TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 175 



Journey to ilie Upper Waters of the Niger. By W. "Winwood Reade. 



In the course of his recent journey of exploration in the interior of Western 

 Africa, undertaken under the auspices of the Royal Geogi-aphical Society, and at 

 the cost of Mr. A. Swanzy, the author penetrated to Farabana, on the Upper Niger, 

 and to Boure, celebrated for its gold-fields, 450 miles from Sierra Leone. He 

 returned from Sierra Leone to Falaba, on his second attempt to reach the Niger, at 

 the end of Jime, 1869, and within a month of starting had the pleasure of beholding 

 the gi'eat river, at the large and previously imknown town of Farabana. The Niger 

 here was only 100 yards broad, and canoes for the passage of travellers were only 

 used during the rainy season. The Upper or Western Niger had been previously 

 visited by travellers at two points, — by Mimgo Park ftt Segon and by Caillie con- 

 siderably higher up ; but the point reached by the author was the highest yet 

 attained, and he claimed to have discovered the shortest and best route yet known 

 from SierraLeone to the river — a discovery which would eventually lead to important 

 commercial results, and which established the singular fact of the lise of the river 

 within so short a distance of the sea into which it flows. 



On the Basin of Lake Titicaca. By E. G. SatirEE, 



The author gave the result of his recent explorations, in company with Prof. A. 

 Kaimondy, in the district of Lake Titicaca, in South Peru. The elevated plain in 

 which this lake, as well as that of Aullagas, is situated, forms a ten'esti-ial basin, 

 termed by the author the Thibet of America. It has an estimated length of between 

 500 and 600 miles, its width varying from 100 to 200 miles, the total area being 

 calculated at about 100,000 square miles. Its eastern border is bounded by the 

 loftiest part of the Andes, a vast unbroken, snow-crowned range, whose lowest peaks 

 rival Chimborazo in altitude. The slope of the Titicaca basin is gentle towards 

 the south, and the waters of the lake lie at the gi'eat elevation of 12,864 feet above 

 the level of the sea. Some of its tributaries are scarcely fordable even in the dry 

 season ; and its waters are discharged through a broad, deep and swift, but not 

 turbulent stream. El Desaguadero, into Lake Aullagas ; it is therefore a freshwater 

 lake. The Desaguadero is about 170 miles long, and has a faU of not far from 500 

 feet. Of Lake Aullagas, which the author did not visit, almost nothing is known. 

 The maximimi length of Titicaca is nearly 120 miles, and its gi-eatest width between 

 40 and 60 miles. The lake had been explored by Mr. Pentland in 1827-28 and in 

 18.37; and his chart, published by the Admiralty, was still the most trustworthy 

 guide to its geographical features. Messrs. Squier and Eaimondy navigated it for 

 three weeks in an open boat, and the author of the paper bore testimony to the 

 general accuracy of Mr. Pentland's observations. There were, however, some errors, 

 and these he had rectified in a map he (]\Ir. Squier) had published. The eastern, 

 or Bolivian shore of the lake is abrupt, but the western and southern shores are 

 relatively low ; and the water in the bays and estuaries is grown up with reeds and 

 rushes, amid which myriads of water-fowl find shelter and support. The roads 

 across the marshes are stone causeways of Inca origin. It was easy to see that the 

 lake once covered a much larger area than it now occupies. In many places, aline 

 of 100 fathoms did not reach the bottom. The diflerence of level between the dry 

 and wet seasons amounted to from 3 to 5 feet. The dry season leaves bare a large 

 tract of land, covered with a kind of tender lake weed, called in the Quichua lan- 

 guage llacta, and this supports herds of cattle at a time when the pasturage of the 

 drier coimtry is withered. The lake never freezes over, but ice forms near its shores 

 and where the water is shallow. Its waters during the winter months are from 

 10° to 15° Fahr. warmer than the atmosphere, and therefore exert a favourable 

 influence over the climate of its shores and islands. The prevailing winds are from 

 the north-east, whence they often blow with great force ; and severe storms are 

 not infrequent. The efibrts to place steamers on the lake have failed, chiefly owino* 

 to the scarcity of fuel. The population of the neighbourhood consists chiefly of 

 Aymara Indians, between whom and the Quichuas there is physically a marked 

 difference. 



