X NOTES BY THE EDITOR 



tions to assist in its completion. Another map of Kokand and Bokhara 

 was also forthcoming, and the society had employed Messrs. Butakoff and 

 Chanykoff to prepare a complete atlas of Asia between 33 and 56 north 

 latitude, and 65 and 100 east longitude. A Russian nobleman had given 

 12,000 roubles to pay for making and publishing a Russian translation of 

 Ritter's geography ; but the society had determined not to undertake so 

 immense a work (15,000 printed pages), and had determined only to take 

 up those countries which have an immediate interest for Russia, using 

 along with Ritter a great body of materials to which he had not access. 

 These countries are Southern Siberia, Northern China, Turan, Korassan, 

 Afghanistan and Persia. In Ritter's work these occupy 4,500 pages. The 

 expedition sent out by the society to explore the source of the Nile, had 

 returned without effecting much of interest. A new expedition was pre- 

 paring to explore the peninsula of Kamskatka. To aid in this undertaking, 

 a Russian gentleman has given 20,000 francs per year, during the time 

 the party may be absent. 



The Royal Geographical Society of France have awarded to Lieut. Lynch, 

 TJ. S. N., two silver medals, for his exploration of the Dead Sea and the 

 Jordan. 



The Paris Society for the Encouragement of National Industry have 

 awarded a silver medal to Samuel Cornell, of Connecticut, for his invention 

 of a machine for making lead pipes. 



The liberality exercised during the past year by various public authori- 

 ties and private individuals, towards the cause of science, has been most 

 generous and encouraging. 



Two appropriations of considerable interest have been made by the 

 British government, namely : 1000 to the Royal Asiatic Society, " tow- 

 ards defraying the expenses of the publication of the inscriptions in cunei- 

 form characters copied by Lieut. Colonel Rawlinson," and 500 " towards 

 the excavations at the Mound of Susa, with a view to the discovery of ancient 

 monuments known to be deposited there." The sum of 1000 has also 

 been placed at the disposal of the Royal Society, by government, to be 

 employed at discretion in assisting private scientific enterprise. 



The French government has voted a credit of 33,000 francs, for the pur- 

 pose of exploring the Temple of Serapis, in the ruins of Memphis, Egypt. 

 This temple, which has been covered with sand ever since the time of 

 Strabo, and has since remained almost intact, offers great temptations to 

 research. This building is a mixture of the Greek and Egyptian styles of 

 architecture, and the worship to which it was consecrated was a fusion of 

 the Greek and the Egyptian faith. The very slight soundings in the sand, 

 which have been hitherto made, have brought to light many curious statues 

 and bas-reliefs. 



The French authorities have also decreed the expenditure of 62,260 



