314 



Anniversary Meeting. 



[Nov. 30, 



" In framing an estimate, it was thought well to assume that the 

 expedition might last a year and eight months, so as to allow a suffi- 

 cient margin for travelling to and from the station, and for possible 

 detention in waiting for the Hudson's Bay Company's brigade. It is 

 calculated that the cost might be safely estimated at £3,000, which 

 would include salaries of one officer and three men ; journey of the 

 party from England and back, including reasonable baggage ; rations, 

 allowances, and all other expenses." 



To this communication the following reply was received : — 



" My Lords have to thank you, and the Committee whom the Council 

 appointed to advise them in the matter, for the valuable information 

 contained in Dr. Michael Foster's letter of the 16th ultimo. Acting 

 upon that information and upon the advice of the Royal Society, 

 Her Majesty's Government have decided that this is an object on 

 which public money may properly be employed, and they are pre- 

 pared to ask Parliament to provide a total sum not exceeding £2,500 

 for the purpose. My Lords understand that there is good reason to 

 hope that the balance required to make up the total estimated cost of 

 £3,000 will be forthcoming from other sources. 



" I am to ask whether the Royal Society would be so good as to 

 take charge of the Expedition under similar conditions to those under 

 which the Transit of Yenus Expedition is being conducted ; accounts 

 of the expenditure chargeable to the Parliamentary grant being 

 rendered to this Department. The choice of stations, the appoint- 

 ment of observers, and the methods of procedure would be left 

 entirely to the Society, subject to the condition that the total amount 

 chargeable on public funds does not exceed £2,500. My Lords under- 

 stand that it is expected that not more than £1,500 of this amount 

 would come in course of payment during the present year, and they 

 will present estimates to Parliament for £1,500 and £1,000 at the 

 proper times." 



The Canadian Government has since promised a contribution of 

 4,000 dollars towards the expenses of the expedition. 



A committee, consisting of the President, Dr. Rae, Sir George 

 Richards, Mr. R. H. Scott, and Professor Stokes, was accordingly 

 appointed to superintend the expedition, which, comprising Captain 

 H. P. Dawson, R.A., in command, Sergeants J. English and F. 

 Cookesley as observers, and W. Wedenby, as artificer, left England 

 on May 11, for Quebec, was heard of at Fort Carlton on 27th June, 

 and was about to proceed the next day for Green Lake, on the way 

 to Portage La Loche. It was still not quite certain whether it 

 might not be necessary to push on to Fort Simpson, on account of 

 insufficient accommodation, as well as lack of time and materials for 

 building at Fort Rae. 



Two parts of " Mittheilungen der Internationalen Polar Commis- 



