May 23, 1859.] SWITZERLAND— FRANCE. 291 



have collected a mass of information of great interest to the lovers 

 of adventure whom I now address. 



Knowing the ability with which my friend Mr. John Ball can 

 master any branch of natural history science, I congratulate the 

 Alpine Club on having secured his services as their editor. With 

 such contributors as those whose names appear in this volume, we 

 may feel sure that many other Alpine scenes will be racily and 

 faithfully delineated. One of the most interesting communications 

 in the estimation of a geologist like myself is the comparison by 

 Professor Eamsay of the former and very ancient glaciers of 

 Snowdon in Wales (which come into the category of geological 

 djTiamics) with the less ancient glaciers of Switzerland, from the 

 moraines of which the ice has shrunk away within the historic 

 period. 



The lively descriptions of the tourists, and the chromo-litho- 

 graphic sketches of the chief scenes, will attract many a traveller to 

 the Alps ; whilst the accompanying little maps will be found clear 

 and useful. 



France and other Continental Countries. — As our Library contains the 

 full Report of the Proceedings of the Geographical Society of 

 France, it is unnecessary that 1 should swell this Address by giving 

 extracts from that useful and meritorious publication ; and as I have 

 not this year been favoured with the official Eeport of the progress 

 of the surveys by land and by sea in France, Spain, or Italy, 1 am 

 unable to allude to them. It is, however, gratifying to me to learn 

 that the geographers of France have recompensed the brothers Schla- 

 gintweit, on whose discoveries I dilated last year, with the gold 

 medal of the French Society. 



Asia. 



Persia. — W^e have been indebted to the Hon. C. Murray, H. M. 

 Minister at the Court of Teheran, for communicating to us an interest- 

 ing account of the ascent of Mount Demavend by Mr. Thomson and 

 Lord Schomburg Kerr, who are attached to his mission. Besides travel- 

 ling over and describing an extensive portion of the mountainous 

 region between Teheran and the depression which extends to the 

 Caspian Sea, these zealous diplomatists made three ascents of Dema- 

 vend, and, measuring its altitude by boiling water, came to the con- 

 clusion that the summit (which is composed of volcanic and sul- 

 phureous materials) was 21,600 feet above the sea. In support of 

 the measurement of our countrymen, I learn by a letter recently 



