The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-27 00:00:00

BOT AL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY

A numerously attended meeting of this society
was held on Monday evening, at Burlington House,
Sir Roderick I. Murchison, president, in the chair.
Among those present were—Their Excellencies
Admiral Van Dockum and Count Platen ; Admirals
Sir Thonias Herbert and Sir G. Back ; Generals
Sir G. Pollock, Portlock, and Alexander; Consul
General Crowe, Captain Fal be Sir W. C. Trevelyan,
Mr. W. Wright, of the United States, Sir Thomas
Fremantle, Sir Henry Rawlinson ; Colonels Everest,
James, Sotheby, and Gawlei; the Hon. A. Kin-
naird, M.P. • Mr- Ayrton, M.P. ; Mr. Wyld, M.P.;
Captains Hall, Collinson, and Morris, R.N. ; Majors
Stakes and Middleton ; Captains Johnstone and
Sydney Webb; Drs, Hodgkin, Lister, Camps, and
Price ; Messrs. Brooking, Crawford, Biddulph,
Cocks, Allan Charles White, Staveley, Merivale,
Arden, OsbOrne, Smith, Hamilton, Newman,

Westenholz, Atkinson, &c., &c.
The papers read were :-
1. Journey in Mexico, by Charles Sevin, Esq.,
F.R. S. The author, accompanied by an experienced
Cornish miner and assayer, started from England
in May, 1856, arrived at San Francisco, via Panama,
on the 16th June, and, having visited the gold and
quicksilver mines in the neighbourhood, set out for
Mazatlan (Mexico), which they reached on the 25th
of the same month, whence they pursued a northerly
direction, following the road to the Sierra Madre,
passing successively the towns of Culiacan, the
country in the neighbourhood of which is extremely
rich and beautiful ; Cinaloa and El Fuerte, the last
being near the boundaries of Sonora, and 78 miles
east of Almos, on the principal road to the port of
Guayamas. The country around El Fuerte
(situated on a great plain) is described as inferior
to that of Culiacan ; the town is on the southern
bank of the river of the same name, which is there
very broad and deep, rises to a great height during
the rainy season, and has its source far in the in-
terior of the Sierra, being strengthened by the
waters gathered within a circuit of 400 miles, and
still within the water partings of the west part of
the great Cordillera. The Rio el Fuerte, flowing
almost in a due westerly direction through the
whole province of Cinaloa, divides it from the pro-
vince of Sonora, and ultimately falls into the Gulf
of California. Leaving this place, they travelled in
an easterly direction, and after passing several
small towns and villages, and crossing the Rio Chois
with some difficulty, proceeded across high moun-
tains, covered with primitive and tropical woods.
The travellers stopped and examined some copper-
smelting works belonging formerly to an English-
man, Mr. Anderson, situated on a mountain ridge
about 3,500 feet above the level of the valley below.
Continuing their journey in tho direction of the
province of Chihuahua, and constantly ascending,
they reached a great plateau, the summit of one
of the highest points of the Cordillera, 8,000 or
9,000 feet above the level of the sea, which opened
up a fine panoramic view of the neighbouring
country ; they then pushed on to the capital of
Chihuahua, which, touether with the province, is
described ; and on their return they passed on both
sides many Indian villages, visited the formerly
flourishing town of Botopilas, the richest silver
mining district of the north of Mexico, the Pueblo
of Bahuarachie and its famous copper mines, again
reached El Fuerte, and returned to 'Mazatlan, fol-
lowing nearly the same route. Mr. Sevin describes
very fully the present state of the country, its
resources, and inhabitants ; and his narrative is
illustrated by diagrams, showing the mountain
ranges and physical character of the country, and
accompanied by numerous specimens of minerals, to
which his attention had been specially directed.
He states that there are everywhere indications of
the presence of silver, which is now worked without
much skill or enterprise, and he is of opinion that
if English capital and energy were employed it
would be attended with great profit.
The second paper read was—Reports from Cap-
tains Burton and Speke, of the East African expe-
dition, on their discovery of Lake Ugiji, &c., with
route maps. These enterprising officers had lft the
shores of Lake Ugiji in the month of May last, and
halted at the main depot of Arab trade, Unyanyembe,
whence Captain Speke purposed proceeding to the
Ukerawa Lake, of which the Arabs gave grand
accounts, 12 or 15 days' march north. If suc-
cessful in this, they will be enabled to bring home
authentic details of the four great waters which
drain Eastern Central Africa—namely, the Nyassa,
the Chiwa, the Ugiji, and the Ukerewa lakes. On
Captain Speke's return both will repair to the east
coast, which they hoped to reach in December. The
explorers had encountered numerous and fearful
difficulties, and suffered severely from the unhealthi-
ness of the country and other causes. All their
asses, 30 in number, had died. Many of the native
attendants had deserted them, and, but for the kind
and generous assistance of the French consul at
Zanzibar, M. Ladislaus Cochet, who, after Colonel
Hamerton's unfortunate decease, proved himself an
active and energetic friend, they would have been
unable to proceed. " Still (they write) we arc
slowly removing, and the thought of finishing our
labours with, what we hope will be considered,
most valuable results,* has much diminished the
terrible wear and tear of mind caused by wants
during our journey. westwards.lf
The President dwelt upon the importance of
these explorations, which he remarked were second
only to those of Dr. Livingstone. Captains Burton
and Speke had penetrated into the interior a dis-
tance of about 500 miles at a great hazard and amid
appalling obstacles, through a country entirely
unknown to and unvisited by Europeans. The
results, he said, confirmed 'the views of Dr. Living-
stone, and those advanced by himself in his presi-
dential addresses to the society, namely, that the
interior of Africa is a vast trough or basin encircled
on all sides by higher ranges.
Sir Henry Rawlinson mentioned that when the
death of Col. HaMerton became known in England,
Captain Rigby, an expert Arabic scholar, had been
appointed to succeed him, with instructions to afford
the expedition every assistance in his power.
Further reports were daily expected by the Indian
Council ; and he trusted that they would soon be in
a position to announce the safe return to the coast
of these courageous and enterprising officers.
The Chairman finally announced that her
Majesty had granted a charter of incorporation to
the society.
The meeting then adjourned to the 14th of
February.