Jan. 23, 1879] 



NA2URE 



271 



fathoms under 71" N. lat, this denser and cold current is 

 compelled to change its direction, and makes its way 

 between the Gulf Stream and the shore ; hence the low tem- 

 peratures and great density of water at the Lapland coast, 

 in the space between Svyatoy Nos and the Seven Islands. 

 The density of the eastern (North Cape) branch of the 

 Gulf Stream (ro25 to 1*026, figures which correspond to 

 a percentage of salt of from 3-28 to 3'4i), seems to be 

 smaller than that of the Spitzbergen branch, where 

 Nordenskjold has found apercentage of salt as highas3"625. 

 As to the White Sea, M. Grigorieff denies the entrance of a 

 branch of the Gulf Stream into that sea, as was supposed 

 some years ago by Prof. MiddendorfF ; the Gulf Stream 

 does not penetrate further than the Gulf of Mezen, and 

 the warm temperatures observed by Middendorff are due 

 to purely local causes. On the contrary, a cold polar 

 current enters the White Sea along the Tersky coast, 

 whilst the current which flows out of the sea into the 

 ocean, follows the Winter and Kanin Coasts. The water 

 of the White Sea on the whole has a very low tempera- 

 ture, especially in the deeper parts ; on depths more 

 than 100 fathoms the temperature is always below 32' 

 Fahr., and this, because] of the great loss of heat during 

 the long winter. Altogether, the observations having 

 been made and computed ver>- carefully, and pub- 

 lished in extenso in the Isvestia^ are a real acquisition 

 to science. 



Two new expeditions to Central Asia are planned in 

 Russia for the next spring. The first, by CoL Prjvalsky, 

 to Hlassa in Thibet, and thence to Afghanistan ; and the 

 other, by M. Blumenfeld, a German savant who has 

 studied in Russia, for botanical and geological explora- 

 tions ; M. Blumenfeld will follow nearly the same route 

 as that proposed by M. Prjvalsk\'. 



UxDER the title of "D'Orenbourg a Samarkand" 

 Madame de Ujfalvy has commenced in the Totir du 

 Monde an illustrated account of her travels in Ferghanah 

 and Western Siberia. Leroux, of Paris, has just brought 

 cut the first volume of M. de Ujfalvy' s account of the 

 results obtained during his mission. These results are 

 mainly ethnological, and contain many observations and 

 careful and detailed measurements of a large number 

 of individuals representing the various races of that 

 part of Central Asia visited by the traveller and his 

 wife. 



During the year 1S7S the following accounts of 

 Russian exploration were published in Russia : that of Col. 

 Prjvalsky to Lob-Nor, now translated into English ; 

 of M. Wojeikoff in India and Japan ; rather literary than 

 scientific is that of M. Minayeff on his journey to India, 

 which contains very interesting observations on Buddhism ; 

 of M. Ogorodnikoff to Persia, giving among other data 

 an account of the trade-routes to Persia and Afghanistan ; 

 and of M. Skalkofsky to Eastern Asia and California. 



As Sir H. Rawlinson has announced his intention of 

 delivering an address at the next meeting of the Geo- 

 graphical Society, on the road to Merv from the Caspian, 

 it will not be without interest to note some particulars 

 respecting the earlier part of the route, as far as the 

 Tekke fort of Kizil Arvad, from an account lately fur- 

 nished to the Moscow Gazette by a writer who appears to 

 have been attached to General Llamakin's staff. The 

 party were obliged to strike eastwards from the Chikishliar 

 littoral by a road which has never yet been described, but 

 which is the most practicable route to the Attrek, the 

 bank of that river, from its mouth at Hassan-Kuli Bay 

 almost to Bait Adji, being bordered by inapproachable 

 morasses. The ground traversed was at first covered 

 with shells, but soon presented the appearance of a salt 

 marsh petrified by the sun ; then, after a stretch of sand, 

 firmer soil was met with. No water was found until the 

 wells of Karadji-BatjT were reached. About twelve versts 



from the wells the party arrived at the gates, as it were, 

 of an enormous wall, which bore a greater resemblance 

 to an artificial structure than to a natural conformation 

 of the soil. Three versts further on the valley of the 

 Attrek appeared in sight, with the river itself winding 

 between high and verdant banks. Here is Bayat-Adji, a 

 name which is also applied to the whole of the surround- 

 ing country. From this spot the party proceeded up th"; 

 Attrek to Chat or Chad, following an excellent road. 

 About ten versts before reaching Chat the road tiuned to 

 the left, leaving the Attrek at a point where there are 

 large auls, or settlements of the Atabai tribe. At length 

 Chat was reached, and it is described as the most repul- 

 sive place along the whole Attrek, although from a 

 strategical point of view the most important, because it 

 is here that the River Sumbar (which Capt. Napier calls 

 the Sunt) flows into the Attrek, and the delta might be 

 made an impregnable position. Fifty versts above Chat 

 two enormous rocks rise out of the Attrek, forming a 

 sharp delimitation of the geological structure of the 

 countn-. This place is called Su-Sium ; after this point 

 the road is impassable for camels, and 10 versts further 

 on is difficult even for horses ; 100 versts beyond Chat 

 the course of the Attrek can only be followed on foot, and 

 it would take three months to make the road practicable. 

 In consequence of the difficulties mentioned, the party 

 was obliged to abandon the course of the Attrek at Su- 

 Sium, and to strike a new road. After making the 

 necessary surveys they turned to the left at a place 

 called Alun-Yak, and proceeded over the high Sugundag 

 chain. The ascent and descent of the Sugundag extends 

 over a distance of 16 rersts, the descent terminating at 

 the small River Chandyr, which falls into the Sumbar. 

 Twenty-five versts from Chat the party crossed the Sum- 

 bar, and marching between that rirer and the Chandyr, 

 reached an elevated mountain called Bek-Tepe, belonging 

 to the spurs of the Kurindag. Leaving the Sumbar they 

 proceeded through the waterless defiles of the Ters 

 Akon, and through the Morgo defile (belonging to the 

 Kaplandag range), and reached the ruins of Hadjan- 

 Kala, near the Tekk^ fort of Kizil Arvad- The road 

 through the defiles presents many difficulties, and only 

 two horses can proceed along it abreast, but it is thought 

 that a good road could be made without much trouble or 

 expense. 



The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge pub- 

 lishes a very excellent small wall-map of Africa, by 

 Stanford, containing all the most recent discoveries and 

 useful both for teaching and general purposes. 



Ox January 25 the Geographical Society of Paris will 

 hold a public reception in the large hall of the Sorbonne, 

 in honour of MM. de Brazza and Ballay, the two French 

 Ogowe explorers. The great medal for 1879 '"'iil be 

 delivered on this occasion by Admiral La Ronciere 

 le Nourrj-, the president of the Society. 



No. 78 of the Zeitschri/t of the Berlin Geographical 

 Society contains a careful geographical and statistical 

 study on the Brazilian province of Rio Grande do Sul, by 

 M. Bescharn. Botanical students will be interested in 

 Dr. Klunzingers elaborate paper on "The Vegetation of 

 the Arabian Desert near Koseir." This number con- 

 tains a carefully arranged, most complete, and valu- 

 able bibliography of geographical literature and carto- 

 graphv for the year from November, 1877, to November, 

 1878. 



No. 3 of Globus of this year contains a fine illustration 

 of the wonderful reclining statuary figure of Chac-Mool, 

 unearthed in Yucatan some time ago by M. le Plongeon, 

 The same number contains the sixth contribution of 

 Herr Zehme to a rhumi of recent exploration in 

 Arabia. 



