TRANSACTIONS OF SFXTION E. 665 



that all the tumuli outs^ide the natural river-boundaries were hy tradition Greek, 

 while all those within, of which one end of the line of tumuli was at Balidagh 

 and the other end at liissarlik, were as distinctly recognised as Trojan. Such 

 defences as he described on the Scamander were on the old course of that river, 

 and were the usual defences of that age. Homer describes the Greeks erecting 

 a breastwork of this sort to protect their fleet, and their making a ditch to supply 

 the place of the river, aud Herodotus (Book 0, chap. 07) gives a similar descrip- 

 tion of Persian work at Mycale. If such a work existed it was no doubt an original 

 defence and not made during the siege, which latter caused the Greek one to be 

 specially noticed. The position of the Scsean gate as suggested was shown to be 

 exactly that of the Cyclopean bridge and gate leading from Mycenas to the plain of 

 Argos on the way to that city, aud the length of the broadways of Athens and 

 of Mycenaj agreed almost minutely with the distance from Ilissarlik to Balidagh. 



4. A Visit to the Galapagos Islands in H.M.S. ' Triumph,' 1880. 

 By Captain Markham. 



Captain Markham gives an account of a visit he paid to the Galapagos Islands 

 on board H.M.S. Triumph, in the beginning of the present year. The Admii-alty 

 chart, compiled from a rough survey made nearly half a century ago, is not very 

 accurate, so that it was not safe for a large ironclad like the Triumph to extend the 

 cruise in the numerous channels between the islands. Her visit was, therefore, 

 confined to Post Office Bay in Charles Island, and the paper records the observations 

 that were made during several inland excursions. 



The Galapagos Islands, being 600 miles from any other land, have a peculiar 

 fauna, and Captain Markham devoted all the time at his command to the collection 

 of birds, skins, insects, and shells. These specimens have been placed in the hands 

 of Mr. Salvin, and it is anticipated that they will form an addition to our knowledge 

 of the natural history of this isolated archipelago. 



5. On a visit to STiyrivrj Wafer, Straits ofMageUati. Bij R. W. Coppinger. 



6. Notes on the Dara Nur, Northern Afqhayiistan, and its Inliabitants. 

 By Lieut.-Col. H. C.'B. Tanner. 



[N.B. — Notices of some of the above-mentioned Papers in this Section, inca- 

 pable of abstraction, will be found in the number for October, 1880, of the ' Pro- 

 ceedings of the Royal Geographical Society.'] 



