43^ Natural Uidary 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 attainment 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 societies 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 21. ; 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 era- 

 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 



