March 23, 1857.] NORTH AMERICA. ' 321 



ulterior view of examining the southern portion of the Eocky 

 Mountains in our territories, and possibly of discovering a new prac- 

 ticable passage through them, to Vancouver Island. 



He farther stated that Dr. Hector had, on his recommendation, 

 been appointed the geologist, naturalist, and medical man to the 

 expedition, whilst Lieut. Blakiston, r.a., f.r.g.s., was to make mag- 

 netical observations, as instructed by General Sabine, and the bota- 

 nical collection as recommended by Sir W. Hooker and Dr. Hooker. 



Under these circumstances, the President hoped that an expedition 

 which had originated in the recommendation of the Council of the 

 Royal Geographical Society to Her Majesty's Government, would be 

 very efficiently and successfully completed under the direction of the 

 Colonial Office, and especially of Mr. John Ball, the Under-Secretary, 

 who had undertaken the task with such zeal and knowledge of the 

 subject. 



The Rev. C. G. Nicolay, f.r.g.s., understood that one summer was to be 

 spent in examining the district between Lake Superior and Lake Winnipeg. 

 With due deference to those who had made this alteration in the original plan 

 of the expedition, he thought this would be a mere waste of time. Amid such 

 a network of waters as lay between these two lakes, nothing definite could be 

 done in one summer, and the route itself was already sufficiently well known 

 through the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company and others. He also under- 

 stood that the first winter was to be spent at Fort Charlton, which was several 

 hundred miles out of the line originally recommended by the Society to be ex- 

 plored. Before the expedition started, he really hoped the instructions would 

 be reconsidered. The great object should be to press across the plains to the 

 south of the Saskatchevan, and get to the Rocky Mountains as soon as possible. 



The President said Mr. Nicolay had really expressed his own opinions and 

 the opinions of the Council of the Society. The Government, however, ap- 

 peared to have other objects in view besides mere geographical discovery ; he 

 hoped, therefore, that Mr. Nicolay would not press the subject farther at 

 present. 



The papers read were : — 



1. Notes of a Journey eastwards from Shiraz to Fessa and Darab, and thence 

 westwards hy Jehrum to Kazeran in 1850. By Mr. Consul Keith 

 E. Abbott. 



Communicated by the Earl of Clarendon. 

 [This paper will be printed in full in the Journal.] 



General Monteith, f.r.g.s., said it was a considerable number of years since 

 he visited this country. He was directed to survey the Passes from Bushir to 

 Shiraz and the plain of Kazeran ; and the route was so minutely surveyed that 

 he thought there was no geographical feature that remained to be ascertained. 

 Kazeran he considered a great military point, as it commanded the entrances of 

 the valleys. It was a beautiful region, well watered, and, if cultivated, would 

 be highly productive. He saw there the largest orange-tree he had ever met 

 with, it being 40 feet in height. From Kazeran commenced the most difficult 



