NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY.

October 5, 1888, Ninth Meeting.

A paper was read entitled, "Topographic Models," by Mr. Cosmos Mindeleff. Published in the "National Geographic Magazine,"Vol. I, No. 3.

October 19, 1888, Tenth Meeting.

The attendance being very small, no paper was read.

November 2, 1888, Eleventh Meeting.

The paper of the evening was entitled, "Surveys, their Kinds and Purposes," by Mr. Marcus Baker. The paper was discussed by Messrs. Ogden, Goodfellow, Gannett and Baker. Published in "Science," Vol. XII, No. 304.

November 16, 1888, Twelfth Meeting.

A paper was read by Mr. Henry Gannett, giving certain "Physical Statistics Relating to Massachusetts," derived from the map of that State recently prepared by the United States Geological Survey. A discussion followed which was participated in by Messrs. Baker, Kenaston, Fernow, Weed, and the author. A second paper entitled, "Something about Tornadoes," was read by Lieut. J. P. Finley, U. S. Signal Corps.

November 30, 1888, Thirteenth Meeting.

The annual reports of vice-Presidents Herbert G. Ogden and Gen. A. W. Greely were delivered. Published in the "National Geographic Magazine," Vol. I, No. 2.

December 20, 1888, Fourteenth Meeting.

Held in the Law Lecture Room of the Columbian University. The President delivered his Annual Address, entitled, "Africa." Published in the "National Geographic Magazine," Vol. I, No. 2.

December 28, 1888, Fifteenth Meeting.

The Society met in the Society Hall of the Cosmos Club, President Hubbard in the chair. Owing to the absence from the city of the Secretaries, Mr. O. H. Tittmann was requested to act as Secretary of the meeting. The minutes of the first and fourteenth meetings were read and approved. The report of the Secretaries was read, in their absence, by the temporary Secretary, and was approved. The Treasurer's report, showing a balance on hand of $626.70, was read and approved, as was also that of the auditing committee.

The President announced that vacancies caused by the resignation of two of the managers, Messrs. W. D. Johnson and Henry Mitchell, had been filled by the Board on the 15th of November, by the election of Messrs. O. H. Tittmann and C. A. Kenaston; and that a vacancy caused by the resignation of Vice-President John R. Bartlett, had been filled by the election of Lieut. George L. Dyer, on November 30th.

The Society then proceeded to the election of officers, with following result:

President—GARDINERG. HUBBARD.Vice-Presidents—HERBERTG. OGDEN, [land]; GEORGEL. DYER, [sea]; A. W. GREELY, [air]; C. HARTMERRIAM, [life]; A. H. THOMPSON, [art].Treasurer—CHARLESJ. BELL.Recording Secretary—HENRYGANNETT.Corresponding Secretary—GEORGEKENNAN.Managers—CLEVELANDABBE, MARCUSBAKER, ROGERSBIRNIE, JR., G. BROWNEGOODE, W. B. POWELL, J. C. WELLING, C. A. KENASTON, O. H. TITTMANN.

January 11, 1889, Sixteenth Meeting.

The paper of the evening was entitled, "The Great Plains of Canada," and was presented by Professor C. A. Kenaston, of Howard University.

January 25, 1889, Seventeenth Meeting.

The paper of the evening was entitled, "Irrigation in California," by Mr. William Hammond Hall, State Engineer of California. To be published in the "National Geographic Magazine," Vol. I, No. 4.

February 8, 1889, Eighteenth Meeting.

The following papers were read by Prof. W. M. Davis, of Harvard University: "Topographic Models," and "Certain Peculiarities of the Rivers of Pennsylvania." Published in the "National Geographic Magazine,"Vol. I, No. 3.

February 22, 1889, Nineteenth Meeting.

The paper of the evening was entitled, "Round about Asheville, N. C.," by Mr. Bailey Willis. The paper was illustrated by charcoal sketches and lantern slides. Discussion followed, which was participated in by Messrs. Baker, Merriam and McGee. To be published in the "National Geographic Magazine," Vol. I, No. 4.

March 8, 1889, Twentieth Meeting.

The following amendments to the By-Laws were adopted.

[For Article VI substitute the following]:

ARTICLE VI.MEETINGS.

"Regular meetings of the Society shall be held on alternate Fridays, from November until May, and excepting the annual meeting, they shall be devoted to communications. The Board of Managers shall, however, have power to postpone or omit meetings, when deemed desirable. Special meetings may be called by the President.

"The annual meeting for the election of officers shall be the last regular meeting in December.

"The meeting preceding the annual meeting shall be devoted to the President's annual address.

"The reports of the retiring Vice-Presidents shall be presented at the meetings in January.

"A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of twenty-five active members."

In Article V, the following paragraph was introduced immediately after the first paragraph of the article:

"The dues of members elected in November and December shall be credited to the succeeding year."

The following papers were then presented: "A Trip to Panama and Darien," by Mr. R. U. Goode, and "Survey of Mason and Dixon's Line," by Mr. Mark B. Kerr.

A Trip to Panama and Darien, to be published in the "National Geographic Magazine," Vol. I, No. 4.

March 22, 1889, Twenty-first Meeting.

The paper of the evening was entitled, "Recent Events in the U. S. of Columbia," by Mr. W. E. Curtis. The discussion which followed was participated in by Messrs. Baker, Gannett, and others.

April 5, 1889, Twenty-second Meeting.

The paper of the evening was entitled, "House Life in Mexico," by Mr. A. B. Johnson.

April 19, 1889, Twenty-third Meeting.

This meeting was devoted to papers upon the Samoan Islands. The following programme was presented:

"Samoa; the General Geography and Hydrography of the Islands and Adjacent Seas," by Mr. Everett Hayden.

"Climate," by Prof. Cleveland Abbe.

"Narrative of a Cruise Among the Islands," by Capt. R. W. Meade, U. S. N.

"The Home Life of the Samoans and the Botany of the Islands," by Mr. W. E. Safford, U. S. N.

May 3, 1889, Twenty-fourth Meeting.

The paper of the evening was entitled, "Across Nicaragua with Transit and Machéte," by Mr. R. E. Peary, U. S. N. To be published in the "National Geographic Magazine," Vol. I, No. 4.

May 17, 1889, Twenty-fifth Meeting.

The paper of the evening was entitled, "The Krakatoa Eruption," by Dr. A. Graham Bell. The paper was discussed by Captain C. E. Dutton.

(Translated by Mr. R. L. Lerch.)

To be held at Madrid, Spain, under the auspices of the Commission in charge of the celebration of the Fourth Centennial Anniversary of the Discovery of America.

PROGRAM.

The work for which a prize is offered is to be a prose essay, a true historic picture giving a just estimate of the grandeur of the occasion to be celebrated.

So much has been written on this subject since the opening of the XVIth century that it would seem difficult to say anything new and good. Perhaps the details, perhaps the circumstances in the life and acts of Columbus are worthy of no little research; but already the Royal Academy of History is engaged in the erudite and diligent task of bringing together and publishing the un-edited or little known papers bearing on this question.

The book required by this contest must be of a different nature: it must be comprehensive and synoptic, and must be sufficiently concise without being either obscure or dry.

Although there is an abundance of histories of America, of voyages and discoveries, of geographic science, and of the establishment of Europeans in remote regions of the earth, there is no book that sets forth as it can be done the combined efforts of the nations of the Iberian peninsula, who, since the commencement of the XVth century, have, with a fixity of purpose and marvelous tenacity, in almost a single century of silent efforts brought about the exploration of vast continents and islands, traversed seas never before cut by Christian prows, and in emulous strife obtained almost a complete knowledge of the planet on which we live.

There is a growing interest and manifest unity in all those more important events; not to mention the circumstantial evidence borne by the charts of 1375 and the semi-fabulous voyages, such as that of Doria y Vivaldi and others less apocryphal though isolated and barren of results, like that of Ferrer, begun in 1434, when Gil Eannes doubled Cape Bojador, discovered Guinea, and dispelled the terror inspired by the unknown ocean, and ended in 1522 with Elcano's arrival at Sanlucar after circumnavigating the globe.

In all this activity very little occurs by chance. The progressive series of geographic discoveries, due to persistent premeditation and not to accident, was inaugurated at Sagres by the Infante D. Enrique and his illustrious pilot Jaime de Mallorca.

Well might Pedro Nuñes exclaim that from that time forth until the form and size of the terraqueous globe were thoroughly known, the most to be obtained would not be firmly established, "unless our mariners sailed away better instructed and provided with better instruments and rules of Astronomy and Geography than the things with which cosmographers supplied them."

The culmination in the progress of that beautiful history falls on the 12th of October, 1492, when Columbus was the first European to set foot upon the intertropical shores of the New World. But this act, considered apart from its intrinsic value, as purely the individual inspiration of a mariner and the generous enthusiasm of a patron Queen, derives a higher value when regarded as part of a summation of efforts, a grand development of an idea, a purpose to explore and know the whole globe, to spread the name and the law of Christ together with the civilization of Europe, and to reap a harvest of gold, spices, and all the riches of which costly samples and exaggerated reports were furnished by the traffic of the Venetians, Genoese and Catalonians, who in turn got them from Mussulmans.

Doubtless the moving cause, whose gorgeous banner so many men of our peninsula followed, was clothed in great sentiments, good or bad; their hearts were filled with religious fervor, thirst for glory, ambition, Christian love, cupidity, curiosity, and violent dissatisfaction (even during the Renaissance), to seek and undergo real adventures that should surpass the vain, fruitless, and fanciful adventures of chivalry; and to make voyages and conquests eclipsing those of the Greeks and Romans, many of which, recorded in classic histories and fables, were now disinterred by the learned.

What must be described is the complete picture in all its sumptuousness so that its magnificent meaning may stand out distinctly, without which the conviction would be lacking that the studies, voyages, and happy audacity of Bartolomé Diaz, Gama, Alburquerque, Cabral, Balboa, Magallanes, Cortes, Pizarro, Orellana, and a host of others, do not dim the glory of the hero whose centennary is to be celebrated, even though it heighten and add greater luster to the work of civilization begun by Portugal....

The book here vaguely outlined must also contain a compendious introduction, notices of voyages, ideas, and geographic progress up to the date of D. Enrique's establishment at Sagres, and an epilogue or conclusion of greater extent, in which are examined and weighed the changes and progress that our subject has made, collectively, in the civilization of the world—in the commerce, economics and politics of the peoples, in regard to the broad field opened to the intelligent activity of Europe, over which it could spread and dominate; the abundance of data, sunken hopes, and more secure basis lent to the studious and wise for the extension of our knowledge of Nature, the unraveling of her laws, and penetration of her mysteries.

The vast, elevated argument of the book requires it be a finished work of art, not in fullness and richness of diction, but in plan and order, in sobriety and unity of style, whose nobility and beauty must lie in simplicity of phrase, correctness of judgment and richness of thought.

There may enter into this contest any unpublished work written to this end in Spanish, Portuguese, English, German, French or Italian.

The tribunal that is to award the prize will be composed of two members of the R. Acad. of History, and one member from each of the Spanish R. Academies of Moral Sciences and Politics, and Exact and Natural Sciences—all to be chosen by the Academies themselves.

Furthermore, there will be included in the tribunal the diplomatic representative of every power whose subject or subjects wish to enter the contest, which is to be done through said representative or some person duly appointed to act in his place.

The tribunal will elect its presiding officer and will decide on the best works by an absolute majority of all the jurors who take part in the vote.

Each work submitted in this contest must be neatly copied, in legible writing, on good paper, without the author's name but with a quotation to identify him afterwards.

Each author will inclose a separate folded sheet on whose exterior is written the quotation he has chosen and the opening sentence of his work; within, he will write his name and residence.

The folded sheets corresponding to the works that did not get a prize will be burnt publicly without being opened.

Though it is difficult to set a limit as to size, the works should not have more reading matter than is contained in two volumes of the shape and size of the complete works of Cervantes issued by Rivadeneyra in 1863-4.

If the plan or purpose of any of the works require it, there may be added another volume of documents, maps, or other illustrations.

As it will take time to examine and judge the works, they should be sent to the Secretary of the R. Acad. of Hist. prior to January 1, 1892.

There will be first prize of 30,000 pesetas ($5,790) and a second of 15,000 pesetas ($2,895).

Besides this, each of the two successful authors will receive 500 copies of the printed edition of his work.

It rests with the Centennial Commission to determine the number of copies in the edition of each of the two prize works, and what disposition is to be made of the copies that are not given to the authors.

These (the authors) keep the right to re-print and to sell their works, and to translate them into other tongues.

The Commission, however, will have the right, if either or both prize works are in a foreign tongue, to have them translated and published in Castilian.

The Commission affix their seal to the preceding directions for the information of the public and government of those persons who desire to participate in the contest.

Madrid, June 19, 1889.

The Vice President, DUKE OFVERAGUA.Secretaries, JUANVALERA, JUANF. RIAÑO.

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