GEOGRAPHICAL EXPLORATIONS AND PROGRESS FOR 1874. 



345 



info tlio plains upon the eastern side. Gypmu 

 was found in unlimited quantities, and varic- 

 gate<l marble, muscovite ami talcose slate, tmit- 

 n Me tor whetstones, occurred in siilticicnt abun- 

 ns well as iron-ore, in tlio southeastern 

 (;<ild was reported to have been found 

 ions points upon tlio surface, and veins 

 l-lie-aring quartz, it was said, were ob- 

 ! cropping out on the hill-sides. General 

 r declares that he has seen in no portion 

 of th>- Tinted States richer pasturage or purer 

 water than in this region. The climate of the 

 hilN is delightful; there is abundant fine tim- 

 ber and a sufficient quantity of arable soil to 

 sustain a dense population. The vegetation 

 indicated an uncommonly well-irrigated and 

 fruitful soil. The flora is the richest and moat 

 varied of any section east of California. After 

 ascending the Inyan Karan, a prominent peak 

 in Wyoming, which was found to be 6,600 feet 

 in height, they crossed a remarkably fertile 

 valley, to which the name Floral Valley was 

 given ; it was covered with flowers of exqui- 

 site colors and perfumes, of which they count- 

 ed 125 species, some of them entirely new. 

 Harney's Peak was found to be the summit- 

 point of the range, rising to a height of about 

 9,000 feet above the sea-level. The centre of 

 the granite formations is in the southern and 

 southeastern portions. The expedition occu- 

 . pied two months in their explorations. The 

 whole route was found passable for the wagon- 

 train. 



A geyser-basin has been discovered in the 

 eastern part of Montana, twenty-five miles 

 southeast of Mount Washburne, which is re- 

 ported to be larger than any previously-ex- 

 plored basin, and to contain geysers of greater 

 force and size than any before known. One 

 of the geysers is said to cast a volume of water 

 40 feet in diameter to a height of 500 feet 1 

 Mud-volcanoes, surpassing those of the Upper 

 Yellowstone, are also said to exist at this place. 



The remarkable sterile tracts called the Bad 

 Lands, which lie along the Yellowstone and 

 Little Missouri Rivers, are described by General 

 Ouster as having nn average width of fifteen 

 miles, stretching through the valleys of the 

 rivers, which intersect them in the middle. 

 They do not reach, however, to the banks of 

 the rivers, whose immediate shores are cov- 

 ered with a fine growth of timber, and, in 

 spots, with rich pasturage. The fertile strip 

 sometimes expands to the width of miles. The 

 line which divides the Bad Lands from the ad- 

 jacent country is as plain as the shore of a 

 stream. In some places exposed veins of coal 

 are visible. These Bad Lands extend two hun- 

 dred miles. Their appearance is a forbidding 

 landscape, presenting a succession of hills sep- 

 arated by wide gorges. The Yellowstone Riv- 

 er is found to be 550 miles in length, and navi- 

 gable for 850 miles. 



An expedition under Captain Jones, which 

 explored the Yellowstone country, found the 

 Yellowstone Lake Basin covered with pine- 



woods. Dr. Hilzinon discovered flub living in 

 hot-springs whose temperature wan 1'Jl l-'uhr. 



SOUTH AMEIUOA. A telegraphic cable bos 

 been laid between Brazil and Europe, over 

 which the first message was Bent June 28, 

 1874. 



In Peru rich saltpetre-mines have been dis- 

 covered. Thomas .]. liutcliiiison'tt investiga- 

 tions in IV ru refute the current notions of 

 Peruvian history. The architectural and art* 

 remains in Peru he ascribes to a period reach- 

 ing far back of the Incas. Extensive guano- 

 deposits have been found upon the southern 

 coast of Peru. They are computed to contain 

 about seven million tons. 



In Patagonia Messrs. Moreno and Berg have 

 explored the Rio Negro, which in the preced- 

 ing year Colonel Guerries had attempted to 

 navigate, when his boat was overturned and 

 one of his companions murdered by the sav- 

 ages. Colonel Guerries describes the country 

 between the island Choelechel and the Andes 

 as very beautiful. 



M. Pertuiset, in company with Captain 

 Maguin and Viscount Bourguet da Punta Are- 

 nas, from an exploration of Terra del Fuego, 

 report that the land presents interesting geo- 

 logical features ; woods are infrequent, and the 

 trees of feeble growth. Luxurious growths of 

 grass and herbs were observed everywhere ; 

 but a scanty flora, save on the southern shore 

 of Useless Bay, where ancient forests are 

 standing, and thickets of laurels and .fuchsias, 

 and clumps of cinerarias, camellias, and other 

 brilliant flowers. The natives they found very 

 timid ; they wear long hair, like the Patago- 

 nians; their food consists of fish, eggs, wild- 

 ducks, rats, and guanacos, which they kill with 

 arrows; their hue is a brownish white. 



EUBOPE. Hon. John M. Francis, late minis- 

 ter to Greece, testifies to a marked progress in 

 that country within the last generation. At 

 the close of the Greek Revolution, Athens did 

 not contain 1,000 souls, while now it has over 

 50,000 inhabitants. Its architecture will bear 

 comparison with that of any city of its size. 

 Other places are rapidly growing : the Piraeus, 

 the port of Athens, has a population of 12,000 

 to 15,000; Syra has 25,000 inhabitants; Pa- 

 tras, the chief depot for the currant trade, 

 with a population .of 80,000, has the largest 

 foreign commerce of any Greek town ; Zante 

 has 20,000, and Corfu, the summer residence 

 of the court, a larger population. There are 

 now in operation flourishing banking, insur- 

 ance, and steamship companies. The mercan- 

 tile marine, in proportion to the number of 

 inhabitants, is the largest in the world. Rail- 

 roads are being rapidly constructed, and a 

 ship-canal is to be cut across the Isthmus of 

 Corinth. Great attention is being paid to im- 

 proved methods of agriculture, a matter in 

 which the country has always been backward. 

 Cotton has become an important product, and 

 5,500,000 pounds are annually raised. The 

 largest exportation are of Zante currants, 



