474 Scientific Jntelligence . [June 



IX. — Communication by Egypt to India. 



The subject of a short communication to India has been so much 

 before the public of late, that the following tables of distances will 

 not be unacceptable : — 



MILES. 



From Bombav to Aden . 1646 



„ Aden to Suez . . 1323 



„ Bombay to Socotra . 1 137 



„ Socotra to Camaran 535 



„ Camaran to Cossair 795 



„ Cossair to Suez . . 270 



MILES 



From Alexandria to Malta 837 

 „ Suez to Quaherah . 70 

 „ Quaherah to Alexandria 1 20 

 „ Suez to Boulac . . 80 

 „ Boulac to Alexandria 185 



(Wilkinson's Thebes.) 



The number of days from England to Alexandria being 24, it 

 appears, from these computations, that the route from Alexandria to 

 Bombay, by Suez, would occupy 27 days, while by Cossair it would 

 require 34£ days ; but if steam boats were employed on the Nile 

 between Coptos and Alexandria, instead of the country boats as at 

 present, the latter route might be reduced to 29 days. The line by 

 Suez, therefore, has the advantage, even if this improvement were 

 made. We are inclined to recommend this mode of communication 

 as possessing advantages which neither the route by the Nile or 

 Euphrates possess. The latter will be attended with almost insu- 

 perable difficulties, and appears to us chimerical in the present 

 barbarous state of the country. 



X. — JBotanic Garden in Japan. 

 The Dutch government has formed a botanic garden at Dogima 

 in Japan, which according to Dr. Siebold, contains more than a 

 thousand plants, collected from the Japan islands and from China. 

 In the garden, a memorial has been erected in honour of Campfer 

 and Thunberg. The students who were instructed by Thunberg 

 during his travels in Japan, have followed up the study of botany 

 with much zeal and assiduity. They study the science, particularly 

 in reference to its application to medicine. 



Dr. Siebold gives instruction on medical botany, which is eagerly 

 sought after by the Japanese. He praises the aptness of the Japanese 

 in distinguishing plants. Sigi Letsyemon, the interpreter of Thun- 

 berg, left a son and grandson, who possess a herbarium which was 

 made by their ancestor with the aid of Thunberg. They possess a 



