TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 759 



arriving there was immediately ordered to join an exploring expedition to Katanga. 

 The force consisted of o")0 regular soldiers, a Krupp gun, and porters. While ou 

 the road to Katanga they were attacked by Tippo Tib's slave raiders, under the 

 command of his son Sefu. Alter the defeat of Sefu, a general rising of the 

 Mahometans and the federation of all the branches of Arab slave traders of the 

 Upper (jongo and its tributaries occurred. The war which ensued resulted in 

 the complete overthrow of the .Irab slave trade in equatorial Africa west of Tan- 

 ganyika. After the war Captain Hinde surveyed the unexplored parts of the 

 Lualaba and Lukunga, between Kasongo and JM'BuUi, connecting the surveys of 

 Joseph Thomson with those of Stanley and his successors. In these regions the 

 extreme fertility of the soil is noticeable. Owing to the intense heat, great 

 moisture, and alluvial sail, all forms of vegetable life grow with an incredible 

 rapidity. This vast tract of country is intersected by water ways navigable by 

 steamers for some thousands of miles, and, as can be realised, might easily be 

 exploited by Europeans. 



As a result of the Arab overthrow, the traffic which formerly went down to 

 Zanzibar from Nyangue and the Lualaba now follows the Congo to Stanley Pool 

 and the Atlantic. The whole Congo basin must be special!}- adapted for cofl'ee 

 growing, as in every part of the forest wild cotl'ee, of excellent quality, is abundant. 

 AVhile waiting for the coffee plantations to yield, rubber — which is found every- 

 where, and which only requires collecting — would be an important source of 

 wealth. 



4. The Progress of the Jachson-Harmsworth North Polar Expeditio7i. 

 By Arthur Montefiore, F.G.S., F.R.G.S. 



After dealing with the objects and methods of the expedition, Mr. Montefiore 

 flummarised the advantages of Franz Josef Land as the selected base under the 

 following heads: — (1) Accessibility in any ordinary year ; (2) northward prolonga- 

 tion of the land ; (.3) abundance of animal food ; (4) the great importance of 

 having a base on land ; (5) the desirability of advancing into the unknown as far 

 as possible by land ; (6) the opportunity afforded by Franz Josef Land of erecting 

 depots until the 83rd parallel, at least, had been reached. 



The second portion of the paper dealt with the progress of the expedition. 

 Sailing from London on July 11, 189-1, on board the ' Windward,' which had been 

 purchased by Mr. Harmsworth for arctic work, the expedition arrived at Arkhangel, 

 where it took on board extra supplies in the way of furs, provender, and Russian 

 ponies, and whence it sailed on August 5. The ship next called at Habnrova, on 

 Yugorski Schar, for the Siberian dogs to be employed in sledging. Jiom this 

 point all definite information had, until a few days previously, ceased. But well 

 credited tidings came from the walrus hunters in Barents Sea, stating that the 

 ' Windward ' had been sighted in the ice about the middle of August, and again 

 towards the end of that month, steaming up an open lead. 



The third portion of the paper described the events of the year which had come 

 and gone since any news had been received. The arrival of the steam yacht 

 ' Windward ' at Vardo on September 10, 1895, had enabled the author to give the 

 members of the British Association a short resume of the doings of the expedition. 



It appeared, then, that the ' Windward ' safely made the south coast of Franz 

 Josef Land on September 7 ; that on the 10th the heavy labour of discharging the 

 cargo was begun ; and tliat on the \'2x\\ the ship was frozen in for the winter. 

 This, however, did not prevent the successful landing of the immense quantity of 

 stores and general equijiment, nor the erection of Russian loghouses, folding sheds, 

 observatory, stables, kennels, &c. 



During the winter, throughout which scientific observations were regularly 

 made, Mr. Jackson and his colleagues shot no fewer than sixty polar bears for the 

 sustenai3ce of the part}% Fresh meat was considered essential to their well-being 

 and as a preventive of scurvy. 



The sun returned February 23, 1895, and on March 10 Mr. Jackson began his 



