432 Natural History in London. 
compendious stock of a traveller, by consulting which he may make him- 
self familiar with their use. — 4. To prepare brief instructions for such as 
are setting out on their travels ; pointing out the parts most desirable to be 
visited ; the best and most practicable means of proceeding thither ; the re- 
searches most essential to make; phenomena to be observed ; the subjects 
of natural history most desirable to be procured; and to obtain all such 
information as may tend to the extension of our geographical knowledge. 
And it is hoped that the Society may ultimately be enabled, from its funds, 
to render pecuniary assistance to such travellers as may require it, in order 
to facilitate the attamment of some particular object of research. — 5. To 
correspond with similar societies that may be established in different parts 
of the world; with foreign individuals engaged in geographical pursuits, and 
with the most intelligent British residents in the various remote settlements 
of the empire. — 6. To open a communication with all those philosophical 
and literary secieties with which geography is connected; for as all are 
fellow-labourers in the different departments of the same vineyard, their 
united efforts cannot fail mutually to assist each other. —7. And lastly, in 
order to induce men of eminence and ability in every branch of science, 
literature, and the arts, and in particular those who have travelled by sea 
and by land, and all such as are skilled in geographical knowledge, and 
likely to become useful and efficient members, it was suggested that the 
admission fee and annual contribution should be on as moderate a scale as, 
with the number of subscribers calculated upon, would be sufficient to en- 
able the Society to fulfil the important objects herein alluded to. 
A provisional committee was appointed, who, on May 26th, agreed to a 
number of resolutions ; among others, that as soon as 300 subscribers could 
be obtained a president and officers should be elected; that the admission 
fee of members should be 3/., and the annual subscription 2/.; and that-a 
composition of 20/. shall be a substitute for the entrance-money and annual 
payment. Commander M‘Konochie, R.N., was appointed provisional 
secretary ; and the Society’s Office in the mean time is at 99. Quadrant, 
Regent Street. 
We have always said, that the principal use of societies in the present 
day is to bring together people who are occupied in the same pursuits. 
Something is also effected in the way of, stimulus ; but the great use of a 
society, and that alone, in our opinion, which can justify it in attempting 
any thing as a body, is in effecting, or endeavouring to effect, that which in- 
dividuals in general could’ not undertake of themselves. Many statistical 
enquiries may certainly be considered of this description ; because the docu- 
ments which must be had recourse to will not often be entrusted to indi- 
viduals ; and the publication of the result, after it has with infinite labour 
been condensed into perhaps a tabular view of a few pages, will nothing like 
remunerate either'an author or a bookseller. The main object of geogra- 
phical enquiries, in the extensive sense in which the word has been em- 
ployed since the time of Pinkerton, is to make any one and every country 
thoroughly acquainted with any and every other country, physically, morally, 
and politically. “ To prepare brief instructions for such as are setting out 
on their travels” (Art.4.), is one of the objects of the Geographical Society ; 
and, if it can induce tourists to acquire a thorough knowledge of the lan- 
guage of the countries through which they intend to pass, and to collect 
facts, in addition to the usual observations, the service to the public will 
be considerable. After fifteen years of peace, how very little do we know 
of the statistics of Germany, of the state of education and morals through 
that extensive and very interesting country; and of the state of morals, 
politics, and education in Sweden! The voluminous travels of Dr. Clarke 
scarcely touch on these subjects. One reason is, that very few Englishmen 
who travel know any thing of the German language. Of the numerous works 
in that language on statistics we know little, except what has been from 
