Nov. 13, 1879] 



NATURE 



49 



Thee hot winds are not merely oflocal interest to the colonists, 

 but of general interest in matters affecting the atmospheric circu- 

 lation of the continent of Australia, and as affording facilities to 

 the meteorologists of that region in the study of whirlwinds and 

 other cyclonic movements, the correct theory of which science 

 has still to propound, The frequency of these hot winds at 

 Wilson's Promontory, the most southern point in Victoria and 

 completely enveloped by the sea, is noteworthy, a 

 instance which occurred on March 14, when on the surface the 

 wind was cool and damp, whereas a hot wind was blowing 50 

 feet high on the lighthouse balcony. The discussion of the wind 

 observations is a valuable piece of work. These show an excess 

 heric movement in the warmer months and during the 

 hotte-t hours of the day, the velocity of the wind in summer 

 increasing from y 13 miles an hour from 2 to 3 a.m. to 1597 

 miles from 2 to 3 p.m. During 1S76, which was remarkable for 

 the absence of sun-spots, the aurora australis was only seen once, 

 viz., between 3 and 4 A. M. of April 26 at Kyneton. 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 

 The Germans have so deservedly earned a distinguished repu- 

 tation as scientific geographers, that it is quite pleasing to catch 

 one very seriously tripping in geographical matters. In Philip 

 Leopold Martius's "Das Lebcn der Hauskatze und ihrer Ver- 

 wandten " (Weimar : B. F. Voigt, 1S77), in the part of the work 

 treating of the varieties of the domestic cat, appears (s. 61) the 

 following extraordinary statement : " Die schwanzlo-e Katze von 

 der Insel Man im stillen Ocean wenn nicht das Kap Man an]" 

 Borneo d ranter zu ver»tehen, ist wohl noch nie zu uns nach 

 Deutschland gekommen, obgleich sie auf der Katzenausstellung 

 in London einst vertreten war." The author goes on to express 

 his earnest wish that a pair of these great rarities, Manx cats, 

 may be procured and exhibited at some zoological garden. 

 Manxmen will hardly thank him for placing their native isle in 

 the Pacific Ocean and confounding them with Polynesians, but 

 the suggestion as the result of ponderous research that after 

 all perhaps such a place as the Isle of Man does not exist, but 

 that its mythical development has arisen from a mistake as to a 

 cape of the same name in Borneo is too delicious altogether, and.so 

 ingenious and thoroughly German that it must needs be recorded 

 for the benefit of the readers of Nature. 



Dr.Naciitic.AL, has communicated to theBerlin Geographical 

 Society full particulars as to the misfortune lately suffered by 

 Gerhard Kohlfs' expedition in North Africa. Rohlfs and his 

 companions, who were plundered and detained while exploring 

 the Kufara Oa is, and compelled to return to Bengazi, were 

 relieved by the intervention of the Foreign Office under assur- 

 ance that complete reparation !would be made them. The 

 explorers' travelling effects, along with gifts sent by the 

 German Emperor for the Sultan of Wadai, require to be 

 supplemented and renewed, though it is almost certain the 

 expedition will ^ til 1 be able to proceed in accordance with its 

 previous plan. Dr. Lenz, it was announced at the same meeting, 

 had lately gone to Morocco on a geological survey, which he 

 would subsequently extend eastwards into the Sahara. 



At the opening of the Geographical Society's Session on 

 Monday last, the Earl of Northbrook, the president, briefly 

 reviewed the work of travellers and geographers during the | ast 

 few months, and spoke in very eulogistic terms of Prof. Norden- 

 skjbld's great achievement. 'I he most noteworthy feature, however, 

 in the address, was the statement that.news had been received that 

 morning from the expedition despatched by the African Explora- 

 tion fund Committee to the head of Lake Nyassa. Nothing had 

 been heard of its whereabouts since the death of Mr. Johnston, 

 except a rumour as to its progress, gathered by an Arab from 

 native sources, and lately communicated by Dr. Kirk through 

 the Foreign Office. Mr. Thomson reports that he has arrived, 

 within comparatively-few days' march of the lake, in the country 

 of Uhche. Lord Northbrook read some interesting extracts 

 from Mr. Thomson's journal which will, no doubt, soon be 

 publi-hed by the Society. Mr. Clements R. Markham then read 

 a summary which he had drawn up of a paper on the exploration 

 of Central Sumatra, prepared by Prof. P. J. Veth, President of 

 the Dutch Geographical Society. One of the main results of the 

 late Dutch expedition, was the discovery that the Jambi River, 

 which should be known hy its native name of Batang Hari, was 

 navigable for nearly 400 miles. It was announced that at the 

 next meeting a paper would be read which had been written by 



Captain A. H. Markham, descriptive of his Arctic cruise during 

 the summer in the Isbjorn and of the work of the Dutch Expe- 

 dition in the Willem Barents. Captain Bruijne, its com- 

 mander, has kindly promised to attend the meeting. Lord 

 Northbrook also stated that hopes were entertained of Dr. Emil 

 Holub being able to give an account of his remarkable journeys 

 in South Central Africa on January 12. 



In an account which he has sent home to the Church Mis- 

 sionary Society, of the tribes on the road to Mpwapwa, Mr. J. 

 E. East tells us that the third tribe from the coast is that of tlie 

 Wanguru. In going from Saadani to Mpwapwa caravans pass 

 through the southern limits of their country. These Wanguru 

 seem to be a scattered people, but they are found in great numbers 

 living among the mountains north of Kin Masen.10, one of their 

 chief villages. There they cultivate the ground on a large scale, 

 growing rice plentifully and all the common native produce ; 

 ginger is found in great abundance. They also grow a great 

 deal of tobacco, and three native medicines not known among 

 other tribes. One is the seed-pod of the mdaha, in form very 

 like a piece of rough stick, and wdien ground it is very hot to the 

 palate. The other two are vegetable fats produced from seeds, 

 and are much in vogue as medicines at Zanzibar, as well as on 

 the coast and inland. The French Roman Catholic mission have 

 had a station among this tribe for some little time. 



News has been received from Zanzibar that another expedition 

 has started from Bagamoyo for the interior. It is despatched by 

 M. Lavigerie, Archbishop of Algiers, and consists of eighteen 

 Europeans, of whom six are laymen. Their object is to reinforce 

 the Algerian missionary stations at Ujiji and at King Mtesa's 

 capital. The expedition is under the leadership of the Abbe 

 Guyon. 



The new number of Les Annales rfe VExtrimi Oi lent contains 

 papers on the Belep group and the fauna of the Indian Archi- 

 pelago, the former of which is illustrated by a 1111 p. 



The fame of the newly discovered sapphire mines in Siam is 

 so great that great numbers of Burmese and Shans are said to be 

 flocking thither. The mania appears also to have attacked part 

 of the European community in Rangoon. 



The November number of Peter man its Mttthcilitngcn con- 

 tain-; a reduced copy of the geological map of India from 

 Medlicott and Blanford's " Preliminary Sketch." The narra- 

 tive of Dr. Kegel's journeys in Central Asia is concluded, 

 and is followed by an interesting account of the trade and 

 industry of Werchojansk and Kolymsk circles, in North-East 

 Siberia, and an eclectic article on the region about the sources 

 of the Santa-Cruz, in Patagonia, with a map illustrating Moreno's 

 journeys in 1S76-7. There is also a map accompanying the 

 paper on Dr. Kegel's journeys. 



Amo.ng the papers in the September number of the Bulletin 

 of the Paris Geographical Society, the one of mot scientific 

 value is Commander Perrier's lecture on the measurement of 

 longitudes in France. M. Ed. Cinere [describes his journey in 

 South America, mainly the United States of Columbia, in 

 1875-6. There are two interesting letters on the Onus question, 

 by M. Woeikoff, with a note by M. Vivien de St. Martin, and a 

 paper by the Abbe Durand on Pcre Dupayrett's journeys in 

 South Africa. There is also an interesting unpublished letter of 

 Dagelet, the astronomer attached to the expedition of La 

 Perouse. 



The general council of Constantine (Algeria) has appointed a 

 commissi, m for determining the trad of the Transah.ui.in railway. 

 It has been already determined by the commission to publish a 

 projet, by M. Peltreau, on the section from Constantine to 

 Juggurt by Biskra and Oued Birb. 



In the last session of the Geographical Society of Pari, a very 

 interesting 1 i-cu-sion took place on the possibility f using 

 elephants from India in South African exploration. It was 

 considered more advantageous to try to use the native elephants 

 after being trained on the Indian method. It was sta'ed ihat a 

 number of African elephants had been also sentto India in order 

 to be tamed there. M. Soleillet remarked that eleph ints can 

 nowhere be met in India except in well-watered places, so that 

 they mu-t be used in Africa, in countries offering oine analogy 

 with such regions where they can live without difficulty, 



M. Paul Soleillet will leave very shortly for St. Louis 

 (Senegal) in order to proceed on his intended journey to Segou- 

 Sokkoro and thence to Timbuctoo. lie has received funds from 



