340 ANNUAL KECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



Spanish globe of copper, probably made about 1530, lias been 

 found in the National Library at Paris, which shows with 

 wonderful closeness the course of the Congo as discovered 

 by Stanley. In Nature for June 6, 1878, are given sketches 

 from these old globes, and an interesting account of this 

 discovery, which, however, does not in the slightest de- 

 gree detract from the credit due to Speke, Baker, Burton, 

 Livingstone, and Stanley, of being the discoverers of the 

 great African lakes, and of the course of the Nile and the 

 Con^o. 



Mr. H. M. Stanley has published an account of his journey 

 across Africa, entitled " Through the Dark Continent," in two 

 volumes, but the geographical results are to be contained in 

 a third volume not yet published. 



At a meeting in May, 1878, of the subscribers to the Afri- 

 can Exploration Fund, an interesting report of the commit- 

 tee was read, giving a history of exploration in Central Afri- 

 ca, and discussing various proposed routes for further explo- 

 ration. 



It has been decided to commence the exploration of the 

 country between the caravan-road now building from the 

 seaport of Dar-es-Salaam, a few miles south of Zanzibar, and 

 the northern end of Lake Nyassa. This region offers great 

 attraction in the grandeur of its physical features, and is 

 likely to yield discoveries of great geographical interest in- 

 dependently of its practical importance in connection with 

 the question of the best trade-route to the lakes. Should 

 the expedition reach Lake Nyassa, a distance of 350 miles 

 from Dar-es-Salaam, without much difficulty, the position 

 thus gained would serve as a starting-point for a more im- 

 portant exploration to the southern end of Lake Tanganyika, 

 a farther distance of 190 miles. The indication of a line of 

 communication from north to south through the great chain 

 of lakes, by supplying the missing links in geographical knowl- 

 edge, as well as pointing out the best line of travel between 

 the lakes and the coast, is of very great importance, and both 

 these results are to be expected from the proposed expedi- 

 tion. 



Mr. Keith Johnston has been selected to command it, and, 

 with his assistant, Mr. Joseph Thomson, left England for Zan- 

 zibar on the 14th of November. Mr. Thomson will pay spe- 



