Jan. 23, I860.] PROPOSED RAILWAY ROUTE ACROSS THE ANDES. 45 



Announcement. — Before proceeding to the business of the evening, Sir 

 EoDERiCK MuRCHisoN Called attention to the appeal which had been made to 

 the scientific men of all countries in favour of the Humboldt Foundation at 

 Berlin. The object of the appeal had been misunderstood. It was supposed 

 to be to one country in Germany only. Far from it. It was an ajipeal to 

 the civilized worjd — an appeal to every man who had a feeling of respect for 

 the grand researches in which that great man, Alexander de Humboldt, was 

 so long' occupied. It was irnpossible to overestimate in this assembly the 

 importance of a testimonial, the object of which was to encourage and support 

 travels in remote parts by men of all nations, and thus to promote geographical 

 science. General Sabine had written the following letter to the President, 

 which he (Sir E.) would read to the meeting : — 



" To the Earl de Grey and Bij^on^ President of the Boyal Geographical Society. 



" 13, Ashley-place, January 7, 1860. 

 *' My Lord, — I beg to enclose fifty copies of the circular of the Berlin Com- 

 mittee of the Humboldt Foundation for distribution (should that step be ap- 

 proved) amongst the members of the Koyal Geographical Society. I am aware 

 that your Lordship has already notified your intention of subscribing very hand- 

 somely. Should any of the members of the Eoyal Geographical Society be 

 disposed to subscribe, I shall be very happy to save them the trouble of the 

 transmission of their subscriptions to Berlin, communicating their names either 

 as individuals or as Fellows of the Eoyal Geographical Society, as they may 

 desire. 



** I remain your Lordship's obedient servant, 



" Edward Sabine.*' 



The subject of the Humboldt testimonial was brought before the British As- 

 sociation for the Advancement of Science at Aberdeen, and a subscription was 

 opened, and liberally headed by its President, the Prince Consort ; and having 

 long had the honour of presiding over the Eoyal Geographical Society of 

 London, he. Sir Eoderick, having warmly co-operated, hoped that his associates 

 would readily join in the contributions to carry out this great object. 



The Papers read were — 



1 . Proposed Railway Route across the Andes from Colder a to Rosario, 

 via Cordova, By W. Wheelwright, Esq., f.r.g.s. 



The author reminds us that he has been engaged, for many years, 

 in introducing and constructing railways in the mountainous and 

 broken country of Chile, where he has successfully adopted that 

 system of steep gradients and sharp curves which he relies upon in 

 his present proposal, of crossing the Andes by the San Francisco 



The entire distance from the Pacific on the one side to a water 

 communication with the Atlantic on the other, by the proposed 

 route, is about 1000 miles, which may be divided into the following 

 sections : — 



