386 ADDITIONAL NOTICES. [June 27, 1859. 



Strabo, for he places Mount Ida beside the Scamander, which proves that he 

 meant to speak of the Mendere-su of our day, or the Simois of Homer." — 

 p. 223. 



It will be recollected that in the twelfth volume of the Journal of the Society- 

 is an elaborate Paper on the Topography of Troy, by Dr, Forchhammer, ac- 

 companied by a map of the rivers of its plain, made by Mr. (now Capt.) Spratt, 

 R.N. It may be remarked in limine, that, on a careful comparison of the 

 maps and descriptions in the two separate sources of information, it appears 

 that the views and opinions of the two authors, with respect to the identity 

 of the rivers so celebrated in the immortal work of Homer, are strikingly 

 consistent. 



The second portion of the work of M. Tchihatchef is devoted to the cli- 

 matology and zoology ; and in the preface we are promised two succeeding 

 parts — on the geology, and on the statistics, political history, and archaeology of 

 Asia Minor. The work, so far as already published, is enriched with en- 

 gravings, displaying striking natural features of the country, and the animals 

 native in the peninsula. The writing is elevated in its tone, close and correct 

 as to style, and there can be no doubt that this will take its place as a standard 

 work of literature. 



10. The Indus and its Provinces : their Political Importance considered in 

 conneanon with improved means of Communication, By W. P. Andrew, 

 Esq., F.R.G.s. 8vo. London : Allen. 



This book is written with a view to advocate the interests of the Company- 

 engaged in the formation of the Scinde and Punjab Railways ; and it explains 

 the directions which those lines of transit are to take, and the benefits capable 

 of being derived from their completion. It is illustrated by a very good map. 

 The scheme for effecting railway and steam communication between the 

 countries on the Indus is the following : — A railway, 110 miles in length, is 

 stated to be in course of formation between Kurrachee and Hyderabad, a 

 contract for its construction having been concluded in December 1858. It is 

 also stated that the Company has been requested by the local authorities " to 

 survey two branch lines — the one from Sukkur by Shikar[ioor to Jacobabad, 

 southward from Hyderabad, by Omercote to Deesa, so as to effect a direct 

 communication between Kurrachee and Bombay by a junction with the in- 

 tended extension of the Bombay and Baroda line to Deesa." From Hyderabad 

 there is a permanently open navigation of the Indus, the Pungund, and the 

 Chenab rivers for 570 miles up to Mooltan, on which waters it is proposed to 

 establish a steam flotilla ; and from Mooltan the Punjab railway, 248 miles 

 in length, would proceed to Lahore and Umritsir. From Lahore a branch is 

 projected to sweep across the upper portion of the Punjab to Peshawer, on the 

 frontier of Afghanistan. We learn that on Jan, 27th last the East India 

 Company sanctioned the raising of a million and a half sterling for the com- 

 mencement of the Punjab railway. 



The book is full of quotations of both official and non-official character, 

 indicating the commercial and military advantages which would arise from the 

 construction of the foregoing works. The Indus is certainly the key to 

 Central Asia west of the Himalaya mountains, and the possession of commercial 

 superiority there is adapted materially to counterbalance the commercial traffic 

 carried on inland between the upper Indus and the Bosphorus and southern ter- 

 ritories of Russia. Such railways as are projected on the Indus are, as the author 

 argues, necessary in order to enable us to compete with the facilities of transit 

 about to be afforded by the extension of railways in the southern provinces of 



