TRANSACTIONS OF TUE SECTIONS. 213 



solve the mystery of whether around our Pole there lay unkuo-wn lands, an eter- 

 nally frozen ocean, or an open sea ; and he would earnestly call the attention of all 

 lovers of science, or those to whom the honour of our country and the good of its 

 naval profession were dear, to the " Memorandum on the Resumption of Polar 

 Discovery," issued by the President, Sir Henry Rawlinson. The harvest which a 

 properly appointed expedition would reap from a scientific point of view was incal- 

 culable, with our present knowledge of how well and safely to navigate and explore 

 the Polar regions, as was proved by the success of all the English Arctic ]&cpe- 

 ditions from 1849 to 1859. The Government and the Admiralty had recently 

 shown some desire, during a long period of peace, to promote, through naval expe- 

 ditions, the cause of science ; and he hailed, in the equipment of Her Majesty's ship 

 ' Challenger,' under Captain Nares, associated with Professor Wyville Thomson, 

 a return to that wise policy of our forefathers, which had added so much since the 

 days of Cook, Banks, and Solander to the sum of human knowledge and the glory 

 of our country ; and he felt sure that an earnest representation by the associated 

 scientific bodies of Great Britain, as represented by the British Association, would 

 ensure the despatch of two small vessels, properly equipped, in 1873 to Smith's 

 Sound, thence to return to us in a couple of years, bringing back a mass of infor- 

 mation on all those questions of physical science which l)r. Hooker recently so 

 eloquently pointed out could only be solved by a scientific exploration in the direc- 

 tion recommended by the Royal Geographical Society. 



On the Physical Features of the Pamir and its Aryan Inhahitants. 



By E. B. Shaw. 



The author gave as the results of his own observations and inquiries, and those 

 of the late Mr. Hay ward and recent Russian travellers, that the lofty Pamir Steppe 

 was not a continuous open plateau, supported by a meridional range of mountains 

 called the Bolor, but that it was composed of a series of parallel ridges running 

 east and west, united by high plateaux studded with lakes, from which issued 

 streams, some flowing eastward and others westward. The traditions of two great 

 branches of the Aryan race pointed to this region as their birth-place. At the 

 present time the beautiful valleys west of the Pamir are inhabited by a race totally 

 different from the Tartar population both in appearance and in language, and 

 claiming kindred with the Persian-speaking Tajiks of Bokhara. They are of fair 

 complexion, often witli light hair and hazel eyes, and their features are refined 

 and handsome. Judging by the scanty vocabularies obtained by the author, their 

 dialects, although indicating a close affinity with Persian, yet possc-^s many roots 

 which more nearly approach to Sanscrit forms, suggesting the idea of a link between 

 these two Aryan modes of speech. 



Discoveries at the Northern End of Lai- e Tanganyil-a. 

 i?v/ H. M. Staklet. 



Mr. Stanley prefaced the reading of his paper by an account of the origin of his 

 project of searching for Dr. Livingstone, and of his journey to Ujiji and his 

 meeting with the great traveller, an account similar to that'which'has already 

 been made known to the public. He commenced his account of Tanganyika by 

 stating that he was enabled to fill up the south-eastern shores of the lake (at 

 present a blank on our maps) with rivers, marshes, and jnountain-ranges, and 

 people them with powerful tribes. From Unyanyembe he passed through Southern 

 Wavinza, Ubba (three marches), the beautiful country of Ukaranga, and then 

 crossed the Linche valley to the neighbourhood of Tjiji. At the time of his pro- 

 posing to Dr. Livingstone a journej^, in company, to the northern end of the lake, 

 the Doctor was almost sure that the Albert Nyanza and Tanganyika communicated 

 with each other. He had perceived, as he thought, a constant flow northward in 

 the waters of Tanganyika ; and all the Arabs and negroes persisted in declaring 

 that the river Rusizi (at the northern end) ran out of the lake. As soon as 

 Mr. Stanley mentioned to him the interest and importance attached to a settle- 



