88 Progress of Geographical Discovery 



central mart of Africa, with all the traces of the demi-civilizatioti 

 of the middle age. But, at the same time, you have offered to 

 the manes of Major Laing a tribute of regret, without taking 

 notice of the clamors raised by a pitiable jealousy, against the 

 fortunate rival of the courageous English traveller, who had 

 preceded him at Timbuctoo; and you have thus again proved, 

 in the eyes of Europe, the nobleness and generosity of your 

 sentiments. 



You have regretted, at the same meeting, that you have 

 only accorded to Captain Dumont d'Urville an incomplete 

 testimony of your esteem for his labonrs during the voyage, 

 from which he has brought us some melancholy relics of a ship- 

 wreck, which will never be forgotten. Entirely occupied at 

 present with the publication of his work, M. d'Urville, when he 

 again takes a share in the duties of the central commission, will 

 soon give us occasion to speak of him with merited eulogiums. 



I must not forget, gentlemen, to tell you, that the prize rela- 

 tive to a journey in ancient Babylonia and Chaldca has been 

 withdrawn from competition, after having appeared for many 

 years in the programmes of the Society. A memoir, however, 

 has been sent in, and was laid before the committee of the 

 concours; but as it did not come under the conditions, it was 

 necessarily given up. 



The prize offered for a description of the monuments' of Pa- 

 lenqua is suspended till the year 1833. M. Baradere, who, 

 during. his stay in Mexico, formed a rich collection of Mexican 

 antiquities, was a candidate. T3ut the society, not finding the 

 solution of the question proposed by them, in the drawings and 

 manuscripts of M. Baradere, can, at this time, only make 

 honourable mention of the researches of this traveller. 



On the proposition of M. Jomard, a new prize has been 

 offered, which will be adjudged to the best memoir on the 

 Origin of the Asiatic Negroes. This question, difficult to be 

 solved by the French, seems, in some degree, to belong peculiar- 

 ly to the present masters of India; they alone appear to be in a 

 situation favourable for the execution of this investigation, and 

 for the collection of such documents as may throw light on a 

 subject of this nature. 



The society has reserved, for competition, two prizes for dis- 

 coveries in Africa ; a prize for travels in Caramania ; a prize 

 for travels in Guiana; and several prizes for the geography of 

 France. 



The third volume of the Memoirs of the Society was pub- 

 lished at the beginning of the year. It contains very detailed 

 researches, the result of the long continued labours of M. Bru- 



