XVIII ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



as a man of wide and statesmanlike views, who saw more clearly than 

 any of his contemporaries the essential conditions for Anglo-Saxon 

 supremacy on the American continent. 



4. — " Early and Less Known Quests of Science in Eupert's Land," 

 by the Rev. Dr. Bryce. An account of the labours and discoveries of 

 David Douglas, botanist and ornithologistt (after whom the Douglas 

 pine of British Columbia was named), Captain John Eoss, and Sir 

 Henry Lefroy; also of the efforts made by an astronomical party from 

 the United States to observe the solar eclipse of 1860; and of the 

 observations taken at Winnipeg in 1874 and 1882 of the transit of the 

 planet Venus. The author of the paper also referred briefly to the 

 exploratory work of Hind, 1857-9, and of Palliser, 1857-8. 



5.— "Shelley's Debt to the Eighteenth Century," by Prof. C. Pelham 

 Edgar, Ph.D., of Toronto. Presented through Mr. Duncan C. Scott, 

 and read by Dr. W. D. LeSueur. The philosophical views of Shelley are 

 shown to have been largely moulded by William Godwin, the French 

 Encyclopasdists (especially d'Holbach and Helvetius), and Eousseau. 

 A reaction, however, against the uncompromising radicalism of his 

 youthful years is traceable in his latesit writings. 



6. — " Sydney Smith," by Mr. George Murray. A sketch of the life 

 and character of the eminent essayist, founded on recently-published 

 materials. 



7.—" Quebec : A Sonnet," by the Eev. F. G. Scott. 



8. — " Thalatta; A Poem," by Mr. John Eeade, read by Dr. Dawson. 



9.— "Eadisson in the Northwest, 1661-1663, by M. Benj. Suite, 

 of Section I. An attempt to trace the route followed by Eadisson in 

 his explorations of the years 1661-2-3, the author holding that in 1661 

 Eadisison ascended the Ottawa, not the St. Lawrence. 



The Eev. C. W. Gordon of Winnipeg, " Ealph Connor," author 

 of a number of notable works of fiction, and Mr. Henry J. Morgan of 

 Ottawa, author of a number of valuable works of reference in Canadian 

 biography and bibliography, were elected members of the section, and 

 confirmed as such in a general meeting of the Society. 



Mr. W. D. Lighthall called attention to the importance of en- 

 deavouring to secure legislation for the protection and preservation of 

 historic sites, monuments, inscriptions, etc. A resohition was passed 

 authorizing the President of the Section to confer with Section T on 

 the subject with a view to joint action. A conference having been 

 held accordingly, both sections united in a resolution to the effect that 

 the Executive of the Society should be requcs4;ed to bring tlie matter 

 before the Dominion Government. 



