March 23, 1857.] HUMBOLDT. 319 



having the peculiar copper mark, which the best indigo was said to possess. 

 Whatever its character however might be, it certainly dyed blue, and some 

 of the natives called it the " changer." He did not hold out any great ex- 

 pectations of much gain to be realised immediately. He did not suppose 

 that a great trade would spring up at once, but he had such confidence in the 

 resources of the country, that he intended to devote a portion of his life to 

 their development. If legitimate commerce could be established in that large 

 tract of country, it would be the best means of putting a stop to the slave- 

 trade. 



Major Vardon, f.r.g.s., said it would appear from statements that had 

 been made, that the hippopotamus was very easily speared ; but he had always 

 been under the contrary impression. 



Captain Nolloth explained that where vessels had got over the bar, to 

 which allusion had been made, they could ride in perfect safety inside. 



Tenth Meeting, March 23, 1867. 



SiE RODERICK I. MURCHISON, President, in the Chair. 



Presentations. — Capt, W. /. Eastwick, of the Bombay Army ; Lieut. 

 /. H. Glover, r.n. ; and W. B. Greenfield^ Esq., were officially introduced 

 upon their election. 



Elections. — T. W. Bramston, Esq., m.p. ; Dr. James Campbell, r.n. ; 

 Major- General W. G. Moore; the Earl of Munster ; Captain Laurence 

 Trent Cave ; and William Reed ; George R. Smith ; Robert Sweeting ; and 

 John Vincent, Esqrs., were elected Fellows. 



Donations. — Among the donations since the former Meeting, were 

 — Map of the country of Cape May, State of New Jersey, U.S., pre- 

 sented by E. L. Viele, Esq. ; Geometrical Projection of two-thirds 

 of a Sphere, by Colonel James, r.e. ; Transactions of the Madras 

 Literary Society ; the Bengal Asiatic Society ; the Franklin Insti- 

 tute of Pennsylvania, etc. 



Announcements. — In opening the business of the Meeting, the Pre- 

 sident announced the receipt of a letter from the eminent Prussian 

 geographer, Carl Ritter, in answer to an anxious inquiry of his own 

 respecting the health of his illustrious friend, Baron Humboldt ; and 

 he was truly happy to state that that great man had completely re- 

 covered from a momentary attack which had not in the slightest 

 degree impaired his brilliant mind, the continued application of 

 which was of such vast importance to the progress of science. He 

 was happy to see how truly the merits of Dr. Livingston were appre- 

 ciated by so competent a judge as M. Ritter, who speaks of our country- 

 man as one of the noblest and greatest characters the black race has 

 ever seen. 



The President next stated that the Astronomical Observations by 



