GEOGRAPHY AND ANTIQUITIES. 383 



PACIFIC RAILROAD ROUTE. 



MAJOR EMERY, U. S. A., in a letter addressed to the American 

 Association, on the boundary survey between the United States and 

 Mexico, states, that if a railroad between the Mississsppi and the 

 Pacific be seriously contemplated, a passage exists near the thirty- 

 second parallel of latitude, by which snows are entirely avoided, and 

 where no elevation requiring tunelling or stationary power, will have 

 to be resorted to. 



This line may commence any where on the Mississippi or Missouri, 

 from Independence to the Gulf: but it must, before it reaches the 

 Rocky Mountain chain, deflect sufficiently far to the south to turn the 

 Guadaloupe mountains, which terminate on an elevated plain in 

 Texas, about the parallel of 31 ; there it will follow any of the 

 various passes explored by Colonel Johnstone, of the Topographical 

 Engineers, and Captain Marcy. Crossing the Del Norte about El 

 Paso, it will follow a direction not far from the thirty-second parallel 

 of latitude until it strikes the emigrant trail from Chihuahua ; thence 

 it will follow that trail, by easy descents, some one hundred and thirty 

 miles, to the valley of the Gila river. The line will then pass along 

 that river, without obstacle, to the junction of the Gila and the Colo- 

 rado, w y here Nature has made the abutments for a passage, far above 

 the reach of floods, in the huge Feldsphathic-granite portals through 

 which these rivers pass at the moment of uniting. From this point 

 three practicable lines present themselves, any of which may be 

 chosen ; and the choice will undoubtedly be made by the prepon- 

 derating commercial influence which exists at the time, viz : 



First : A line to the Gulf of California or the sea of Cortez. 

 Second : Across the mountains to San Diego. Third : By the val- 

 ley of the Tulare Lakes and the San Joaquin, to the valley of the 

 waters of San Francisco Bay. 



LIVINGSTON'S RESEARCHES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



AT a late meeting of the New York Geographical Society, Mr. 

 Leavitt read a paper from Rev. Mr. Livingston, English missionary in 

 South Africa. Mr. L. had made two excursions in company with 

 Capt. Oswald and another officer of the British army. Passing the 

 lake Nganii and the river Zonga, in latitude 20 south, they passed in 

 their journey due north across the dry bed of the Zonga. Here 

 they found numerous salt-pans or ponds. The Bushmen abound 

 near the springs. They are a merry and honest race. For three days 

 Mr. Livingston was without water ; travelling by night to avoid the 

 heat. On the fourth day they struek a rhinoceros trail, and followed 

 it to the river Mataba, a small stream. They reached the Chobe on 

 the next day. This is a deep and very crooked river. Here they 

 found a famous old chief, Sabatoae. His tribe is a very savage one. 

 This old chief died while the travellers were there. They then 

 went on to the Sesheke or Skiota, on horseback, a distance of 100 

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