54 



peace and comfort of its iuhabitants, and to the commercial prosperity 

 of Great Britain." 



The thanks of the Society were given to Mr. Hutchinson. 



A Paper " On Ice Impediments to Australian Voyages," ■■• was read 

 by J. T. TowsoN, Esq., and the following communication was made 

 to the Society : — 



ON CERTAIN NEW OR RARE PRODUCTS OF THE 

 VEGETABLE KINGDOM, 



By T. C. archer, Esq. 



In the very short period which has elapsed since economic science 

 first excited the attention of scientific men, an extraordinary amount of 

 information has been collected, and innumerable errors exposed. StiU, 

 however, our knowledge of the materials of utility, yielded by the three 

 kingdoms of nature, is in its infancy, and offers a tempting field for 

 the student. Science to be useful must be practical, and unless it can 

 teach us to use those materials which nature offers to our hand, or to 

 search for those which are of more difficult attainment, it becomes a 

 mere amusement, the value of which is but Uttle, if any greater than 

 the more ordinary means of recreation. 



The credit of commencing a well-defined and systematic study of 

 economic products, as a branch of science, is undoubtedly due to Sir 

 Henry De la Beche, whose rudimentary effort in Craig's Court was the 

 origin of the magnificent Museum of Practical Geology, in Jermyn- 

 street, now one of the most useful scientific establishments in the 

 world. Since then, economic botany and economic zoology have been 

 added to economic geology and mineralogy, and their value, as useful 

 branches of learning, fully recognized. 



The first specimens I shall introduce to your notice are three de- 

 tersive materials, which are of no value in this country, but have been 

 introduced for experiment only : 1. Origera. 2. Jaroncellos. 3. Go- 

 go or Go-goo. The first is a curious legume, the dorsal suture of 

 which is much contracted and ciu'led round ; and the valves are at least an 

 inch broad ; the ventral suture has a waved outline. This legume is the 

 produce of Enterolobium timhouva (Natural Order LeguminosaJ ; it is 

 used by the natives of New Grenada, and other parts of South America, 



* The author has commuuicated to the Secretary, that believing that this paper on Ice- 

 impediuients, &c., will be principally valuable to the nautical man, he prefers its being 

 piiblislied in the Mercantile Mari/ic Mayazine." 



