The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-11-11

The entertainment promisodby the Ameri-
can Geographical Society for last Thursday
evening hardly came up to the expectation
Of those who attended the meeting ut Chick
cring Hall. IL was announced that the Rov.
SELAH MERRILL, ID. D., tho archpologist 81
the Palestine Exploration Society, would
give some account Of his scientific researches
In the Holy Lnnd. The room was warm, and
the Introductory proceedings were awkward,
sleepy, and tedious The address which Dr.
MERRILL delivered, and the hearty com
mcndation Of his work by competent judges,
leave no doubt as to his fitness 10 continue
the interesting explorations he has begun
ON the eastern side Of the river Jordan; but,
though his manner rs u speaker Is good, the
matter of his lecture was not so selected or
arranged rs to be clear OF attractive to per-
sons having little or no previous Gcquaint-
anco with the subject. Perhaps this arose
from his obvious attempt to condensc the
substance Of six lectures into one. He will
be- more successful hereafter il he writes out
this single lecture in advance and then de-
lvcrs it as "A minister delivers Il sermon.
The British organization for the eNplora-
ton of the Holy Land, called the Palestine
Exploration Fund, has just finished its field
work. In the twelve years Of its existence,
it has surveyed the region west OF the JOr-
dan with an accuracy said to surpahs that
attained by the celebrated Ordnance Survey
in Great Britain and the Information thus
aborously acquired will bc embodied in
one Of the best Typographical maps ever
made. II is difficult TO cXaggcrato the in
tcrcst or importance Of the results of this
survey in their bearing on Scriptural gcog-
raphy. Tho English explorers, however,
did not extend their researches beyond the
Jordan; and in 1870, tho Palestine Explora-
| ton Society was formed in this country, to
prosecute Il scientific survey Of the region
| east Of that river comprising the countries
formerly known rs Moab, Gilcad, and
| Bashan.
Since 1915 DR.. MERllILL has been the
| archToOglst Of this American organization,
| The malarm Of the Jordan valley renders
| the country extremely unhoalthIul to most
| Foreigners. but he has shown remarkable
| ability to withstand the dangers of the eli
mate. According 10 statements made on
| Thursday evening, the American Society
| has thus far expended about fifteen thou
| sand dollars year The money has been
obtained by voluntary subscriptions, mostly
| in large amounts from wealthy citizens. III
| the present condition Of the business inter-
csts Of the country, such generous subscrip-
lions can no longer be- expected. The East
| crn war, too, would probably interfere with
the conduct Of the survey just at present,
| even If the funds were sufficient 10 allow OF
| its continuance ON u large scale. But the
managers of the society hope that it's treas
ury and the state Of Syria will soon enable
them to send Dir. MERRILL, il no one else
| back to the scene Of his labors.
II was scarcely satisfactory to learn from
his address that the map Of the American
survey when completed, will be only rs
good as the best maps of western PALESTINE
which existed before the recent British sur.
vcy. No reason WAS given why IL should
not equal in all respects the map which the
English engineers have just made. Indeed
the fact that the expenditure Of tho British
society has never exceeded about lively,
thousand dollars in any one year--whilo tina,
OF the American society il stated to hay,
been about fifteen thousand dollars seems
q very strong reason tho other way.
OF the value of the archaeological worl