94 Corresjjondence — Professor E. Hull. 



THE SUB-OCEANIC VALLEY OF THE RIVER CONGO. 

 Sir, — T have just completed the details of this magnificent 

 submerged river-channel by means of the soundings on the Admiralty 

 chart No. 604. Fortunately they are sufficiently numerous at this 

 part of the African coast to enable me to do so with great accuracy. 

 That the Congo valley is continued under the Atlantic to a great 

 depth has been known for some yeaxs, and accompanying the paper 

 by Mr. Edward Stallibrass on " Deep-sea Soundings in connection 

 with Submarine Telegraphy," ^ there is a plan of this sub-oceanic 

 valley from the mouth of the Congo down to the 1,000-fathom 

 contour, which very closely corresponds with that drawn by myself. 

 The scale of Mr. Stallibrass' map is about half that of the Admiralty 

 chart, or about 25 miles to the inch : the details deserve publication 

 on the full scale. The length of the submerged valley is about 120 

 miles, and, like those of the West of Europe, it opens out on the 

 abyssal floor at a depth of 1,200 fathoms. The valley is remarkably 

 straight for a distance of about 100 miles, and nearly coincides with 

 the 6th parallel of South latitude, but at this point bends slightly 

 northwards. It is generally narrow, and bounded by walls, in some 

 places precipitous, descending to depths of 2,000-4,000 feet within 

 very short horizontal spaces, and the average fall of the channel 

 is 60 feet per mile. It is unnecessary to point out the significance 

 of the presence of this great submerged river valley as far south 

 as 6° beyond the Equator. It proves beyond question that the 

 western margin of Africa has shared in the great upheaval and 

 subsequent depression by several thousand feet of that of Western 

 Europe and the British Isles, and, let me add, represents on the 

 eastern side of the Atlantic the uprise and depression of the 

 Antillean continent so ably elucidated by Professor Spencer. I hope 

 to_ treat this subject more fully in a paper to be read before the 

 Victoria Institute this session. Edward Hull. 



January 15, 1900. 



OBITTJJLI^-Y". 



JOHN RUSKIN, M.A., LL.D., D.C.L., F.G.S. 

 Born February, 1819. Died January 20, 1900. 



The great Art-writer and Critic of the century, John Euskin, 

 passed away peacefully on the afternoon of Saturday, 20th January, 

 his life's work accomplished long since. 



Few men have had greater influence on modern thought in matters 

 pertaining to art, pictures, sculpture, and architecture than John 

 Euskin ; he was always an idealist and romantically enthusiastic in 

 his notions, and wholly unworldly, yet no one believed more strongly 

 than he did in his ability to regenerate the world and reform its 

 abuses. His kindness of heart was extreme, and his sympathies 

 were universal. He has been, as such a man naturally would be, 

 severely criticized for his published views on ' Political Economy,' 



* Joum. Telegraphic Engineers, vol. ivi (1888), p, 479. 



