370 TlMEHRI. 
The Secretary read a letter from Mr. Abell excusing his 
absence from the Meeting. 
Mr. Howell Jones said that although the paper con- 
tained very few new fa6ls in regard to steam boilers, it 
had evidently been very carefully prepared, and he 
thought it was the duty of the Society to encourage such 
papers from the professional members of the Society. 
He regretted the absence from the meeting of all the 
estates' engineers, from whom some interesting remarks 
on the subje6l of the paper might reasonably have 
been expe&ed. 
A letter from the A6ting Government Secretary dated 
25th August, was read, acknowledging the receipt of the 
Report on the Trade, Commerce, and Agriculture ot the 
colony, prepared by the Committee of Correspondence 
for the Board of Trade Journal. Ordered to be taken for 
notification. 
Extracts of letters from Mr. Wm. Walker, Resident 
Director in London, dated 27th July, and 10th and 24th 
August,, were read, referring to the Venezuelan Boundary 
question and other matters of minor importance. 
Concerning the former, after mentioning the presenta- 
tion by the Boundary Committee, of the petition from 
the people of British Guiana praying for the settlement 
of the Boundary question, Mr. Walker writes : — 
I am not aware that any substantial progress has been made in 
regard to the adjustment of the boundary between British Guiana and 
Venezuela, but it has attracted more attention than is usually vouch- 
safed to matters of essentially colonial interest. (August ioth.) 
As I am invited to attend a meeting of the British Guiana and 
Venezuela Boundary Committee in the city to-morrow, I infer that the 
proceedings of the Government in regard to that important question are 
being carefully watched, by those directly interested (August 24th.) 
