TKANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 747 



should he in the future. There is no question that the Arabic traditions are well 

 founded. This is also the Pithom of the mediaeval Jews and Copts, and the 

 Auaris-Heroonpolis of Manetho and the Seventy. It is a geographical problem of 

 great importance, whose solution has been largely facilitated by the minute and 

 accurate topography due to these protracted and laborious researches. 



4. Mission to El-Wedj. By Captain Conters Surtees. 



El-Wedj is a port on the east coast of the Red Sea, used by the Egyptian 

 pilgrims returning from Medina. In 1887 Turkish troops occupied the fort which 

 commands the harbour. The author of this paper, temporarily seconded to the 

 Egyptian army, was sent by the Egyptian Government to report upon the general 

 condition of the region. Accompanied by an Egyptian ofiicer and Mr. Cope White- 

 house, he inspected the New Fort, the Old Hill Fort of the ninth century, the 

 alleged gold mines, a sulphur mountain, Roman remains in the AVadi Hamz, rock- 

 hewn inscriptions, and encampments of various tribes. Photographs were exhi- 

 bited, and the strategic and commercial importance of the district discussed. The 

 whole of Egypt in Arabia east of the Gulf of Akaba has now been formally 

 transferred to Turkey. The author is of the opinion that there is no auriferous 

 quartz in this neighbourhood, but that petroleum does exist, and that the valleys 

 might be occupied by a considerable population, if proper eiforts were made to 

 encourage permanent settlements. 



5. Notes 011 Topographic Maps produced hij tJie United States 

 Geological Survey.^ By G. K. Gilbert. 



6. On Pahang, an Independent State in the Malayan Peninsula. 

 By W. Barrington d' Almeida. 



7. Formosa ; Characteristic Traits of the Island and its Aboriginal 

 Inhahitants? By George Taylor. 



8. On the general adoption of the Gregorian Calendar in relation with that 

 of the universal hour. By Dr. C^s. Tondini de Quarenghi. 



The Bologna Academy of Science has, by a special memoir to all scientific 

 bodies represented at the festivals of their centenary in June last, lately submitted to 

 the consideration of the whole scientific world the importance and tirgency of 

 finally putting an end to a rather illusory situation, as that exemplified by the fact 

 that the many conferences and congresses assembled for arriving at the unification 

 of time have hardly resulted in anything more than mere aspu'ations and exchange 

 of ideas. 



The main difiiculties opposing the realisation of that most important desideratum 

 of science are two : the want of agreement on the starting-point for fixing the 

 unity of time, that is, on the initial meridian, and the want of agreement as to the 

 notation and subdivisions of the year — in other words, the want of agreement on 

 the calendar. The question of the initial meridian belongs to Section A ; here I 

 will say a few words concerning the unification of the calendar. 



Let us suppose that, in compliance with the message of the President of the 

 United States, dated January 9 last, to the Congress of Washington, steps were 

 actually and successfully taken to secure the execution of the resolutions of the 

 "Washington Conference ; that all Powers had already subscribed to the following 



' Published in the Proceedings of the Royal Geograjyhical Society, Nov. 1888. 

 2 lUd. 



