ik 
Oct. 13, 1870] 
NATURE 
477 
York 2ribune, says :—‘‘ Governor Arny, the indefatigable special 
Indian agent for this territory, has lately returned from a point 
north of the San Juan country, and reports that during his tour 
to reach the Utah Indians, his party found the Canon de Chelly 
in the great Sierras, which was explored for more than twenty 
miles. Among canons towering precipitously to the height of 
1,000 to 2,000 feet, they found deserted ruins of Aztec cities, 
many of which bear the evidences of having been highly popu- 
lous. In one of these canons, the rocky walls of which rose not 
less than 2,000 feet from the base, and whose summits on either 
hand inclined to each other, forming part of an arch, there were 
found high up, hewn out of the rocks, the ruins of Aztec cities of 
greatextent. In each of these rocky eyries there remained in a 
state of good preservation a house built of stone, about twenty 
feet square, containing one bare and gloomy room, in the centre 
of which were traces of fire, and also a single human skeleton. 
The only solution of this enigma thus far advanced is that these 
solitary rooms were the altar places of the Aztec fires ; that from 
some cause the people at a remote period were constrained to 
abandon their homes, but left one faithful sentinel in each instance 
to keep alive the flame which, according to the Indian traditions 
of these regions, was to light the way of Montezuma, their so 
long hoped for Messiah, again to his people. A close examina- 
tion of many of the ruins proved that the builder must have been 
skilled in the manufacture and use of edged tools, masonry, and 
other mechanical arts.” A good idea of these rocky canons or 
mountain gorges will be obtained by reference to the description 
and illustrations of the Canons of the Sierra Nevada, given in 
NAtvrg, vol. i. p. 434. 
Ty directing attention to the recent regulations with regard to 
scientific teaching in force at Yale College, in our present 
number, we alluded to the exploring party which left Yale 
College under the charge of Prof. Marsh. We are glad to 
announce that their endeavours have been crowned with great 
success. They spent three weeks examining the geology of the 
country between the north and south branches of the River Platte, 
and discovered in Northern Colorado an extensive tertiary de- 
posit, abounding in fossil remains. The formation is identical 
with the “ Mauvaises terres” deposit of Dakota, and apparently 
forms the south-western border of some ancient fresh-water lake 
(see NATURE, Vol. II., p. 385, “The Ancient Lakes of Western 
America”). These beds were traced to the north, and along the 
North Platte River; several thousand specimens were collected, 
and among them a number of new species of tertiary mammals. 
ARRANGEMENTS are being made to light the stations of 
Rawul Pindee in India with gas from the local deposits of petro- 
leum, being one of the first examples of their utilisation, 
FULLER details have now arrived of the great earthquake we 
reported as having occurred in Thibet in May, and which ex- 
tended over a wide area of country. 
Mr. BrovuGuTon, the Government quinologist in India, has 
heen called upon to examine the bark of an indigenous Indian 
tree, /7ymenodictyon excelsum, supposed to be a powerful febri- 
fuge. He reports that it contains a bitter principle, identical 
with cesculin, and also found in the horse-chestnut tree, but of 
little therapeutic value. 
THE experiments in growing Carolina rice in our great rice- 
country of English Burmah are reported as having failed. 
Ir may be esteemed a benefit that we have a local press in 
India, which may collect for us more facts as to natural phe- 
nomena, but the acceptance of anything from such sources must 
be received with caution, New facts about snakes are in this 
class. The Vellore correspondent of the Madras Standard asserts 
on reliable information that a native woman near that town 
lately gave birth to a child and a snake, and that another has 
produced twins, and a third child, which looked like a toy 
elephant. A very respectable and well-educated Mussulman 
lately reported the exhibition, we think at Benares, of amermaid 
from Japan, which he accepted on the evidence of his own eyes 
and the statements of the highly respectable Mussulman show- 
men, and duly reported to the paper of which he is the corre- 
spondent. 
A Goon example of the value of agricultural shows and their 
influence on produce, is shown in India by the Vellore shows, 
which have now been held for twelve years. At the same 
time the results show the difficulty of organising cattle-shows 
there, and how it may be overcome. As is well known, the 
superstition about the sacred cow is strong in India, and the 
ryots can hardly be got to exhibit, and the first cows shown 
were scarcely worth a prize. Now the exhibition of the famous 
Vellore breed has reached 173 cows and heifers, and a great 
improvement is visible. It is suggested that the exhibition of 
Vellore bulls will also be attended with advantage. In India 
the greatest care is requisite in the most trivial undertakings in 
dealing with the superstitions of the natives. 
THE Cinchona cultivation has so well succeeded in the English 
hill settlement at Darjeeling, in the Himalayas, that last year 
5,000lbs. of bark was sent to London from Cinchona trees 
planted in 1862 on one plantation. Tea produced, in 1869, 
1,319,743lbs. from 10,769 acres of hill land formerly said and 
reputed to be worthless, and unsuited to give a return to 
Englishmen. We shal! now hear of Indian bark as well as 
Peruvian, as we know Indian tea to hold its own against Chinese. 
ConGREss has granted 30,000 dollars for the erection of a 
Government Winter Garden, either at New York or Washington, 
somewhat similar to that at Kew, but ona smaller scale. This 
will partake partly of the nature of an economic garden, in which 
useful plants can be raised and then disseminated far and wide 
throughout the States, 
“THE Reign of Law,” by the Duke of Argyll, which has 
been published so long in England, has at last been republished 
in America. It is announced as the first American from the 
fifth London edition, published by C. Leat and Co., New York. 
We also hear of a Canadian reprint of Prof. Huxley’s “ Lay 
Sermons.” 
THE cinchona trees are taking well in Jamaica, Experiments 
on the culture of American tobacco in India are being made by 
the Maharajah of Burchwan in Midnapore and Cuttack. The 
last year’s experiments with seeds from James River, Virginia 
were very successful. 
ARGENTIFEROUS galena has been discovered in the district of 
Beerbhoom, in India, by Mr. Ball, of the Geological Survey. 
The assay of some picked specimens gives 110 ozs. of silver to 
the ton of lead, and it is considered there is a sufficient quantity 
of ore to justify working. 
ERUPTION OF THE VOLCANO TONGARIRO, 
NEW ZEALAND 
HROUGH the kindness of Dr. J. D. Hooker, we have 
received the following important and interesting 
accecunt of the eruption of this volcano, together with 
drawings, from the pencil of Dr. Hector, of the most inte- 
resting features of the mountain itself, from which we 
are enabled to copy the accompanying woodcuts :— 
Dr. Hector announced, at the meeting of the Wellington 
Philosophical Society of New Zealand, held July 17th, 
that Tongariro, the only active volcano in the colony, 
