82 
LIVINGSTONE EXPEDITION, 
[Jan. 11, 1858. 
C. Johnson ; Lord Keane ; J. W. Malby, Esq. ; Ch. P. Serocold , Esq. ; 
Captain J. Stopford , r.n. ; Anthony W. Twyford, Esq. ; Captain S. Webb ; 
and James Young , Esq., were elected Fellows. 
Accessions. — Among the more important donations received since 
the last meeting, were Plans of Lucknow, by the Hon. East India 
Company and James Wyld, f.r.g.s. ; Fullarton’s and ISpruner’s 
Atlases ; Admiralty Charts ; Track Surveys of the Eiver Paraguay, 
by Captain Page, of the United States Navy ; Plan of a portion of 
the Great Orange River, and Map of Little Namaqualand and Great 
Bushman Land, by R. Moffat, Esq., f.r.g.s., &c. 
The President said : Before we proceed to the ordinary business of the 
evening, I feel impelled by affection and duty to call attention to the great 
loss which the scientific world has sustained, and geographers in particular, 
by the decease of my illustrious friend, Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort. I 
know it is unusual to allude to deceased individuals except in the anniver- 
sary address, and when the occasion for that arrives I will endeavour to do 
justice to the merits of this great geographer. I now depart from the ordi- 
nary custom of the Society that we may pay a special mark of respect to the 
memory of Admiral Beaufort, the perfect type of an English seaman, a dis- 
interested, generous, noble-hearted Englishman, who devoted his whole 
energies to the advancement of geographical science, who lost no opportunity 
of serving his friends, and who, above all, was the strenuous and unceasing 
advocate for the discovery of traces of the expedition of his old and cherished 
friend, the illustrious navigator Franklin. 
1 have next the pleasure to state that Lord Clarendon has communicated to 
us the expression of his wish that the Society should place before his Lord- 
ship their suggestions with reference to the proposed expedition of Dr. Living- 
stone to ascend the Zambesi and explore the interior of Africa. Having 
brought that subject under the consideration of the Council, I have the satis- 
faction to state that my associates unanimously approved of all the suggestions 
which Dr. Livingstone had proposed to Lord Clarendon. Dr. Livingstone 
explained his whole plan to the Council, and gave in the names of the gentle- 
men whom he had fixed upon as the most proper to accompany him. It is 
no breach of confidence to read the names, because they have been approved, 
not only by the Council of the Society, but also by the Zambesi Committee 
of the Royal Society. The first is Commander Norman B. Bedingfeld, r.n., 
f.r.g.s., who is known to geographers especially for his exploration of the 
Congo. Dr. John Kirk, m.d., f.r.g.s., is proposed to go as the surgeon 
and economical botanist of the expedition. Possessing a sound knowledge of 
botany and natural history, he is also a good animal physiologist, and will be 
able to inquire into the nature of that remarkable insect the tsetse , which 
destroys so many animals in South Africa, and possibly to devise some remedy 
for this scourge. I may add that Dr. Kirk was recommended by Sir W. 
Hooker and Dr. Hooker and Dr. Belford. As a mining geologist I have 
recommended Mr. Richard Thornton, of the Government School of Mines ; 
and you all know the importance it will be to Dr. Livingstone to be accom- 
panied by a person who can point out to him the real value of ores and 
minerals during his progress, and test the qualities of coal in that country. 
As it is desirable that the artist should be a person thoroughly competent 
to delineate effectively the features of the country, the expedition is fortunate 
in having secured the services of Mr. Thomas Baines, f.r.g.s., who has dis- 
tinguished himself by numerous drawings exhibited in this room, and who is 
