214 PRESIDENT OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [1870. 



and the projected expedition was not for some years 

 organised. 1 



The following letter refers to this Anniversary 

 dinner : 



J. Prestwich to Sir Rod. I. Murchison. 



SHOREHAM, near SEVENOAKS, Feb. 20, 1870. 



MY DEAR SIR RODERICK, I have to thank you very much and 

 very sincerely for the kind and handsome and only too flatter- 

 ing way in which you spoke of my geological work on Friday. 

 One of the pleasantest recollections of my life was that to which 

 you alluded, when I, quite as a young man almost in fact a boy 

 met you on your own ground, was taken by you by the hand, 

 encouraged to persevere, and instructed how to proceed. 



I shall always remember with sincere gratitude the effect that 

 encouragement and kindly sympathy had on me a kindness 

 which has been continued and repeated on many subsequent 

 occasions, and of which I am truly and deeply sensible. 



I alluded in my speech to old leadership in the early days of 

 the Society that was much more active than now. I well recol- 

 lect the admiration I felt for your work, and the respect I felt 

 for your opinion, and I know there are still many points in 

 theoretical geology on which our opinions still show strong 

 alliances. 



I feel extremely thankful everything went off so well the other 

 evening, and there again I feel much indebted to the support of 

 kind and valued friends, in the first rank of whom I hope you 

 will always allow me to consider you. And I am, my dear Sir 

 Eoderick, most sincerely yours, Jos. PRESTWICH. 



Sir E. I. Murchison to J. Prestwich. 



16 BELGRAVE SQUARE, Feb. 21, 1870. 



MY DEAR PRESTWICH, I am glad to find that you were grati- 

 fied with the manner in which I proposed your health at our 

 anniversary. 



1 The survey of Western Palestine was eventually undertaken by Prof. 

 E. Hull, F.R.S., and his Eeport was published in 1886. 



