168 RE;AR-ADMIRAL F. W. BEECHEY'S address. [May 26, 1856. 



water-communication between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. 

 Actuated by the writings of the veteran geographer, Mr. Kelley has 

 caused the whole course of the Atrato, from its mouth to its head- 

 waters, to be surveyed ; and having discovered a route, by way of 

 the Truando, which he deems to be favourable for a ship-canal, he 

 has considered the subject to be of so much importance to the great 

 maritime powers, as to invite an international investigation before 

 any further steps are taken. The scrutiny of the project, which 

 Mr. Kelley has invited from geographers and from civil engineers 

 in this country, has, upon the whole, been favourable to his plan ; 

 and his proposal to make a more perfect examination of the locality, 

 seems to be a project well deserving of encouragement. 



Lieutenant Gilliss, of the United States' Navy, has presented to the 

 Society two quarto volumes, published by order of Congress, com- 

 prising a portion of the results of " the Astronomical Expedition to the 

 Southern Hemisphere " under his orders in the years 1849 to 1852. 



Chile. — The first of these volumes, besides a summary of the scien- 

 tific observations made by Lieutenant Gilliss and the officers under his 

 command in Chile, contains a personal narrative of their journeys in 

 that Republic, and many interesting particulars regarding its present 

 political state. In describing its physical geography Lieutenant 

 Gilliss has frankly acknowledged his obligations to the scientific indi- 

 viduals who, under the patronage of the Chilean Government, have 

 been for some years engaged in investigating, surveying, and de- 

 scribing the geology, topography, and natural resources of the Re- 

 public, especially Messrs. Claude Gay, Professor Domeyko, and 

 Messrs. Pissis and Allan Campbell, whose labours have been long 

 known to us in Europe. 



It was a source of great satisfaction to Lieutenant Gilliss, upon the 

 completion of his own astronomical observations, to find that the 

 Government of Chile was desirous to purchase the valuable instru- 

 ments he had with him, as well as the observatory which he had set 

 up. These were handed over to them ; and thus Chile may boast of 

 a national observatory, in addition to the various other scientific 

 institutions, already founded by the liberality and enlightened 

 policy of her rulers. 



The second volume contains the results of a journey made by 

 Lieutenant MacRae, the next officer of the expedition, across the 

 Cumbre and Uspallata Passes of the Andes, and from Mendoza to 

 Buenos Ayres, his instructions being to make a series of observa- 

 tions for elevation, latitude, and longitude, as well as magnetical and 

 meteorological, for each 3000 feet of elevation on the slopes of the 



