158 
WA TORE 
[Fune 18, 1885 
With regard to the volume of discharge of the Congo, 
from careful observations made at Stanley Pool, Mr. 
Stanley calculated that it reached 1,436,350 cubic feet per 
second when the river at that point was at its lowest. 
During flood it rises, he believes, twelve feet higher, 
giving a volume of 2,529,600 feet per second. If these 
estimates are correct, then Mr. Stanley calculates that 
the river discharges into the sea three million cubic feet 
of water per second. 
Mr. Stanley’s new work is so fully occupied with the 
details of the founding of his numerous stations, his 
dealings with chiefs and people, his road-making and 
y grees 
“9 _-°207.21 
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Fic. 6.—Profile of Country between the 
almost 200,000 elephants in about 15,000 herds in the 
Congo basin, each carrying an average of 50 lbs. weight 
of ivory in bis head. Iron, he tells us, is abundant. 
The copper mines near Philippeville supply a large por- 
tion of Western Africa with their ingots. Plumbago is 
also abundant, and gold has been found in the beds of 
streams. Mr. Stanley gives a long list of tropical plants 
which abound in the Congo basin, while several European 
vegetables and fruits have been found to thrive. The 
Arabs, moreover, he tells us, are introducing the large- 
grained upland rice with extraordinary success. He adds 
many details concerning the trade, actual and possible, 
of the Congo region, his object, of course, being to show 
NOTES 
THE Royal Society’s conversazione, held on the evening of 
June I0, was a very great succ and those who had _ the 
labour of bringing the various things together must have felt 
themselves amply rewarded by the great interest taken in them 
by the Fellows and guests, both ladies and gentlemen, who 
attended. Among the objects exhibited we {may note the 
following :—Geological map (unpublished) of Palestine and 
Sea and Ruanda, ac 
other engineering enterprises, 
of engineering the enterprise, that there is little space 
left for geographical details. He does give a list .of the 
products of the Upper Congo region, but as this is en- 
tirely from a commercial standpoint, its value to science 
is not great. The various species of palms, as might be 
expected, abound on the banks of the river and its islands, 
the oil-palm being the most valuable from a commercial 
point of view. Then come the various species of india- 
rubber plants, besides other gum-producing trees. Ivory, 
Mr. Stanley reckons only fifth in rank among the natural 
products of the Congo. He presumes that there are 
and the general work 
ae of Greenwich 
22) 23 24 25°26 27 28 _29 30 Si 
32°33 34 
ross the Congo Basin. 
that here exists a magnificent field for the European 
trader, European capital, and European settlers. 
Mr. ” Stanley’ s work is chiefly of value as telling the story 
of one of the most unique and interesting enterprises on 
record. This story he tells with abounding interest ; 
hee are many icant throughout the volume told with 
the dramatic effect so well known to readers of “ Through 
the Dark Continent The work of founding the Free 
State has been well bes gun, but it is only the beginning ; 
for the sake of its complete success it is to be hoped that 
nothing may occur to sever Mr. Stanley’s connection with 
it until it has been firmly established. 
Arabia Petrzea, exhibited by Prof. Edward Hull, F.R.S: ; 
original drawings of the skeletal, digestive, and vocal organs of 
birds, made in the years 1842-46, drawn and exhibited by Prof. 
W. K. F.R.S. ; Sketches of the eclipse of the moon, 
October 4, 1854, ris a very beautiful series of sketches of the 
and after-glows, painted and exhibited by 
star-charting by photography (enlarged prints 
exhibited by Mr. A. A. 
Parker, 
wonderful sunsets 
Mr. W. Ascroft 5 
rom negatives made in 1883 and 1854), 
