Report of Society's Meetings. 215 
which the Society wished to add to the Museum, the 
Government Secretary sent a letter to say there were 
two muzzle-loading cannons at the Settlement, used for 
firing alarms, but no breech-loaders. 
Calcutta Exhibition. — A letter from the Government 
Secretary was read, stating that the Emigration Agent at 
Calcutta had had an application from the Indian Govern- 
ment for ten guineas for each of the five Gold Medals 
awarded to British Guiana for exhibits at the Calcutta 
Exhibition, and Mr. Mitchell had been directed to pay 
the amount. This news took the meeting by surprise, 
and the President remarked upon the meanness of the 
transaction on the part of the Indian Government- 
awarding medals and making the successful exhibitors 
pay for them. 
Donation. — A copy of Dr. Sibson's works was pre- 
sented at the instance of his widow to the Society, and 
duly acknowledged. 
The Berbice River. — The President then read his pro- 
mised paper* on the Berbice River and its soils. The 
speaker's notes had been made during a trip to the dis- 
trict in company with Mr. Nind. He alluded to the 
great fertility of the soil, highly suitable for coffee and 
cocoa and offering capital opportunity to the young 
Creoles of the colony to become successful agriculturists, 
instead of clinging to the town, and make a living by 
counterj um ping. The grass in the district was not good, 
— coarse and dry, but it might be improved by cultivation. 
Even if it were, it was not probable that the district 
* The publication of this paper is unavoidably postponed to the next 
number of Timekri.—Ev. 
