REPORT, with Balance-Sheet for 1853, and Estimate for 1854 General Abstract of Audited Accounts from 1830 to 1853 inclusive List of Public Institutions, &c., to which the Journals are presented. xxxix Names of Individuals to whom the Royal Premium has been awarded [N.B. The Authors are alone responsible for the contents of their respective papers.] 2.-Notes on a Journey into the Balkan, or Mount Hæmus, in 1847. 3.-Extracts from a Journal up the Koladyn River, Aracan, in 1851. By Capt. S. R. TICKELL, B.N.I. 4.-Narrative of a Journey from Cairo to Medina and Mecca, by Suez, Arabá, Tawilá, al-Jauf, Jubbé, Háil, and Nejd, in 1845. By 5.-Journey to Medina, with Route from Yambu. By Lieutenant 6.-Notice on the Variation of the Magnetic Needle at Aden. By 7.-On the Physical Geography of the Red Sea. By Dr. BUist, of 8.-Extract of a Letter from Captain Spratt, R.N., on Crete 9.-Discovery of the North-West Passage. By Commander R. M'CLURE, 10.-Report of a Canoe Expedition along the East Coast of Vancouver İsland. By JAMES DOUGLAS, Esq., Governor 11.-Official Report of the Proceedings of the Exploring Party under ARTICLES. 12.-Observations on the Territory of Burica, in the Province of Chiriqui, Isthmus of Panama. By J. H. SMITH, Esq., of Pana- 13.-Report of a Journey across the Andes, between Cochabamba and Chimoré, to the Westward of the Traders' Route, with Remarks on the Proposed Communication between Bolivia and the Atlantic, 14.-Notice of a Caravan Journey from the East to the West Coast of Africa, with Remarks by Mr. COOLEY 15.-Extracts from the Letters of an Hungarian Traveller in Central 16.-Mission to Central Africa. By Dr. VOGEL and others 17.-Extract of a Letter from Dr. Barth to Dr. Beke, dated Timbuctu, 19.-Explorations into the Interior of S. Africa. 20.-Report on the Russian Caravan Trade with China. By HARRY 21.-Summary of the last Census of Switzerland. By Prof. PAUL CHAIX, (v) Royal Geographical Society, 1854. REPORT OF THE COUNCIL, READ AT THE ANNIVERSARY MEETING, 22ND MAY. THE Council took occasion at the last Anniversary Meeting to notice the growing interest manifested by the public in the proceedings of this Society; they have now the pleasure to report, in further evidence of such feeling, a considerable increase in the means placed at their disposal for working out the great national objects of the Institution. Members,-Ordinary, Honorary, and Corresponding. -The unprecedented accession of new members reported at the last anniversary has been exceeded in the period now under review, during which 112 ordinary members have been added to the lists of the Society. Two Corresponding members have been also, upon the recommendation of the Council, duly elected; M. J. M. Ziegler, of Winterthur, referred to in the last Council Report, and Lieut. Joseph René Bellot, of the Imperial French Navy, the gallant and devoted Arctic voyager, our regret for whose early loss we have endeavoured to express by raising a fund for the erection at Greenwich of a monument to his memory, and for the relief of his bereaved family. We have also to regret the decease of Prince Emanuel Galitzin, a corresponding member of the Society, and of 21 ordinary members, and to record the resignation of one ordinary member during the year. The Society now consists of 770 ordinary, and 58 honorary and corresponding members. Finances. The audited accounts of the past year, accompanying this Report, show that whilst the expenditure of the Society has been kept strictly within the estimates submitted to the last General Meeting, the receipts from annual subscriptions, compositions, entrance-fees, and arrears, have greatly exceeded the sums calculated upon. Further investigation will show more fully the improvement which has taken place in the financial position of the Society; for instance, the ordinary receipts, which in the year 1848 were only 6967. 10s. 5d., and in 1849 7787. 3s., increased in 1850 to 10367. 10s. 5d., in 1851 to 10567. 11s. 8d., in 1852 to 12201. 3s. 4d., and now amount to 16937. Os. 8d. This improvement, however encouraging, would hardly warrant the Council in proposing measures, for the extension of the Society's sphere of usefulness, involving considerable immediate expenditure and a probable appeal to its members for additional funds, had not the interest now generally taken in its proceedings, lent such powerful support to the applications for Government assistance, of the President and his immediate predecessors in office, especially of Sir Roderick Murchison, offering in return the advantage of a public Map-room, that Her Majesty's Ministers have felt themselves justified in tendering a yearly grant of 5007., in order that an apartment be provided, in which the Society's valuable collection of Maps and Charts may be rendered available for general reference. This proposition has been gratefully accepted, and the Council is now engaged upon the preliminaries, requisite for carrying into effect with the least possible delay, arrangements in accordance with the Treasury minute. Publications.-The 23rd volume of the Society's Journal, edited by our able and indefatigable Secretary, Dr. Norton Shaw, has been brought out during the present session. It will be difficult to speak too highly of a publication which contains so many valuable papers, and no less than eleven illustrative maps. An Index to the Journal, volumes xi. to xx., has also been published, and is delivered free to the members of the Society. The Libraries of the Museum of Practical Geology, the Royal Agricultural Society, the Canadian Institute of Toronto, the Boston Society of Natural History, and the Hydrographic Office of Copenhagen, have been added to the list of Institutions to which the Journals of the Society are presented. |