7 he River Plate of South America and the Falkland Islands. 9 



sador-Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Washington. It was 

 a noteworthy fact that both Lord Macartney and Mr. Bryce had 

 each been a Chief Secretary for Ireland. Then they had the 

 Right Hon. Sir Charles Stewart Scott, G.C.M.G., a County 

 Derry man, who was Ambassador at Copenhagen and to the 

 Court of Russia; and Sir John Newell Jordan, K.C.M.G. (another 

 County Down man), who had been Consul-General at Korea, and 

 who at present held the extremely difficult and responsible 

 position of Envoy-Extraordinary and Minister-Plenipotentiary at 

 Peking. In the diplomatic service of China there were at present 

 three brilliant North of Ireland men — Sir Robert Hart, Bart., 

 G.C.M.G, (the most decorated man alive) ; Sir John M'Leary 

 Brown, CM G., one of the greatest of financiers ; and Sir Robert 

 Bredon, K.C.M.G. He (Sir John), in the name of the Belfast 

 Natural History and Philosophical Society, welcomed Mr. and 

 the Hon. Mrs. Kennedy that evening. 



Mr. R. J. Kennedy was sure they would pardon him if at 

 the outset, in alluding to South America, he gave them some 

 elementary information with regard to geography, as he knew, 

 both from experience and speaking to friends with whom he had 

 come into contact since his return, how very vague one's ideas of 

 geography might be without travel or special study. It might be 

 new to most people not giving their attention to the subject that 

 South America in point of size comprised seven million square 

 miles, or was more than double the size of Europe. It contained 

 twelve Republics, and the Republics about which he wished 

 particularly to speak that evening were those of the La Plata, 

 Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. The population of Europe 

 totalled 340 millions, while that of South America totalled 40 

 millions. Mr. Kennedy then gave a brief resume of the history 

 of the leading Republics of South America in order to lead the 

 audience up to its present political conditions. Proceeding, he 

 said it was his belief that they were more interested in the com- 

 mercial affairs of these nations than in anything else. He might 

 therefore state that South American yearly imports amounted to 



