August 1 8, 1887] 



NATURE 



2>77 



observed and the recovery of light successfully watch'ed. The 

 next night seemed to show the commencement of another mini- 

 mum, but the star was low at the time of observation. The 

 epoch would appear therefore to be some aliquot part of eight 

 days ; if the observation of April 20 is accepted, it will be about 

 id. 3h. It is uncertain, as yet, whether the star has been 

 observed at actual minimum ; but the diminution of light 

 remarked has amounted to about half a magnitude. As the 

 star is the first certainly variable 'star in the constellation, it 

 will probably be called R Canis Majoris. The place of the 

 variable for 18750 is R.A. 7h. 13m. 49s., Decl. 16° 9'7 S. 



Mr. Sawyer gives in the same number of the Astronomical 

 fournal some observations of Y Cygni, the new Algol-type 

 variable discovered by Mr. Chandler last December. They 

 give a general confirmation of the period, viz. 2d. 23h. 56m., 

 deduced by Mr. Chandler from his own observations. 



I 



ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 

 WEEK 1887 AUGUST 21-27. 



/pOR the reckoning of time the civil day, commencing at 

 ^ Greenwich mean midnight, counting the hours on to 24, 



is here employed.) 



At Greenwich on Au^tst 21 

 Sun rises, 4h. 56m. ; souths, I2h. 3m. I'is. ; sets, igh. lom. ; 

 decl. on meridian, 12° 9' N. : Sidereal Time at Sunset, 

 lyh. 9m. 

 Moon (at First Quarter August 25, 2oh.) rises, 7h. 37m. ; souths, 

 I4h. lom. J sets, 2oh. 30m. ; decl. on meridian, 2" 55' N. 



Planet. 



Mercury 

 Venus ... 

 Mars ... 

 Jupiter... 

 Saturn... 



Rises, 

 h. m. 



3 15 

 8 39 



10 49 

 2 18 



South?, 

 h. m. 



10 54 



14 10 

 9 56 



15 57 

 10 13 



Sets, 

 h. m. 



18 3i 



19 41 

 18 I 



21 5 

 18 8 



Decl- on meridian. 



" 49 N. 

 18 S. 



49 N. 

 46 S. 

 16 N. 



Occultations of Stars by the Moon (visible at Greenwich). 



August. Star. 



22 ... 65 Virginis 

 27 ... B.A.C. 6081 

 August. h. 



M.ig. Disap. 



h. m. 

 20 34 



17 59 



Reap. 



h. m. 

 21 26 

 19 14 



Corresponding 

 angles from ver- 

 tex to right for 

 inverted image. 



... 92 307 

 ... 51 277 



2t ... 14 ... Venus in conjunction with and 9° 13' south 

 of the Moon. 



22 ... o ... Venus at greatest distance fiom the Sun. 



23 ... 13 ... Jupiter in conjunction with and 4'' 12' south 



of the Moon. 

 25 ... 2 ... Mercury at least distance from the Sun. 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. 



The Bollettino delta Societh Geografica Italiana for June 

 contains a valuable contribution to the study of the ethnical 

 relations in the Ogoway and Lower Congo basins, by the 

 Cavaliere A. Pecile, who was associated for three years witli 

 Count Giacomo di Brazza in his exploration of the new 

 French protectorate in the equatorial region north of the Congo. 

 All the multifarious tribes of this extensive region, which stretches 

 from the coast inland to the Ubangi affluent of the Congo, are 

 divided into two essentially distinct groups, that is to say (i) the 

 original settled populations, either aborigines in the strict sense 

 of the term, or such as have occupied their present homes 

 from prehistoric times ; and (2) those that have made their ap- 

 pearance in comparatively recent times on the Ogoway and 

 Lower Congo continually pressing forward from the interior 

 towards the coast. To the former group belong the Batekes, 

 Adumas, Avumbos, Mbocos, Ondumbos, Mboshi, and many 

 others ; to the latter the Bakales, Pauens (Fans), Okandas, and 

 Obambas of the Ogoway, and the Apfurus, Bayanzi, and others 

 of the Congo and its northern affluents. One of the most im- 

 portant results of the author's researches is the light that he 

 throws on this mysterious forward movement of the inland 

 tribes, which is not confined to the equatorial regions, but 

 extends almost uninterruptedly northwards to Upper Guinea and 

 Senegambia. Here the chief aggressive populations are the 

 Toucoulcurs (mixed Berbers), Fulahs, and Mandingans, all now 

 Mohammedans ; in the Ogoway and Congo basins the Bakales, 

 Fans, and Bayanzi, all still pagans, and mostly cannibals. These 

 have already reached the coast at many points, pressing forward 

 from a vast and almost impenetrable forest zone, which stretches 

 from the seaboard eastward probably to the Niam-Niam country 

 in the heart of the continent. But the author believes that he 

 has discovered the very cradle of the fierce Bakale and Fan 

 peoples about the head waters of the Ivindo (2° 30' N.), where 

 the old settlements still exist whence the first waves of migration 

 flowed westwards. This general westward movement is de- 

 scribed as taking place unconsciously, or through a sort of vague 

 instinct attracting the over-crowded inland populations towards 

 the centres of trade on the coast. Their interests naturally impel 

 them in the direction whence come the European commodities 

 so much coveted by all the inland populations. The Bakales 

 appear to have preceded the Fans by many years, their 

 migrations being chiefly directed towards the lagoons of the 

 Lower Ogoway, where they are now settled between the local 

 Galoa and Inenga tribes. The Bayanzi, who have acquired the 

 ascendency along the right bank of the Lower Congo, seem to 

 have come originally from the same regions as the Fans, whom 

 they resemble in physical appearance, character, language, and 

 usages. But while the latter are "land-lubbers," displaying 

 absolute horror of the water, the Bayanzi have always been great 

 fluvial navigators, to that their original home may have been the 

 Upper Ubangi, slowly advancing down this great artery to its 

 junction with the Congo. In general the settled aborigines are 

 of Macker complexion and more decided Negro type ; the in- 

 truders much fairer, taller, with more regular features, less woolly 

 hair, more animated and intelligent expression. At the same 

 time they are also more ferocious and very decided cannibals. 

 This point, about which some doubts had been expressed, 

 was confirmed in a startling way by the fate of three Aduma 

 boatmen belonging to the Expedition, who happened to be left 

 behind near a Fan village on the banks of the Ogoway, and 

 whose skeletons were afterwards found carefully picked (dili- 

 gentemente scarnati) by the villagers. The Fans are continually 

 on the look-out for captives to supply their cannibal feasts, 

 whereas the somewhat more pacific Batekes are anthropophagists 

 rather through the necessity of procuring a flesh diet in their 

 present territory, which is nearly destitute of large game. A 

 chief source of their supplies are the unfortunate slaves, or the 

 humbler members of the tribe, who are denounced by the 

 medicine-men as the cause of any calamity, such as the sickness 

 or death of a chief, and who are always sacrificed and eaten to 

 propitiate the evil spirits, and at the same time to satisfy the 

 craving for human flesh. 



THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 



'T'HE Manchester meeting of the British Association promises 



•*■ to be brilliantly successful. It will probably be attended 



by a larger number of persons than have been present at any 



