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THIRD ORDINARY MEETING,

ROYAL INSTITUTION, 12th November, 1860.

The Rev. H. H. HIGGINS, M.A., President, in the Chair.

Messrs. PHILIP H. RATHBONE and CHARLES SPENCE were elected members.

The PRESIDENT announced the decease of Mr. Richard Rathbone, one of the original members of the Society. Three, only, of these now remain, viz., Messrs. William Rathbone, J. Houlbrooke Smith, and Dr. Traill, of Edinburgh—the last a Corresponding Member.

Dr. IHNE proposed a new mode of Shaksperian reference. Several plans had been adopted which were more or less open to objection; thus, the number of the scene was sometimes given, but scenes were occasionally very long, even as much as five or six pages. It was not practicable to use the same mode of concordance as was adopted for classic authors, namely, the number of the line, because, in dialogues, a line was not unfrequently occupied by two interlocutors, and was consequently printed sometimes as one, sometimes as two lines; besides which, prose was often interspersed with verse. Ihne thought, however, that if the number of speeches in each scene were counted, and a reference given accordingly, the difficulties which met the student of Shakspere in the ordinary concordance would be obviated.

Dr.

Mr. MOORE exhibited a living specimen of the Menobranchus (Necturus maculosus), a very remarkable animal from North America, whence it was brought by Mr. P. P.

Carpenter of Warrington, and placed in the Free Public Museum. It belongs to the very anomalous order of Perennibranchiate Amphibia, in which the gills remain external throughout life. There are but four known genera of this very curious group, the remaining three being, the Axolotl, the Proteus, and the Siren, examples of each of which genera were exhibited by Mr. Moore, preserved in spirits.

A paper was then read, of which the following is an abstract: *

ON "CAPTAIN SPRYE'S SCHEME OF
WITH WESTERN CHINA,

COMMUNICATION

THROUGH PEGU AND BURMAH.”

BY H. DUCKWORTH, F.R.G.S., F.G.S.

THE object of this communication was to give a summary of a project recently placed before the Government and commercial community of this country by Captain Richard Sprye, formerly an officer in the H. E. I. C. service.

In his prefatory remarks the author observed that our most recent acquisition of territory in Burmah, or rather in Pegu, had brought us within some 250 miles of the Chinese frontier.

There being no direct communication between the two countries, it became a most important question whether it would be possible and profitable to establish one.

The seven most western and inland provinces of China proper are situated between about 22° and 42° north latitude, and lie far west of the extreme point to which Lord Elgin proceeded up the Yang-tse-kiang.

The chief natural productions of YUN-NAN (area, 107,969

*This paper has been separately published by the Author.
London: G. Philip and Son, 32, Fleet street.

1861.

square miles; population, 8 millions) are rice, silk, musk, various kinds of drugs and tea. Gold, copper, lead, cinnabar, and orpiment are abundant; indeed, Yun-nan excels all the other provinces in its mineral wealth.

. KWANGSEE (area, 78,250 square miles; population, 10 millions) produces abundance of rice, cassia, and valuable furniture-woods. Gold, silver, and quicksilver are the principal minerals.

KWEICHOO (area, 64,554 square miles; population, 71⁄2 millions), yields wheat, rice, musk, tobacco, cassia, and precious timber; and lead, copper, mercury, and iron are found in its mountains.

HOONAN (area, 73,000 square miles; population, 33 millions) is one of the richest provinces in the empire, and produces immense quantities of grain, principally rice. Its teas are said to be remarkably fine. Iron, lead, and coals are abundant; and the mountains produce fine cassia, and various other kinds of timber.

SZE-CHUEN (area, 166,800 square miles; population, 30 millions) is the largest, and, according to Abbé Huc, the finest province in China. Its fertility is such that it is said the produce of a single harvest could not be consumed in it in ten years. Its principal productions besides grain, are indigo and various tinctorial plants, fine teas, silk, sugar, grasscloth fibre (Boehmeria nivea), and many kinds of valuable drugs.

The climate of SHENSEE (population 14 millions) is too cold for rice and silk, and their place is supplied by wheat and millet. Rhubarb, musk, wax, red lead, coal, and nephrite, are the principal articles of exportation.

KANSU (population, 22 millions; area, with the last, 154,000 square miles) produces wheat, barley, millet, and tobacco of very superior quality. A large traffic is carried on between this province and Tartary in hides and coarse woollen cloths.

The means of reaching these seven rich and densely popu

lated provinces from the Bay of Bengal is very simple. Taking Rangoon as the starting point, it is proposed to connect that port with an emporium in the north-east corner of Pegue, i.e., under the magnificent Karen Hills, at the most extreme north-eastern limit to which we can lay claim. From this emporium, which would be almost equi-distant from Rangoon and the Chinese frontier, the line of communication would pass through Burmah-Shan territory to Esmok (or Szemaou), a border town of Yun-nan, and a point at which several caravan roads converge directly from various parts of the province, and indirectly from the whole of the western. half of the empire.

In order to take in chief towns and our military stations, the line would proceed thus:-1st stage, Rangoon to the ancient city of Pegue-the intervening country being almost level. 2nd stage, from Pegue over flat land, across the Sittang River to Shoe-Gyen. 3rd, Shoe-Gyen up the left bank of the Sittang and Kyoukkee rivers to Baukatah, a distance of 35 miles (lat. 18° 08′ 13′′, lon. 96° 48′ 45′′). 4th, from Baukatah up the left bank of that river, and its tributary, the Peemabhu, to Thayet-peen-keentat (lat. 18° 21′ 13′′, lon. 97° 02' 00"), also 35 miles. 5th, Across the water-shed between the Sittang and Youngsalen to the Kwestookee branch of the Thaiboot river, and down their right or left banks to the. Youngsalen, down and across which, to Tseekameedac (lat 18° 25' 58", lon. 97° 19′ 00′′). 6th, thence over the water-shed between the Youngsalen and the Salween to our frontier line under the Karen Hill country, where we are within reach of all the Chinese and Shan caravans which traverse the countries north-east and west of that point.

Another most important and prominent feature in the project is the establishment of an electro-telegraphic communication along the whole route. The line, once brought to Esmok, could be easily carried across country to the Pearl River, and

down the lower valley of that stream to Canton and Hong Kong; and, thence, taking the principal towns along the coast (Amoy, Foochow, Ningpo, and Shanghae) to Pekin.

In like manner, by extending the communication to Niewchiang, and down the Corea, the open ports of Japan (Nangasaki, Kanagawa, and Hakodadi) might be brought to the very door of Rangoon, which already possesses telegraphic connection with Calcutta.

FOURTH ORDINARY MEETING,

ROYAL INSTITUTION, 26th November, 1860.

The Rev. H. H. HIGGINS, M.A., President, in the Chair.

JAS. KENWORTHY, M.D., and Mr. W. H. TOOKE, were elected members.

Mr. MOORE, of the Free Public Museum, exhibited some very remarkable living specimens of leathery turtles (Trionyx ferox), brought from Savannah by Captain Mortimer, of the ship"Florida," and deposited by him in the Museum.

The PRESIDENT remarked that excellent opportunities were frequently afforded to the numerous captains trading from this port of bringing specimens for the enrichment of the Museum. He wished, as there were in the room several influential gentlemen connected with shipping, that they would make it known to their captains that the committee of the museum would always be willing to defray the expenses of bringing such specimens, and would be very glad to encourage their being brought.

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