Present.-Captain W. C. Barker, Vice-President, in the chair; Commander G. T. Robinson; Lieutenant Henry Morland, F.R.A.S.; Dheerujram Dulputram, Esq. G.G.M.C., Members; and D. J. Kennelly, Esq., Corresponding F.R.G.S., Honorary Secretary. The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed. Donations.-The undermentioned donations were placed on the table, for which the best thanks of the Society were requested to be conveyed to the donors: 1. Monthly List of Valuable, Rare, and Curious Books in all Departments of Literature, for March. By the Publishers. 2. Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of London for February and March. By the Society. 3. Proceedings of the Imperial Geographical Society of Russia, for December 1864 and January 1865. By the Society. 4. Annual Report of the Royal University of Frederick for the year 1862. By the University. 5. Om Sneebræen Folgefon af S. A. Sexe. By the Author. 6. Om de Geologiske Forhold Paa Kyststrækningen af Nordre Bergenhus Amt. By the Author. 7. Untersuchungen über den Magnetismus der Erde, with Map. By Prof. Christoph Hansteen. Resultate Magnetischer, Astronomischer, und Meteorologischer Beobachtungen. 1828-1830. By Prof. Christoph Hansteen und Lieutenant Due. 9. Meteorologische Beobachtungen. Aufgezeichnet auf Christianias Observatorium. 1848-1855. Christiania. 10. Proceedings of the Geographical Society of Paris, from July to December 1864. By the Society. 11. Report on the Municipality of Bombay, by Surgeon Major Pelly, F.R.C.S. By Government. Letters. The following letters were read 1. From M. II. Scott, Esq., C.S., acknowledging with thanks hist election as a Member of the Society. 2. From Captain Sherard Osborn, C.B., R.N., acknowledging with thanks his nomination as Member and Vice-President of the Society. 3. From T. D. Thomson, Esq., London, acknowledging the Secretary's letter of the 13th March last, together with Vol. VI. of the Society's Transactions, and promising to furnish information as to the probable cost of the Index for the 17 volumes of the Society's Transactions. The business of the Monthly Meeting having been closed, the Minutes of the last Annual Meeting were read. : The Voting Lists having been examined, the following, in order of votes, were declared to be the Office-bearers for the ensuing year :Vice-Presidents. 1. Captain W. C. Barker. 2. Captain Sherard Osborn, C.B., R. N. 3. The Rev. W. K. Fletcher, M. A. Resident Members of the Committee. 1. Bhau Daji, Esq., G.G.M.C. 2. G. C. M. Birdwood, Esq., M.D. 3. Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy, Bart., F.R.G.S. 4. Commander G. T. Robinson. 5. Surgeon Major A. H. Leith. 6. R. S. Sinclair, Esq., LL.D. 7. R. Haines, Esq., M.B. 8. Lieut. Henry Morland, F.R.A.S. 9. The Honorable Jugonnathjee Sunkersett. 10. Major General T. Tapp, C.B., A.D.C. to the Queen. 11. A. C. Gumpert, Esq. 12. Prof. J. P. Hughlings, B.A. Non-Resident Members.-1. Colonel A. B. Kemball C.B., F.R.G.S. 2. General G. LeGrand Jacob, C.B. 3. Sir Alexander Grant, Bart., M.A. 4. Dadabhai Naoroji, Esq. 5. T. C. Hope, Esq., C. S. 6. Surgeon Major H. D. Glasse. 7. J. Burgess, Esq., F.E.I.S. 8. Dr. J. H. Sylvester, F.G.S. Sub-Committee of Correspondence.-1. Dr. Bhau Daji. 2. G.C.M. Birdwood, Esq., M.D. 3. Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, Bart, F.R.G.S. 4. R. Haines, Esq., M.B. 5. The Honorable Jugonnathjee Sunkersett. Sub-Committee of Finance.-Commander G. T. Robinson. 2. Surgeon Major A. H. Leith. 3. R. S. Sinclair, Esq., LL.D. 4. Lieut. Henry Morland, F.R.A.S. 5. General Thomas Tapp, C.B. 6. A. C. Gumpert, Esq. 7. Prof. J. P. Hughlings, B. A. Auditors.-A. C. Gumpert, Esq., and Prof. J. P. Hughlings, B.A., were appointed Joint Auditors of the Society's Cash Accounts of the past year. The Secretary then proceeded to lay before the Society the following brief Summary of the Progress of the last Session: "During the Session just closed, the Society held eight ordinary and two extraordinary Meetings. Although the number of Papers read during this Session was not, from various causes, so great as during the two preceding ones, yet it may be recorded with pleasure that they were not wanting in interest or scientific value. Of the five Papers read, three were contributed by Government, and two by the authors, and were the following : 1. Visit to the Wanica country in the vicinity of Mombassa, and the progress made by the Christian Missionaries at that place. By Lieut. Colonel R. L. Playfair, H. M.'s Consul and Political Resident at Zanzibar; contributed by Government. Read at the first Meeting, September 15th, 1864. Notes on the recent Earthquake in the North-western part of the Bombay Presidency. By D. J. Kennelly, Esq., Corresponding F.R.G.S. Read at the Second Meeting, 20th October 1864. 3. Report on Dhur Yaroo, in the Shikarpoor Collectorate. By Assistant Surgeon J. Lalor, B.A.; contributed by Government. Read at the fourth Meeting, December 15th, 1864. 4. Gleanings as to the present state of Abyssinia, and a short account of a visit to the Hot Springs of " Ailáat." By Lieut. Henry Morland, F.R.A.S. Read at the fifth Meeting, January 19th, 1965. 5. Memoir to accompany the Map of the Survey of a part of Mesopotamia, from Hillah to the Ruins of Niffer, surveyed in the autumn of 1861 and the spring of 1862. By Lieut. W. Collingwood, I. N., then Commanding H. M.'s Steamer "Comet," and Surveyor in Mesopotamia; contributed by Government. Read at the eight Meeting, April 20th, 1865. The Members numbered on the Society's List at the last Annual Meeting were 105; and the number admitted during this Session is 52 (of whom 11 are Natives)-by far the largest number ever admitted during any one of the previous Sessions. But against this the Society has lost five Members, of whom three have been removed, viz. By Retirement from India.-1. The Honorable W. E. Frere, F.R.G.S., late President and now Honorary Member of the Society. 2. Captain H. G. Raverty, late of the Bombay Army. 3. Commander W. P. Mitcheson, late I.N., and By Death (2)-1. J. M. Erskine Esq., C. S. 2. W. Tracy, Esq. So that the Society has on its Lists to-day 152 Members. The Honorable Mr. Frere entered the Society in 1845, was elected Vice-President in 1857, and President in 1862. But owing to his final retirement from India, he was obliged to resign the office of the President of this Society. In him we have lost one of our oldest active members, and one who, for his regular attendance at our meetings, his moral as well as high official influence, and his zealous endeavours for the promotion of the Society's objects, has been deservedly held in very high esteem, and has justly been considered one of the main causes of the present prosperous condition to which the Society has attained. In appreciation of all these valuable services the Society presented to him an Address at an Extraordinary Meeting held on the 4th April 1865, and a Subscription List has been opened with a view to have his Portrait in our Library Rooms. Mr. Frere was also elected an honorary member of the Society. From Captain H. G. Raverty, who entered the Society in 1850, we have the following valuable paper :— 'Diary of a March with the 3rd Regiment N. I., from Roree to Mooltan and Peshawur." Messrs. Erskine and Tracey, whose loss it is our painful duty to record to-day, had continued worthy members during their connection with the Society. It is most gratifying to observe that the last Session has not only surpassed all its predecessors by greatly enlarging the Society's List of Members, but also by adding materially to its Funds. (Vide Appendix A, which shows that the balance in the Society's favour was, on the 1st May 1864, Rs. 2,541-14-3, and 1st May 1865, Rs. 12,633-2-6.) Among the many donations received during the past year, the following munificent gifts occupy a prominent place : 1. From Premchund Roychund, Esq., as a New Year's Gift, for purchasing Maps, Charts, &c. &c. ...... Rs. 5,000 2. From Sorabjee Pestonjee Framjee, Esq., for printing a new edition of Vol. VI. of the Society's Transac- ... 3. From Bhugwandass Purshotumdass, Esq., for compiling and publishing a General Index to the Society's Transactions, to be combined in one Volume, with reprints of the Catalogues of its Books, Maps, Charts, &c. &c. وو 1,000 3,500 Total.... Rs. 9,500 The obligations of the Society for these very liberal contributions were conveyed with thanks to their respective contributors, and the first gentleman on the list of donors was unanimously nominated a Life Member of the Society. Whether we look to the amount of each donation or to the purpose for which it has been offered, the good sense and disinterested zeal of the donors, for the well-being of this Institution, are conspicuous throughout; and we are now happily placed in a position to hope that when the wishes of the several donors shall have been accomplished, the Library will afford far more facilities to further the objects of Geographical Science than it does at the present day. Appen. dix B shows the list of Books that have yet come out of the Cursetjee Furdoonjee Paruck Presentation." The report submitted by the Secretary having been considered in every way most satisfactory, it was unanimously resolved to adopt the same, and the warmest thanks of the Society were voted to the President, to the Secretary, and to the Office-bearers of the past year. Mr. Kennelly then intimated his intention of leaving India for a short time, and suggested that Lieut. Henry Morland, F.R.A.S., should be appointed his successor during his absence. He also intimated that he proposed undertaking several duties connected with the Society during his stay in England, with reference to giving effect to the spirit of the several donations which had been made to the Society during the past year. |