Geographic Notes 



315 



mitted b)- the Dutch engineers in 1870, 

 and it is still an open question whether 

 the entire project will be undertaken, 

 and if so, when. The time requisite 

 for completion of the drainage is esti- 

 mated by different experts as from 

 twelve to thirty-six years. 



EXCAVATIONS OF M. DE MORGAN 

 AT SUSA 



IN a brief paragraph one can hardh' 

 do more than hint at the remarkable 

 work accomplished by M. de Morgan, 

 head of the French expedition, in his 

 investigations at the ancient site of the 

 Persian city Susa. One must read his 

 first report, just published by the French 

 government. He found traces of five 

 successive settlements on the same site : 

 First, remains of a Graeco- Parthian set- 

 tlement dating from the third centur}^ 

 B. C. ; under these, remains of two suc- 

 cessive Persian settlements ; then the 

 settlement coeval with Nebuchadnezzar, 

 and, lowest of all, vestiges of the city 

 destroj^ed by the Assyrians 2000 years 

 before Christ. 



In each layer of habitation important 

 discoveries were made whereby the 

 world's knowledge is greatly increased. 

 For example, in the record chamber was 

 found an inscription giving complete 

 details as to the corvee system in Baby- 

 lonia. Other still more ancient inscrip- 

 tions conve^dng a mass of information 

 were unearthed in the same chamber. 

 Specially to be noted is a finely carved 

 stele of Naramsin, son of Sargon, going 

 back to about 3900 B. C. M. de Mor- 

 gan is at present engaged in working 

 up the vast amount of material he has 

 laid bare. His first report can be con- 

 sidered only as introductory to the vol- 

 umes in course of preparation. What 

 he has alread}' done marks an epoch in 

 oriental archaeology. 



Paul du Chaillu is on his way to Russia, 

 where he will live for three or four 



years studying the great Slav Empire 

 and its people. Mr. du Chaillu believes 

 that Russia is entirety misunderstood in 

 America. It is his aim to see person- 

 ally the problems that confront this ex- 

 panding race, and to learn the motives 

 and ambitions that animate them. He 

 will study and live among all classes 

 and in all parts of the empire, from St. 

 Petersburg to Vladivostok. Probably 

 no American traveler since the days of 

 George Kennan has had such liberty of 

 action as Mr. du Chaillu will enjoy. 



The United States Consular List fur- 

 nishes some interesting information con- 

 cerning the tenure of office of our 

 Diplomatic Corps and Consular Service. 

 Out of 276 persons emplo3-ed in these 

 ser^'ices it appears that 190, or 69 per 

 cent, have served for five 5 ears or more ; 

 that 37 per cent have served for ten 

 years or more, and that 14 per cent 

 have serv^ed for 20 years or more. Three 

 persons have served for 27 years each, 

 two persons 28 years, and one person 

 each 29, 30, 32, 37, and 48 years. The 

 average term of service of persons in 

 the United States Consular and Diplo- 

 matic Service abroad has been 9.4 years. 

 From the above figures it would seem 

 that the charge that our Consular and 

 Diplomatic Service is wanting in expe- 

 rience is scarcely sustained. 



New French Ocean Cables. — With the 

 desire to make French trade independ- 

 ent of the British cable service, the 

 French Ministry of Commerce and 

 Posts has lately completed the laying of 

 two new cables. The first is from Oran, 

 in western Algeria, to a port in Mo- 

 rocco. The other is from Hue, in An- 

 nam, to Amoy, in the Chinese province 

 of Fukien, opposite Formosa. From 

 Amoy messages from and to French 

 Indo-China will be carried over the 

 Chinese land lines and the Russian- 

 Siberian wires. Thus the French Gov- 



