Minutes, meeting of the North American exploring expedition committee Lists as present [Sir Joseph Dalton] Hooker, Sir Roderick Murchison, [William] Sharpey and [John] Palliser, with General Sabine in the Chair. Describes Committee business -- a letter from [Undersecretary to the Colonies] Ball to Lord Wrottesley on the appointment of a committee 'to consist of the officers of the Royal Society, Sir Roderick Murchison and Dr Hooker' -- a statement from the chair that Wrottesley had written to Sir John Richardson, Professor Forbes, [Danberry] and [Charles] Darwin to ask for suggestions as to 'scientific objects to be executed by the expedition' -- Lieut. Blakiston's offer to undertake magnetic observations and longitude determinations, and that he would be trained on instruments from the Kew Observatory -- a statement from Palliser on the need for a surveyor, geologist, botanist and a 'medical man' on the trip, and his suggestion that Blakiston join him on a later route -- Hooker's suggestion of Eugene Bourgeau as the botanist -- recommendations of instruments to be taken. pp48-49. 16 March 1857