Notes

Abstract

AT the Anniversary Meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, held on Monday last, the Royal medals for the encouragement of geographical science and discovery were presented. The Founder's Medal was given to Sir W. Baker for Colonel Henry Yule, C.B., in recognition of the eminent services he has rendered to geography in the publication of his three great works— “A Mission to the Court of Ava,” “Cathay, and the Way Thither,” and “Marco Polo.” The Patron's or Victoria Medal was personally presented to Mr. Robert Berkeley Shaw, for his journeys in Eastern Turkestan, and for his extensive series of astronomical and hypsometrical observations, which have enabled us to fix the longitude of Yarkand, and have given us, for the first time, the basis of a new delineation of the countries between Leh and Kashgar. A gold watch was also awarded to Lieut. G. C. Musters, R.N. (now travelling in America, and represented at the meeting by his brother), for his adventurous journey in Patagonia, through 960 miles of latitude, of which 780 were previously unknown to Europeans; and the sum of 25l. to Karl Mauch, in acknowledgment of the zeal and ability with which he has devoted himself for a series of years to the exploration of South-Eastern Africa. Mr. Shaw, who was addressed by the gallant president as “the hero of the hour,” was loudly cheered by the meeting when he briefly acknowledged the honour paid to him. The annual geographical medals offered by the Society to the chief public schools were presented to the following successful competitors:—Physical Geography: Gold medal, S. E. Spring-Rice, Eon College; bronze medal, A. S. Butler, Liverpool College. Political Geography: Gold Medal, W. G. Collingwood, Liverpool College; bronze medal, W. C. Graham, Eton College. The president, Sir Henry Rawlinson, K.C.B., then delivered his anniversary address, which was chiefly occupied by tributes to distinguished members who have died during the year, and to a statement of the most recent information respecting the Livingstone Search Expedition.