298 Annual Iteport. 



a great part of it is a sterile desert, but in its wide-pcopTcd 

 I'cgions there remains enougli to occupy the time and repay the 

 efforts of the expedition. Though the reports of commercial 

 travellers do not suffice to ascertain exactly tlie boundaries to 

 ■ivhich thoir enterprises have reached, there cannot he a doubt 

 that the neighbourhood of the Tropic has been attained by 

 them without encountering any serious obstacle or peril, and 

 therefore we can have no alarming apprehensions of the hostili- 

 ty of the natives. 



Several works liave, during the past year, thrown light upon 

 the Geography of this portion of the earth. A work published 

 by Mr. Kay, one of our Correspondents, relates almost solely 

 to the religious and p&litical history of territories which arc 

 known with considerable accuracy. The researches of Captain 

 Owen show, that the regions ou the Indian Ocean, north »f 

 Cape Corrientes, exhibit an enviable contrast to our shores, in 

 the abundance and security of their bsrys and harbours. The 

 information cominunicated hmvever, with regard to the physical 

 condition of the country, or in regard to its natural history or 

 inhabitants, is very scanty, and it is requisite to correct one 

 representatron in it, which details that the country called 

 Calferland is portioned into districts, having the names which 

 are known to be the appellations of Chiefs, some of whom are 

 deceased; and it is the practice of the Amakosae to designate 

 the portions of their territory under the rule of different leaders 

 as the country of the chief. 



A beautiful distinct and apparently accurate Map of Southern 

 Africa has been published among those composing the Atlas 

 conducted by the Society for propagating useful Knowledge. 

 But let ns remark, that the greater part of the additions to our 

 information presented there, comprising nearly the whole of the 

 important territory east and north of the eastern colonial 

 l)oundary, is drawn without acknowledgment from a source 

 which the Society was not entitled so to employ. It is a copy 

 of a sketch composed by Mr. Chase, one of our members, from 

 his own researches, and from documents in his possession. 



The same member has afforded a distinct and interesting out- 

 line of the progress of discovery around our colonial boundary, 

 which has been publislied hi different numbers of the Quarterly 

 Journal. 



5. CoRRESrONDENCE : 



In addition to its Correspondence with the Natural History 

 Society of Mauritius, the Association has had an opportunity of 

 commencing other arrangements of a similar nature with the 

 Zoological Society of London, which has transmitted for this 

 Institution, a copy of the Monthly Notices of their Proceedings, 

 promising a continuation of these interesting documents, and 



