Proceedings of the Society. xvii 



May IS, 1892. 69th meeting. 



Meeting held in the Lecture Hall of the National Museum, 

 Vice-President Hayden in the chair. Attendance, 307. 



Mr Talcott Williams delivered an address on " The gates and 

 straits of Europe," describing the influence of the surface con- 

 figuration on the development of civilization. 



May "20, 1892. Special meeting. 



Meeting held in the Builders' Exchange Hall. President 

 Hubbard in the chair. Attendance, 700. 



Mrs M. French-Sheldon gave a description of her journey in 

 Africa, illustrating her remarks with lantern slides made from 

 photographs taken on the trip. 



May 27, 1892. Field meeting. 



About 75 members left Washington for Annapolis, where they 

 were received by the secretary of state of Maryland and wel- 

 comed on behalf of Governor Brown, who was detained at Balti- 

 more. The historic State House was first visited, and, after din- 

 ner, the Chase mansion. Proceeding then to the Naval Academy, 

 the members were, through the kindness of SujDerintendent 

 Phythian and Commandant Chester, transferred to the cruiser 

 Philadelphia, which, with other vessels of the squadron, Avas an- 

 chored in the bay. Returning to the grounds, the party was 

 enabled to witness dress parade. After supper the Society, 

 through the courtesy of the Governor, held a meeting in the 

 House of Delegates, addresses being made by Messrs Gilbert, 

 McGee, D. J. Randall, and W. J. Hull, the two gentlemen last 

 named giving incidents of the history of the place. Following 

 this was an original poem by Mr Croffut. On motion of Rev- 

 erend Gilbert F. Williams, it was voted " That the thanks of this 

 Society be extended to the governor of the state of Maryland 

 for his courteous tendering of this room for the meeting of the 

 Society and for the privilege of entrance to every part of this 

 historic building ; that our thanks be also extended to the suj^er- 

 intendent of the Naval Academy and to Captain C. M. Chester 

 U S N, for giving the Society the opportunity of visiting one 

 of the new cruisers of the navy and also for the special jDarade 

 at the academy ; also to the lady managers of the old Chase 

 mansion for the opportunity of inspecting that building, and to 



III— Nat. Geog. Mag., vol. IV, 1892. 



