XVIII ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



ol' Alexandria, the Nile valley and the Equatorial lakes — the meridian of 

 the tides of civilization advancing northwards and southwards through 

 the dark continent ; so that we probably shall have in Africa the first 

 instance of a continental meridian and a continental time, 



15. Meeting of the Internatiojstal Geological Congress. 



The Council has pleasure in announcing that the general secre- 

 tary of this important association has written to express a wish exist- 

 ing amiong its leading members to visit the Dominion of Canada and 

 hold, at Ottawa, its triennial meeting in 1906. The Council has 

 received the following letter from Dr. Eobert Bell upon the subject : 



Geological Survey, 



Ottawa, 15th April, 1902. 

 Dear Dr. Dawson: — 



Dr. Diener, the general secretary of the organizing committee of the 

 International Geological Congress, has written me as Acting-Director of 

 the Geological Survey of Canada, that there is a general desire among the 

 geologists of Europe, that Canada should send an invitation to the Congress 

 to hold its next meeting (after the Vienna meeting next August), in Canada. 

 That would be in 1906, the meetings being held every three years. 



The geologists who attend the Congress Avould like to come to this 

 country very much, as it is so interesting geologically and there is so much 

 of it. 



On receipt of Dr. Diener's letter, I wrote to Sir Wm. Mulock, Acting 

 Minister of the Interior, and I now enclose you a copy of my letter. He 

 has replied that what the Government has done in previous cases was to 

 grant a bulk sum to be placed in the handé of some organization to be 

 spent for the benefit of the visitors. 



After consulting some of my colleagues and Mr. Macfarlane, who attends 

 these meetings, we think the Royal Society of Canada would be the proper 

 organization to take this matter up. As it is too important a subject to 

 spring it upon the Society after they have come to Ottawa, I thought the 

 Council of the Society should be consulted as soon a.^ possible, so that they 

 might consider what steps to take. I therefore write you — as Honorary 

 Secretary — in the meantime, so that you may think it over, and I will take 

 an early opportunity to confer with you about it. 



I am sure you will agree with me that Canada should not lose this rare 

 opportunity of inducing this important body of scientific men to visit this 

 country. It would be a pleasure and an honour to us to have them here, 

 end their visit would result in great good to the Dominion. The King of 

 Italy lat the first congress, and the Emperor of Russia at the last one, took 

 the greatest personal interest in the meetings and so have the great men 

 of all the countries when the congress have met. 



Yours very truly, 



Robert Bell. 

 Dr. S. E. Dawson, 



Hon. Secy. Royal Society of Canada, 

 Ottawa. 



