GEOGRAPHY AND ANTIQUITIES. 369 



energy of an explorer, intends returning to Central Africa. He stands now, 

 indisputably, at the head of all African travelers. 



The discovery of the River Benue led to another expedition to the Niger 

 last winter, under the direction of Mr. Macgregoi Laird, who defrayed the 

 greater part of the expense. The steamer Pleiad ascended the Niger to the 

 Chadda, entered that river, and extended her voyage 250 miles beyond the 

 point reached by Allen and Oldlield in 1833. This voyage established the 

 fact that the Chadda and Benue are one and the same river a river which is 

 navigable for steamboats to the very borders of Bornou, for six months in the 

 year. Here -is a highway for commerce into the very heart of Africa. A re- 

 markable feature of the voyage was, that not one of all who engaged in it 

 died, a result which was entirely owing to careful sanitary regulations. 



Dr. Yogel, after his recovery, imitated Barth and Overweg in accompanying 

 the army of Bornou on its annual foray to the south-east in search of slaves 

 and cattle. He went about ninety miles beyond the furthest point reached 

 by his predecessors, and discovered a large lake and two or three rivers, the 

 existence of which was not previously known. The last accounts from Cen- 

 tral Africa state that he has succeeded in reaching Yakaba, the capital of the 

 great Fallatah kingdom, which Dr. Overweg endeavored in vain to penetrate. 

 He designs going thence into Adamawa, where he will ascend the great 

 mountain Alantika, and push his way further, if possible, into the countries of 

 Tibati and Baya, lying beyond. He will also endeavor to penetrate through 

 Baghirmi into the unknown and powerful kingdom of Wseday. It is almost . 

 too much to expect that Dr. Yogel will be successful in all these daring de- 

 signs, but he has youth, enthusiasm, and intelligence on his side, and there 

 are few difficulties which these three auxiliaries will not overcome. 



"We learn, also, from South Africa, that Mr. 1 C. J. Anderson has succeeded 

 in penetrating from Walwich Bay, on the western coast, to the great Lake 

 N'gami, discovered four years ago by Dr. Livingston. He there heard of the 

 existence of a large town called Liberbe, nineteen days' journey to the north- 

 east, which was said to be a great place of trade. Dr. Livingston, who made 

 his way northward from the Cape of Good Hope to latitude 10 south, came 

 down unexpectedly on the Portuguese town of Loanda last winter, and then 

 went back into the wilderness, will probably come to light again in another 

 year, and we shall then have the result of the most important exploration of 

 the southern half of the African continent which has ever been made. There 

 now remains but a belt of fifteen degrees of latitude to be traversed to enable 

 the explorers of the north to shake hands with the explorers of the south. 

 In less than twenty years their trails will touch, and the secret of Africa be 

 won! 



ON THE CUNEIFORM INSCRIPTIONS OF ASSYRIA AND BABYLONIA. 



The following is an abstract of a paper on the above subject read before 

 the British Association by Colonel Rawlinson, well known for his Asiatic 

 researches. He began by saying he feared the vastness, as well as to a great 

 extent the novelty, of the subject would prevent him doing it any thing like 



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