The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-27 00:00:00

ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.

The anniversary meeting of this society for the election
of president and officers for the ensuing year, for the dis-
tribution of prizes awarded, and to hear the report of the
council and the president's address, was held on Monday
afternoon at Burlington House ; the president, Sir Rode-
rick Murchison, being in the chair.
The report of the council gave a very favourable account
of the financial condition of the society. Since the last
anniversary 190 fellows have been elected, and the total
number is now 2,150 ordinary and 72 honorary fellows:
The receipts of the year amounted to £5,462, and the ex-
penditure to £3,943, of which £193 was for the promotion of
expeditions. The tctal amount of the funded property is
now £15,500, but the whole of that sum, it was stated, will
be required for the erection of a building for the use of the
society, the want of which is more and more felt as their
numbers increase, and it will shortly be still more urgent,
as the wing of Burlington House in which their meetings
are held will shortly be pulled down. A site for a building
facing the new Thames embankment has been promised to
the society by the Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands.
The additions to the society's library amount to 1,025
volumes of books and pamphlets, and the accessions to
the map department consist of 2,380 sheets of maps and
charts, 5 atlases, and 50 views. The grants to traveller*
amounted to £l6O, of which £lOO was given to Mr. Young
on account of the Livingstone Search Expedition, and £5O
to Mr. Reid for managing the steel boat. It was stated
that the council intend to offer prizes to encourage the
study of geography in the principal schools.
At the conclusion of the rending of the report of the
council the founder's medal was presented to Dr. Augustus
Petermann, for his services as a writer and cartographer,
and for his many efforts to promote the science of geo-
graphy, among which it was mentioned by the president,
when presenting the medal, that a ship of GOO tons burden,
fitted out by Dr. Petermann, would set sail that day for
the exploration of• the North Pole. The Queen Victoria
medal was awarded to Mr. G4rhard Rohlfs for his im-
portant travels in the interior of Northern Africa, and
a gold watch was awarded to the Pundit employed by
Captain Montgomerie for the route survey made from
Lake Mausarowar to Lhasa, in Great Thibet. The presi-
dent made complimentary speeches in presenting the
prizes, to which Dr. Petermann and Lord Strangford
(who received the watch on behalf of the Pundit) replied ;
the latter remarking on the beneficial impression likely to
be made on the natives of India by finding their services
acknowledged in so distinguished a manner.
An alteration in the regulations of the society limiting
the introduction of visitors to the meetings by fellows to
one, in consequence of the want of space, was proposed
and carried ; as was also a resolution relating to the
purchase by the Waterloo and Whitehall Railway of
the lease of a portion of the premises occupied by the
society.

The PnESID then delivered theannual address, which
was so extremely voluminous that only a portion of it
could be read ; but the whole will be published in the
"proceedings" of the society. He commenced as usual with
obituary notices of the fellows of the society who had died
during the past year, dwelling particularly on the great
services which bad been rendered to geography, and to
science generally, by Sir W. Hamilton, Lord Rosse, Lord
Colchester, Captain Mangles, and Mr. John Crawfurd.
In his culogium on the last-named gentleman, the presi-
dent was considerably affected, and he alluded to
him as one whom he had known for forty years, and
whose loss would be much felt by all the fellows of the
society. The president adverted to the necessity which
would soon arise of holding their meetings in some other
ball temporarily until the building for the Geographical
Society was completed, and he intimated that the large
hall now nearly finished for the London University might
be granted to them for the purpose. He then proceeded
to notice cursorily from his amply written address the
topics that had engaged the attention of the society and of
geographers in general during the past year, in which the pro-
posed exploration of the North Pole found a distinguished
place. The address contained an elaborate exposition of the
connection of geology with geography, but there was not
time to do more than direct attention to it. The president,
however, read a part of his address that related to the pro-
bable procuring of coal at Natal, a commission having been
sent there by the Government on his recommendation to
make a survey of the district. He spoke also of the dis-
covery of gold to the north-west of Natal, and he expressed
the opinion that gold and other metal would be found in
the mountains in that part of Africa which range south-
ward from about 21 deg. of latitude and 28 deg. longitude,
and that the Ophir from which Solomon received gold was
situated on the African coast. Lastly, the president con-
sidered the course probably taken by Dr. Livingstone and
the time when he would be likely to return. In his opinion
Dr. Livingstone, after ascertaining whether there was an
outlet from Lake Tanganyika, and if so, in what direction
it flowed, and having thus nttled the question Of the
source of the White Nile, would proceed eastward to
Zanzibar, and might be expected in England in November
next. Sir S. Baker, however had anticipated that he
would go northward down the Nile ; and, taking into
consideration the many obstacles he would have to
encounter, he could not reach England before late in
the spring of next year. Other persons supposed that Dr.
Livingstone would strike westward, and appear at Congo ;
but, said the president. whichever course he takes he will
have proved himself to be the greatest explorer that ever
lived, and when he returns his services ought to be suitably
recognised by the Government.
In the course of the president's address, the scrutineers
announced that the list of officers recommended by the
council had been elected, including Sir Roderick Murchi-
son as president, and Vice-Admiral Back, Mr. Galton,
Lord Strangford, and Sir A. Waugh as vice-presidents.
Thanks were voted to Sir R. Murchison for his
address,•and in acknowledging the compliment he said it
was time they should appoint some younger man for their
president, for he was born in 1792, and his annual address
that day was the fourteenth he had delivered.

Mr. Alfred Wigan has withdrawn from the
management of the Queen's Theatre, but Mr. and Mrs.
Wigan will, as heretofore, direct and superintend the pro.
.luction of the pieces in which they perform.
BATTA TO Tll E ARMY 1N ABYSSlNlA.—Accord-
ing to the custom with the Indian army at the close of a
war, the Indian troops in Abyssinia, with their officers of
all ranks, will, in all probability, be granted batta, or one
year's _u pay, as a rewao /of their suffering and kilt