F. GEOGRAPHY. 237 



BRAZILIAN COAST PILOT. 



Among the more important of the numerous current pub- 

 lications of the Hydrographical Office, under Commodore 

 Wyman, is the first volume of a " Coast Pilot" of the coast of 

 Brazil, prepared by Lieutenant Gorringe, and covering the 

 region from Cape Orange to Rio Janeiro, forming a volume 

 of nearly four hundred pages, in which the peculiarities of 

 that portion of the coast are detailed with great minuteness, 

 and accompanied by numerous profile sketches of the shores 

 as observable from the vessel at sea. 



Another report of a very practical bearing is the result of 

 the observations made by the United States steamer Narra- 

 ganset during a cruise between Honolulu and Sydney, con- 

 ducted between the 6th of July and the Ttli of September, 

 1872. The points visited were Christmas Island, the Gilbert 

 group, Mulgrave Islands, the Disappointment and Duff Isl- 

 ands, and the Vanikoro Islands. 



EXPLORATIONS OF ALBERTIS IN NEW GlJINEA. 



Among the most successful of recent explorations in Aus- 

 tralasia is that of Seiior L. A. D'Albertis in the interior of 

 Xew Guinea, From an account lately published in the Syd- 

 ney Herald, and quoted in Nature, we learn that, during a 

 period of twelve months' residence, he obtained a very large 

 number of specimens of rare birds of paradise, and other ob- 

 jects, including mammals, insects, etc. Of the mammals 

 there are one or two new to science, and possibly one new 

 bird of paradise. 12 A^October 16, 1873, 501. 



THE HISTORY OF THE POLARIS. 



No more remarkable story of seafaring life is on record 

 than that furnished by the history of the American North 

 Polar Expedition on the Polaris, under command of the late 

 Captain C. F. Hall. 



It is well known that an appropriation of fifty thousand 

 dollars \vas made by Congress for the purpose of fitting out 

 an expedition for research to the North Pole, the Navy De- 

 partment being directed to furnish a suitable vessel, with sup- 

 plies for the same, and that Captain Hall well known from 

 previous visits to the arctic regions was placed in command 

 by the President. 



