668 EEPOET — 1889. 



4. Geographical Co-ordinates in the Valley of the Upper Nile} 

 By E. G. Ravensteix, F.B.G.S. 



5. The Resources of Siberia, and the Practicability of the Northern Sea 



Route. By R. Sulivan. 



, 6. Greenland. By Dr. Feidtjop !N'ansen, 



TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17. 



The following Report and Papers were read : — 



1. Report of the Committee for investigating the Geography and Geology 

 of the Atlas Ranges in the Empire of Morocco. — See Reports, p. 165. 



2. On the Exploration of the Louisiade and d' Entrecasteaux Islands. 

 By Basil H. Thomson. 



Tke paper described the exploration of the following Islands: — Sudest, Rossel, 

 Joarmet, St. Aignan, East Island, Normanby, Goulvain, Ferguson, Goodeuough, 

 alluding to the geological formation, the flora and fauna, and the habits, appear- 

 ance, and language of the natives with whom the expedition came in contact. 

 An account was given of the habits of the ' Manucodia ' and ' Paradisea Decora ' 

 peculiar to the d'Entrecasteaux Islands, and the curious series of hot springs and 

 geysers in Seymour Bay were described. 



" It concluded with a short account of the arrest of the Ancell murderers in 

 Chad's Bay, with whom the expedition came into hostile collision. 



3. On the Bahrein Islands in the Persian Gulf. By J. Theodore Bent.'^ 



4. On some remarhable Monuments in the neighbourhood of Tiaret in 



Algeria. By Colonel Sir Lambert Platfair, K.C.M.G. 



These monuments are only now rendered accessible by the extension of the 

 railwav to that place. The country through which it passes is rich and fertile, but 

 hardly cultivated, owing to the unthrifty habits of the Arab, who will always 

 rather plough round a thistle than root it up, and who requires a greater extent of 

 land to maintain him in misery than a European family would to live in comfort 

 and prosperity. The remains of the past show what the future may become ; the 

 commune of Tiaret alone contains about one hundred places corresponding to 

 Roman towns, villages, or agricultural establishments. 



The interesting monuments called Djedars are in two groups between Tiaret and 

 Frenda. Their general form is that of a podium, about 30 or 40 metres square, 

 surmounted by a pyramid. They contain intricate passages and sepulchral 

 chambers. In front of each is an isolated platform, probably designed for some 

 religious ceremony, and each was surrounded by a wall, forming a sort of sacred 

 enclosure, probably planted with trees and shrubs. They are situated on the tops 

 of isolated peaks, and are visible from a considerable distance on every side. 



' Printed in the Proceedings rf the Boy I Gographicil Society, Novemler, 1889. 

 - See Proceedings of t le Bnyal Gcograjili 'c :l Society, January, 1890. 



