NATURE 



[June i i, 1896 



referred to in the voUime. An interesting contrast is 

 noted between the dreamy philosophical indifference of 

 the Chinese to all questions of geography and natural 

 science, tlieir absolute and voluntary ignorance of other 

 countries, and the quick intelligence of the Turki and 

 Indian merchants who travel far, observe keenly, and 

 hold surprisingly clear views on the difficult political 

 questions which the convergence of the domains of the 

 three dominating powers of Asia brings to a focus in 

 Kashgar. At length Captain Younghusband was ordered 

 back to India, making an exploring expedition through 

 the Pamirs on the way, and it is almost amusing to notice 

 how little he speaks of the sport of that famous region ; 

 indeed, the killing of Ovis poll seemed to interest him 

 less than the obser\ation of the wolves which weed the 

 herds of the old rams when the weight of years and 

 horns makes their removal a benefit to their species. On 

 the Pamirs there were great political problems in course of 

 dexelopment, and such information as the reader gleans 

 of Captain Younghusband's intercourse with Russian 

 officers, only whets his desire for the full history of all 

 that went on. At one time the officers of both nations 

 were drinking the health of their sovereigns, and impart- 

 ing useful hints as to dealing with exacting natives ; the 

 next day the Englishman was informed by his Russian 

 friend that he must quit the Pamirs instantly for Tur- 

 kestan, and sign an undertaking not to cross into India 

 by any known pass. This was done; but instead of return- 

 ing to the northern plain, Captain Younghusband set to 

 work to discover an unknown pass, and so fulfilled his 

 mission without breaking his word. 



The remaining journeys were of less value as explora- 

 tion, being carried out in the course of military and 

 political duty in Hunza and Chitral, duty which gave to 

 Captain Younghusband a unique knowledge of the in- 

 trepid mountaineers whose misguided rulers precipitated 

 the recent war with the Indian Government. For the 

 details of that war we are referred to the special book 

 in which the author narrates his experience as corre- 

 spondent of the Times. 



Captain Younghusband gives in his preface one of the 

 most powerful reasons for the inclusion of natural science 

 in ordinary education. He says : " It has been a cease- 

 less cause of regret to me that I had never undergone a 

 scientific training before undertaking my journeys. 

 During the last year or two I have done what I can by 

 myself to supply this deficiency ; but amongst the 

 Himalaya Mountains, in the desert of Gobi, and amid the 

 forests of Manchuria, how much would I not have given 

 to be able to exchange that smattering of Greek and 

 Latin, which I had drilled into me at school, for a little 

 knowledge of the great forces of nature which I saw at 

 work around me." 



With one more quotation we must close this notice. 

 Captain Younghusband has been considering the univer- 

 sality of the law of evolution, and proceeds to apply it to 

 the human species with somewhat remarkable results. 



" The traveller," he says, " frequently associates with 

 men who are little more than beasts of burden, and on 

 his return he meets with statesmen, men of science, and 

 men of letters of the first rank in the most civilised 

 countries of the world. He sees every step of the ladder 

 of human progress. And, so far as I have been able to 

 make use of my opportunities of observation, I have not 

 been impressed with any great mental superiority of the 

 most highly-developed races of Europe over lower races 

 with whom I have been brought in contact. In mere 

 brain-power and intellectual capacity there seems no 

 great difference between the civilised European and, say, 

 the rough hill tribesmen of the Himalayas ; and, in 

 regard to the Chinaman, I should even say that the 

 advantage lay on his side." 



It is to the moral superiority of the European races that 

 Captain Younghusband attributes their power over all 



NO. 1389, VOL. 54] 



the races of the East. The illustrations are comparatively 

 few but good and well-chosen, as the specimen on 

 p. 131 shows, while the maps are sufficient as regards 

 number and scale, and show the routes very clearly. 



Hugh Robert Mill. 



PROFESSOR DAUBREE. 



/^NE of the brightest lights in the geological depart- 

 ^-^ ment of French science has been extinguished by 

 the death of Prof Daubree, who has passed away at the 

 ripe old age of eight-two years. Born at Metz on 

 June 25, 1814, he early devoted himself to minerals and 

 rocks, and from the Ecole Polytechnique passed in 1834 

 into the Corps des Mines. In these early years he paid 

 visits to the mining districts of different parts of Europe, 

 and communicated papers on his observations to the 

 Geological .Society of France, \.\\e. Annates des Mines, and 

 the Ow//i'.s-nv/(//cj of the Academy of Sciences. He already 

 began to display that breath of view and width of sym- 

 pathy which distinguished his career, for, while studying 

 minutely the mineral districts of Scandinavia, he devoted 

 much time and thought to the erratic formations then 

 beginning to attract attention, and published his view-s 

 regarding them. Gradually his attention was more and 

 more directed to the experimental side of his favourite 

 science. He studied the artificial production of 

 various minerals, and entered upon a course of profound 

 investigation in which he became the great leader, and 

 did more than any other observer to advance that 

 department of the science. 



With a deep admiration for Sir James Hall, the true 

 founder of experimental research in geological inquiry, 

 he threw himself with especial ardour into the investiga- 

 tion of the influence of v.-ater-\apour on minerals and 

 rocks when exposed to high temperatures and under great 

 pressure. The difficult problems of metamorphism had a 

 peculiar fascination for him, and he devoted himself with 

 admirable patience to the task of trying to solve some of 

 them by actual experiment. Every geologist who has 

 studied these questions will feel that by the death of 

 Daubree, the great pioneer who first lighted up for us 

 some of the darkest pathways of the subject has passed 

 away. The various researches collected in his " Etudes 

 Synth^tiques de Geologic Experimentale " have taken 

 their place among the classics of modern science. 



Nor were his investigations confined to the earth. He 

 took special interest in meteorites, and besides diligently 

 gathering specimens, studied their composition and 

 structure, and carried on a series of experiments in order 

 to reproduce their characters artificially, and thus to 

 throw light on the chemistry of extra-terrestrial space. 

 His last important volumes discussed in ample detail the 

 phenomena of underground water, and traced the various 

 solutions and changes which water is now producing and 

 has formerly effected within the ciust of the earth. 



M. Daubree spent the greater part of his scientific 

 life in Paris, where he occupied official posts in the 

 Ecole des Mines and Museum d'Histoire Naturelle. 

 He retired from office two or three years ago, but 

 continued to interest himself actively in scientific re- 

 search. He was an indefatigable worker, and, like 

 most busy men, found time for more than his own pro- 

 fessional duties. He was one of the most regular 

 attendants of the Acaddmie des Sciences, and one of the 

 most influential members of that distinguished body, 

 serving on many of its Committees, and taking an active 

 part in all its concerns. At its meeting last week, the 

 Academy, after some eulogistic words from the President, 

 at once rose in token of its respect. Daubree was like- 

 wise a member of the Council of the Legion of Honour 

 until the whole body resigned some time ago. 



