TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 191 



■where new effoi-ts were made to stop their farther advance. In October, however, 

 they were enabled to start once more for Tsemas, the first stage in China, that 

 country to which they had so long looked forward as the Promised Land. The 

 Mekong was here finally quitted. The Expedition had to deviate eastward, and 

 came upon the Yuen Kiang, or River of Tonking. Gamier explored this river as 

 far as the Anamite frontier, and rejoined his party at Linggan. From Linngan-fu the 

 Expedition proceeded direct towards Yimnan-fu, traversing a lake-region of great 

 interest. On quitting the valley of the Tonking river they commenced ascending 

 a plateau of 5000 to 5600 feet in height, on which they found growing most of the 

 fruits and other vegetable products of Europe. They arrived at Yunnan-fu on the 

 23rd of December, 1867. Thence they set off by a devious course (tlie country 

 between being ravaged by hostile armies) for Tali ; but Capt. De la Gree falling 

 sick, the leadership of the expedition was given to Lieut. Gamier, Dr. Joubert 

 being left in charge of the chief. Through a difficult country, by the aid of some 

 missionaries, the party at length reached Tali, but were soon compelled to leave 

 again owing to the Sultan's unfriendliness. By consummate generalship and great 

 presence of mind Lieut. Gamier conducted his party once more across the frontier, 

 where rumours of the death of their chief reached them, causing them intense 

 anxiety. At length a letter from Dr. Joubert confirmed the rumours, and plunged 

 them all into the deepest distress. Finally, in May 1868, they embarked on the 

 great Kiang at Sin-chan-fu, and reached Hankau in the beginning of June, just 

 two years from their departure from Saigon. Here they found once more country- 

 men of their own, a European settlement, and means of transport to carry them back 

 to their native land. The whole distance over which they travelled between Cratieh, 

 at the head of the Mekong Delta, and Sinchan on the Upper Yangtse, amounted 

 to 2400 miles, of which about 1650 were performed on foot. To this must be 

 added about 2000 more in excursions and digressions by separate members of the 

 Expedition ; and they have surveyed an extent of actual itinerary of over 4000 

 miles in all, besides an immense number of astronomical determinations. 



ECONOMIC SCIENCE AND STATISTICS. 



Address hy Lord Neates, one of the Lords of Session, Pi-esident of the 



Section. 



A T>iSTiNGiTisHEB predecessor in the occupancy of this chair commenced its busi- 

 ness by declaring it to have been the custom that the proceedings of the Section 

 should be opened by an address, and that that address should be a brief one. In 

 complying with the first of these rules, I shall endeavour, if I can, not to forget the 

 second ; but the subjects falling within the jurisdiction of the Section are extensive, 

 and compression is always difficult, particularly to one who like myself am rather 

 a novice in the matters of which I am to treat. 



Economic science is sometimes spoken of as having a very modem date ; but I 

 think that this is an error. More or less the subject has entered into all the codes 

 or systems of law that have been established from the earliest times. Alongside 

 of political philosophy, which may be considered as peculiarly the science of 

 Government, great attention has always been bestowed upon matters which form 

 an important part of political econom}', or economic science — such as taxation, trade, 

 commerce, wealth, and population. Those writers also who have presented us 

 with ideal or imaginary States, or Utopias, are full of discussions and speculations 

 of the same kind. The rival 'Republics' of Plato and Aristotle afford abimdant 

 illustrations of this statement. It is peculiarly interesting to see this fact brought 

 out so vividly in the admirable introduction to the ' Republic ' of I'lato, prefixed 

 to that treatise in Professor Jowett's translation of that great philosopher ; and if 

 •we had a similar translation and exposition of Aristotle's kindred work, which I 

 think we might have from the hand of one of our own Vice-presidents, to whom 



