Nov. 24, 1856.] KANE.— DE CRESPIGNY".— BAIKIE.— PIM. 209 



illness from attending in person to receive those gratulations which they were 

 all ready to offer him. The President of the Society, Admiral Beechey, who he 

 regretted to say had been prevented by ill health from taking the chair, had 

 requested him to state the gratification he had experienced in waiting upon 

 Dr. Kane, and in expressing the feelings of admiration entertained by the 

 Geographical Society towards that eminent traveller. The reply which Ad- 

 miral Beechey received was as follows : — 



Champion Hill, Camberwell, Nov. 16, 1856. 

 My dear Sib, — May I avail myself of your kindness to convey to the Society 

 over which you preside, my sense of the high honour which, in the form of 

 a resolution of welcome, was this day conveyed to me by you in person. 



I regret that my extreme illness compels me to devolve this grateful duty 

 upon another hand, but I know that you will make the necessary explanations 

 to the Society. 



I am, my dear Sir, with great regard. 



Your obedient servant, 



E. K. Kane, U.S. Navy. 

 Rear- Admiral F. W. Beechey, President R.G.S. 



It was only necessary on his part to explain that Dr. Kane had, by order of 

 his physicians, already proceeded on a voyage to the Havanna, and to add 

 that it was no doubt the hearty wish of every British geographer that this 

 distinguished man might be soon restored to health. 



He, the Chairman, had also to announce that, since the last meeting, the 

 Admiralty had acceded to the wish expressed, by the President — a favour not 

 granted on ordinary occasions — that Lieut. De Crespigny, f.k.g.s., the adven- 

 turous young officer who had volunteered to survey in various directions the 

 extensive island of Borneo, should be allowed to proceed on the proposed 

 expedition. The Admiralty received, it appears, the proposition very favour- 

 ably, and had not only granted leave to Lieut. De Crespigny, but also a 

 free passage in H.M.S. ' Act£eon.' Upon the application of another naval 

 officer, they were so liberal that they also granted permission to him to 

 accompany Lieut. De Crespigny. He mentioned this circumstance with great 

 satisfaction, as it showed that the Admiralty were fully aware of the position 

 in public estimation which the Royal Geographical Society justly occupied. 

 In fact, all the departments of the Government seemed anxious to attend to 

 the recommendations and wishes of this Society. 



He might further announce that the wishes of the deputation which waited 

 upon the Earl of Clarendon, to urge his Lordship to sanction an annual 

 expedition to the Niger and Chadda, like that successful one under Dr. Baikie, 

 in order to bring us into sj'-stematic communication with the people of that 

 portion of Africa, had met with the entire concurrence of her Majesty's 

 Foreign Secretary. He felt confident, from what he heard on that occasion, 

 that the Government would carry out the wishes, which had been long enter- 

 tained by geographers. These were very gratifying results, and he need 

 scarcely say the Society was flourishing, seeing so many new members added 

 to it at every meeting. 



The papers read were : — 



1. Plan for a farther Search after the Remains of the Franklin Expedition, 

 By Lieut. Bedford Pim, r.n., f.r.g.s. 



Lieut. Pim stated that as a decisive clue of the missing expedition 

 had been obtained, in the shape of the relics purchased by Dr. Eae 



