348 ANNUAL KECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



from a height of about 5000 feet to about 1200 feet above the 

 sea-level. The peaks of the great mountain-ranges through 

 which the river rims are rarely less than 15,000 feet in height, 

 and culminate in Mount Nanga Parbat, whose height, 20,620 

 feet, is hardly excelled among all the peaks of the Himalayas. 

 The crooked channel of the river is hemmed in so closely by 

 these great ranges that its valley is but a deeply cut, narrow 

 gorge. No European has ever penetrated this region, and 

 the Mullah only succeeded in doing so by travelling as a 

 privileged trader. Very difficult of access from all quarters, 

 it is inhabited by a number of hill-tribes independent and 

 suspicious of each other, and protected from each other by 

 natural barriers and fastnesses. Each community elects its 

 own rulers, and has little intercourse with its neighbors, and 

 with the outer world only by means of privileged traders. 



Captain Cameron, R.N., the celebrated African traveller, 

 has undertaken the exploration and survey of the Euphrates 

 valley, to determine the best practicable route for a rail- 

 way from the Mediterranean to the northwest provinces of 

 India. 



Captain Cameron sailed from Portsmouth for Cyprus on 

 the 18th of August, and will proceed by way of Latakieh, 

 Aleppo, ITrfa, Mardin, Mosul, Bagdad, and Bassorah, through 

 South Persia and Baluchistan to Karachi, on the Arabian 

 Sea. 



An extensive journey by Captain Gill, R.E., has furnished 

 for the first time a knowledge of the vertical configuration 

 of parts of Western China and Thibet. Starting from Shang- 

 hai in January, 1 877, he ascended the Yang-tse River to the 

 province of Se-chuen, and struck across northwardly to the 

 Thibetan frontier. Thence, after traversing the province in 

 various directions, he crossed into Thibet, continuing south- 

 ward to Tali-fu in Yunnan, travelling from there in the foot- 

 steps of the expedition sent to inquire into the murder of 

 Consul Margary, over the long and rugged mountain-paths 

 to Bhamo, on the Irrawaddy River, and ending his long and 

 toilsome journey by descending the river by steamer to Ran- 

 goon. Throughout his journey careful observations were 

 made for latitude, longitude, and elevation, the traveller hav- 

 ing: the unusual c;ood fortune to bring; his instruments home 

 without injury, to be tested. The very interesting account 



