314 
aims the finding of the Pole. As to Captain Hall’s expeilitioa’ 
so far as we are aware, the high value of its results has been 
everywhere in this country gratefully acknowledged, as well as 
the indomitable bravery and enthusiasm and high intelligence of 
the leader ; one of its most important results, for which all men- 
of Science must be thankful, is that it has left the most prac- 
ticable path to the Pole no longer questionable. That the Fo/aris, 
however, was ill suited for ice-navigation, and that there was a 
want of that thorough discipline on board, without which no 
expedition of the kind can hope to be perfectly successful, 
we still maintain is borne out by what was elicited dur- 
ing the official investigation. We sincerely hope with Dr. 
Petermann that the magnanimity and liberality of the American 
Government will be the means of putting an end to the ‘‘ mere 
talk of Englishmen,” and of inducing our Government at last 
to set about organising on the most liberal scale an expedition to 
leave our shores in the spring of 1874. Other papers in the 
forthcoming number are ‘‘ With the Russian Army against 
Khiva,” being two letters to Dr. Petermann from Lieut. Hugo 
Stumm, of the Westphalian Hussar Regiment, and a paper by 
Dr. D. Sievers, dated Tiflis, May 7, full of geographical infor- 
mation of great importance. The same number will contain 
the conclusion of Baron von Richthofen’s account of his travels 
from Pekin to Sz’-tshwan. 
TuE last issued number (vii.) of Petermann’s JZ tleilungen 
-contains the conclusion of Ernest Marno’s Travels in High 
Sennaar; the Results of the Observations made during the 
voyage cf the Albert in November and December last, by Prof. 
Mohn, Director of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute ; 
and a well-constructed map of the Chinese Province of Kuang 
Tung, from native and foreign authorities, by Dr. Hirth, with 
accompanying description. 
Pror. AGASSIZ, in his address to the students, at the opening 
of the American School of Natural History, on Penikese Island, 
said :—‘‘ Our chief work will be to watch the aquarium. I 
want you to study principally marine animals. The only way to 
do that properly, is to have them alive by your side. Ina very 
few days I shall place at your disposal a series of these ap- 
pliances. I have ordered one for every person admitted to the 
school, so that each of you will have means to make these inves- 
tigations. I have never had, in my own laboratory, better 
opportunities for work than I place at your disposal. Our way 
of studying will be somewhat different from the instruction 
generally given in schools. I want to make it so very different, 
that it may appear that there is something left to be done in the 
system adopted in our public schools, I think that pupils are 
made too much to turn their attention to books, and the teacher 
is lefta simple machine of study, That should be done away 
with amongus. I shall never make you repeat what you have 
been told, but constantly ask you what you have seen yourselves.” 
The following men of science will, it is said, assist Prof. 
Agassiz in the conduct of his new charge :—Dr. Burt G. Wilder, 
of Cornell; Dr. A. S. Packard, of Peabody Academy of 
Science, Salem ; Count Pourtales, of the Coast Survey ; Prof. 
Waterhouse Hawkins, of England ; Paulus Roetter, artist of the 
Museum at Cambridge; Prof. Mitchell, of the Coast Survey ; 
Prof. Joseph S. Lovering, of Harvard University ; Prof. Fr. W. 
Putnam, of Peabody Academy of Science, Salem ; Prof. N. S. 
Shaler, of Harvard ; Prof. Arnold Guyot, of Princeton, N, J. ; 
Prof, Brown-Séquard, 
AccorDING to the Melbourne Argus, H.M.S. Basilisk, Capt. 
Moresby, while cruising in Torres Straits and neighbourhood for 
the suppression of the Polynesian labour traffic, has added a 
valuable fact to the knowledge we possessed of the geography of 
New Guinea by the discovery of a new port and harbour in lat. 
[Aug. 14, 1873 
9° 30’ S., lon. 147° 10' E., about 38 miles east of Redscar Bay, 
on the south-eastern coast. The discovery was made in February, 
when Captain Moresby, while searching for a river supposed to” 
flow into the sea east of Redscar Bay, entered an inlet which 
proved to be the entrance to a magnificent harbour, with an 
outer and inner anchorage, to which the names of Port 
Moresby and Fairfax Harbour haye been given. The natives 
are much lighter complexioned than those of the opposite coast, — 
and are evidently of a much more friendly disposition, 
A GREAT earthquake occurred at Valparaiso early on the 
morning of July 8. There were six shocks in succession. Many 
families took refuge in the streets, the damage to private houses 
as well as to the public buildings being considerable ; and many 
deaths were reported. A statue lately erected to Lord Cochrane 
was wheeled half round on its pedestal. The earthquake was 
observed to come from the east, and was felt as far south as 
Curico. 
THE Telegraphic Fournal intends to offer to its students from 
time to time prizes for the best and most carefully considered 
paper on a given subject. The first of these students’ prizes is 
one of 25/. to be awarded to the author of the best paper on 
‘*The Evidence of the Theory of Correlation of Physical lorces 
as applied to Electricity and Magnetism,” received by the editor 
of the journal on or before January 1st, 1874. The funds for 
this prize have been kindly given by Mr. Edward Sabine, C.E, 
The prize paper will be printed in the columns of the Ze/e- 
graphic Journal, 
WE understand that I,000/7. has been generously presented to 
the Oldham School of Science and Art, by Mrs. Platt, widow 
of the late John Platt, M.P., who was its founder in 1865, and 
life-president. Since the opening, its artisan students have 
gained four Whitworth Scholarships of 1oo/, each for three 
years (two have been awarded this year); two Whitworth 
Fellowships of 257, each; one Studentship at the Royal School 
of Mines; three gold, six silver, and five bronze Queen’s — 
Medals (the Medallists of 1873 are not yet announced), — 
Twenty-four artisan students were examined by the Department 
last May, in Inorganic Chemistry—eighteen passed (nine first 
class, nine second class)—and twelve in Laboratory Practice, 
The Committee have granted funds to enlarge the Chemical 
Laboratory, also to establish one for practical work in Heat, 
Steam, Light, and Acoustics.. Mr. J. T. Hibbert, M.P. for 
Oldham, has given a Local Scholarship of 25/, for the coming 
session. We have received a well-arranged time-table of Classes 
under the direction of Mr. Phythian, C.E., and Mr. Philip, M.A. 
In accordance with the resolution passed at the meeting, — 
noted in last week’s NATURE, for the promotion of technical 
education, at which H.R.H. the Prince of Wales presided, the 
Haberdasher’s Company have sent to Lord Lawrence, for 
distribution by the London School Board, the sum of 20/. as 
their contribution towards the purchase of tickets of admission to 
the International Exhibition. 
DuRING the month of October, we learn from the Journal of 
the Society of Arts, notwithstanding the Anarchical State of 
Spain, an exhibition is to beheld at Madrid, of national pro- 
ducts and manufactures, of agriculture, mines, chemicals, indus- 
tries, and graphic arts. Foreign products will be received by 
the executive at Madrid if carriage paid. Goods will be sold by 
the executive on a small commission charge. This is to be the — 
first of a proposed series of Spanish exhibitions. ‘ 
Pror. Cope sends us, as No, 14 of his ‘‘ Palzeontological 
Bulletins,” the description of two new mammals from the ter- 
tiary ‘fof the plains.” One, Aelurodon mustelinus, is only — 
known from some teeth of the molar series ; the other, dcera- 
herium megalodus, is represented by a perfect cranium with — 
