Oct. 28, 1875J 



NATURE 



563 



details. The Italian expedition is to be divided into two sec- 

 tions ; one is to set out from the Gulf of Aden for Tajurra, or 

 Berbera, or some other port on the eastern coast of Africa, pro- 

 ceed to Shoa, and thence to Kaffa ; and from this great slave 

 market it would make its way through an unexplored region to 

 the central lakes, studying the hydrographic course of the eastern 

 Nile. The other party would take its start from Khartoum, and, 

 exploring the region lying between Monboottoo and the Victoria 

 Nyanza, push on, if it be practicable, as far as the great valley 

 of Lualaba, discovered by Livingstone. The first-mentioned 

 section of the expedition will be commanded by the Marquis 

 Antinori, one of the vice-presidents of the Geographical Society, 

 a distinguished ornithologist, who has spent several years in 

 Central Africa, and whose travels in that region have won him a 

 widespread reputation. He is now about seventy years old. 

 The other section will be under the guidance of Ademoli, also 

 familiar with the districts he proposes to explore, a young, brave, 

 and strong man, known for his enthusiasm in the work of disco- 

 very, to which he has devoted himself. 



Further correspondence from members of the English Arctic 

 Expedition confirms the news brought home by the Pandora 

 that an unusually easy passage had been made to within 100 

 miles of the entrance to Smith Sound, and it is even expected 

 ikat if circumstances continue equally favourable the pole may 

 be reached this year. The expedition is not expected home, 

 however, till the end of 1877. On July 23, the Alert met with 

 the first accident ; she went on shore on a small island off 

 Kingitok, but was floated off without injury as the tide rose. 



Last week we gave an abstract of Lieut. Weyprecht's paper 

 on the principles which ought to guide Arctic exploration. 

 Now it is stated that the Scientific Commission appointed by 

 the German Government has reported, we believe in conse- 

 quence of this paper, against the expediency of a fresh Polar 

 Expedition, but has recommended the establishment of stations 

 of observation in both hemispheres. 



A PAPER of considerable interest, by Dr. Daniel Wilson, 

 has been reprinted from the Canadian Joiirnal. Its title 

 is " Hybridity and Absorption' in relation to the Red Indian 

 Race." Dr. "Wilson, while of course admitting the patent 

 fact that the American Indians, like most other barbarous 

 races, have largely melted away before the white races, 

 thinks that in accounting for this too much stress has 

 been laid on mere extermination. He adduces data to prove 

 that a very considerable proportion of red blood has been 

 absorbed into the whites of North America, and that especially 

 in the Canadian Dominion this shows itself in the physiognomy 

 of all classes. It would be difficult, he believes, to find either 

 in the United States or in Canada many Indians of pure breed. 

 In Canada half-breeds are the almost universal representatives of 

 the lormer Indian tribes, and many of them are settling down to 

 a steady civilised life. In short. Dr. Wilson has what appears 

 to us a well-founded belief that the aborigines of North America 

 are being gradually absorbed into the dominant race, and that in 

 course of time they will have become as integral a part of the 

 population as any one of the elements which may be traced in 

 the population of Europe, and that their physical and mental 

 characteristics will tell upon the American character — just as 

 Melanochroic attributes have left marked traces on the intrusive 

 Xanthochroic European peoples. Fortunately the evidence gives 

 good ground for believing that this influence is decidedly good, 

 physically and intellectually. The characteristic " Brother Jona- 

 than " face, which is generally attributed to influences of climate, 

 soil, food, &c., Dr. Wilson is inclined to attribute to a decided 

 admixture of Indian blood ; probably both causes have had to 

 do with it. Dr. Wilson rightly advocates the most judicious and 



humane treatment of the Indians both by the U.S. and Canadian 

 Governments. 



The opening lecture of this session's Manchester Science 

 Lectures for the People, the charge for admission to which is 

 only one penny, was given on Tuesday last by Capt. Davis on 

 " Arctic Discoveries." The other '.lectures are as follows :— Prof. 

 Rucker on "Soap Bubbles;" R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.L.S., on 

 "The Birds of the Globe ; " Prof. J. Martin Duncan, F.R.S., on 

 "The Great Extinct Quadrupeds ; " Prof. Thorpe, F.R.S.E,, 

 on " Cavendish and his Discoveries ;" Prof. Ferrier, F.R.S., on 

 "The Functions of the Brains;" Prof. Henry E. Armstrong, 

 on "Food ; " William Pengelly, F.R.S., on " The Age of the 

 Men of Kent's Cave." Part IL 



A CIRCULAR, signed by Mr. W. Melton, who is judicial 

 assessor on the Gold Coast, was issued last month by order of 

 the Governor, " To the native kings, chiefs, captains, headmen, 

 and principal men of the Gold Coast Colony," pointing out that 

 "it is most desirable that the Gold Coast Colony should be well 

 represented at the forthcoming International Exhibition at Phila- 

 delphia," and asking them to give all assistance in their power in 

 sending contributions and collecting articles illustrative of the 

 countries and districts over which they preside. Mr. Melton 

 has issued a classified schedule of articles suitable for exhibi- 

 tion. Department I. Materials in their unwrought condition, 

 mineral, vegetable, and animal. II. Materials and manufac- 

 tures, the result of extractive or combining processes. HI. 

 Textile and felted fabrics, apparel, costumes, and ornaments for 

 the person. IV. Furniture and manufactures of general use in 

 construction and dwellings. V. Tools, implements, machines, 

 and processes. VI. Boats and sailing vessels. VII. Appa- 

 ratus and methods for the increase and diffusion of knowledge. 

 VHI. (Not represented). IX. Plaster and graphic arts. As 

 the arrangements are, we are told, in vigorous hands, and it is 

 announced to the "native kings, chiefs," &c., that they may be 

 reimbursed for any outlay they make, it is expected the collec- 

 tion from this colony will be extensive and interesting. In con- 

 nection with this, Schweinfurth's "Artes Africans," just pub- 

 lished, is of interest : we shall give an early notice of this 

 work. 



In reference to a recent note, p. 461, we are glad to see that 

 at the Brighton meeting of the Social Science Association a reso- 

 lution was passed requesting the Council to communicate with 

 the authorities of the Science and Art Department of the Privy 

 Council, suggesting the desirableness of making "Foods, their 

 uses and preparation," the subject of examination. 



It seems that a good deal of the tobacco used in the manu- 

 facture of the so-called Havana cigars in Germany comes from 

 Colombia, principally from Jiron, Ambalema, and Palmira, and 

 that its quality is not of the first mark. Tobacco is also 

 cultivated in the State of Bolivar, and is exported for a 

 similar use. 



Mr. Amos Sawyer contributes a short though interesting 

 article to the Transactions of the Academy of Science of St. Louis 

 on the cause of climatic change in Illinois. Daring the last 

 twenty years, he says, the climate has been slowly, but surely, 

 changing from wet to dry ; and although this change has been 

 beneficial from a sanitary point of view, agriculturally considered 

 it has been, and will hereafter prove to be, a great obstacle to the 

 successful cultivation of the soil. The most important agent, in 

 Mr. Sawyer's opinion, is what he calls the aqueous agent. The 

 chemical and mechanical effects of this agency are constantly at 

 work, and the result is plainly visible in the deepening of the 

 channel of all the small streams. At the present time all the 

 prairie land is in cultivation, or used as pasture ; the ponds and 

 small lakes have become so fiHed up that they contain less than 



