May 28, I860.] CONCLUSION. 209 



waited until the return of the usual period of election has enabled 

 me to retire from my office without disturbance to our ordinary 

 arrangements. I shall, gentlemen, ever feel sincerely grateful to 

 you for the forbearance with which you endured my shortcomings, 

 and for the kindness which you have ever shown me. To the 

 members of the Council my warmest thanks are due for the never - 

 failing readiness with which they have taken upon themselves the 

 various duties which I have been compelled to neglect. The same 

 friendship which led Sir E. I. Murchison to support my election as 

 his successor last year, has induced him to act for me on numerous 

 occasions with a kindliness which I shall never forget, and which 

 has enabled me to feel that my forced absence from many of your 

 meetings, however disagreeable to myself, has often been in reality 

 a gain to you by placing him in the chair. Let me also here avail 

 myself of the opportunity of returning my best thanks to Dr. 

 Norton Shaw, for the zealous and able assistance which he has 

 always afforded me. 



Gentlemen, it is a great satisfaction to me to know that I shall 

 be followed in this chair by one so well able to discharge all its 

 duties, as my friend Lord Ashburton. His varied knowledge, his 

 love of science, and his eminent personal qualities render him 

 admirably fitted for the post to which he has been elected ; and in 

 resigning to him the office which I have so inadequately filled, it 

 is to me a source of much gratification to feel assured that the 

 interests of this Society are about to be entrusted to one who is so 

 well qualified to promote that, which must ever be of high import- 

 ance to me, — the prosperity of the Royal Geographical Society of 

 London. 



