234 
PROFESSOR BACHE— ROYAL AWARDS. 
[May 24 , 1858 . 
besides others on the Pacific, and extending, as we are credibly 
informed, over not less than 30,000 miles. This number, no doubt, 
includes all the windings and indentations of the coast, and the 
interiors of its harbours, the islands, &c. ; for it is to be remarked 
that, by the especial provision of the Government of America, the 
duty is not confined to one class of persons, but is shared equally 
by military and naval men and civilians, all chosen for their fitness, 
whereby not only is the field for selection vastly expanded, but a 
greater facility of correctly taking soundings and delineating 
shoals, harbours, and isolated rocks, is afforded. 
It would be impossible to do justice to an extensive work of this 
sort on an occasion like the present ; but as the previous Reports 
of this celebrated Coast Survey from 1844 to 1855, inclusive, are in 
our Library, those of our Associates, and of the public generally, 
who wish to form an estimate of their value, can do so at their 
leisure, and they will see how vastly our Medallist has pushed on 
this great work. They will assuredly then rise from the examina- 
tion with the thorough conviction that, whether we regard the 
science, skill, and zeal of the operators, the perfection of their instru- 
ments, the able manner in which the superintendent has enlisted 
all modern improvements into his service, the care taken to have 
the observations accurately registered, his modest and unpretending 
demeanour, or the noble liberality of the Government, tempered 
with prudent economy, all unprejudiced persons must agree that 
the Trigonometrical Survey of the United States of America stands 
without a superior. 
What then are we to say respecting the accurate delineation of 
this immense tract of coast, so much frequented by commerce, so 
important in every point of view to mankind at large, but that it is 
a great and universal boon conferred on all the inhabitants of this 
globe? We all benefit by the security of navigation ; it is not the 
Government of the United States of America alone which derives 
an exclusive advantage from this admirable series of operations, 
but those who have most frequent access to the shores of the 
Atlantic and Pacific chiefly participate therein; and as Great 
Britain stands foremost amongst these, on whom can we so de- 
servedly bestow one of our two Royal Gold Medals this year ? 
The President then addressed his Excellency the American 
Minister in these words : — 
“ Mr. Dallas, — Whilst I can truly say that the Council and myself 
rejoice in this opportunity of recording our sense of the high merits 
