174 EARL DE GREY'S ADDRESS. [May 28, 1860. 



Mr. Maximilian de Sonnenstern, for many years engaged in 

 surveying Central America, is engaged in publishing his map, in 

 four sheets, which will comprise Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, 

 Nicaragua, and Costa-Kica. 



South America : Equador. — Several papers which have been commu- 

 nicated to the Society must not be passed over without the special 

 mention they deserve. Our forthcoming " Journal " will contain the 

 narratives of no less than three travellers who have been engaged in 

 explorations of the State of Equador, namely, of Mr. G. J. Pritchett, 

 who traversed the greater part of it in various directions in the 

 years 1856 and 1857 ; of Mr. Spruce, a botanist (for whose Journal 

 we are indebted to Sir William Hooker), who, proceeding from 

 Tarapoto, in Peru, to Banos, in the State of Equador, passed down 

 the river Huallaga to the Amazon, and thence, ascending the rivers 

 Pasta9a and Bombanaza to Canelos, visited the great volcanic 

 regions of Chimborazo and Cotopaxi, and the eastern portion of the 

 provinces of Leon and Quito, collecting information regarding the 

 natural products of those countries, which is of great interest ; and 

 lastly, of Mr. Jameson, who has resided for many years at Quito as 

 a Professor in the University, and has sent to the Socdety an account 

 of a tour which he made last yqar, during one of his vacations, as 

 far as Cayambe. 



The narratives of these gentlemen comprise a considerable mass 

 of original information regarding the State of Equador and its 

 natural resources. I may also add that we have received a copy of 

 the map of that Eepublic, by Dr. Villa vicencio, mentioned as in 

 course of publication by my predecessor in his Address in 1858. 



Chile. — Mr. Wheelwright's gigantic project of a railway over 

 the Chilian Andes, from Copiapo and across the Argentine pro- 

 vinces to Eosario on the river Parana, an account of which was read 

 before the Society in January last, has led to a survey extending 

 no less than 350 miles over the Great Cordillera of the Andes, 

 and thence across the slopes and plains beyond, to the river Parana, 

 a copy of which, accompanied by sections, has been communicated 

 by Mr. Wheelwright to the Society, and will be found full of inter- 

 esting matter connected with the climatology, mineral and other 

 products of those hitherto undescribed regions. 



The Government of Chile is making progress in extending 

 civilization to the south of that Eepublic in the direction of Pata- 

 gonia, among fertile plains occupied by savage people ; but capable 

 of supporting large populations, whenever the tide of emigration 

 may set in that direction. In Chile the working of the coal veins 



