332 



NA TURE 



[February 3, 1898 



country, almost entirely unclothed. A remarkable weapon in 

 use among them is a kind of knife-bracelet, which is covered 

 with a sheath, except dyring a fight. 



The two Europeans now "Separated, Mr. Cavendish proceed- 

 ing northwards to explore the river flowing into the north end 

 of Lake Rudolf, whilst Lieut. Andrew marched down the east 

 side of the lake. Like Captain Bottego, Mr. Cavendish is 

 confident that the river, which he followed up for some dis- 

 tance, is identical with the Omo of travellers in the south of 

 Abyssinia. The Legumi and Murle, who dwell on its banks, 

 wear caps of human hair, into which ostrich feathers are stuck 

 to denote the number of men killed by the wearer. The Murle 

 also use the wrist-knife above described, as well as a kind of 

 battle-axe with a wooden blade, covered with a tightly-stretched 

 skin. Crossing the Omo, Mr. Cavendish proceeded southwards 

 to the country of the Turkana on the west of Lake Rudolf, which 

 had previously been entered by no travellers except the members 

 of Bottego's expedition. Mount Lubur, an extinct volcano, was 

 here ascended. The crossing of a sort of neutral zone at the 

 border of the Turkana country is taken as a declaration of war, 

 and the caravan was in consequence continually harassed by 

 attacks from this warlike people. They are in the habit of 

 making night attacks, and it was only by camping each night on 

 spits of sand running out into the lake that these were success- 

 fully resisted. Finally friendly relations were established, and 

 the Turkana guided the party through the difficult mountainous 

 country towards the south. At the south end of Lake Rudolf 

 Mr. Cavendish found that the Teleki volcano had entirely dis- 

 appeared, the Ligob who dwelt in its neighbourhood telling 

 him that, six months before, the lake had overflowed, and as 

 the waters rushed towards the mountain there was a great ex- 

 plosion, since which a lava-plain has taken the place of the 

 volcano, while a new crater has opened about three miles 

 further south. The whole country seems to show signs of 

 recent volcanic activity, for on the further march to the south, 

 the caravan being once more united, a new lake was discovered 

 containing a smouldering volcano, near which the water was 

 quite hot to the touch. Where the water had dried up, the 

 lake-bed was of black mud, hard on the surface, but hot and 

 liquid below. Beyond this the country was exceedingly diffi- 

 cult, and water was scarce ; but the caravan finally reached 

 Lake Baringo, and thence made its way through knosvn country 

 to the east coast. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Cambridge. — Dr. E. W. Hobson, F.R.S., has been ap- 

 pointed a Governor of Derby School. 



The original researches of Mr. J. A. McClelland, advanced 

 student of Trinity College, have been approved by the Special 

 Board for Physics and Chemistry as a qualification for the B.A. 

 -degree. Mr. McClelland's papers refer to work on the kathode, 

 Lenard, and Rontgen rays. 



Eighteen additional freshmen, including one advanced student, 

 were matriculated on January 28. 



Mr. W. R. Lang has been appointed lecturer on organic 

 chemistry at Glasgow University. 



Mr. Percy A. Hillhouse has been appointed professor of 

 naval architecture in the Imperial University, Tokio. 



The Cameron Prize of the University of Edinburgh, open 

 each year to any one who in the preceding five years has made 

 any "highly important and valuable additions to practical 

 therapeutics," has (says the British Medical Journal) been 

 awarded to Prof. T. R. Eraser, F. R.S., in recognition of his 

 researches and practical therapeutic observations in connection 

 with strophanthus. 



The fifth annual meeting of the Association of Technical 

 Institutions was held on Friday last. Sir Bernhard Samuelson, 

 Bart., who was elected president of the Association for the year 

 1898, delivered an address on the need of organised technical 

 instruction. Resolutions were passed in favour of a system of 

 examination and diplomas suitable more especially for day 

 students who aspire to take leading positions in the various 

 technical industries ; and urging upon the Department of 

 Science and Art the necessity of modifying the recent circular 

 respecting the proportion of students who continue their studies 

 in Schools of Science. 



NO, 1475. VOL. .57] 



The report of the Board of Agriculture on the distribution of 

 the Parliamentary grant in aid of agricultural education in Great 

 Britain during the year 1896-7 shows that sums amounting to a 

 total of 6950/. were distributed in specific grants to fourteen 

 institutions as follows : — Durham College of Science, Newcastle- 

 on-Tyne, 1000/. ; University College of North Wales, Bangor, 

 800/. ; Yorkshire College, Leeds, 800/. ; University College of 

 Wales, Aberystwyth, 800/. ; Reading University Extension 

 College, 800/. ; Nottingham University College, 600/. ; Cam- 

 bridge and Counties Agricultural Education Committee, 500/. ; 

 South- Eastern Agricultural College, Wye, 400/. ; Eastern 

 Counties Dairy Institute, Ipswich, 300/. ; Biitish Dairy 

 Institute, Reading, 300/. ; Bath and West and Southern 

 Counties Society, 300/. ; Rojal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, 

 150/. ; Highland and Agricultural Society, 100/. ; Agricultural 

 Research Association, Aberdeen, 100/. The Record of Technical 

 and Secondary Education states that in addition to the dis- 

 tribution of these sums, the Board have also undertaken the 

 inspection of the agricultural work of the institutions and bodies 

 assisted, as well as that of seven County Councils. A valuable 

 feature of the report is the detailed information given regarding 

 the agricultural instruction provided by the English and Welsh 

 County Councils. F'rom statistics compiled from this Return, 

 it appears that a total sum of over 80,000/. (including a pro- 

 portion of capital expenditure) was devoted during 1896-7 to 

 agricultural instruction by sixty English and Welsh County 

 Councils. Dairy instruction was taught in all but eight English 

 and Welsh counties, and the manual j)rocesses of agriculture in 

 about one-half the English counties. 



At the meeting of the London County Council on Tuesday, 

 the Technical Education Board submitted an estimate of the 

 amount that should be appropriated for technical education 

 during the year 1898-99. The sum of 150,000/. was granted 

 for the year 1896-97, and of this a balance of 13,384/. was 

 unexpended. Yox the year ending March 31, 1899, it is esti- 

 mated that 170,000/. will be required, in addition to this 

 balance. The amount of the estimated expenditure is arrived 

 at as follows : — For technical departments of polytechnics, 

 35,900/. ; for various technical institutes, 36,000/. ; for technical 

 departments of public secondary day schools and allowance for 

 fees, books, &c., of the Board's county scholars, 28,500/. ; for 

 higher education, 5500/. ; for county scholarships, 31,025/. ; 

 for teaching in art, science, and technology and manual in- 

 struction, 27,800/. ; for domestic economy, 7350/. ; for com- 

 mercial subjects, 3300/. ; for museums (chiefly art examples), 

 1500/ ; and for expenses of administration, 7300/. In a tabular 

 statement the Board gives since the year 1890 the amount of 

 the Exchequer contribution from beer and spirit duties, out of 

 which the grant for technical education is made. From this it 

 appears that the amount now asked for technical education, 

 170,000/., will absorb almost the whole of the amount which 

 the Council will receive from the beer and spirit duties, which 

 is estimated for the ensuing year at 177,000/. The Council's 

 grants towards technical education in London have gradually 

 increased from the year 1892-93, when the grant was only 

 29,000/., up to the present year, when the grant was 150,000/. 

 For the ensuing year an additional 20,000/. is asked for. 



On Thursday last, at Grocers' Hall, the Speaker distributed 

 the awards gained by students attending the technical colleges 

 and schools which have been established by the City and 

 Guilds of London Institute, under the direct management of its 

 executive committee and maintained out of the funds of the 

 institute contributed by the Corporation and Livery companies 

 of the City of London. In the course of an address to the 

 company, the speaker expressed surprise that more -Englishmen 

 did not come forward to fill in their own country posts in which 

 a knowledge of chemistry was required. He confessed that, 

 speaking as an outsider, he did not understand why it was that 

 Germany was not only able to manufacture all the chemists . 

 she needed herself, but also to export to different parts of the 

 world fifty chemists for every one who was exported by this 

 country. He ventured to suggest, speaking in all humility, 

 that there was a large field in this direction for the youth of 

 England, if scientifically inclined. He thought it probable that 

 most of those present who were practically acquainted with 

 technical education would agree with him that they had not 

 done nearly as much in this matter — and chemistry was an 

 example of it — as they ought to do and would have to do. A 

 great deal had been done in the past ten or twenty years; but 



