396 Proceedings of Learned Societies. 



the same age, which, he considered to be close to the historical 

 period. In this paper he stated facts which appeared to him to 

 demonstrate the truth of his views, and described a number of 

 sections near Amiens, in which the levels were laid down from an 

 exhaustive survey by M. Guillom, Chief Engineer of the Northern 

 Railway of France. 



The conclusions he had thus been able to arrive at are the follow- 

 ing : (1) That the surface of the chalk in the Valley of the Somme 

 had assumed its present form prior to the deposition of any of the 

 gravel or loess now to be seen there ; (2) That the whole of the 

 Amiens valley-gravel is of one formation, of similar mineral cha- 

 racter, contains nearly similar organic remains, and belongs to a 

 date not much antecedent to the historical period ; (3) That the 

 gravel in the Valley of the Somme at Amiens is partly composed of 

 debris brought down by the river Somme, and by the two rivers 

 the Celle and the Arve, and partly of material from the higher 

 grounds washed in by land floods ; (4) That the Quaternary gravels 

 of the Somme are not separated into two divisions by an escarp- 

 ment of chalk parallel to the river, as has been stated ; (5) That 

 the evidence of river-floods extending to a height of at least eighty 

 feet above the present level of the Somme is perfectly proved by 

 the gradual slope and continuity of the gravels deposited by them ; 

 and (G) That many of the Quaternary deposits in all countries, 

 clearly posterior to the formation of the valleys in which they lie, 

 are of such great dimensions and elevation that they indicate a 

 pluvial period just as clearly as the Northern Drift indicates a 

 glacial. This pluvial period must have immediately preceded the 

 true historical period. 



ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.— Nov. 25. 



Sir It. Murchison, President, in the Chair. 



The following important letter relating to Dr. Livingstone was 

 read, and it strongly encourages the hope that he is yet living, 

 and may be continuing his journey with success. We present the 

 letter entire, because our readers may have occasion to refer to it 

 on future occasions, when fresh information arrives. In the course 

 of the discussion which took place after the letter was read, addi- 

 tional reasons were suggested for accepting its evidence. If true, 

 many months may elapse before the esteemed traveller, whose fate 

 is an object of such profound interest, can make his way to any 

 locality from which information can be transmitted. 



" Zanzibar, Sept. 28, 1867. 

 " My dear Sir Roderick, — You know that a rumour has been 

 current on the coast to the effect that a white man has been seen 

 near Ujyl. Such a story came to us at a time when it was quite 

 impossible that Livingstone could be the man. Now, however, 

 another narrative has reached us, which, if we believe, it is, I think, 

 difficult to avoid the conclusion that our distinguished traveller 



