May 24, 1858.] 
CONCLUSION. 
333 
British America we have put forth Colonel Grant’s practical and 
useful account of the large island of Yancouver, now rising into 
vast importance through its fine hays and ports, both as a noble 
station for maritime enterprise in the Pacific, and a future scene of 
commerce with our newly discovered golden region in the Rocky 
Mountains. 
In short, all our publications, so ably edited by Dr. Norton 
Shaw, whether they appear in the more matured and staid form 
of the Journal, illustrated by those excellent maps of Arrow- 
smith, which give an impress of accuracy to every work of which 
they form a part, or those popular Proceedings which keep up 
the “ esprit de corps ” of our members, and are constant mementos 
of the animation of our Evening Meetings, have, I am happy to 
say, given general satisfaction to all readers. 
Rejoicing at our last Anniversary at the great rise of this Society 
in public estimation, it is truly a source of pride and satisfaction to 
me to see that in the short interval which has elapsed, 166 new 
members have joined our ranks, and that we now reckon nearly 
1100 ordinary associates, or nearly double our numbers in earlier 
years. 
The grant of the use of their apartment for our meetings, by the 
University of London and the Royal Society, has been of signal 
advantage ; and many of you can testify that the attendances have 
been so good as almost to crowd that spacious hall. 
Let us hope then that this liberal encouragement will be con- 
tinued ; for no one who has participated in our Evening Meetings 
can doubt that they are productive of enlightening effects upon 
society in general, by the diffusion of a much greater love of geo- 
graphical science and foreign travel than was ever before exhibited 
in this metropolis. I do not hesitate therefore to assert, that the 
Royal Geographical Society has now taken such firm root in our 
country, both as regards commercial and public affairs, as to have 
become part and parcel of the common- weal. Thus, many of Her 
Majesty’s Secretaries of State, whether past or present, belong to us, 
and afford us the best support by the transmission of documents 
which we publish at our own expense, and which, though of great 
importance to geographers as well as to merchants and travellers, 
would without our aid have remained unknown. Then again, our 
Map Office and Library in Whitehall Place are the rendezvous for 
any persons, official or private, who desire to consult the best 
geographical documents ; this great public advantage being gained 
