January 23, 1902] 



NATURE 



perhaps a couple of thousand feet below, the top of the 

 ridge which connects all the Ruwenzori snow-peaks. 

 Assuming this ridge to be at something like 17,000 feet 

 in altitude, the high peaks of Ruwenzori would again rise 

 two or three thousand feet higher, and thus the supreme 

 altitude of 20,000 feet of the highest point of Ruwenzori 

 which has been predicted by Major Gibbons, Sir Harry 

 Johnston, Mr. Wylde and others is more likely to be 

 nearer the ultimate truth than Mr. Moore's assertion that 

 the greatest height of Ruwenzori is probably not more 

 than 17,000 feet in total altitude. 



Mr. Moore makes some very interesting remarks on 

 the causes which probably led to the formation of the 

 park-like scenery so characteristic of tropical .Africa. On 

 recently formed alluvial flats those strange and hideous 



attention of all who are interested in tropical Africa. 

 His pessimistic description, however, of the future 

 prospects for European trade with these countries can be 

 easily corrected by a glance at the statistics issued by the 

 African Protectorates. Countries the trade of which has 

 risen in a few years from an annual value of 30,000/. to 

 a quarter of a million, while their local revenue has 

 grown from nothing a year to 50,000/. or 60,000/., cannot 

 be such hopeless investments for European commerce and 

 enterprise as Mr. Moore would have us believe. 



Mr. Moore was accompanied on his journey by a sur- 

 veyor, Mr. Malcolm Ferguson, whose surveys are cer- 

 tainly one of the valuable results of the expedition. If 

 Mr. Ferguson is to be regarded as more accurate than 

 his predecessors his work will result in the shifting of the 



fleshy euphorbias commence to grow on what is, to begin 

 with, a shadeless, sandy wilderness, where all seedlings 

 which might form forest trees are burnt up and withered 

 by the scorching sun. The euphorbia, however, resists 

 the sun's rays, being distinctly a plant of the desert. As 

 its candelabra branches increase in numbers and spread 

 out to the right and left they create shade, while the 

 fallen branches decay and form vegetable soil. Under 

 this protection and by this nourishment seedlings of 

 palms and forest trees survive and flourish. When they 

 have got a good hold on the soil the original euphorbia 

 is long since dead or hidden, and the park-like clumps 

 of handsome trees have become a permanent feature over 

 what was once a wind-swept, sun-scorched, barren plain. 

 We strongly recommend Mr. Moore's book to the 

 NO. 1682, VOL. 65] 



northern end ot Lake Tanganyika nearly half a degree 

 further to the west, while he will also have supplied us 

 with the first approximately correct delineation of Lake 

 Albert Edward. 



THE RECLAMATION OF THE ZUIDERZEE. 

 T N a recent consular report from the Netherlands, 

 ■*• issued by the Foreign Office, reference is made to 

 a Bill which \Vas introduced in the Second Chamber of 

 the States General, for the purpose of obtaining authprity 

 to carry out the works required for the first portion of a 

 scheme for reclaiming 800 square miles of land from the 

 Zuiderzee, and for raising the necessary funds, estimated 

 at eight million pounds, the cost of the entire scheme 



