58o 



NA TURE 



\Oct. 26, 1876 



after having rested a little while the whole procession moved 

 onwarH, as fifteen more versts lay still between them and 

 Maiterek. 



The travellers proceeded on their journey towards the Altai in 

 the company of the governor-general, his wife, and daughfer, on 

 June 6. The weather was most unfavourable from their 

 departure up to their arrival in the Altaian Staniza on June 1 1, 

 and now they had to undergo all the hardships from which tra- 

 vellers have more or less to suffer. The roads they had to 

 traverse led nearly always along the steep narrow banks of rapid 

 mountain streams, or along the verge of a threatening abyss, or 

 they crossed over vast accumulations of snow filling up the 

 ravines. 



On the summit of the pass, about 6,000 feet high, covered 

 with grass as yet undeveloped, was a spendid view of the distant 

 Saik Saur mountains behind Saissan ; a pale yellow line extended 

 from these up to the horizon like the ocean, it was the steppe. 

 Beautiful meadows covered with yellow and purple pansies were 

 discernible in the valleys between the plateaus, wooden Kir- 

 ghisian tombs, somewhat resembling log huts, gave to the whole 

 the appearance of an Alpine landscape. It was strange to see 

 the mole [spalax) burrowins^ at this height, where trees — even 

 the hardy larch tree — had disappeared. One night's rest 

 was spent in a yurt camp near the lake Marka Kul. They 

 approached it aloDg the steep shores of the river Kuldschir, the 

 sole outlet of the lake, and one of the tributaries of the black 

 Irtisch. The view here was delightful, the lake of an azure 

 colour, surrounded on all sides by mountains rising 1,500 feet 

 above its surface, covered with snow, and partly wooded. The 

 banks of the lake are very steep and indented here and there 

 with deep bays. With their nets they secured many fine fishes, 

 which, apart from their scientific interest, were welcomed as a 

 pleasant change to their every day fare of mutton. There is an 

 abundance of fish in the Marka Kul, but it is caught only by 

 the Chinese Kirghiz and the Russian Altaian peasant, and that 

 in a very primitive way. Generally they divert one or other of 

 the small tributaries from its course, and the fish remaining in 

 the dry bed are caught. 



In spite of the dangers of the roads, the governor's wife had 

 availed herself of every possible opportunity to photograph the 

 most beautiful parts of the wild mountain scenery about them : 

 this excellent horsewoman rode without fear or giddiness, never 

 dismounting even at the most dangerous places. 



The travellers resumed their journey on June 9, but the bad 

 weather still followed them ; they passed through large virgin 

 forests, along the borders of abysses nearly 1,000 feet deep ; at 

 last they camped on a green meadow facing the Tau Teke 

 Mountains (Steinbock Mountains), so called on account of the 

 numbers of Steinbock found there. Early on June 1 1 a Stein- 

 bock hunt was attempted, thirty Kirghiz on horseback acting as 

 drivers, but they did not get anything. On going on, in about 

 an hour they reached the top of the pass, the Burchat ; here 

 they saw two cairns with poles before them, the Chinese frontier 

 poles, and now they left the Celestial Empire and rode on into Sibe- 

 rian territory, slowly descending from the height of about 8,000 ft., 

 where trees cease to grow ; the descent soon became steeper and 

 steeper, and at last so rapid that even Cossacks and Kirghiz were 

 obliged to dismount. When they reached the plain they were 

 surprised to see the vegetation, trees, bushes, and flowers, so much 

 richer than at ihe Ala Tau. Also in this camp the governor 

 was welcomed by a deputation of Kirghiz, and after a short rest 

 they rode on to the Altaian Staniza, a military post. 



NOTES 



On the 25th ult. there was unveiled at Copenhagen a bronze 

 statue to H. C. Oersted, the discoverer of electro-magnetism, 

 who died twenty-five years ago. The monument, erected on a 

 terrace of the old fortification, consists of a hexagonal pedestal 

 surmounted by a statue of Oersted, and on which are three 

 female figures representing the Past, the Present, and the 

 Future. Oersted has in his hand the wire of an electric battery 

 which he holds over a magnetic needle. The ceremony of 

 unveiling was attended by the King of Denmark, the King 

 of Greece, the Crown Prince, most of the ministers and 

 diplomatic officials, professors and students of the University, 

 and many other official, learned, and scientific men. The address 

 was spoken by Prof. Holten of the Polytechnic, who sketched 



the private and scientific life of Oersted, and referred specially 

 to the great discovery, first published in a small Latin pamphlet 

 on July 21, 1821. 



It is fitting that we should record here the death of a modest 

 but devoted student of science, Dr. Thomas Strethill Wright, 

 of Edinburgh, at the age of 58. Dr. Wright was a prac- 

 tising physician in Edinburgh, but found time to make many 

 researches, and probably a few discoveries, in various depart- 

 ments of science, both in biology and physics. From a memoir 

 in the Scotsman, we learn that after settUng in Edinburgh in 

 1853, he undertook a series of observations on British zoophytes, 

 more especially those inhabiting the Firth of Forth, and not 

 only discovered many important facts in their structure, but 

 added to the British fauna several new and interesting forms. 

 His memoirs on these animals, eighteen in number, were pub- 

 lished in the Annals of Natural History, the Edinburgh Philo' 

 sophkal yournal, and the Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society 

 of Edinburgh, and speedily attracted the attention of scientific 

 workers in the same field both at home and abroad. He entered 

 into a correspondence with Agassiz, Van Beneden, Claparede, 

 Kolliker, and AUman, who in their wri'.ings repeatedly refer to 

 the value of his observations and discoveries. But he did not 

 confine himself to natural history studies. He was constantly at 

 work with physical apparatus, and invented various singular 

 forms of telephones, &c. Some of the most curious of his expe- 

 riments on what he called Electric Cohesion Figures are 

 described by himself in Chambers's Encyclopedia. But it is much 

 to be feared that a great many of his most ingenious inventions 

 and discoveries are entirely lost, as his modesty prevented him 

 from bringing them before the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 

 though he was frequently urged to do so. One of these was a 

 mode of studying the scintillation of stars by observing them 

 through a telescope of low power supported on a vibrating 

 stand. In 1865 Dr. Wright was made a member of the Zoologico- 

 Botanical Society of Vienna. His ingenuity and readiness showed 

 themselves in the mode in which he constructed out of simple 

 materials a piece of apparatus, or devised a new method of obser- 

 vation, or executed the beautiful drawings with which his natural 

 history papers are illustrated. 



The Queen has acted justly and generously in granting to the 

 widow of the late George Smith a pension of 150/. It is stated 

 that Mr. Hormuzd Rassam will succeed the late Mr. Smith in 

 his work of exploration in the East. A firman for two years 

 has been conceded to Mr. Rassam. 



The Cavendish College, Cambridge, will be opened to-day by 

 the Chancellor of the University, the Duke of Devonshire. The 

 building when complete will be capable of accommodating 300 

 students. The objects of the college are — I. To enable students 

 somewhat younger than the usual age to go through the University 

 course. 2. To give a special training in the art of teaching to those 

 students who desire to become schoolmasters. 3. To attract pcor 

 students by reason of the economy in cost of living. The College 

 charges will be 84/. per annum, which will include tuition, Uni- 

 versity dues, board and lodging — in fact, everything but books 

 and clothes. The residence will be nearly forty weeks during the 

 year. 



The death of M. Lick, the well-known founder ot the 

 Californian University and Observatory is reported by an 

 American paper as having taken place on October i. Some 

 difficulties are anticipated in the adjustment of the donation 

 which amounts to 5,000,000 of dollars. 



For the intended Liebig memorial the sum of 140,000 marks 

 has been already obtained. Both Munich and the little town of 

 Giessen, where Liebig began his important researches, will have 

 memorials. 



