Early voyages and travels in the Levant

The Travels of Pietro della Valle in India, edited by Mr. Edward Grey, in two volumes, have been issued to members during the year. More recently, a volume containing Mr. Markham’s translation of the Journal of Columbus’ First Voyage, together with documents relating to the voyages of John Cabot and Gaspar Corte-Real, has also been issued.
Mr. Theodore Bent’s Early Voyages to the Levant, comprising the Diary of Thomas Dallam, and extracts from the Diaries of Dr. John Covel, is now ready for issue; and there will shortly appear, in two volumes, a collection of Early Voyages to Hudson’s Bay in Search of a North-West Passage, edited by Mr. Miller Christy. These contain carefully annotated transcripts of the rare first editions of the North-West Foxe and Capt. James’s Voyage.
The President has translated the Letters of Amerigo Vespucci, and other documents relating to the career of the Florentine navigator, with Notes and an Introduction. The volume is now ready for the press.
Dr. Robert Brown’s Leo Africanus is also ready for press.
Among other works undertaken for our Society, Mr. Miller Christy has in hand Jens Munk’s Voyage to Hudson’s Bay, translated from the Danish. This work will complete our series of voyages to the North-West in the first half of the seventeenth century.
The Council having decided on sending a set of its publications, as complete as possible, to the Chicago Exhibition, the books (80) were suitably bound and sent to Chicago. They were placed in the British Section (Liberal Arts, Group clv), in a case specially made to hold them. This set has since been purchased by an American book collector at the price fixed, 310 dollars.
Our list of Subscribers, with a total of 289, shows an increase on previous years. The balance at the bank was £239 18 s. 5 d. at the end of 1892.
The following Members of Council retire: Mr. Bouverie Pusey, Mr. Ernest Satow, and Capt. Sir J. Sydney Webb; and the following gentlemen are proposed for election: Capt. Nathan, R.E., Mr. F. Ducane Godman, F.R.S., and Mr. C. P. Lucas.