352 History of Astronomy for the Year 1805. 
tends sending persons to explore some other rivers » wht as 
yet are absolutely unknown. 
On the 6th of February 1805, Manke Park ‘tailed from 
Portsmouth, in order to return mto’ the interior of Africa, 
where he before made an interesting expedition. 
Lieutenant Ohlsen is occupied in drawing a map of Ice- 
Iand. He speaks of a boiling. spring at Stort, which first 
made its appearance in 1784. « It throws up the water to the 
height of 300 feet... This proves that there is a great deal 
of water in the interior of the earth, and supports the by- 
pothesis by which T have explained the sinking of the wa- 
ters which covered our mountains, and which I think must 
have entered into the interior cavities. 
M. Schubert, the able astronomer of Petersburgh, has set 
out for China with the Russian embassy. We may there- 
fore expect from him: some good observations on the geo- 
graphy of Asia. We understand that the embassy had ‘ar- 
rived upon the frontiers after a journey of 600 myriame- 
tres, and that they were within 130 myriametres of- Pekin 5 
but the Chinese are not fond of much company, and 
M. Schubert returns by the north: his journey will be very 
useful in many respects. 
M. Portalis, minister of religion, wishing to send some 
missionaries to China, concerted for that purpose with 
M. Brunet, the superior of St. Lazarus. They hope to be 
able to sct out this year, accompanied by an astronomer, 
who is already preparing his instruments. The manuscripts 
collected by M. Bertin on the subject of China, are in the 
hhands of a secretary, who has offered to sell them, to govern- 
ment. M. Billien and M. Abaric, attached to the foreign 
missions, have been in China, and know the Chinese well. 
Thus we have not lost all hope of seeing this branch of 
knowledge come again into favour in France. 
The geography of Europe has also received some recent 
advantages. M. Benzeuberg writes from Dusseldorf, that 
the king of Bavaria has ordered some accurate maps of the 
country of Berg to be drawn. 
M. Henry bas returned from Alsace; on account of the 
; wary 
