16 VOGKL. BAIKIE. MAURY. [Jan. 14, 1856. 



June 5, 1855. Dr. Vogel and Maguire had l)oth been very unwell in 

 the neighbourhood of Yakoba, a town larger than East and West Kuka 

 together, situated on a rocky plateau in a bare and stony district. He 

 had thence endeavoured to penetrate to Adamaiia, and in doing so crossed 

 the Benue at the point where the steamer had /anchored ; of which fact 

 " numberless empty pickle-jars and brandy-bottles gave unmistakeable 

 proof." Next he arrived at Tindang, where the accident of a pack- 

 horse being hurt fortunately prevented him joining a party of 50, who 

 endeavoured to force the road to Yola, which had been stopped by 

 the Bashama. All but two of these were killed the same day. 

 Thence he returned to Gombe. He has left letters, in case another 

 steamer should be despatched up the Tshadda. 



At the request of the President Sir R. Murchison introduced to the 

 Meeting a proposal of Dr. Baikie's to extend discovery up the Niger 

 and Chadda. He said that, being as zealous as ever in the cause of 

 African discovery, it gave him pleasure to be the means of bringing a 

 proposal before the Society which embraced not only the extension of 

 commerce, but of Christian philanthropy and of scientific knowledge. 

 It was believed that the powerful Sultan of Sakatoo, whose influence 

 extended over all the Fellatah tribes, would give his cordial assistance 

 to an annual or triennial expedition sent for these purposes, and that, 

 if recommended by the Society, Her Majesty's Government, and espe- 

 cially Lord Clarendon, would, it was hoped, countenance and support it. 



2. Abstract of a Letter from Lieutenant Maury, U.S.N. Observatory, 

 Washington, December Srd, 1855, addressed to the President. 



Lieutenant Maury encloses a tracing of the track of the U.S.S. 

 ' Virjcennes,' under Commodore John Rogers, commanding the sur- 

 veying expedition to the North Pacific Ocean. That officer states that 

 he visited and ascended Herald Island in 1854, and thence sailed either 

 over or in the immediate neighbourhood of several localities where land 

 had been reported to be seen, but without finding any. Of these he 

 specifies as follows, — that, by Captain Kellett, to the eastward and in 

 the neighbourhood of Herald Island, the northern portion of that land 

 mentioned in Arctic Papers 1847-51, p. 41 ; and the so-called Plover 

 Islands ; also that land which has been reported by Admiral Wrangel 

 on native authority to lie to the N. of Cape Jakan. 



Full oflficial reports are expected from the Commodore, who is now 

 at San Francisco. 



The President remarked that Captain Kellett had not spoken of an 

 island, but of appearance of land. 



