— 
Nov. 2, 1882 | 
NATURE 2y 
following elements, the second set being the result of the cor- 
rected value for the ratio of the curtate distances at the extreme 
observations, though the representation of the middle place is 
not sensibly improved thereby :— 
Perihelion passage, Sept. 24°2778 G.M.T. | Sept. 240912 
Long. of perihelion... 234 42°6 232 21°5 
re ascending node 350 2°4 354 50°9 
Inclination sce 29 II'5 29 41'9 
Log. perihelion distance 811394 8-26678 
Motion—retrograde, Retrograde. 
The general resemblance of these elements to those of the 
great comet, will excite remark. The middle observation shows 
a difference from computation of — 6''2 in right ascension, and 
— 3''2 in declination by the second orbit ; perhaps unavoidable 
error in an estimated place, or vagueness of the nebulosity may 
account for the differences, yet Dr. Schmidt speaks of having 
observed ‘‘Die Positionen des eines Kernes des seitlichen 
Neb:ls.” Further, it may be observed that the orhit in which 
the great comet is now moving does not accord with the positions 
given by Dr. Schmidt : thus with the last elements published in 
NatTuRE, the observed and computed right ascension on Octo- 
ber 9 will agree if the perihelion passage be assumed to have 
occurred September 13°732, but the calculated declination is 
north of that observed by 1° 39’, and for the observation on 
October 11, the calculation is in error +1° 56’ in right ascension 
and +2° 31’ in declination, Nevertheless the general similarity 
in the arrangement of the elements suggests a past connection of 
the two bodies, and it may be hoped that further light will be 
thrown upon the question, if either earlier or later observations 
of Dr. Schmidt’s object are forthcoming. 
Comet 1882 4.,—In an unusually clear sky for the season on 
the {morning of October 23, a fine view of this comet was 
obtained in the vicinity of London; the length of the more 
definite portion of the tail was about 164°. At 5 a.m. on 
October 30, with strong moonlight and a somewhat vaporous 
sky, it was still conspicuous, notwithstanding the material 
diminution in the theoretical intensity of light. If the tail 
extended in the same direction from the nucleus on both dates, 
there was a large increase in its real dimensions in the course of 
the week. In fact, on October 30, if we assume the tail to have 
been a prolongation of the radius-vector, it would cover a space 
considerably greater than the mean distance of the earth from 
the sun, and with any reasonable assumption as to deviation 
from that line, its true length could hardly have been less than 
70,000,000 miles, 
The place given by M. Cruls for the comet he found at Rio 
Janeiro on September 12 a.m., differs 5° 43’ in right ascension, 
and 1° 25’ in declination from that occupied by the great comet 
at the time. 
From an observation at the Collegio Romano, in Rome, on 
the morning of October 25, kindly communicated by Prof, 
Millosevich, it appears that the elements last published in this 
column were in error —2''4 in right ascension and —o':3 in 
declination, small differences, considering that the last observa- 
tion used in their determination was made on October 1, and a 
proof of the precision of the observations issued from the 
Collegio Romano. 
GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 
THE Council of the Geographical Society have made the final 
arrangements for their new African expedition under Mr. 
Joseph Thomson, Mr. Thomson hopes to leave England in 
the end of November for Zanzibar, where he will stay some 
months getting together his retinue and goods, and making 
other provisions for his hazardous journey. He will probably 
leave the coast in April or May next. The field of the new 
expedition lies to the east and north-east of Lake Victoria 
Nyanza, and may include a running survey of the eastern shore 
of the lake. The expedition will probably start from Pangani, 
and ascend the river of that name as far as Kilima Nyaro, 
whence they wiil proceed direct to Victoria Nyanza. The 
route after that will depend much on circumstances, but Mr. 
Thomson hopes to visit the reputed Lakes Bahringo and Sam- 
buru, as also Mount Kenia. Probably Mounts Kenia and 
Kilima Nyaro will be more carefully examined than they have 
been, and beyond them the country to be traversed by the 
expedition is almost totally unexplored. 
meet with the names of such travetlers as Denhardt, Krapf, 
New, Wakefeld; but the field is practically virgin, A great 
part of the region is a wilderness, rendered so by roving Masai, 
whose depredations have scattered the population and rendered 
culture impossible. Besides the danger from these roving free- 
booters, the expedition will be compelled to carry its own pro- 
visions to a large extent, as there is no likelihood of getting a 
regular supply on the spot. Water, too, it is feared, will be 
scarce, so that on the whole Mr. Thomson will have a trying 
task before him, The expedition will be purely geographical, 
but it is almost certain that a naturalist will accompany Mr. 
Thomson as far as Kilima Nyaro, partly at the expense of the 
British Association. Mr. Thomson will, however, be in no 
way responsible for the safety or the conduct of the naturalist’s 
party. Itis probable that Dr. Aitchison, who did good work in 
natural history during the Afghan war, will be selected for this 
work, and his retinue and all his arrangements will be quite 
independent of those of Mr, Thomson; the two parties will 
simply go together so far as their route is in common. 
Mr. STANLEY has published separately a full report of the 
address he recently gave in Paris. From this we glean one 
interesting item of exploration. After he had launched his 
steamer on the upper waters of the Congo, above the cataracts, 
he proceeded up the river and entered the Kwango, the great 
southern tributary. One hundred miles from its mouth he came 
to where two large streams united to form the main river ; a 
greyish-white stream from south by east, the other, of an inky 
colour, from east by south, Ascending the latter, much less 
rapid than the former, Mr. Stanley came, after steaming another 
120 miles, to a large lake, into which the river widened, On 
circumnavigating it, he found it about seventy miles in length, 
and with a breadth varying from six to thirty-eight miles. 
The natives he found very wild, and vaturally astonished at the 
puffing monster. A splendid country the shore seemed to be 
—dense, impenetrable—lofty forests, alternating with undu- 
lating grass lands. Mr, Stanley was altogether three years away 
from Vivi, and doubtless he has collected much information in 
the country around the Congo. If the five stations established 
on the banks—one at the mouth of the Kwango—are left unmo- 
lested, much material of value to science may be collected ; 
they are superintended by Europeans, who haye all the apparatus 
for taking meteorological and other observations. 
ON Sunday, October 29, the Paris Society of Topography distri- 
buted its medals in the large Hall of the Sorbonne. M. de Lesseps 
was in the chair. The three great medals were awarded to M. 
D. Brazza, M. Roudaire, and Commander Perier. One of the 
others to M. Triboulet, treasurer of the Academy of Aérostation 
Metéorologique, for his continuous efforts in aérial photography 
and the success obtained nineteen days ago in photographing the 
horizon visible from a captive balloon, with an apparatus put in 
operation from the ground. 
ArT the last meeting of the Section of Physical Geography of 
the Russian Geographical Society, M. Grigorieff made a report on 
the results of Arctic exploration during last summer ; W. E. Fuss 
read a communication on his visit to Novaya Zemlya, which 
was made to determine accurately the position of the new 
meteorological station ; and M. Rykatcheff a communication on 
meteorological observations he made during an ascent in a 
balloon. 
THE students of the Physical and Mathematical Faculty of 
St. Petersburg have presented M. Miklukho Maclay with an 
address of thanks for his valuable researches, and express the 
wish that the results may soon be given to the world. 
A RECENT issue of the Worth China Herald, published ai 
Shanghai, contains an article on a Chinese work entitled 
‘* Travels in India.” The work is ef interest as exhibiting the 
impression made on an intelligent Chinese traveller by the 
results of Western civilisation, The author, Huang Mao-ts’ai, 
is, it appears, a literary graduate of Kiangsi, who became im- 
pressed with the importance to China of knowing what is going 
on in neighbouring countries, and accordingly obtained, in 1878, 
a commission from the Governor of Szechuen to pass through 
Thibet to India. Arriving at Patang he was deterred by the 
hostility of the hill tribes from proceeding further in that direc- 
tion, and he therefore retraced his steps, turning southward into 
Yunnan, whence he crossed into Burmah, and descending the 
Irawaddy to Rangoon, he took passage for Caleutta. He spent 
On its borders we | six months in India, returning to China by Singapore and Saigon 
