GEOGRAPHY. 195 



PATAGONIA. 



Don Francisco Moreno has made a journey up the Santa 

 Cruz River on the east coast of Patagonia, which he has de- 

 scribed in a letter to the Buenos Ayres Standard of May 13, 

 1877. 



He describes the Santa Cruz as issuing from a fine lake of 

 the same name, thirty miles long and ten miles wide, in lati- 

 tude 50 14' S. and lonoitude 71 59' W. The current of the 

 river runs very rapidly, so that thirty days were occupied in 

 ascending it. 



Seiior Moreno was the first to explore Lake Santa Cruz, 

 on the shores of which he made a large geological collection. 



Connected with the Santa Cruz Lake by a river 200 yards 

 wide is Lake Biedma, in the immediate vicinity of Mount 

 Chalten, a still active volcano. 



ARCTIC REGIONS. 



The Blue-book of the Nares Expedition, published during 

 the past year by the English Government, contains Captain 

 Xares's comprehensive report, with special maps and a large 

 amount of most valuable matter for students. 



In the pages of the Geographical Magazine for the past 

 year has appeared, from time to time, an admirable review 

 of the work accomplished by the Xares Expedition. That 

 the Alert wintered farther north than explorers had ever 

 before wintered ; that three hundred miles of new coast-line 

 were discovered and surveyed ; that one party reached the 

 most northerly point ever attained ; that the duties of every- 

 body, from the leader downward, were conscientiously and 

 thoroughly performed, and that the whole work was con- 

 ducted with eminent ability and sound judgment, giving in- 

 valuable results, has been thoroughly demonstrated. 



The official narrative of the Polaris Expedition, edited by 

 the late Rear-Admiral Davis, and published by the IT. S. 

 Navy Department, will prove a valuable record for reference. 



The first volume of the physical results of the same expe- 

 dition, by Dr. Emil Bessels, has also been published under 

 the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution. 



The Austrian scheme for the establishment of stations of 

 observation within the arctic circle has again been brought 



