PROCEEDINGS FOR 1886. XXVII 
Royal Society by our President in his “Plea for a Canadian Camden Society,” two years ago. The 
plan suggested the feasibility of printing, say two or three works a year, under the auspices of the 
Royal Society, by a system of subscriptions. Unpublished manuscripts, early books out of print, and 
the material needed for historical study can be had in abundance to make such a scheme successful. 
In the Parliamentary Library, Ottawa, there is in manuscript the travels of Alexander Henry, Jun., 
which are most valuable for the Northwest history of 1800-10. There is in private hands the 
Journal of David Thompson, Astronomer of the North-West Company of Montreal. Mr. Thompson, 
from whom Thompson River, British Columbia, was named, was, about the beginning of this century, 
one of our most adventurous and successful explorers. He died at Williamstown, Glengarry County. 
In the Hudson’s Bay Co.’s Library, London, there is a manuscript of the explorer in the French 
times, Pierre Radisson; also that of Peter Fidler, of the Hudson’s Bay Co. 
If some energetic bookseller were to undertake the matter, under the direction of a Committee 
of the Royal Society, no doubt, with the codperation of the affiliated societies, subscriptions could be 
got which would make the scheme self-sustaining from the beginning. 
Our Society would earnestly urge the matter on the attention of the Royal Society. 
XIV.—From the Ottawa Literary and Scientific Society, through Mr. Wu. P. ANDERSON :— 
I have the honour again to represent the Ottawa Literary and Scientific Society as its delegate, 
and to submit its report of work done since the last meeting. 
The year has been for the Society an uneventful one, consequently there is little of interest to 
submit. The usual routine work has been gone through with a fair measure of prosperity, and the 
reading-room and library have been efficiently maintained, the reading-room especially being well 
patronised, and containing a great many of the best newspapers and periodicals. 
On behalf of the Society, I beg to extend to all the Fellows of the Royal Society a most cordial 
invitation to use our library and reading-room, 25 Sparks Street, during their present visit. The 
necessity for some less formal meeting room than the reading-room, where conversation could be freely 
indulged in, had long been felt. It was, in consequence, lately determined to prepare an extra room 
for that purpose, and it is hoped that this action will have the effect of extending our social influence, 
and also of inducing the chess-players of the city to make our rooms their headquarters. 
During the winter a programme of lectures was prepared, and these were delivered for the most 
part to large audiences. It was deemed expedient to enlist our staff of lecturers wholly from residents 
in the city, and this new departure was attended with a gratifying measure of success, 
The plan which has been followed for two or three years past, of inviting short essays from the 
younger members of the Society, on this occasion produced two or three exceptionally brilliant 
papers, and proved the wisdom of thus encouraging rising literary ability. The following is a list of 
the lectures and addresses given :— 
Inaugural address on Science in Canada, by the President, Mr. William P. Anderson. 
The Rocky Mountains and what I saw in them, by Prof. Macoun. 
A Study of Thackeray, by Mr. Martin J. Griffin. 
The Hudson Bay Territories and their Inhabitants, by Dr. Robert Bell. 
Travels in the South Seas, by Mr. F. N. Gisborne. 
A Topic of the Times, by the Hon. Wm. McDougall, C.B. 
. Gaspé Peninsula, past and present, by Mr. R. W. Ells. 
. Nathaniel Hawthorne and his Writings, with illustrative readings, by Mr. J. M. Oxley. 
. Is Vivisection, or Experimentation on the Lower Animals, justifiable? by Dr. R. M. Powell. 
. Byron, by Mr. A. Lampman. 
. Edgar Allan Poe, by Mr. A. W. Gundry. 
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