When I was taught geography by the village schoolmaster at Burntisland, it seemed to me that half the world was _terra incognita_, and now that a new edition of my "Physical Geography" is required, it will be a work of great labour to bring it up to the present time. The discoveries in South Africa alone would fill a volume. Japan and China have been opened to Europeans since my last edition. The great continent of Australia was an entirely unknown country, except part of the coast. Now telegrams have been sent and answers received in the course of a few hours, from our countrymen throughout that mighty empire, and even from New Zealand, round half the globe. The inhabitants of the United States are our offspring; so whatever may happen to Great Britain in the course of events, it still will have the honour of colonizing, and consequently civilizing, half the world. In all recent geographical discoveries, our Royal Geographical Society has borne the most important part, and none of its members have done more than my highly-gifted friend the President, Sir Roderick Murchison, geologist of Russia, and founder and author of the colossal "Silurian System." To the affection of this friend, sanctioned by the unanimous approval of the council of that illustrious Society, I owe the honour of being awarded the Victoria Medal for my "Physical Geography." An honour so unexpected, and so far beyond my merit, surprised and affected me more deeply than I can find words to express. In the events of my life it may be seen how much I have been honoured by the scientific societies and universities of Italy, many of whom have elected me an honorary member or associate; but the greatest honour I have received in Italy has been the gift of the first gold medal hitherto awarded by the Geographical Society at Florence, and which was coined on purpose, with my name on the reverse. I received it the other day, accompanied by the following letter from General Menabrea, President of the Council, himself a distinguished mathematician and philosopher:-- FROM GENERAL MENABREA TO MRS. SOMERVILLE. FLORENCE, _30 Juin, 1869_. MADAME, J'ai pris connaissance avec le plus grand interet de la belle edition de votre dernier ouvrage sur la Geographie Physique, et je desire vous donner un temoignage d'haute estime pour vos travaux. Je vous prie donc, Madame, d'accepter une medaille d'or a l'effigie du Roi Victor Emmanuel, mon auguste souverain. C'est un souvenir de mon pays dans lequel vous comptez, comme chez toutes les nations ou la science est honore, de nombreux amis et admirateurs. Veuillez croire, Madame, que je ne cesserai d'etre l'un et l'autre en meme temps que je suis, Votre tres devoue Serviteur, MENABREA. * * * * *