May 26, 1856.] ^OBITUARY. 123 



had also entered into treaty with the English Government, and 

 friendly relations had been established with the British consuls on 

 the coast, as well as with her Majesty's cruisers engaged in the sup- 

 pression of the slave trade.. 



In this state of things the missionaries were the only persons 

 able to give the natives advice upon their political and commercial 

 affairs ; yet it was obviously desirable that, as religious teachers * 

 they should be relieved as far as possible from such temporal cares ; 

 and for this purpose the Committee of the Church Missionary 

 Society determined to send out a lay agent, who, while on friendly 

 and confidential terms with the missionaries, might also be autho- 

 rised to communicate Avith the Consul and naval officers, as well as 

 with the Home Government, upon matters which may tend to 

 promote British interests and commercial relations with the native 

 tribes. 



Dr. Irving's experience of nine years upon the West Africa coast, 

 and the interest which he had taken in native civilisation and Chris- 

 tianity, pointed him out as a most eligible person for such an office. 

 It was, therefore, proposed to him to go out for three years on this 

 mission, and he readily acceded to the proposal. The Lords Com- 

 missioners of the Admiralty having granted the leave of absence, 

 Lord Clarendon, as her Majesty's Secretary for Foreign Affairs, 

 gave his sanction to the arrangement, and furnished Dr. Irving with 

 letters of introduction to the consuls. Furnished by the Hydro- 

 graphic Office and by this Society with instruments, with the use 

 of which he had made himself perfectly acquainted, Dr. Irving 

 proceeded to Africa in January, 1854, and diligently improved eveiy 

 opportunity for gaining the confidence of the natives, for promoting 

 internal peace, and for inducing the chiefs to open and protect roads 

 from various towns in the interior, to the coast. His period of 

 labour was very short. He fell a victim to the climate after fifteen 

 months' residence, and his death was deplored by all the native 

 chiefs as a national calamity. His botanical collections have been 

 sent to our learned associate. Sir William Hooker, at Kew. 



King, Philip Parker, Rear-xidmiral of the Blue, f.r.s. — Admiral 

 King, the son of Philip Gidley King, Esq., Post-Captain in the Royal 

 Kavy, was born at Norfolk Island on the 13th of December, 1793, and 

 was consequently in the 63rd year of his age. In early life, when only 

 in his sixteenth year, his gallant conduct in boat actions, had ob- 

 tained the favourable notice of the officers in command. In later 

 years, he conducted a survey of the coasts of Australia, and subse- 



