12 months had elapsed since the
commercial depression commenced which had the
effect of discouraging the public from all under-
takings of the kind, and he thought, under the cir-
cumstances, they had attained a success which
was not anticipated. The directors felt the utmost
confidence in the success of the undertaking
and made the necessary arrangements for
constructing the works. They had deter-
mined on making the first 40 miles of line
from Smyrna to Ephesus as soon as possible. The
concession was a liberal one, and resembled, in
some respects, that of the East Indian Railway.
The Turkish Government had guaranteed 6 per
cent. on the capital, and should the railway pro-
duce a dividend of more than 7 per cent. per an-
num the company would divide the surplus profits
with the Government. The just mode adopted by.
the Turkish Government towards the company had
given great satisfaction. There was no doubt what-
ever as to the soundness•of the guarantee, for the
net commercial returns of the line would in all pro-
bability amount to a much larger sum than the
guarantee, which, so far as the Government was
concerned, would be merely nominal. The impor-
tance of the undertaking could scarcely be over-
rated. Smyrna was a place of historical and poli-
tical interest, it was the ancient capital of Asia
Minor having a large export and import trade.
The district to the south-east was very productive,
and there was no reason why all the great modern
improvements should not be introduced, which
would have the effect of greatly facilitating trade,
adding to the comfort of the people, and decreasing
mortality. They had received a report from Mr.
Meredith. It stated that the line was 70 miles in
length, and for convenience of execution, and to
make a portion of it available for traffic as soon as
possible, it was divided into three sections, and de-
termined to complete the first section, 40 miles in
length, from Smyrna to Ephesus. The second
section, commenced at Ephesus, was eight miles
in length, and the third section, about 22 miles in
length, to the city of Aidin. The completion of
the first section would enable them to open it
for a lucrative traffic. The heaviest works on the
first section were in an advanced state, and
a large quantity of rails and sleepers had
been delivered on the line. It was fully ex-
pected that the first section would be completed for
traffic by the autumn of next year. There was a
tunnel on the second section, which might be com-
pleted in two or three years. The works on the
third section were light, and might, if desirable, be
completed in 12 months. He said that Mr. Edwin
Clarke had made his report, that part of the first
section had teen ballasted and the permanent rails
had been laid for a distance of upwards of two miles.
The works on the remaining 32 miles on the first
section were generally light, and might be com-
pleted by the autumn of next year. A temporary
wharf had been constructed at Smyrna for landing
materials. Two locomotives had been landed, and
were now working on the line. A large proportion
of the permanent way was on the ground, and the
stores for the construction of the electric telegraph
throughout the line were delivered, and a tele-
graphic communication with the station at Ephesus
would be at once established. The next most im-
portant thing was the traffic. The law of increasing
existing traffic by the construction of railways in
Europe would scarcely apply in this case, because
the circumstances were different. The facilities of
railway communication were so much greater in
proportion than the existing modes of conveying
traffic, which were the slowest and most inconve-
nient that could be devised. The concessionnaires
of the line had obtained data inrespect of the traffic,
which had been afterwards tested and confirmed by
Mr. Wakefield. That gentleman had stated that
the price of the carriage of merchandise from the
bazaar at Aidin to Smyrna, a distance of 72 miles,
was £3 10s. per ton, or about ls. per ton per mile.
He further stated that the means of transport was
the sole limit to production, the district being very
productive. The imports of Smyrna for one year,
1857, amounted to £2,535,000, and the exports to
£2,487,000. The number of vessels that visited
the port in that year was 1,750, and the tonnage
437,000 tons. The population of Smyrna was
160,000, and of the city of Aidin 30,000. The
population of the intermediate places was in
proportion to their size and extent. The
cost of the line would be about one-fourth
or one-fifth of the cost of railways in England.
They intended to introduce the principle of carry-
ing the largest number of passengers they could at.
the lowest rate. He could not help thinking there
was a great analogy between their railway and
railways in India. The mode of conveyance was
the most costly, tedious, slow, uncertain, and un-
safe that could be imagined, while railways afforded
the most perfect and the most rapid mode of con-
veyance. It was difficult to say what effect such a
change in the mode of transit would have in deve-
loping the traffic and resources of the district. He
had no doubt the traffic would increase with the
increased facilities afforded. When the East Indian
line was projected it was thought the trade would
be principally in goods and minerals, and that the
passengers would be. inconsiderable ; but after the
line was opened for traffic it was found that one
million of passengers availed themselves of the
facilities of the railway in the course of the year,
and the goods and mineral traffic had vastly in-
creased. No one could say what their line from
Smyrna to Aidin would do, but he knew of no
country in which the introduction of English capi-
tal would produce better results. He concluded by
moving that the report be received and adopted.
Captain WARREN seconded the motion, which
was put and carried unanimously.
On the motion of a proprietor, Mr. G.W. Browne
was elected audito4, the remuneration being fixed
at £5O per annum.
The CHAIRMAN announced that Mr. G. F. Hol-
royd and Mr. A. Wilkin, who had given notice of
their intention to become candidates for seats at
the board, had withdrawn their opposition as can-
didates.
The meeting was then made special, for the pur-
pose of electing six directors, who would continue
m office till March, 1862, the present directors
being eligible for re-election.
Captain WARREN said he had much pleasure in
proposing the election of Sir M. Stephenson as a
director of the company, and in doing so he con-
sidered he was promoting the best interests of the
company. (Hear.)
Mr. G. THOMSON seconded the motion, and it was
carried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed that Captain D.
Warren; Mr. P. P. Blytht Mr. B. C. Smith, Mr.

LEEDS, MONDAY AFTERNOON..
The eight sectional meetings of the British Asso-
ciation, which are going on contemporaneously in
different apartments of the Town-hall, are well
attended, the interest in the proceedings, which
rather flagged on Saturday, being as great as on
either of the preceding days. Several additional,
names have been added to the list of arrivals, in-
cluding the following :—The Earl of Carlisle, Col.
Rawlinson, K.C.8., the . Rev. A. Hume, D.C.L.,
Mr. T. Avison, F.S.A., and Mr. Josh. Mayer (who
attended as delegates from the Historic Society of,
Lancashire and Cheshire) ; Dr. Achille Foville,
jun., Paris ; M. T. J. Silberrnann, College of France,
Paris ; Dr. Havenclever, Aix-la-Chapelle ; Mr. J.
Wethered, United
.States; Mr, W. Collett, Rio
.de
Janeiro; Bingley, Sheffield-; Rev. Professor'
Clark, Cambridge University ; Mr. Robert P. Greg,
F.G.S., Manchester; Dr. J. P. Joule, F.R.S., Man-
chester ; Dr. A. Matthicson, London ; Yen. Arch-
deacon Mu,sgrave,
In Section A, which is for the consideration. of
_mathematical and physical science, the following
Papers were read on Saturday.:,!-B,v the Rev. Dr.
Booth, " On the Mutual Relations of Inverse Curves
and InverSo. Curve Surfaces;'"_- Colonel 4ykes,
" On the Desirableness of Renewing Balloon
Ascents in England for MeteorOlOgical Objects ;"
by the Rev. J. -Dingle, " On the Configuration
of the Surface of the Earth ;" and Colonel Sykes
called attention to Astronomer Broun's having
successfully established a meteorological and mag-
netical observatory in Travancore, at 6,200 feet
above the level of the sea, and to the result of
magnetical observations at Trevandrum, as com-
municated in a letter from Mr. Broun to General
Sir Thomas M. Brisbane.

Among the papers read in the same section to-day
have been the following:—By the Rev. Dr. Booth,
" On a general method of deriving the Properties
of Umbilical Surfaces of the second order, having
three unequal axes, from the Properties of the
Sphere ;" by Sir. David Brewster, " On the use of
Amythyst Plates in experiments on the Polariza-
tion of Light ;" by Professor Hennessy, " On the
Heating of the lower strata of the Atmosphere by
contact with the Earth's surface ;" and " On the
Decrease of Temperature over elevated land ;" by
Dr. Gladstone, " On the Fixed Lines of the Solar
Spectrum."
Professor STEVELEY read a paper by Mr. A. J.
Cooper, M.P., "On the Parhelia and. ascending
nodes of the Planets.'
In Section C (Geology) to-day the first paper
was by Professor Phillips. It was an interesting
notice on some phenomena at the junction of the
granitic and schistose rocks in West Cumberland,
and remarks on the slaty cleavage in the Lake dis-
trict. This was followed by a paper by Mr. H.
S.rby, " On some Peculiarities in the Arrange-
ment of the Minerals in igneous Rocks, and on a
new Method of determining the Temperature and
Pressure at which various Minerals and Rocks
were formed." The following were also appointed
to be read in this section to-day :—By Professor
Harkness, " On the Distortion of Fossils ;" by Pro-
fessor King, " On the jointed Structure of Rocks,
particularly as displayed in some Localities in
Ireland ;" by Mr. David Page ,•" Further Contribu-
tions to the Palaeontology of the Tile-stones, or
Siluro-Devonian Strata of Scotland ;" by. Pro-
fessor Huxley, " Observations on the genus
Pteraspis ; " by Mr. Charles Moor, "On the
Conglomerates near Frome and their Organic
Remains ;" by Mr. W. H. Bally, "On two
New Species of Crustacea from the Coal
Measures in Queen's County, Ireland, and
some Remarks on Forms allied to them ;" and
" On the Fructification of Alethopteris (Cyclop-
teris) Hybernica, from the Upper Devonian or
Lower Carboniferous Strata in Kiltorkan-hill,
county Kilkenny ;" by Mr. Lucas Barrett, " On the
Atlas and Axis of the Plesiosaurus ;" by Mr.
Edward Charlcsworth, "On some remarkable
Yorkshire Fossils, including the unique Plesiosauri
in the Museum at York, with pictorial Restorations
by Mr. Waterhouse Hawkins'' of the Crystal
Palace ;" by Mr. S. Baines, "On Yorkshire Flag
with Fossils ;" and by the Rev. W. Thorp, " On
the Permian System m Yorkshire."
In Section D (Zoology and Botany) on Saturday
the following papers were read Mr. R. H.
Meade, "On some Points in the Anatomy of the
Araneidoe, or true Spiders, and especially on the
Internal Structure of their Spinning Organs ;" by
Mr. H. T. Stainton, "On the Formation of the
Cells of Bees ;" by the Rev. Dr. Whewell, " On the
Cells of Bees," by Mr. R.`L. Ellis ; by the Rev. T.
Hincks, "On the Reproductive Organs of Sertu-
laria Tamarisoa ;" by the Rev. F. F. Statham, " On
the Occurrence of Bombyx Mori in this Country;"
by Mr. Samuel Smith, "On the Formation of Or-
ganic Balls found on the Shores of the Mediter-
ranean ;" and Mr. Henry Peckitt read some notes
on Earth Worms and Larvae.
In the same section to-day the following papers
were to be read :—By Dr. Lankester, "On the
Epidermal Cells of the Petals of Plants, by Tuffen
West ;" by Mr. R. Warrington, "On some Addi-
tions to his Portable Microscope ;" by Mr. C.
Brooke, • " On some Improvements in the Stage of
the Microscope ;" by Mr. W. Ladd, " On a Mag-
netic Stage for the Microscope ;" by Mr. R. War-
rington, "On the Multiplication of Actinia in
Aquaria ;" and by Mr. G. Hyndman, " Report of
the Belfast Dredging Committee."
Professor OWEN new read an elaborate paper,
by Mr. G. A. Lewes, " On the Spinal Chord as a
Sensatorial and Volition Centre." The writer
maintained, from practical experiments and obser-
vations, that the spinal chord was a centre of sen-
sitive volition both in man and animals. Some
discussion followed, in which Mr. T. P. Teale, of
Leeds, surgeon (who was in the chair), and Mr. T.
Nunneley, also of Leeds, surgeon, controverted the
conclusions at which Mr. Lewes had arrived.
In section E (Geography and Ethnology) on
Saturday Sir Roderick Murchison, the President,
gave some particulars from a letter dated " Simla,
24th of July," which he had received from Dr.
William Russell, the well-known correspondent of
the Times, confirming the rumours of the death of
M. Adolphe Schlagentweit, at Yarkand. He (the
President) regretted to say that there was no longer
any doubt of the death of this adventurous traveller.
After penetrating as far as Yarkand, where no
European had ever been before, he was living in the
suburbs of the city at a period when a- war broke
out between the Yarkandese and the Chinese, and
he was slain by a number of the former, who sur-
rounded his house in the night-time. Fortunately,
the chief portion of his papers would be saved, M.
Schlagentweit having left them, before proceeding
to Yarkand, at a place within British influence.
His travels were connected with a geographical
discovery of much importance, as no region so far
to the North-West of India as Yarkand had been
previously approached by a European. M. Schla-
gentweit and his two brothers had travelled brthe
authority and at the expense of the East India
Company. The brothers did not penetrate as far as
Yarkand, and they had since returned to Europe.
Mr. YEATES read a translation which he had
made of a paper written by Dr. S. Muller, and en-
titled " A Geognostic Sketch of the Western Portion
of Timor."
A brief discussion afterwards arose relative to
the island, which is situate in the Indian Archi-
pelago, between India and Australia, and about
• but 200 miles distant from the latter country. Mr.
CrawfordspMoke of Timor as a poor and wretched
Mr. Marsh, 111. P., who had visited it,.
placethought that this was a more unfavourable view
than the island justified. He mentioned that the
natives were very similar to the aborigines of
Northern Australia, and also stated that the Timor
pony, though rather diminutive, was a beautiful
specimen of the horse tribe, being. in fact, a minia-
ture Arab.
Mr. H. CONYBEARE read a paper " On the Phy-
sical Geography of the Neighbourhood of Bombay,
as affecting the design of the Works recently
erected for the Water Supply of that City." The
most interesting portion of the paper was that in
which the author described the formation of the
works for supplying Bombay with water, of which
works he was the successful engineer. The water
is collected in an immense reservoir, the largest in
the world, about 14 miles from Bombay. This
reservoir is made by damming up a portion of the
valley of Ghierka, anti the full extent of it is
1,294 acres. As the rains fall, as it were, only once
in a year, it is necessary to have a store of water
for a twelvemonth's supply, and this is now
supplied.
Mr. GALTON read a paper by Mr. J. Spotswood
Wilson, " On the General and Gradual Dessication
of the Earth and. Atmosphere." The writer drew
attention to the fact that those Who had. travelled