114 PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS—SECTION E. 
intrepid explorer, Stanley, in the heart of Equatorial Africa, 
especially in his recent expedition for the relief of Emin Pasha, 
a history of which has to a certain point been already communi- 
cated to the world ; and now that we have happily the knowledge 
of his safe arrival within the bounds of civilisation, after sur- 
mounting the difficulties, hardships, and perils of his adventurous 
and protracted travel, we may, our minds being eased of the 
anxiety and suspense of his long watched for appearance, patiently 
await the further history of thrilling episodes and marvellous 
discoveries that undoubtedly the great traveller will have to 
disclose, varied and extensive enough, probably, to satisfy the 
curiosity of the lovers of the new and wonderful as the cravings 
of the seekers after scientific facts and data, equally with the 
would-be pioneers of commercial enterprise. 
Other recent expeditions, north and south of the equator, have 
been successfully pursued respectively by Teleki and Arnot, and 
very considerable and important additional knowledge of the 
geography of those regions made known. Central South Africa 
has been the scene of the exertions of Mr. F. C. Selous, while in 
the north Mr. De Foucauld in the Atlas Mountains and Messrs. 
Thorn and Harris in Morocco publish the result of their respec- 
tive labours in the countries named. 
In Upper Burmah considerable advance has been made in 
topographical and cartographical investigation of the country, 
principally in conjunction with military expeditions, all conducing 
to a more thorough knowledge of this, one of the latest additions 
to British dominions. 
In Central Asia we find the Russians ever pushing their 
advance towards the walls of China and the gates of India, first 
by explorations, followed by military occupation, with the 
unwearying, restless, but ever-progressing steps characteristic of 
that mighty empire, a menace alike to our commercial prestige in 
those regions as to the very bulwarks of defence of our Indian 
possessions. An admirable essay, illustrating this subject, was 
delivered at the recent meeting of the British Association of 
Science on “Our Trade in Central Asia,” by the Hon. G. Curzon, 
M.P. Proceeding north, we see the same Power exploring and 
extending their knowledge of the unknown parts of Siberia, their 
efforts in this direction considerably assisted by the enterprise of 
a British subject, Captain Wiggins, who has successfully demon- 
strated the feasibility of opening a trade-route into the heart of 
that hitherto supposed inhospitable region, by the navigation of 
the Obi and Yenisei rivers, disemboguing into the Arctic Ocean, 
by availing of the proper but brief season during which those 
generally frozen seas are temporarily open to the passage of 
vessels, thus presenting a new field for commercial enterprise, of 
vast importance to the maritime countries of Western Europe. 
A very interesting veswmé of nautical exploratory research in this 
