Auj^. 26, 1875] 



NA TURE 



333 



all parts of the world ; that very fair libraries are acces- 

 sible at Singapore and Batavia ; and that, at the latter 

 place, scientific papers can be published in French, Ger- 

 man, or Dutch, in the NaUiurkundi^^ Tijdschrift, while 



^ the Joiirtial 0/ Eastern Asia, of Singapore, publishes 



' similar works in English. 



" In the hope that you may be one of those who will 

 make use of my ' Tampat Senang,' I remain, with all 

 respect and friendship, " N. N. Mikluho-Maclay 



" 28th April, 1875, Istana Johore, 

 "Residence of H.H. the Maharajah of Johore." 



" In life, as in ever\'thing else, it is important to distin- 

 guish main points fiom secondary matter, and to act 

 accordingly. Main points always remain main points, 

 however important secondary objects may sometimes be. 

 On account of this evidently coirecc view, 1 continue 

 my journey into the interior of the Maliyian peninsula, 

 as my health is improving ; to-morrow I shall go to 

 Pahang, and for the moment I give up building the 

 ' Tampat Senang.' It is possible that I must try and 

 find some other locality than Johore for this, because 

 the Maharajah of Johore, after nearly two months' 

 talking, in which time I had made out ail the plans 

 and had completely gone tlirough all the details of the 

 proposed building, has at last declared to me that he 

 only could let me have that tract of land which 1 had 

 chosen for the ' Tampat Senang' for a ctrtain number 

 of years, and that he must retain certain lights on the 

 same. As all this does not agree with my plans, and as 

 the locality is not of decisive impottance, I shall, in case 

 the Maharajah does not decide differently, construct my 

 ' Tampat Senang ' somewhere else. 



" I consider the foundation of Zoological Stations in the 

 tropics (however simply and poojly they may be fitted 

 out, if they are otherwise quiet and comfortable places 

 for work) as of the greatest importance for zoology and 

 botany, since museum collections and preparations in 

 spirits cannot afford sufficient material for mvestigation 

 either with regard to quantity or quality. 



" I have sent a proposal to the Society of Naturalists at 

 Batavid, to found a 'Tampat Senang" for naturalists 

 in the Moluccas (at Amboina or at Ttrnate), and I mtend 

 to send similar proposals to scientific societies at Cal- 

 cutta, and m Australia, and to some friends in Chile. If 

 Russian Societies of Naturalists assist me I intend 

 eventually to found a Zoological Station at the Sea of 

 Ochotsk, or on the Pacific Ocean, myself. 



" Zoological Stations in the Moluccas, in the Himalayan 

 Mountains, in Tasmania, in the Fiji Islands, in Magel- 

 lan's Straits, in Kamischaika, &c., will yield not a few 

 important results for all natural sciences. These 

 stations will be particularly important for those natura- 

 lists who travel not only as tourists or as trade travellers 

 of science, as it were, but who are engaged on some 

 special work which requires large and fiesh materials. 

 Upon my return (which, however, is very uncertain at 

 present) I will communicate to you my plans on the 

 'Tampat Senang' (the name seems to me to be quite 

 appropriate) in detail. As it seems to me, they must be 

 somewhat ditilerent from such Zoological Stations as your 

 own at Naples, or we shall have to wait too long for their 

 foundation. On my part 1 shall do all in my power for 

 the carrying out of this idea, which nevertheless roust 

 remain a secondary (although important) object for 

 myself. 



•' The day before yesterday I read in Nature of May 6 

 of the official inauguration of your station at Naples, with 

 much pleasure, and amongst the names I found those of 

 several friends and acquaintances ; so that I am led to 

 hope that the scientific world will be interested in the 

 * Tampat Senang' in other parts of the globe. 



J. It is a matter of course that what I expect from my future "Tampat 

 Senang" cannot apply to others. Only mine shall remain true toils name, 

 whether built at Johore, or at the Maclay coast in New Guinea. 



" My kindest regards to yourself and all workers at the 

 Zoological Station of Naples. 



" N. N. Mikluho-Maclay 

 " Istana, Johore, 9th May (June ?) 187? " 



THE VATNA JOKULL, ICELAND 

 'yHE following letter from Mr. W. J.. Watts in 

 reference to his journey across the Vatna Jokull 

 has been forwarded to us by Mr. Logan Lobley, As we 

 noted last week, this is the first time the Vatna Jokull has 

 been crossed. The letter is dated " Grierestadir, by Jokull 

 sa a fjollum (Iceland), July 12, 1875." 



" I am happy to say I have crossed the Vatna Jokull. 

 It occupied between fifteen and sixteen days in bad 

 weather. Eurifla is by no means the highest mountain 

 in Iceland ; my aneroids registered 1,250 feet above 

 Euriffa's height, subject to their correction upon my 

 return to England. 



'• I feel certain that the Jokulls of Iceland are advancing 

 at a considerable speed. The part cf the Vatua Jokull, 

 in the south of Iceland, called Breiihamerker Jokull, has 

 advanced about one mile and a half since the loth of 

 May last, and threatens to cut off all communication 

 in that direction along the shore. I think, however, its 

 rapid advance is not, as the natives believe, owing to 

 volcanic heat in the Vatna Jokull, but that it is caused 

 simply by the vast increase of frozen material upon its 

 cloud and storm-wrapped heights. This accumulation 

 above the height of 5,000 feet goes on both in summer 

 and winter, and below for another thousand feet the waste 

 during the summer months by no means equals the accu- 

 mulation during the rest of the year. The glacier at 

 the north point, at which descended, by Kistufell has 

 advanced about twelve mites since the making of Olsen's 

 map of 1844, diverting the course of the Jokull sd d 

 fjollum and causing it to rise about twelve miles from 

 where it appears to do upon the map, i.e. about eleven 

 miles N.E. of Kistufell and twelve NN.W. of Kverker 

 Jokull, instead of at the base of Kistufell. The grand 

 old wattr-course it has vacated Ibims an excellent road 

 for several miles. I feel sure Iceland must slowly but 

 surely in course of time succumb to the same fate as 

 befell the Greenland colonies. 



"I am no«v about to proceed to the active volcanoes 

 upon the north of Vatna Jokull. They are situated in the 

 part of the Odalters-brauu called Dyngurfjdllum, and as 

 1 expect in the Kverker Jokull. I shall have no time to 

 hunt for any more this year, but if time will allow I shall 

 visit the source of the great lava stream of Skaptar 

 Jokull, a mountain I saw from the Vatna Jokull, situated 

 in its S.W. limb, which I think may repay inspection ; and 

 the lignite in the N.W. of Iceland. 



"The destruction wrought by the eruptions of last 

 winter is considerable. Several farms have been ruined by 

 pumice and ash. Poor, dirty, interesting Iceland ! both 

 fire and water, the latter in all its forms, appear to con- 

 spire against ic." 



ON AN IMPROVED OPTICAL ARRANGE^ 

 ME NT l-OR AZIMUIHAL CONDENSING 

 APPARATUS EOR LIGh J HOUSES 



r^RDINARY optical apparatus adapted for a lighthouse which 

 ^^ has to illuminate the whole horizon, as at rock or insular 

 stations, is unsuitable for stations situate on the coast line, or in 

 narrow sounds, where the light has in some azimuths to be seen 

 at great distances, in others at smaller, and where towards the 

 land no light is wanted at all. The problem in such cases is to 

 allocate the rays in the different azimuths in proportion to the 

 distances and breadths of sea in which the light requires to be 

 seen in those directions by the sailor. Before 1855 no attempt 



