TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 189 



had bettei- maans and opportunities for investigation than those of previom travel- 

 lers, aud he submitted this paper in the hope of once more inviting attention to a 

 curious and interesting subject. There could be no doubt that the sound arises 

 from the movement of the surface-sand, and is intimately connected with the sili- 

 ceous character of the sand and its extreme dryness, but the author was not aware 

 that any exact explanation of the phenomenon had as yet been elicited from 

 scientific men. 



Notes on British OurTiiual. By Capt. A. Pullan. 



The Sashatchewan Valley. By Dr. Eae. 



On the Volcan de Ayua, near Guatemala. By "W. B. Eicharbson. 



A Journey through Mekran. By Major E. C. Boss. 



On the Toitography of Ancient Jerusalem. By George St. Clair. 



On the Himalayas and Central Asia. By Trelawnet Saunders. 



On Trade Boutes hctween Burmah and China. By Major Sladeit. 



The author explained that the object in view in all explorations undertaken in 

 Burmah had been a desire on the part of our Government and mercantile classes 

 to ascertain the practicability of establishing an overland route from the Bay of 

 Bengal to Central and South- Western China. Major Sladen referred to the expe- 

 dition which he conducted up the Irawadi a few years ago, and pointed out 

 the practicability of navigating this river nearly, if not quite, up to the Chinese 

 frontier. At Blianio, 900 miles from the sea, and probably 1000 miles from its 

 source, the Irawadi, when full between its natural banks, is four miles in breadth, 

 and during a third of the year or more it might be navigated with the greatest 

 ease as far as Bhamo, by vessels as large as any that have ever ascended the 

 Yangtsze, from Shanghai to Hankow. By selecting the Irawadi as a means of 

 transit for produce from South-Western China, and Rangoon as a port of export 

 for such produce, the voyage to Europe, both in distance and duration, would be 

 reduced in a correspoding degree, the expenses of navigation would be reduced, the 

 risks and dangers attending difficult navigation through the straits of jMalacca aud 

 the China seas avoided, and the heavy insurances at present in force by reason of 

 siich difficult navigation would be altogether done away with. 



On the Proposed Skiiy-Canal between Ceylon and India. 

 By Commander A. Duxdas Tatloe. 



This officer, having given much attention to the study of Indian hydrography, 

 devoted a portion of his paper to an historical sketch of the discussion which has 

 been going on more or less during the whole of the present century regarding the 

 practicability of forming a navigable passage between the Gulf of Menaar and the 

 Bay of Bengal. The project of deepening the Paumben Passage for the naviga- 

 tion of large ships did not commend itself to Commander Taylor's approval. Sir 

 James Elphinstone, as a practical seaman, had personally investigated this channel, 

 but had come to the conclusion that it would never do for large ships. But during 

 his examination of the neighbourhood in concert with Captain Dorman, Master- 

 Attendant of Colombo, Sir James discovered a well-sheltered area of anchorage, 

 with soundings of five or six fathoms, extending over five square miles, and thence 



