ON THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. XIX 



Jules Braouerec, commander of the corvette Oise, is now explor- 

 ing the wholly unknown country through which the Gaboon River runs. 



The Swedish discoverer, Anderson, has travelled Ovampo, on the 

 west coast of Africa, south of Benguela, in the direction of the 

 Cunene River. 



On the east and south coast of Africa, two English officers, Capt. 

 Burton and Lieut. Speke, have found and measured a great lake, 

 between 3 deg. 30 min. and 8 deg. 40 niin. south latitude not to be 

 confounded with lakes Nyassa and Ukerewe, so much talked of in 

 late years. Until this discovery, there was ground for belief in a 

 great central sea in Africa, stretching from 12 deg. south latitude to 

 the Equator ; but this discovery is conclusive that the great bodies of 

 water which have hitherto been discovered at widely distant points 

 are separate lakes. 



The French missionary, Leo des Avanchers, is travelling through 

 the country which lies to the eastward of this great lake. The Ger- 

 man traveller, Albert Roscher, has gone in the same direction, having 

 left Zanzibar with the hope of penetrating far into the interior. 



Pedro de Gamitto, governor of the Portuguese forts Tete and Sena, 

 on the Zambeze, is making preparations for new explorations in Cen- 

 tral Africa, of which he has already given such interesting descriptions 

 in his book " Muata Cazembe." 



Messaga, the Sardinian missionary, is now exploring the interior 

 of Abyssinia ; so, also, is Bayssiere. 



The Upper Nile is the object of untiring exploration. It would 

 be strange if, before the end of this century, its whole course were 

 not as well known as is now that of the Thames, the Seine, or the 

 Rhine. 



Mr. McCarthy, son of the geographer, has it in contemplation to 

 travel on a new track to Tiinbuctoo from Algiers, where he has lived 

 these eight years. According to his plan, he will pass through Lag- 

 hoult and Goleah, then make a circuit to the east to get out of the 

 way of a tribe of Arabs who have been bejuggled by a new prophet, 

 and then continue his journey by Ghadames, Ghat, and Lake Tsad. 



Other travellers, also, such as Capt. Magnan, Baron Kraft, and 

 Yussufben Gallabi, are bent on discovery, starting from Algiers, or 

 other northern points. Asia, too, is being explored by many travel- 

 lers; but as yet we have few details of their discoveries. Kriel has 

 been sent by the Vienna Academy into Asiatic Turkey. Rey is 

 exploring some hitherto neglected portions of Syria and Palestine. 



A Russian scientific expedition is engaged in the exploration of 

 Chorasan, while a detachment of the French troops in Indo-China is 

 escorting a scientific corps through that country. Many other savants 

 have received missions from the Ministry of Public Instruction, or 

 froin the Paris Museum. Beside this, the Catholic and Protestant 

 missionaries are coming more and more to consider it a part of their 



