May 23, 1859.] CAPT. J. PALLISER—ROYAL AWARDS. 219 



illness, — a discovery which in itself is also, in my opinion, well 

 worthy of the highest honour this Society can bestow." 



Captain Burton replied : — 



"Mr. President, — I thank you. Sir, most sincerely for this 

 honour, and for the kind and flattering expressions by which you 

 have enhanced its value. Allow me, at the same time, to embrace 

 the opportunity of expressing my gratitude to this powerful and 

 influential Society for the favours of past years. When compara- 

 tively unknown I was enabled, by the generous support of the 

 Koyal Geographical Society, to enter upon the field of Arabian 

 exploration. At a subsequent period their interest forwarded me 

 into the Somali country ; and, on the present occasion, to them — 

 and to them only — do I ascribe the success which has attended my 

 last expedition. This valuable gift will remain with me a lasting 

 memorial of my debt of gratitude. 



" You have alluded. Sir, to the success of the last expedition. 

 Justice compels me to state the circumstances under which it 

 attained that success. To Captain J. H. Speke are due those 

 geographical results to which you have alluded in such flattering 

 terms. Whilst I undertook the history and ethnography, the 

 languages and the peculiarities of the people, to Captain Speke 

 fell the arduous task of delineating an exact topography, and of 

 laying down our positions by astronomical observations — a labour 

 to which at times even the undaunted Livingstone found himself 

 unequal. I conclude with the warmest wishes for the prosperity 

 of the Eoyal Geographical Society, and with expressing my desire 

 that we may have a further opportunity of prosecuting our labours 

 in this good cause." 



The Patron's or Victoria Gold Medal has been awarded to 

 Captain John Palliser, for the successful results of the explora- 

 tion of large tracts in British North America by the expedition 

 under his command during the years 1857-8 ; and more par- 

 ticularly for the determination of the existence of practicable passes 

 across the Eocky Mountains within the British territories. 



This expedition — as is well known — originated in the pressing 

 recommendation of the Eoyal Geographical Society; and the 

 officers appointed by Her Majesty's Government to serve under 

 Captain Palliser were. Dr. Hector, naturalist and geologist; 

 Lieutenant Blakiston, magnetician ; Mr. Sullivan, secretary ; and 

 M. Bourgeau, botanist. 



One of the chief geographical features of the first year's survey 

 was the discovery of a low waterparting, hitherto unknown to us, 

 near the "Qui Appelle Lakes," where the water flows eastwards 

 into the Assiniboine Eiver, and westwards into the Saskatchewan. 



