y-uly 17, 1879] 



NATURE 



271 



of the directions in which the upper clouds (cirri) were 

 observed to move during the year with the dates, and the 

 direction and force of the surface winds at the same 

 times. The meteorological observations made at Kergue- 

 len Island during the Transit of Venus Expedition have 

 been discussed, together with those made on board the 

 Challenger and the Erebus and Terror; and the three 

 series of results have been handed over to the Meteoro- 

 logical Office for publication. Their appearance will be 

 looked forward to with the greatest interest on account of 

 the well-marked and extraordinary differences between 

 the daily fluctuations at Kerguelen Island and those in 

 similar latitudes of the northern hemisphere. An ex- 

 tremely interesting table is given showing the monthly 

 rainfall for the thirty years ending 1877. The results 

 show a maximum in October and a minimum in April 

 and May, which agree with the same phases of the rainfall 

 over similarly situated places in this part of Great Britain. 

 The curves of amount and frequency of rainfall show an 

 increase during the past twenty years. They show also 

 a minimum about 1855, and, though not a minimum, yet 

 a distinctly marked depression about 1866, the next 

 minimum sun-spot. 



From the " Results of the Rain Observations made in 

 New South Wales during 1878," just published under the 

 superintendence of Mr. Russell, Government Astronomer, 

 we learn with extreme satisfaction that this important 

 element of climate is now being observed at ninety-six 

 stations, fairly well distributed over the Colony. A large 

 map accompanies the report, showing the positions of 

 the rain-stations by black circles, the size of which are 

 proportional to the amount of the rainfall for the year, the 

 largest being Fort Macquarie, on the coast, representing 

 62'5o inches, and the smallest Lake Boulka, 5-61 inches. 

 Setting aside a few local deviations, due to physical 

 configuration, and probably in one or two cases to 

 the shortness of the period (one year), the amounts 

 show, as was to have been looked for, a gradual 

 diminution from the coast inland. The manner and 

 amount of this diminution over the different districts 

 the observations of future years will disclose. The results 

 of this system of observation, taken in connection with 

 the systems of Queensland, South Australia, West Aus- 

 tralia, and Victoria, will in a few years go far to solve the 

 important practical problem of the distribution of the 

 rainfall over Australia. An interesting table is given of 

 the mean height above summer level of the Murray River 

 at Echuca, thirty miles south of Ueniliquin, from 1863 to 

 1878. The annual amounts show decided minima about 

 1866 and 1877, separated by a maximum about 1871 ; and 

 the monthly amounts a great excess from July to Decem- 

 ber, when the mean height above summer level is 17 J feet, 

 as compared with 5 J feet of mean height during the other 

 six months. The annual maximum floods varied from 

 i8Jfeet in 1855 and 1877 to 38 feet in 1870, and the 

 average date of their occurrence is early in October. 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 



In its issue for July the Financial and Mercantile 

 Gazette of Lisbon publishes a map of a portion of Africa, 

 for which it is indebted to the courtesy of Major Serpa 

 Pinto, and on which that explorer's course through the 

 Dark Continent is laid down. The map is rendered the 

 more mteresting by the fact that it also shows the routes 

 followed by Livingstone, Cameron, and Stanley. Last 

 night, as we intimated last week. Lord Northbrook, as 

 President of the Geographical Society, gave a reception 

 in Major Pinto's honour, at which a large number of 

 eminent geographers and others were present. 



The Tlemcen Courricr (Algeria) describes a large sub- 

 terranean lake recently discovered at the Cascades of 



Tlemcen. The opening seems to have been brought to 

 light by some workmen who blasted a large rock at the 

 Cascades. Entering in a rude boat the cave thus exposed 

 they sailed for about three kilometres by the aid of 

 torches, which revealed magnificent stalagmitic columns 

 joining the roof and the bed of the lake. The other end 

 of the lake seems to give off a stream at Sebdou supposed 

 to form the source of the Tafna. The account given by 

 the Courrier is rather vague. It states the lake abounds 

 with blind fish, many of which were caught. 



The first number has reached us of a new monthly 

 periodical, entitled L' Afrigue explorle ct civilisee 

 (Geneva : Sandoz), to the prospectus of which we referred 

 recently. It does not contain much new information, 

 except, perhaps, as regards the Belgian Congo flotilla, the 

 proceedings of which we shall watch with great interest. 

 With the endless misfortunes of the International Asso- 

 ciation' s land expedition in Eastern Africa before our 

 eyes, we fear that great things must not be expected, un- 

 less, indeed, Mr. Stanley be eventually placed in supreme 

 command. The number contains a map of the continent, 

 which has been specially prepared by Lieut.-Col. Adan, 

 the head of the military cartographical establishment at 

 Brussels, and on which are shown the routes of recent 

 explorers of Africa. 



The Colonies and India furnishes some interesting in- 

 formation in regard to the geographical aspects of the 

 scheme for constructing a railway across the Sahara from 

 Algeria to Timbuktu. An expedition is to start in Sep- 

 tember to make a careful survey of the route, and in order 

 that it may be supplied beforehand with the best informa- 

 tion procurable, prizes to the value of 200/. are offered for 

 the best papers descriptive of the country between Golaeh 

 and Timbuktu. Opinions appear to be conflicting as to 

 the practicability of the scheme. M. Soleillet, whose re- 

 cent journey in West Africa we have before alluded to, 

 thinks unfavourably of it ; but MM. Foureau and Fau, 

 who have lately explored a large part of the country south 

 of Algeria, aver that the so-called desert is hardly a 

 desert at all. 



• Under the title of " Le Laos et les Populations sau- 

 vages de I'lndo-Chine," the Tour dti Monde has just 

 commenced the publication of an account by Dr. Har- 

 mand of his travels in the interior of the Indo-Chinese 

 peninsula in 1877. The narrative is illustrated by well- 

 executed and interesting engravings from sketches and 

 other material furnished by the author. 



The leading paper in the June number of the Bulletin 

 of the Paris Geographical Society is an Introduction to the 

 Monuments of Geography by the late M. Jomard, edited 

 by M. E. Cortambert ; the present instalment is mainly a 

 history of the progress in the art of map construction. 

 M. Opegez describes a journey made by himself and some 

 companions from Buenos Ayres to Jackal at the foot of 

 the Andes, and Prof. Paul Chaix contributes interesting 

 notes on Siam, an Egyptian Calendar, and the First 

 Meridian ; he does not see any inconvenience in the 

 present variety of first meridians. We are glad to see 

 that the Bulletin is getting more and more prompt in 

 publication. 



In No. 81 of the Zeitschri/t oi ths Berlin Geographical 

 Society Herr K. Himly treats at considerable length of 

 two Chinese cartographical works, and Herr Beuster, a 

 German missionary, gives the result of his observations on 

 the Vaincnda, an African people settled in the north-east 

 of the Transvaal " Republic," as he still calls this British 

 possession. The Verhandlungeu of the same Society, 

 No. 6, contains a paper by Dr. Junker on his three years' 

 travels in Central Africa ; while Dr. Kiepert briefly de- 

 scribes some recent explorations to the north-east of the 

 Caspian Sea, hitherto bnt imperfectly known. 



