Annual Report nf ike. S. A. Institution. 115 



From this document, and from others which since have reached 

 ns, wc rejoice to had that the Societe d'Histoire Naturelle de" 

 V Isle Mauripe, prosecutes with exemplary assiduity and eminent 

 skill, the course of investigations to which they have given 

 themselves. The Institutions are now on terms of strictest 

 correspondence, both having granted to the members of the 

 other, who may be present in either place, the privileges of 

 Corresponding Members. 



The Institution has not had yet the pleasure of seeing any 

 corresponding Associations established in our own country 

 districts, in furtherance of its purposes. 



The Council is glad to find that " The South African Quar- 

 terly Journal " has excited attention both in this country and 

 elsewhere ; and its continued and regular publication would, 

 we know from experience, be in many respects advantageous to 

 the Institution and the public, but, in consequence of the sup- 

 ply of material falling short of that which is required by a 

 quarterly publication, it has been found necessary to publish 

 successive numbers only when suitable means present them- 

 selves. 



2. In regard to the Subjects submitted to the consideration 

 of the Institution at its Sittings, we have to notice, — 



1. In Statistics, only one or two facts. From a return of the 

 Convictions before the Local Courts in the District of Albany, 

 containing a population of 5896, for the year 1829, we learn 

 that the proportions of crimes in the different races of that popu- 

 lation, differ exceedingly : those occurring in the white race 

 amounting to 1 in 84, among the Hottentots to 1 in 14, and 

 among the other people of colour to 1 in 10, of their respective 

 numbers. In the returns of the population of the whole colony 

 for the same year, we observe an excess of births beyond the 

 mortality, to the amount of 1450, being one eighty-second part 

 of the whole population. This would determine the period in 

 which the population will double itself, as 57 years nearly. In 

 the returns of cases tried before the Circuit Courts of the whole 

 colony, in 1830, the proportions are 1 conviction for every 750 

 persons; the crimes against the person amounting to 1 in 10 

 of the convictions; the latter occurring almost solely among 

 the coloured races. The convictions for the same year, com- 

 pared with the accusations, give the following remarkable re- 

 sults, that, of the white population, three-fourths only of the 

 whole tried are convicted, while of the Hottentots and other 

 people of colour, jointly, the convicted amount to 11 nearly, of 

 the whole accused. 



2. On the subject of Botany, we have to notice the con- 

 tii "ution, by Mr, Bowie, of his remarks ou the cultivation of 



