814 REPOET— 1900. 



2. The Siberian Railioay. By C. Raymond Beazley. 



Short account of the route traversed by the Siberian Railway as far as the 

 Amur. The connections of the railway main trunk with the regions to the north 

 and south, (a) as already made, (/3) as in construction and projected. The 

 bearing: of the Siberian line on Central and Southern Asia by the intended link, 

 from Tashkent to Orenbur;^. Primary commercial and industrial purpose of 

 Siberian line west of Lake Baikal. Development of the country: its papulation, 

 mining- enterprises, agriculture, cattle-raising, manufactures, &c., through the 

 movements created by the railway, illustrated by some details. The railway in 

 connection with the river navigation, (o) of the West Siberian rivers, Ob, Yenisei, 

 &c. ; (/3) of the Kama and Volga ; (y) of the Dvina and Petchora. The railway 

 in connection with the western ocean and inland seas : (a) White Sea, f/3) Black 

 Sea, (y) Caspian. Connections of the railway with Russia's strips of ice-free coast 

 and ice-free ports in the west : (a) on Arctic Ocean, especially Catherine Harbour, 

 near the frontier of Norway ; (/3) on Black Sea, especially Novo-Rossiisk ; (y) on 

 South-west Caspian, especially Baku. 



The railway in its eastern part : different problems here. Highly political 

 aspect of this section. The more recent advance of the line here through Man- 

 churia. The ice-free outlet at Port Arthur, Talien-wan, and the Kwang-tung 

 peninsula. Projects for maritime development of trade to Japan and America from 

 this ' window ' as well as from Vladivostok. Connections with China through 

 Mongolia as well as Manchuria. 



3. On the Possibility of obtaining more Reliable Measurements of the 

 Changes of the Land-level of the Phlegrman Fields. By R. T. Gunther. 



4. The British Antarctic Expedition, 1899-1900. ^?/ C. E. Borchgrevink. 



Mr. Borchgrevink commenced with an account of the origin of the expedition 

 which he commanded, thus referring to his previous work within the Antarctic 

 Circle, and to the resolution which was carried at the Sixth International Geo- 

 graphical Congress at the Imperial Institute in 1895. The voyage of the 

 Southern Cross was shortly described with a few incidents ; the results of some 

 of the principal observations (both meteorological and magnetic), the landing, the 

 camp, and the work of the land expedition from March 1899 to March 1900. An 

 account of the principal discoveries made during one year on South Victorian 

 Land was given, with a description of the ice conditions, in winter and summer, 

 near Cape Adare and in the pack, 



VVhar the author claims as the principal work of the expedition is the 

 pioneer work in Victoria Land, extending over a period of one year, thus for 

 the first time proving the possibility for an expedition to live on South Victoria 

 Land in the winter, with the following results : — 



1 . Recording the meteorological and magnetic conditions at Cape Adare and at 

 various places on the ice and on the mainland between this locality and the 

 78th parallel, thus locating the present approximate position of the South Mag- 

 netic Pole, in latitude 7?>° 20' S. and longitude 146° E., about 220° west by north 

 from AVood Bay. 



2. Discovery of new species in antarctic biology, with special reference to the 

 shallow-water fauna and the flora of South Victoria Land, both proving 

 bi-polarity, and suggesting a theory for the distribution of organisms. 



3. Touching upon the importance of the discovery of insects as indicating an 

 average temperature in the neighbourhood of the locality where they were found, 

 not deviating much from what was experienced during the years 1899-1900. 



4. Furtliest south 78° 50'. 



The aulihor gave his views shortly in regard to further exploration within the 

 Antarctic Circle, as well iu regard to outfit aa in reference to desirable places for 

 landing. 



