458 



NATURE 



[March 15, 1894 



occupy a more prominent place than the physical 

 character of the country and the nature of the people, 

 the author doubtless consults the taste of the majority 

 of his readers in the arrangement. Besides, the really 

 .'i.iaable scientific results, due almost entirely to Lieut, 

 von Hohnel's skill and enthusiasm as an observer, 

 are well known to the scientific world from the admirably 

 precise memoir published shortly after the return of the 

 expedition. The casual reader of this more popular 

 work would hardly realise the magnitude of the services 

 rendered to African geography by the few modest re- 

 ferences to observations and collections made by the 

 author. Two appendices summarise County Teleki's 

 "bag," and the natural history collections. 1 he latter 

 comprise 12 reptiles or amphibia, 247 species of Cole- 

 optera, of which 60 are new to science, and 59 species of 

 Lepidoptera, including 15 that are new. The botanical 

 collections, named by Prof. G. Schweinfurth, include 

 171 species of phanerogams illustrating more than 50 



country. Many curious facts are mentioned incidentally 

 as to camp management. When the supplies ran short, 

 one of the Zanzibari head-men himself hit on the device 

 of paring down the wooden bowl which was used to 

 measure out the rice, so that day by day the rations were 

 reduced but the measure was always full. The Zanzibaris 

 being somewhat strict Mohammedan?, and having many 

 prejudices, were difficult to cater for ; they would only 

 eat elephant flesh when driven by severe hunger, and 

 threatened to starve rather than devour donkey. 



The reward for the increasing hardships came with the 

 discovery of Lake Rudolf, a noble sheet of water 1 70 miles 

 in length, probably the last of the greatest lakes to be 

 found in Africa. It lies in a region of strong volcanic 

 activity; a great mountain was seen, though not reached, 

 from the crater of which a cloud of smoke ascended, 

 and the scenery of some parts of the lake-shore suggest 

 an analogy with the lunar surface. The water was 

 brackish, or rather alkaline, containing sodium carbonate 



r (jbhiat Woman, 



Bum -Marie W oimn 



order?, and over 60 mosses and lichens, a large proportion 

 of them being new to science. 



While it is well to remember the solid contributions to 

 different branches of science made by the expedition, 

 the interest of the popular record inevitably centres in 

 the larger field of exploration, and especially in the 

 splendid discovery which supplies the title. The whole 

 first volume is filled with the journey through Masai-land 

 and the partial ascents of Mts. Kilimanjaro and Kenia, 

 which in the main confirm, although they occasionally 

 extend, the earlier records of Joseph Thomson and 

 Mayer. Volume ii. conducts the party from Lake 

 Baringo into the heart of the mysterious region which 

 separates the land draining to the Victoria Nyanza 

 from the Galla country and Somaliland. The 

 march northward was a work of vast difficulty, and its 

 success says much for the perseverance and fore- 

 sight of the leaders, for food was very scarce, and 

 water often altogether wanting, while the native guides 

 frequently caused much trouble by their ignorance of the 



NO. 1272, VOL. 49] 



in solution, so that when treated with tartaric acid it 

 made a refreshing drink. The shores were absolutely 

 barren, affording no food for cattle, and showed marks of 

 recent great upheaval, while the lake itself was without 

 outlet. After struggling along this land of volcanic 

 gloom at imminent risk of death by starvation, 

 the expedition reached the north end of Lake 

 Rudolf, crossed a fertile region inhabited by hospitable 

 tribes, and discovered Lake Stefanie, a smaller volcanic 

 basin, the water of which seemed to be rapidly diminish 

 ing in volume. Here it was necessary to return; there 

 were no maps of the country where the expedition was ; 

 no certainty of being able to gain the coast by the north 

 or east, and failing supplies of goods for barter compelled 

 a retreat on Lake Baringo and ihence to Mombasa. The 

 tribes of the Lake Rudolf region presented many points 

 of great interest, and still remain an ethnological problem, 

 although the observations of Lieut, von Hohnel on his 

 expedition with Mr. Astor Chanler, from which he has 

 recently been invalided home, mny be expected to throw 



