114 CORPORAL CHURCH— ROYAL AWARDS. [May 2G, 185G. 



practicable high road into the heart of Africa has been found at 

 length, with the sacrifice of the lives of so many noble, eminent, 

 and daring men, and after it has been proved to be such by the suc- 

 cessful voyage of Mr. Laird's steamer ' Pleiad,' and after a consider- 

 able advance has been made in the know^ledge of the interior of 

 the continent, which shows it to be of a far richer character than 

 has ever been supposed. Her Majesty's Government will not allow 

 the opportunity to pass b}'-, to establish, in a vigorous manner, 

 legitimate commerce with those unfortunate regions, and thus hold 

 out to the natives a humane and lawful way in which they may be 

 able to supply their wants of foreign produce, without bringing, by 

 slave-hunts and slave-trade, misery and desolation over wide and 

 fertile districts. 



" The present moment is the more important for such exertions, 

 as, by the abolition of the slave-trade in the regency of Tripoli and 

 in Fezzan, the trade of the interior has just been brought to a great 

 crisis, and the people are obliged to look most anxiously about for a 

 new channel by which they may supply their wants. The last news 

 received from Dr. Vogel gives a new proof how extremely anxious 

 the chiefs along the river Chadda or Bmue are to enter into friendly 

 relations with the English, but how continually they are disappointed. 

 Certainly the commercial relations of the great western branch of 

 that immense river, the so-called Kiger, principally between Tim- 

 buctii and Sansandi, are far more developed ; but the difficulties 

 which attend the navigation of the lower part of that river, as well 

 between the towns of Bousa and Yauri, as higher up the river be- 

 tween Tosaye and Kendaji, are considerable, although with the 

 means which human genius has made available, they appear by no 

 means insurmountable. 



" I conclude, Mr. President, by repeating to you my grateful 

 thanks for the distinguished honour conferred upon me this day." 



Corporal Church having requested that Lieutenant-General Sir 

 John Burgoyne would kindly do him the honour to receive the 

 award of the Society on his behalf, the Piesident addressed him as 

 follows : — 



** Sir John Burgoyne, —The Eoyal Geographical Societ}^ have 

 awarded to Corporal Church this watch and chain, in acknowledg- 

 ment of his meritorious and intelligent services while employed upon 

 the African expedition under Dr. Yogel. It is the wish of the Society, 

 especially to mark with approbation, his diligence in conducting a 

 long series of meteorological observations at Kuka, and his ability in 

 assisting Dr. Vogel in those observations, by which he has deter- 

 mined astronomically so many positions on his route. 



" It will be satisfactoiy to you, Sir John, to learn that Corporal 

 Church has amply sustained the high reputation of that excellent coi-ps 

 of Sappers and Miners, whose unassuming labours have so materially 

 contributed to render the detail of the topographical survey of this 

 country so perfect, and have so largely contributed towards ihe sue- 



