by the July mail I gave effect to my promise of compliance with that 

 request, by placing myself in communication with an eminent commercial 

 firm in London, and soliciting their co-operation in the matter ; and I 

 will now lay before the Society the result of the correspondence up to the 

 present date, regretting, while sanguine of the attainment of ultimate 

 success, that more should not have by this time been accomplished. By 

 return mail, under date 11th September, 1868, these gentlemen write : — 

 * The short interval between the arrival and departure of the Marseilles 

 Mail, has prevented our obtaining any useful information with regard to 

 the Esparto Grass for the manufacture of paper ; but you may rely upon 

 our doing our best to assist you ; and we will report, by next mail, the 

 result of our inquiries.' Agreeably to this intimation, on the 9th October 

 I was favoured with the following particulars : — ' Esparto Grass. — We 

 learn that 50,000 to 100,000 tons are imported here annually from Spain 

 and the opposite coast of Africa. The last that was sold here fetched 

 £4 15s. a ton, but scarcely any comes in here for sale. The bulk is 

 bought by a company (in which Lloyd is the principal man) who have 

 establishments in Spain, and own or charter ships for bringing in whole 

 cargoes, and have a patent for dressing it here. It seems quite a mono- 

 poly, and other importers have discontinued. Under the circumstances, 

 as you will conjecture, it is not easy to obtain information ; but we have 

 been able to get a sample of the last sold here, which we send you by this 

 Mail. We are endeavouring to procure through some friends in Spain, 

 a bushel of the seed. If we succeed, we will forward it to you ; but it 

 will be some time first.' By the last Mail, under date 31st December, 

 1868, the same gentlemen write : — ' We have not succeeded in getting any 

 further information about the Esparto grass ; but we understand that 

 another vegetable fibre — from Africa — is being tested by paper-makers, 

 and promises good results. We will communicate any further information 

 which we may obtain on the subject.' The sample of Esparto grass re- 

 ferred to has been laid upon the table, and the Society will please to 

 receive the information embodied in the foregoing correspondence in the 

 light of a progress report, to be followed up by further information from 

 time to time as it may be transmitted. I present a sheet of paper 

 manufactured from Esparto grass, for which I am indebted to the courtesy 

 of Messrs. William Knight and Co., merchants of the New Wharf, which 

 will enable the members to judge of its quality." 



Mr. Justin Browne had seen it stated that this grass was driving rags 

 out of the English market. 



Mr. Napier observed that the profit from the grass must be enormous, 

 as its price was but £4 10s. per ton, whilst the value of the paper pro- 

 duced from it was from £40 to £50 per ton. 



Mr. F. Abbott read an interesting paper on the late transit of Mercury 

 over the Sun's disc. 



The Secretary in laying before the meeting two specimens of the dried 

 mutton fish (HaUotis sji.J, prepared by the Chinese at South Port, read 

 the following note from Mr. Justin Browne : — "I send you for exhibition 

 at to-night's meeting some dried Mutton Fish. The shell of this fish is 

 well known as the ' ear shell,' and when living the fish envelopes the 

 shell or nearly covers it, and clings to the rocks with great tenacity. The 

 Chinese pierce the shell with a sort of spear, and the fish being thus 

 paralysed is easily detached from the rock ; it is separated from the shell 

 much as an oyster is, and is then dried in a slow oven built for the purpose, 

 after which the dried fish are packed in casks or cases for export. Before 

 cooking, it is soaked in water for a considerable time. Crayfish are treated 

 in the same manner, and are cured in large quantities." 



