ON THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 15 



plete the survey which the latter began. There never was an exploring 

 expedition conducted with greater perseverance than this. Travellers 

 across the Great Sahara know on their outset that they have a difficult and 

 dangerous journey before them; but to brave these difficulties and dangers 

 year after year for four consecutive years, with an heroic endurance and 

 undiminished courage, solely for the sake of science, as is the case with 

 Dr. Earth, is an occurrence unparalleled in the history of geographical 

 discovery. That traveller, after losing his only two comrades, undertakes, 

 alone, his journey from Lake Tsad to Timbuctoo, one of the most difficult 

 attempts that could well be imagined. When he wrote his last letters, at 

 the end of November, he was just about to leave Lake Tsad on that tour. 

 The communications now received bring up the intelligence three months 

 beyond the last date namely, up to the beginning of March last. We 

 find that at this time he had gained between 400 and 500 miles in his 

 journey, and entered the Fellatah province of Kashna, where he was well 

 received. An escort of 200 horse is necessary to insure his safety in cross- 

 ing the next districts towards that celebrated place, the goal of his jour- 

 ney ; and a very circumspect management, backed by a certain amount of 

 means, is necessary to obtain all the assistance required from the Fellatahs. 

 The supplies already sent off last year have not yet reached him, and the 

 great encouragement, which the news of Dr. Vogel's coming to his assist- 

 ance would be, is still denied him. Nevertheless, with unbroken spirits he 

 pushes onward. May he successfully return, and, united with Dr. Vogel, 

 accomplish still greater results. Meanwhile the last traveller has very 

 successfully performed the most trying portion of his journey to Lake 

 Tsad, in having crossed the Desert of Tripoli to Murzuk; a region which, 

 during the summer, is almost entirely waterless. But so successfully was 

 their journey performed, that neither Dr. Vogel nor any person in his 

 caravan suffered any indisposition; and out of thirty-three camels only 

 one was lost, the caravan arriving in Murzuk in the best order. At that 

 place Dr. Vogel will be occupied partly in reducing his numerous astro- 

 nomical and hypsometrical observations made on the way, and transmit 

 them by next courier. He hopes to start for Lake Tsad in the beginning 

 of September. 



A new Arctic expedition under the charge of Dr. Kane, U. S. N., fitted 

 out by private liberality sailed from New York during the spring of 1853, 

 for the purpose of making a renewed search for Sir John Franklin, and 

 for exploring some parts of the Arctic territory hitherto unvisited. 



The Secretary of the Navy, in his annual report, takes occasion to 

 express his regret that in certain charts uttered from the English Admi- 

 ralty Hydrographic Office, on the 4th of October, 1853, an error has been 

 committed, and credit given for certain new discoveries of lands to 



