116 REPORT 1865, 



Neanderthal skull should have ever been put forward as an important link in the 

 series of early forms, connecting man with the lower animals, and to hope that a 

 similar error of generalization will not occur again in our science. Although to 

 allude to the Neanderthal skull, in the present state of the controversy, may appear 

 to some a superfluous digression, the lesson cannot be too often insisted on, that in 

 examining a skull purporting to be that of " the missing link," it should have 

 been worth while to have inquired whether its peculiarities were not in some 

 degree traceable to the premature ossification of the sutures of the skull. 



Explorations in the Interior of Vancouver Island. By K. Beown. 

 An expedition, equipped by the Vancouver Island Exploration Committee, and 

 commanded by Mr. R. Brown, explored a large portion of the hitherto almost un- 

 known interior of Vancouver Island, in the summer of 1864. The party, which 

 comprised an astronomer, an artist, and a naturalist, besides a staff of assistants and 

 native hunters, first traversed the island from Cowichan Harbour to the fortified 

 Indian village of Whyack, near the "False Nittinaht" of the Admiralty charts. 

 During this journey the great Cowichan Lake was well explored. It was found to 

 be 22 miles in length, and from one-half to three-fourths of a mile in breadth, sur- 

 rounded by two distinct ranges of mountains, from 2000 to 3000 feet in height. 

 From the lake Mr. Brown struck across a well-timbered country to the south-west 

 until he reached the Nittinaht River ; on this stream the party embarked in rafts, 

 and arrived, after a dangerous journey down the rapids, at a broad inlet of the sea, 

 18 miles in length, the shores of which are studded with Indian villages. The inlet 

 opens to the Pacific by a very narrow passage between cliffs. The next journey was 

 performed by Lieut. Leech, the second in command, when the island was crossed a 

 second time, from Sooke Harbour to Cowichan Harbour. The expedition then pro- 

 ceeded by sea to Nanaimo, on the east coast, and after exploring the various 

 branches of the Courtenay River, and discovering extensive beds of coal, again 

 crossed the island in the direction of the Central Lake, discovering, on the way, 

 five new lakes and several rivers. The Central Lake they found to be a dreary ex- 

 panse of water, 18 miles long. Leaving its shores they proceeded by land to Klee- 

 coot Lake, another large sheet of water, and thence to the Alberni settlement ; 

 finally recrossing to Nanaimo. Mr. Brown and Lieut. Leech report the whole of 

 the interior as rugged and mountainous, but well wooded ; gold and other minerals 

 were found in various places, but very little pastoral land. Between Nanaimo and 

 Alberni there are four distinct ranges of mountains, the culminating peaks of which 

 range from 3700 to 5500 feet in height. 



Ascent of the River Purus. By W. Chandless. 



The Purus is one of the least known of the great tributaries of the Amazons, and 

 has been a subject of great interest, not only to geographers but to the people of 

 Peru and Brazil, from the fact that a few native traders sailing up it in canoes have 

 reported it free from impediments to navigation, and from the supposition that the 

 fine stream, the Madre de Bios, flowing from the southern provinces of Peru, formed 

 its head-water. The Brazilians were further interested in it on account of the 

 report that there was water communication between it and the great river Madeira 

 above the cataracts, which might serve as an outlet for the productions of the inte- 

 rior province of Matto Grosso. In modern times, the Brazilian Government had 

 despatched four expeditions from the Amazons up the river; but none of them had 

 solved the problems connected with it, or made accurate geographical observations 

 durinf the voyage. Mr. Chandless, therefore, undertook to explore it in detail by 

 his own unaided resources. He obtained, by a fortunate circumstance, a crew of 

 Bolivian Indians to navigate his canoe, and taking with him a complete outfit of 

 instruments for observation, entered its mouth on the 12th of June, 1864. He 

 continued his voyage until, on the 23rd of December, the river was so narrow and 

 impeded with rocks that he could go no further. He was then 1866 miles from its 

 mouth, and at an altitude of only 1088 feet above the sea-level. He penetrated as 

 far as he could up both of the terminal forks of the river ; but neither proved to be 

 the Madre de Dios, being about 2° of latitude to the N.N.W. of that river, and 



