318 



GEOGRAPHICAL EXPLORATIONS AND DISCOVERIES IN 1873. 



exhumed the temple sufficiently to determine 

 its size, its style of architecture, and the num- 

 ber and size of its pillars or columns. Of- 

 last, he says there were 100 nearly six feet in 

 diameter. Some of the sculptured figures on 

 the columns are of rare beauty mid perfection. 

 There were 86 of these sculptured columns, 

 mostly the gifts of kings. The dimensions of 

 the tejnple itself were 163 feet 9} inches by 

 808 fact 4 inches. The platform on which it 

 was bnilt was 288 by 425 feet. 



V. AFRICA. On this great continent the 

 geographical event of the year was the death 

 of Dr. Livingstone. The result of his explora- 

 tion, west and northwest of Tanganyika, seems 

 to be, that the fire lakes are the sources of the 

 Congo, and that the Lnaluba, or Luapula, is a, 

 tributary of that groat river. Of the various 

 expeditions sent in search or in aid of Living- 

 stone, some failed, others returned without ac- 

 complishing their object, and others still are 

 pursuing other branches of geographical n- 

 soarch. Dr. Nachtigall reached Wadai (the 

 country where Dr. Vogel lost his life), whence 

 he traveled by Darfour to Kordofnn, roach- 

 ing Khartoum near the close of the year. 

 Ho is the first European who has communi- 

 cated any information respecting Wadai. Dr. 

 Gerhard Rohlfs started near the close of the 

 year upon an expedition, at the expense of 

 the Viceroy of Egypt, for the exploration of 

 the Libyan Desert, having with him a bota- 

 nist, a geologist, and a geographer; and Dr. 

 Hildebrand, a German botanist, has under- 

 taken an expedition to East Africa, from 

 which important results are anticipated. The 

 return of Sir Samuel Baker was very grati- 

 fying, the greatest interest having been felt 

 in this country for his personal safety, and for 

 the success of his expedition for the suppres- 

 sion of the slave-trade in the regions of the 

 Upper Nile. He was several times in great 

 peril of assassination, but at last triumphed so 

 far as to overcome the principal chieft engaged 

 in that traffic. It is doubtful, however, whether 

 it will be permanently suppressed. Mr. Miani, 

 the celebrated Italian traveler in Africa, a na- 

 tive of Venice, about two years ago undertook a 

 journey of exploration southwest of the Whitu 

 S'ilc, and partly through the country first vis- 

 ited by Dr. Schweinfurth, with a design of 

 reaching and exploring the western shores of 

 Lake Mwutan N/.L'i (the Albert Nyanza). His 

 death occurred in the Monhntta country, Octo- 

 ber 21, 1872. He had spent the best years of 

 his life in Africa, and had traveled farther up 

 the Nile, following the course of the river, 

 than any other white man. On the west coast, 

 MM. Compeigne and Marche have undertaken 

 to penetrate equatorial Africa in the vicinity 

 of the Gaboon. Their object was, to trace the 

 course of the Ogowai and the lake* to wliidi 

 it Is supposed to lead, one of which is reported 

 to be a very large one. A German expedition, 

 organized by Dr. Bastian and the Berlin Geo- 

 graphical Society, left last spring for the ex- 



ploration of Loango. The doctor mid Li- 

 - passed some time on the coast pul 

 information and preparing for this important 

 expedition, in the course of which they 

 several excursions. The information they re- 

 ceived led them to believe that after u three 

 weeks' journey from the coat they would reach 

 an open country with metalliferous mount 

 where a people dwell who understand the 

 manufacture of gunpowder, and that a great 

 river is there spoken of by the natives, vari- 

 ously called the Congo, Bongo, and Lualali. 

 They are confirmed in their belief that they 

 will find an indigenous race of dwarfs in tin -e 

 lands similar to those seen by Du Chaillu, sev- 

 eral specimens of this type having been met 

 with upon the coast. They are called Obongo, 

 Babongo, or Vambuta, but J)r. Btistiaii de- 

 clares their proper name to bo Bari or Bali. 

 A renewed interest has been excited in the 

 gold and diamond fields of South Africa dur- 

 ing the past year, by the report of other and 

 richer discoveries of both gold and diamonds 

 in that region. Mr. Dixon, an English arclue- 

 ologist, has for some time been exploring 

 the two remarkable chambers known as the 

 king's and queen's chambers, in the interior of 

 the Pyramid of Ghizeh. By means of a wire, 

 introduced between the joints of the masonry, 

 he found a space, and was thereupon induced 

 to bore into the walls of the queen's chamber, 

 when he discovered a passage-way, eight by 

 nine inches in dimensions, evidently a ventila- 

 ting Ilue. Its terminus has not yet been found. 

 Within the passage-way he found a bronzo 

 hook, which is supposed to bo the most an- 

 cient specimen of bronze now existing. 



ArSTKALASIA AND POLYNESIA. NtU Quinl, 



or Papua, one of the largest islands of Aus- 

 tralasia, discovered about three hundred years 

 ago, has long remained unexplored, except at 

 a few points on its coast. It is inhabited by 

 two distinct races: a black race, of gigantic 

 stature, supposed to be cannibals, of low grade 

 mentally, the men going nearly or entirely nude, 

 and resisting all attempts on the part of white) 

 men to explore their country ; and acopper- 

 colored race of higher intelligence and gentler 

 manners, decently clothed (after the native 

 fashion), the women profusely and artistically 

 tattooed a friendly race, and but slightly 

 inclined to cannibalism. This latter race in- 

 habit the southern or southeastern portion 

 of the island. Captain Moresby, of II. B. M. 

 ship Basilisk, made in 1873 an extensive ex- 

 ploration of the southern coast, and was very 

 favorably impressed with the character of the 

 natives; and Rev. W. Wyatt Gill, one of tho 

 missionaries of the London Missionary Society, 

 who has visited this coast three times, con- 

 firms Captain Moresby's narrative. Mr. J. 

 Thompson and Dr. Maxwell penetrated to the 

 great mountain-ranges which traverse t! 

 and of Formosa from north to south, and found 

 it inhabited by a robust, well- built race of 

 savages of aggressive disposition. 



