TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 131 



On the Districts of Palestine as yet imperfectly explored. 

 By the Eev. H. B. Tkisteam, F.L.S. 



A Penivian Expedition up the Rivers Ucayali and Pachitea. 

 By Messrs. Waxlace and Matije. 

 lu June 1866 the Peniviau Government sent a steamer from tlieir establish- 

 ment at Iquitos, on the Upper Amazons, to ascend the Pachitea, an affluent of the 

 Ucayali, with a view to ascertaining -whether a free conunimication could he dis- 

 covered by water to the town of Maj'ro, in Soiithern Peru, at the foot of the 

 Andes, east of Lima. Two of the officers, Tavira and West, were killed and de- 

 voiu'ed on the banks of the Pachitea, by the savage cannibal Indians of the Cashibo 

 tribe ; and in November of the same j-ear a second expedition in three steamers 

 was sent, with the double pm-pose of avenging the death of the officers and com- 

 pleting the exploration. The expedition was successfid ; the Indians were severely 

 punished, by an armed party landing in the forest and burning their villages ; and 

 the steamers continued up the Pachitea and Palcazu imtil they reached Mayro, 

 thus settling the practicability of a route by water between Mayro and the mouth 

 of the Amazons — a distance of 3G23 miles. Mayro is said to be 325 miles from 

 Lima, and the Government have ordered a road to be made between the two 

 places. Mr. Wallace, one of the authors of the paper, is an English engineer in 

 the seiTice of Peru. The lowest depth of water found on the journey was two 

 fathoms, and the river in its narrowest parts was 80 feet broad. 



Recent Discoveries in and around the Site of the Temple at Jerusalem. 

 By Capt. C. W. Wilson, R.E. 



This paper gave a detailed description of the examination made by Lieut. War- 

 ren of the inclosure Ilaram esh Sliarilf, which contains within its walls the site of 

 the Jewish Temple, and, as some hold, also that of the Holy Sepidchre. With the 

 exception of a deep hollow in front of the Golden Gate, a slight rise towards the 

 north-west corner, and the raised platform in the centre, the sm-face of the area is 

 almost level, and has an elevation of 2419 feet abo-se the sea-level. During the 

 progress of the survey a large arch, connecting the Haram area with the causeway, 

 was discovered north of the AVailing Place. The arch is one of the most perfect 

 and magnificent remains in the city. Much information was also obtained con- 

 cerning the ancient water-supply, which ^vas admirably arranged. The water was 

 brought by an aqueduct from the Pools of Solomon, and stored in rock-hewn cis- 

 terns, with connecting channels and arrangements for overflotv. Several of the 

 cisterns were found to be of great size, varying from twenty-live to fifty feet iti 

 height. 



Bepjort of the Palestine Exploration Fund. By Capt. C. W. Wilson, R.E. 



This Report was confined to a statement of the manner in which the sxmi of £100, 

 gi-anted last year to the Fund hj the British Association, had been expended. 

 Half of it had been applied towards paying the expenses of Lieut. Wan-en, R.E., 

 who had charge of the second expedition sent out by the Society. The results 

 might be stated as follows : the construction of a map, on a scale of one inch to a 

 mile, of the highland districts of Judea, to the north-east and south-west of Jeru- 

 salem ; of the Jordan valley for about sixteen miles north of the Dead Sea ; and of 

 a large portion of the plains of Philistia. These surveys, combined vAih those 

 made in 18G5-66 bj^ Wilson and Anderson, gave, for the first time, materials for a 

 coiTect map of more than three-fourths of the Holy Land, and do much towards 

 removing the reproach that no trustworthy map existed of this most interesting- 

 country. The second half of the gi'ant, applied to the piu-chase of meteorological 

 instriuuents, had been expended under the superintendence of Mr.Glaisher, and four 

 sets of instruments had been sent to different cities in Palestine. The observations 

 taken at these places will, combined with those taken at Jerusalem, form the basis 

 of an accurate knowledge of the climate of the Holy Land, so remarkable in many 

 respects, 



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