i8io Sir Alexander Johnston; James Smith son 235 



but they seemed to be worthy of being extracted and pub- 

 lished as a slight addition to all that is known of the daily 

 life of one of the most illustrious philosophers that England 

 has ever had. 



Of the visitors entertained by the Club during the year 

 1810 little need be told. One of the most important of 

 them was Sir Alexander Johnston, who, having been taken 

 early in life to India, acquired a knowledge of several of the 

 various languages of the country and a strong sympathy 

 with the natives. In 1805 he was appointed Chief Justice 

 of Ceylon and afterwards President of the Council. He 

 reorganised the government of the island and introduced 

 a career of prosperity to the colony. When he returned 

 to England his love of the East impelled him to take a main 

 share in the creation of the Royal Asiatic Society, of which 

 he was chosen Vice-president. He was knighted for his 

 public services and was afterwards made a member of the 

 Privy Council. He was elected into the Royal Society 

 Club in 1819 and proved to be a valuable member, for his 

 wide acquaintance with the official world at home and 

 abroad enabled him to introduce many eminent and in- 

 teresting guests. 



James Smithson, who was introduced on 23rd August 

 by Humphry Davy, studied at Oxford, and published a 

 number of papers on chemical mineralogy. He was admitted 

 into the fellowship of the Royal Society in 1787, one of 

 his sponsors there being Henry Cavendish. He is chiefly 

 remembered as the founder of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 Washington. He will be further noticed in the account 

 of the Club's guests in 1825. 



The " Mr. Pepys " of the weekly register was probably 

 William Hasledine Pepys, an ingenious inventor and im- 

 prover of scientific apparatus. He was fond of geology 

 and mineralogy, and one of the original founders of the 

 Geological Society of London. He became a Fellow of the 

 Royal Society in 1808. 



