151 



I cannot divest myself of the belief that had Sir John Franklin 

 been aware of the existence of a channel eastward of King William's 

 Land (so named until 1854), and sheltered from this impenetrable 

 ice-stream, his ships would safely and speedily have passed through it 

 in 1846, and from thence with comparative ease to Behring Strait. 



Having enumerated the different subjects which have engaged the 

 attention of the officers and myself and have employed much of our 

 time, it only remains for me to express a hope that these will be 

 found to be in some measure a justification of any moderate expecta- 

 tions which the President and Council of the Royal Society may have 

 formed at the time of my departure from England in 1857, or at 

 least to afford proof that my desire to be rendered useful in the ad- 

 vancement of science has in no degree abated since then. 



I am, Sir, your obedient Servant, , 



F. L. M C CLINTOCK, 



To the Secretary of the Royal Society. Captain R.N. 



November 24, 1859. 



Major-General SABINE, R.A., Treasurer and V.P., in the 



Chair. 



In accordance with the Statutes, notice was given from the Chair 

 of the ensuing Anniversary Meeting, and the list of Officers and 

 Council proposed for election was read as follows : 



President. Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, Bart., D.C.L. 

 Treasurer. Major-General Edward Sabine, R.A., D.C.L. 

 . J William Sharpey, M.D. 



"t George Gabriel Stokes, Esq., M.A., D.C.L. 

 Foreign Secretary. William Hallows Miller, Esq., M.A. 



Other Members of the Council. C. CardaleBabington, Esq., M.A. j 

 Rear-Admiral Sir George Back, D.C.L. ; Rev. John Barlow, M.A. ; 

 Thomas Bell, Esq. ; Arthur Cayley, Esq. ; William Farr, M.D., 

 D.C.L ; Sir H. Holland, Bart., M.D., D.C.L. ; Thomas Henry 

 Huxley, Esq. ; Sir Roderick I. Murchison, M.A., D.C.L. ; Thomas 



