XXIV ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



The proposed celebrution has attracted the attention of historical students 

 everywhere, and, if tlie matter is pushed with energy, there is no doubt 

 that the meeting will be largel}' attended. The Archbishop of Halifax, 

 Dr. O'Brien, who is at present at Eome, has written to the honorary 

 secretary in the following tei'ras : 



•Archbishop's House, Halifax, N.S., Jan. 31st, 1896. 

 • Dear Dr. Eourinot, — I leave on 15th Feb. for Eome, and shall pay 

 a short visit to Egypt and Jerusalem. As I cannot be back in time for 

 the meeting of the Royal Society, and may not be in the way of sending 

 a note at that time, I beg you to accept this as my excuse for non-appear- 

 ance. 



••Eegarding the report the sul)-committee are expected to make, re 

 meeting at Halifax in 1897, 1 see no dithculty in arranging suitably during 

 the course of next summer. If it should seem advisable to you and the 

 other members of the committee we could easily arrange for an excur- 

 sion to Sydney, set up a stone there — the most suitable place as Cape 

 Bi-eton is inaccessible — and thus fittingly celebrate the occasion. 

 " I remain, 



'' Dear Dr. Bourinot, 



■' Yours very sincerely, 



" C. O'Brien." 



Several letters have also been received from distinguished persons 

 whose historical and cartographical knowledge enables them to speak 

 with authority on the subject of the Cabot voyages. Special attention is 

 called 1() the following interesting letter from ^Ir. Clements E. Markham, 

 F.E.S., C.B., the president of the Eoyal Geogra])hical Society, whose 

 o])inion is of great value. It will be seen that he promises the co-oper- 

 ation of the great society of which he is at present the distinguished head. 

 ]\Ir. ^Farkham writes: 



"21 EccLESTONE Square, London, S.W., April 26th, 1896. 



" Dear Sir, — I have read the proposal for a Cabot celebration, in Caxi- 

 ada, on the 24th of June, 1897, in the ' Transactions of the Eoyal Society 

 of Canada.' with great satisfaction and interest. 



•• It is fitting that the memorable achievement of tliat intrepid seaman, 

 John Cabot, should be remembered on tlie fovir hundredth anniversary of 

 his discovery, and it seems to me to be specially fitting that a commemor- 

 ation should take ])lace in the land which he was the first to discover. 



" Thei'e is great significance in the voyage of ('abot. It was not the 

 fir.st British enterprise of the kind ; for during the i)revious seven years 

 expeditions had been annually despatched from Bristol to discover land 

 to tlie westward. But it was the first that was led by a man possessed of 

 all the scientific knowledge of his time, and the fii-st that was successful. 



