Geographical Collections. 3f7 



Mr. Pehtland^s Researches in Bolivia. — M. Arago laid before the Academy 

 of Sciences, on the 12th July last, the geographical labours of Mr. Pentland in 

 the republic of Bolivia. The author, who has carried on his observations at con- 

 siderable heights, carefuUy noted the variations of the chronometer on the moun- 

 tains, dependent upon the diminution of atmospheric pressure. This important 

 fact had been previously neglected, and the observations of Mr. Pentland will 

 consequently necessitate an alteration in the position given to all the places where 

 he has been. 



New Islands in the Pacific. — The Journals of the United States have recent- 

 ly published the following details, which have been furnished by Capt. Daniel 

 Mackenzie, commanding the Minerva Smithy in which he made a long voyage, 

 during the years 1828 and 1829. 



On the 1st December 1828, Capt. Mackenzie discovered, in the Pacific Ocean, 

 an island which he named Rowland, situated under 176° 49' 30'' W. long, (from 

 Greenwich,) and 45 miles from the Equator, north lat. It is about 10 miles 

 in circumference ; the soil is low and well wooded, but he could find no anchor- 

 age. The island showed no trace of inhabitants, and did not appear to have been 

 visited by any previous navigator; the waters of the coast abound with excellent 

 fish. 



The Captain also aflfirmed that the island called New Nantucket, is nothing 

 but a bar or bank of sand, situated 14 miles from the equator, in north latitude, 

 and about 179° 33' 15" longitude west of Greenwich. 



On the 13th of the same month of December, he discovered that the group of 

 islands known by the name of King''s Mill, is placed in all the maps 84 miles 

 east of its true position. Dundas, marked upon the maps at 9 miles from the 

 equator, south latitude, is, on the contrary, in 9 miles north latitude. 



On the 27th February 1829, he perceived another group of islands, entirely 

 covered with wood and cocoa trees. Some natives brought to them I70 cocoa- 

 nuts, which they exchanged for pieces of iron-hoops. These people were entirely 

 naked, and wore tortoise-shell ornaments suspended from their noses. The si- 

 tuation of this group, which is thought to be a continuation of Lord Howe's 

 Islands, was determined, after many observations, to be 4° 24' south latitude, 

 and 158° 45' 15" east longitude, from Greenwich. — Bull, de la Soc. de Geogra- 

 phic, xiv. 50. 



Negbo Slavery. Journal published hy Free Blacks. — A Journal, entitled 

 the Watchman and Jamaica Free Press, has been published for some time in 

 Jamaica. It is conducted by free men of colour ; and its object is to maintain 

 publicly the right of the blacks to enjoy all the civil and political privileges of 

 English subjects. This Journal is the organ of the blacks, and when we consi- 

 der that the population of Jamaica comprises, besides 300,000 slaves, 40,000 free 

 negroes, most of them capable of reading and writing, and whose property is at 

 least as considerable as that of the 13,000 resident whites, we may form an idea 

 of the importance which this publication is calculated to obtain. 



Political Rights granted to Men of Colour. — During its last session, the Le- 

 gislative Assembly of Jamaica resolved to equalize the free negroes and mulat- 

 toes with the whites, in respect to electoral privileges and other political rights ; 

 except that they are not admissible to the Privy Council and to the Legisla- 

 tive Assembly, which, in the government of that island, corresponds to the 

 English Parliament. The object of the Assembly has doubtless been to prevent 

 a revolution, which would sooner or later have broken out, especially since the 

 publication of the Journal above mentioned. 



Emancipation of the Negroes in the Danish Colonies. — The measures ordain- 

 ed by the^King of Denmark, have placed the negroes of the Danish West Indies 



