1866. | Geography. 411 
recently published by M. Veniukof, on the Pamin Region in 
Central Asia,” Sir H. Rawlinson proved tolerably satisfactorily 
that M. Veniukof and the Russian geographers, as well as Kiepert 
and Stanford, had published maps and accounts of a little-known 
region lying between the northern frontier of Kashmir and the 
south of the Russian empire, mainly in reliance on a MS. journal 
of travels, discovered in the archives of the Military Topographical 
Depot at St. Petersburg, purporting to be written by a German 
gentleman named Georg Ludwig von ——, who had been em- 
ployed by the East India Company to purchase horses for them, 
but which MS. journal was a groundless forgery. The original work 
is described to be elaborately furnished with maps and sketches, to be 
accompanied by a French translation (in a separate volume) of the 
German original. ‘The mention of an active volcano, north of 
Srinagur, in a well-surveyed province, where no such volcano is 
known—the traversing 120 miles of difficult mountainous country in 
two days, and other improbable distances—the mention of a Lieu- 
tenant Harvey, whose existence is unknown to the Indian Army 
List—the want of agreement of names with any that are known—the 
omission of the mention of Yaks or wild goats, and the mention of 
black rabbits, as yet unknown in Central Asia, with many other 
improbabilities, make the authority of the MS. rather more than 
doubtful. 
The Leichhardt expedition into the interior of Australia has met 
with some reverses in the loss of all its horses, and in sufterings 
amongst the explorers from drought. The camels, however, sur- 
vive, and the expedition will continue its work. 
The Peninsula of Sinai has been well surveyed around its coast 
and in a line across its northern boundary, by the Rev. F. W. Holland, 
who holds opinions different from those of most travellers on the 
subject of the passage of the Israelites. In an interesting paper on 
the subject, the author described various roads, ruins, &c., discovered 
by him in unfrequented localities, bespeaking a period of considerable 
population and civilization in the interior of this now deserted 
peninsula. 
The Sinaitic inscriptions and ancient turquoise mines (some of 
which have been mistaken for copper mines) yielded him some 
important results, and might be expected to produce more, if they 
were fully and carefully investigated. Owing, we suppose, to the 
influence of a prominent member of the Geographical Society, 
who constantly views with suspicion the politics of this region, Central 
Asia contributes a considerable share to the Proceedings. Captain 
T. G. Montgomerie, R.E., contributed a paper on a subject with 
which he was not personally acquainted—“The Geographical 
Position of Yarkund and other places in Central Asia.” The cir- 
cumstance which led this gentleman to be interested in this subject 
