Oct. 31, 1878] 



NATURE 



697 



general run of the dififerences between calculation and 

 observation, incident probably in part to a sensible 

 excentricity, may be judged from the following results of 

 comparison with a few of the observations made with the 

 great refractor at Washington : — 



From the above elements we shall find for the times 

 of greatest elongation of Mimas eastward, 1878, October 

 31, at io*4h., November i at 9'oh., November 2 at 7*6h., 

 and November 3 at 6'2h., and at these times, the distance 

 of the satellite from the centre of Saturn about 30". 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 



Advices from Mr. John Carnegie, H.B.M. Consul at 

 Loanda, of September 9 ult., give most encouraging news 

 ■with respect to Mr. Heath's expedition to Angola. The 

 young explorer had enjoyed excellent health and had just 

 started on a six months' expedition up the River Bengo, 

 proceeding to Galungo Alto, and, if his health permitted, 

 returning by the Quanza River. The first small col- 

 lection of birds has been received from Matamba, on 

 the Rio Bengo, an account of which will shortly be laid 

 before the Zoological Society by Mr. Bowdler Sharpe. 

 As the result of a first month' s collecting it is creditable, 

 but the season of the year having been adverse, nothing 

 of any striking interest is contained in it. More may be 

 expected from the large case of specimens now on its 

 way to England. 



Many attempts have been made to penetrate into the 

 interior of Greenland from the west coast, but, until this 

 summer, with little success. Three Danish gentlemen, 

 Messrs. Jensen, Kornerup, and Groth, under the direction 

 of the Commission for scientific exploration in the Danish 

 colony, started to explore and survey the coast between 

 Godhaab and Frederikshaab. Lieut. Jensen took advan- 

 tage of the opportunity to make an excursion into the 

 interior over the ice. The aim was to reach several 

 mountain peaks rising out of the ice. The baggage was 

 placed in three small sledges of the travellers' own, and 

 the toilsome journey commenced on July 14. After two 

 days the loose snow accumulated on the surface of the ice 

 to such an extent that the journey became very dangerous, 

 while they continually sank in concealed crevasses and 

 holes, saving themselves only by adopting the Alpine 

 expedient of attaching themselves to each other with a 

 rope. The surface of the ice was generally undulating, 

 but there were also many rugged parts and chasms, which 

 rendered the journey a very difficult one. It was foggy 

 nearly the whole time, and on July 23 a snowstorm came 

 on. On the 24th the expedition reached the foot of the 

 mountain referred to above. Then came on another 

 storm which lasted for six days with continuous snow and 

 fog; the travellers were snow blind. The weather 

 cleared on the 31st, when the ascent of the mountain 

 might be undertaken with some prospect of success. The 

 height was estimated at about 5,000 feet above sea level, 

 and on the other side of the mountain, as far as the eye 

 could reach, ice sheets and glaciers were seen, and not 

 the smallest speck of land free of ice. After finishing 

 their observations the expedition returned, and reached 

 their starting-point on August 5, having been away for 

 twenty-three days. The mountain referred to was forty- 

 five miles from the coast. 



The discovery of a new island in the Polar Seas is 

 announced. E. Johannessen, who has just returned to 

 Tromso, reports that he penetrated a considerable dis- 



tance to the east, beyond NovayaZemlya. On September 

 3, in long. 65° E. and Tj"^ 35' N. lat., he discovered an 

 island which he has named " Ensomheden " (loneliness). 

 It is about ten miles long, and level, the highest point 

 not exceeding 100 feet. It was free from snow, with poor 

 vegetation, but an immense quantity of birds. The sea 

 was free from ice towards the west, north, and south, but 

 drift ice was seen towards the south-east. There was 

 evidence that the Gulf Stream touched the west coast of 

 the island ; the Stream runs in a strong current round the 

 north coast towards the south-east. Everything about the 

 ice was favourable for navigation so long as the vessel 

 did not go too near the mainland of Siberia. The newly- 

 discovered island lies, therefore, somewhat to the south- 

 east of the region visited by the Austrian expedition of 

 1873-4. It has been thought probable that a line of 

 islands in the latitude of this island extends along the 

 north coast of Asia. 



News has been received from Prof. Bastian, of Berlin, 

 that he safely arrived at Bushire, on the Persian Gulf, 

 via Teheran and Ispahan, and that he has thence con- 

 tinued his journey by sea. 



Lieut. Sandeberg, whose explorations in the Kola 

 Peninsula and the White Sea we have already referred 

 to, has returned to Sweden with numerous zoological 

 collections obtained during the past summer. Lieut. 

 Sandeberg finds the coast-waters between Varanger Fjord 

 and the White Sea extraordinarily rich in cod and 

 whales. 



The Deutsche Geographische Blatter of the Bremen 

 Society, No. 4, contains several items of interest, some of 

 which we note separately. There is a long and valuable 

 paper by Prof. Struder on a visit he made to Timor in 

 1875, and another on the results of the numerous voy- 

 ages to Siberia made this summer, all of which have 

 been so eminently successful that a regular summer 

 trade-route to the great Siberian rivers may now be held 

 as established. 



The Bulletin of the Geographical Society of Marseilles 

 for July- August contains an interesting account of the 

 little-known Island of Lamoo, on the African coast, 

 a few degrees north of Zanzibar. The island itself is 

 described, and a pretty full account given of its inhabit- 

 ants and their habits. 



A telegram from Hong-Kong states that the Chinese 

 authorities are contemplating the construction of a rail- 

 way from Taku to Tientsin, in order to facilitate com- 

 muHication with the capital and to avoid the difficulties 

 to navigation caused by the tortuous course of the Pei-ha 

 A rumour from the north in regard to this scheme was 

 published in the North China Herald of Shanghai, on 

 August 10, "with all due reservation," as it appeared 

 almost too good to be true. Our contemporary says that 

 the plan is believed to have been agreed upon last year,, 

 but delayed in execution because it had been hoped that 

 the plant of the condemned Shanghai and Woosung rail- 

 way could have been made partly available for the pur- 

 pose. This having been otherwise disposed of, it is said 

 to have been now determined to purchase new plant 

 throughout, and to press forward with the new line as 

 quickly as possible. Mr. Tong Kingsing, a well-known 

 Cantonese merchant, frequently employed by Li Hung- 

 chang, who is said to be the prime mover in this matter, 

 has been at the coal-mines in the north-east of the province 

 of Chihli for some time, but he is expected to return to 

 Tientsin shortly, when it is believed that immediate steps 

 will be taken concerning the new line. 



The Society of Geography of Paris held its first meeting 

 for the year 1878- 1879 o^^ Wednesday week, in its new 

 hotel, Boulevard St. Germain, No. 194. The mimber of 

 members present exceeded 200. M. Ouatrefages, president 

 of the Section Centrale, was in the chair, and gave an 

 address, in which he congratulated his fellow members 



