May 5, 1881] 



NATURE 



19 



The new volume of the Gco^rapltisches yahrbuck is of great 

 value to scientific geography in its most comprehensive accei ta- 

 tion. Dr. Behm has been compelled to retire from the editor- 

 ship, and is succeeded by Prof. H. Wagner of Gottirgen, who, 

 we have no doubt, will maintain the yahrbuch at its previous 

 high standard. The first part is devoted to the various geo- 

 graphical sciences. The first paper is by Prof. Zbppritz, "On 

 the Present Standpoint of Physical Geography." This is fol- 

 lowed by an account of recent researches in geographical 

 meteorology by Dr. Haan ; and papers on the Geographical 

 Distribution of Animals and of Plants by Dr. Schwarda and 

 Dr. Oscar Drade respectively. Prof. Bruhns summarises recent 

 work in Europe in the measurement of degrees, and Herr 

 Auwers gives the latitudes and longitudes of 144 astronomical 

 observatories. Prof. F. v. Fritsch brings together recent in- 

 vestigations on the geographical distribution of geological for- 

 mations all the w orld over ; while Dr. v. Scherzer has his 

 usual account of the world's commerce, and Dr. Gerland 

 summarises recent advances in ethnological research. In the 

 second part, which deals with general matters. Dr. Wagner has 

 a thoughtful and useful article on the development of Methodik 

 in geography ; while, along with Ilerr Wichmann, he brings 

 together a good deal of information on geographical societies, 

 congresses, and journals. Thus it will be seen the new volume 

 contains much matter of permanent interest. 



We have received Nos. 6, 7, and S (in one thick volume) of 

 the Bulletin of the Union Geographique of the North of 

 France. M. Leon Lacroix has a long paper describing a plan 

 for the exploration of Central Africa, by the Welle, a project we 

 should much like to see carried out. M. Alf. Renouard, in a 

 paper on the Geography of Flax, brings together much curious 

 and useful information. Dr. Harmand's paper on the Races of 

 Indo China ought to interest ethnologists. Among the other 

 contents are papers on the French in Indo- China, by M. Suerus ; 

 Syria in i860, by M. Huberdeaux ; and a note on the Isthmus of 

 Panama, by M. V. Daburcq. 



The i)rincipal paper in the January number of the Bullelin of 

 the Paris Geographical Society {just received) is one of much 

 research, by M. Dutreuil de Rhins, on the routes between China 

 and India. 



The MittJieilungen of the Vienna Geographical Society con- 

 tain an account of a botanical excursion in the north of the 

 Caucasus-, by M. P. Muromtzoff, and a paper on the Floods of 

 the Winter of 1880-S1, by Baron Stefanovic von Vilovo. 



Under the title of " Istruzioni Scientifiche del Viaggiatori," 

 the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce 

 have issued a very full and carefully compiled manual of infor- 

 mation and instruction for travellers, edited by Signer Arturo 

 Issel, with the collaboration of several specialists. The manual 

 seems to us to combine the best features of all its predecessors 

 in other languages, and ought to be of real service to all travel- 

 lers who know Italian. It includes astronomy, meteorology, 

 geography, and topography, deep-sea exploration, geolo^iy and 

 paleontology, anthro|)ology and eihnology, zoology, botany, and 

 mineralogy. It is published under the auspices of the Italian 

 Geographical Society. 



Heft 4 of Band ii. of the Mitthtilungen of- the German 

 African Society contains communications from Dr. Biichner and 

 . Herr Flegel. The former has been doing a considerable amount 

 of exploration between the capital of Muato Janvo's kingdom 

 and the Congo, though his progress has been hindered by the 

 usual African difficulties. His collections have been very 

 numerous ; unfortunately several boxes of them have been lost 

 in the vessel in which they were being brought home, which 

 was wrecked during the recent gales in the Channel. Heir 

 Flege! has been doing some successful work on the lower and 

 middle N iger. 



Prof. Giuseppe Dalla Vedova has published the address 

 he gave on the inauguration of the Chair of Geography at 

 the University of Rome in November last. The subject is 

 the Popular and the Scientific Conception of Geography. He 

 shows that while the popular idea has its uses, the scientific 

 conception is the only basis on which the subject can be studied 

 with profit. He insists on the fact which has been frequently 

 expounded in these pages, that geography has really become a 

 sort of meeting-place for all the sciences, and that while topo- 

 graphy may form the groundwork, it requires a knowledge of 

 most of the physical and biological sciences to understand how 

 the surface of the earth has reached its present condition. 



Dr. Oscar Lenz has arrived in Berlin, where he has been 

 lecturing on his journey across the Sahara to Timbuctoo. 



After all there seems to be little doubt that the news of the 

 massacre of Col. Flatters and the other members of the Trans- 

 Saharan Expedition is too true. Of course the project of a rail- 

 way across the Sahara must be abandoned, in the meantime at 

 least. 



From Lcs Missions Catholiques we learn that news has at 

 length been received respecting Pere Law's expedition from 

 Gubuluwayo, in Matabele Land, to Umzila's country, which was 

 known to have met with some misfortune on the road. After 

 passing the Insimbi Mountains the party reached the Great Sabi 

 River, on the lower course of which we presume that Capt. 

 Phipson-Wybrants died. The expedition journeyed, with their 

 heavy waggon, along the left bank of the Sabi, meeting with 

 country so difficult to traverse that in some parts they had to 

 hew out of the rock a road for their waggon. Progress in this 

 manner was terribly slow, and when that part of the Mashona 

 country which owns some sort of allegiance to Umzila was 

 reached, difficulties increased, as the natives did all they could 

 to hinder their passage. Eventually on August 7, in a rugged 

 pass where, surrounded by Mashonas, the missionaries were all 

 doing their utmost to cut a road for the waggon, Pere Wehl, by 

 an accident not very clearly explained, got separated from his 

 companions and was never seen again, though later news seems 

 to have reached Gubuluwayo of his safety among a friendly 

 tribe. Pere Law and the rest of the party not unnaturally took 

 fright at this, and leaving their waggon, escaped from their savage 

 tormentors in the night. After about a fortnight's march they 

 contrived to reach Umzila's kraal in a state of great exhaustion 

 from fever and fatigue. They of course had to abandon almost 

 all their property with the waggon, but further supplies have 

 since been sent to (hem from Gubuluwayo. 



PfeRE Depelchin, the head of the mission station at Gubulu- 

 wayo, has been for some time absent on an expedition beyond 

 the Zambesi, and from his long silence it was thought that he 

 too must have met with some serious accident. He appears, 

 however, to have reached in safety an out-station at Tati in 

 Matabele Land, but no account of his adventures has yet been 

 received. 



Mr. McCall, of the Livingstone (Congo) Inland Mission, is 

 said to have formed a station at Manyanga, some 200 miles up 

 the Congo, above the Yellala Falls, and he has no doubt about 

 being able to reach Stanley Pool this year. The comparatively 

 rapid progress thus made by following the right bank of the 

 Congo will probably induce the Baptist Missionary Society's 

 party at San Salvador to alter their tactics and follow the line of 

 the river, instead of wasting their energies in fruitless attempts 

 to make their way by land through the hostile Makuta towns to 

 Makwekwe, on the left bank of the Congo, above Manyanga, 

 and so on to Stanley Pool. 



The French Geographical Society held its annual meeting on 

 Friday, April 29, when Admiral La Ronciere le Noury was 

 elected president. On the occasion of a proposal to erect a 

 monument to Col. Flatters and his companions it was resolved 

 to inscribe on tablets the names of all the martyrs of geography 

 who have lost their lives in any exploration in which the French 

 Geographical Society has been interested. 



Dr. O. F. von Mollendorff has just published separately 

 at Berlin ^Reimer) two maps which have been drawn from his 

 surveys by Dr. Kiepert for the Berlin Geographical Society's 

 Zeiischrift. One is an original map of the hill-country north 

 and west of Peking, while the other embodies routes in the 

 Chinese province of " Dshy-li^" and environs of Tientsin. Dr. 

 Mollendorff, as we have before mentioned, claims to be an 

 authority on the subject of the transliteration of Chinese sounds, 

 but we doubt if many people in this country will recognise in 

 " Dshy-li " the name of the metropolitan province (Chihli), and 

 yet the maps are issued with English titles. 



THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF 

 ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES^ 



THE lecturer began by referring to our obligations to labora- 

 tory workers and the necessity for a larger endowment of 

 original research. The applied science of the future lies in- 

 ' Abstract of a lecture delivered by Prof. John Perry at a meeting of the 

 Society of Arts, March 24. 



