Page:Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Volume 1 (2nd edition).djvu/285

 Rh country, occasionally rugged, but frequently very god for stock and farming. From one of these hills they thought that saw an immense mountain to the east far above the clouds, and which the surveyor who went with him estimated at ten thousand feet high. In this hilly country they continued until they made the south coast, near to Cape Chatham; and, after enduring the extremes of hunger, they reached King George's Sound in February. The importance of these discoveries will readily appear to you. The effect upon the minds of the public here has been to remove all doubt as to the success of the colony. The river mentioned beyond the hills is, in winter, a very powerful stream, and the principal drain of that country, as far as we know. Its source and ulterior course beyond the small part of it seen by us is at present unknown, and, I may add, defies conjecture; for we know, by a recent exploration of the coast to the south as far as latitude 28° 40', that no river or inlet exists on it. This point of interest shall not be allowed to remain much longer in obscurity.

'The little settlement at King George's Sound being now made over to this government, I am shipping off some of those who are not prospering here to try their fortune there. The wish of my heart at present is to get a bush road made over to that place, passing through Bannister's find tract, and also the possession of a few coasting vessels to keep up communication with the little settlement on the coast.

'P.S. We are just about establishing a botanical garden at Perth, in which it may be hoped that, besides collecting and arranging the plants of the country, experiments may be made as to acclimating foreign productions.'

VII.—Union of the African Association with the Royal Geographical Society of London. Extracted from the Minutes of Council of the latter body, dated July 23, 1831.

' a meeting of Council held this day, a communication was read from the Secretary of the African Association, intimating that the Members of that Society were willing to make over the balance of its funds in their hands to the Royal Geographical Society, and thus unite the two Societies, on condition that such of their number as were not already Members of the Royal Geographical Society, be received as such, without form of ballot, on paying the usual composition for entrance money and annual payments. On which it was unanimously resolved by the Council that this proposal be agreed to: that the following five Members of the African Association, viz. Lord Clive, Henry Banks, Esq., Charles Hoare, Esq., H. H. Hoare, Esq., and John Motteux,