1863. ] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 29 
leaves the survey maps as reliable as they were before the lability to 
error was first pointed out, and in fact as reliable as in the present 
state of science maps admit of being made. 
Major Walker has also commenced the publication in our Journal 
of a series of papers bearing on the great work of which he now stands 
at the head, and I must again express my hope that every year may 
see our Society more closely connected with the officers of this and 
of the Geological Survey. To Mr. W. Blanford of the latter of these 
surveys we owe our first knowledge of the character and probable age 
of the voleanic peak of Puppa Doung beyond our Pegu frontier. 
Mr. Blanford’s paper on this volcano, Major Sherwill’s account of 
his and Dr. Simpson’s attempt to reach Kinchinjinga, Captain 
Raverty’s account of the upper and lower Swat, and the report by 
Captain Fraser and Captain Forlong of their expedition across the 
Isthmus of Krau, have given what I may call a geographical colour 
to the contents of our Journal for the past year which has doubtless 
made the issues acceptable to many. 
To those of us too who took an interest in the projected expedition 
of Captain Smyth into Chinese Tartary, and who felt for him in the 
disappointment which he and his intended companions experienced 
when Government was obliged for the time to abandon it, it must 
have been gratifying to hear the assurance of H. M.’s minister at 
Pekin, which was announced at our August meeting, that he was 
alive to the importance of the objeets of that expedition, and would 
lose no opportunity which might offer of promoting them. Those of 
us, moreover, who joined the deputation to Lord Elgin on his arrival 
in India, are aware that he is as anxious as ourselves and as the en- 
terprising men who were to have crossed the snows, to see all barriers 
removed to a free intercourse between this country and China. One 
of these barriers, and a most important one will, it is hoped, disap- 
pear under the late treaty with Burmah, and other difficulties may 
be removed by the joint British and Burman expedition, which it 
has been proposed to send vz7d Bhamo to the Yunan frontier. 
I may take this opportunity of announcing that I lately handed in 
to Government an application from Captain Smyth and Dr. Stewart 
for a year’s leave to admit of their attempting to reach Lhassa on 
their own resources, and I am in hopes that should the difficulty in 
obtaining passports from Pekin not be obviated, their application 
