TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 153 
On the Navigation of the Ucayali, an Affluent of the Amazons. 
By C. R. Marxuam. . 
A Geognostic Sketch of the Western Position of Timor. 
By Dr. S. MutueEr. 
Reports to Her Majesty's Government on the Physical Geography of the 
Country examined by the Expedition exploring the South-Western Regions 
of British North America, By Capt. J. PALLIsER and Dr. Hector. 
The communications alluded principally to the investigation which had been made 
with a view of forming a communication through the British dominions. ‘The 
reports considered it very important that a route should be established through the 
British territory, for the encouragement of emigration, and the transport of the future 
produce from Red River and the Great Western plains to Canada, The Canadian 
Government had offered £5000 for the establishment of a route between Lake Supe- 
rior and Red River, and an engineering party had already commenced a portion of it. 
On the Geography of British North America, more particularly British 
Columbia, Frazer River, $e. By Norton Suaw, M.D., Secretary 
to the Royal Geographical Society of London. 
Dr. Shaw gave an account of the various discoveries which have been made in North 
America, alluding minutely to those made prior to, as well as since the cession of 
Canada by France to Great Britain in the year 1763, and then proceeded to describe 
the geographical position of the Frazer River, the boundaries and limits of British 
North America, the mountains of the coast, called the Cascade Mountains; the 
Rocky Mountains, and British Columbia. He attributed the earlier exploration of 
the interior to the French, rather than to the English settlers, the latter having con- 
fined their attention chiefly to agricultural pursuits. Dr. Shaw then referred to the 
rewards offered by Parliament for the discovery of a north-west passage, and to the 
explorations made by an organized association of the traders of Canada, under the 
name of the ‘‘ North-West Company,” whose right of trading they had not un- 
reasonably supposed to be independent of the Charter of the Hudson Bay Company, 
since it had existed before the cession of Canadatc England. Speaking of British 
Columbia, he said that the face of the country presented a succession of mountain 
ridges, valleys, and plains, the more fertile districts lying, for the most part, between 
the Cascade Mountains and the Pacific. That portion of the country which lay be- 
tween the Cascade Mountains and the Pacific was subject to a remarkably equal tempe- 
rature, the mean being about 54° Fahr. There was only about four months of winter, 
and all fruits and vegetables were as early asin Canada. In several respects the climate 
of the middle section was less favourable: it was subject to droughts, and was warmer 
in summer and colder in winter. The air, however, was pure and healthy. The 
eastern section, amid the snows of the Rocky Mountains, could not be praised for 
its climate. The western section was well adapted for agricultural and horticultural 
operations. The middle section was favourably mentioned ; and in the course of his 
remarks about the Frazer River, Dr. Shaw stated that it abounded in fish, as also did 
the other rivers in the district. Geese, ducks, and water fowl were plentiful in the 
spring and summer. In the eastern section of the country wild animals of various 
kinds were met with in great numbers. After having mentioned the auriferous 
deposits lately discovered on the Frazer River, Dr. Shaw dilated upon the probable 
communication by water and rail through British North America via the Passes of 
the Rocky Mountains, connecting thus in future the dense populations of Western 
Europe with those of Eastern Asia. 
Leiter to Sir R. I. Murchison on the Project of a Canal across the Isthmus of 
Keraw, which divides the Gulf of Bengal from that of Siam. By Sir R. 
ScHOMBURGK. 
Tn this letter, Sir R. Schomburgk, Her Majesty’s Consul at the Court of Siam, 
