Nov. 26, 1855.] PORTER. 7 



Portuguese traders, to join somewhere N. of Cassange, and to form the 

 Congo or Zaire of Capt. Tuckey. Dr. Livingston announced his inten- 

 tion of returning to the interior and of visiting King Matiamvo, and 

 subsequently of descending to Quillimane, on the E. coast of Africa, 

 by the Leeambye Eiver (which, he entertains no doubt, is identical witli 

 the Zambesi)* Dr. Livingston did so return, and writes from Cassange, 

 describing the province of Angola, through which he had then passed 

 twice. 



After some remarks from Mr. Macqueen, and a few words from Sir 

 R. Murchison, Mr. Consul Brand, and Mr. Galton, the Meeting was 

 adjourned till November 26. 



Second Meeting, November 26, 1855. 



Sir RODERICK MURCHISON, V.P., in the Chair. 



George Peabody, Esq. ; Captain E. G. Fanshawe^ r.n. ; Colonel 

 C. G. Fagan ; Dr. Christopher Elliott, m.d. ; Captain E. Palmer, 

 R.A. ; the Hev. J. L. Porter, a.m. ; Edward Cheshire ; Edmund 

 Gabriel, Her Majesty* s Arbitrator at St. Paul de Loanda ; G. F. 

 Leslie; W. E. Shaw^n.^. ; W. Spottiswoode, F.n.s. ; George Milner 

 Stephen, f.g.s. ; and James Vavasseur, Esqrs., were elected Fellows. 



The Papers read were — 



1 . Memoir on the Map of Damascus, the Hauran, and the Mountains 

 of Lebanon, constructed from Personal Survey. By the Rev. 

 J. L. Porter, a.m. 



Communicated by John Hogg, Esq., m.a., f.r.s., f.r.g.s. 



This paper contains the account of a great many journeys, taken by 

 the author, in various directions about Syria, during which he made a 

 large number of observations with rough surveying instruments, and 

 records many gross errors which he is satisfied that he has detected in 

 the received geography of that country. The environs of Damascus he 

 finds to be very untruly delineated : thus the Bahr el Merj is not one single 

 lake, but three distinct ones, and the plain surrounding the city is studded 

 with large villages, none of which appear on the maps. Balbeck is io 

 the eastward of N. from Damascus, and not considerably to the west- 

 ward of N. The end of the Antilibanus chain requires a correction of 

 half a degree In longitude and a quarter of a degree in latitude. The 



