March 15, 1889.] 



SCIENCE. 



201 



the coast, trade was precisely in line condition we find it now in 

 the interior. The natives knew nothing of the collection of valua- 

 ble products, — knew not, indeed, of their existence until shown. 

 Now, on the coast, and for a hundred and two hundred miles in- 

 land, they have learned the demands of trade, and a regular collec- 

 tion is made by them of rubber, calumba, orchilla, and copal. 



So far, we have spoken only of the export of produce indigenous 

 to the country. When Europeans, however, begin to settle in it, — 

 and in a small way this settlement has already begun,— fresh 

 sources of wealth are opened up ; and other products, for which 

 the climate and soil are found favorable, are cultivated, and their 

 export forms a valuable adjunct to that of the natural products of 

 the country. Coffee and sugar have already been raised with suc- 

 cess ; and wheat, tea, and cinchona are are all undergoing trial. 

 The coffee and sugar consumed at the mission-stations are mostly 

 home or Nyassa grown, and very good in flavor and strength. 

 Recently Angora goats have been introduced for the production of 

 mohair. 



The climate of this region, which is from three thousand to five 

 thousand feet above sea-level, is considered comparatively healthy, 

 and, although it is not probable that it will ever become the home 

 of a numerous white population, is well adapted to the establish- 

 ment of plantations, worked by natives and managed by whites. 

 The lake itself, which is only sixteen hundred feet above sea-level, 

 has not as favorable a climate as have the slopes of the highlands. 



The most important feature of the Nyassa region is its easy ac- 

 cess. The uplands surrounding the Nyassa are divided by the only 

 navigable waterway to the coast of Africa, and this alone marks it 

 out as one of the first districts of East Central Africa for Euro- 

 pean occupation. There is nothing like it farther south, where 

 European settlers are steadily advancing. To be able to step into 

 a river-steamer at a seaport, as may be done now at the mouth of the 

 Zambezi, and be carried up in five or six days to the foot of the 

 Shire highlands, within a day's walk of the first settlements, is an 

 immense step already gained. The new river-steamer plying on 

 the Shire and Zambezi is a stern-wheeler, mtended to carry seventy- 

 five tons on a moderate draught. There is also a steamer of con- 

 siderable size in course of construction on Lake Nyassa. 



The trading company of Lake Nyassa, and the missions of that 

 region, — the Free Church of Scotland Missions, which occupy the 

 west coast of the lake ; the Universities' Mission, which occupies 

 the east coast of the lake, — have expended altogether some $750,- 

 000 on this region. In pursuance of these objects, a survey was 

 made of a road for about forty-six miles through the rough country 

 of Lake Nyassa, towards Lake Tanganyika, which is reached from 

 the terminal point of that road through an easy country. The road 

 was made by native labor, and the traffic on it was at first worked 

 by parties hired by the company from the Nkonde, Wanda, and 

 Mambwe tribes, with all of whom the company made treaties by 

 which its authority was recognized over these districts. At present 

 its management has, however, slipped into the hands of the Arabs, 

 who purchase goods at the Nyassa terminus, and convey them by 

 their own people, often slaves, to Lake Tanganyika, the European 

 staff being too limited in numbers to superintend all the stations 

 required. 



The steady advance of commerce in this region is seriously 

 threatened by the progress of the Arabs, who have recently also 

 invaded this country. For ninety miles along the south coast of 

 Lake Tanganyika almost the whole population has been swept 

 away or scattered, and in the adjoining fertile country of Ufipa the 

 Arabs are now in great force. 



During the last year, letters from the mission-stations expressed 

 apprehensions, on account of the presence near Lake Nyassa of an 

 Arab trader who had formerly made slave-raids in the Tanganyika 

 region. These traders have congregated in numbers at the Nyassa 

 ■end of the road, on account of the small steamer of the African 

 Lakes Company having been for some time detained on account of 

 disturbances. At various points besides the north end of the lake, 

 the Arab invaders are ready, and have added to their old station 

 at Kota-Kota one near Bandawe Mission ; and besides Losewa and 

 Makanjiva's, they have been aggressive near Blantyre. 



All reports make it an undoubted fact that the question of com- 

 mercial progress in Central Africa will solely depend upon the out- 



come of the present struggle between Arabs and Europeans. The 

 raids of the former are extending continually westward ; and, wher- 

 ever they have invaded a country, nothing but ruin remains. It 

 appears doubtful whether the joint action of the European nations 

 will succeed in breaking the power of the Arabs in the inaccessible 

 fastnesses of Central Africa. It seems that the only means of suc- 

 cess would be an absolute stoppage of the introduction of fire- 

 arms, which would deprive the Arabs of a great part of their 

 superiority over the native states. 



BOOK-REVIEWS. 



Occasional Addresses on Educational Sitbjects. By S. S. Laurie. 

 Cambridge, Eng., University Pr. 12°. (New York, Mac- 

 millan, Si-25.) 



Professor Laurie, well known as lecturer on educational 

 history and methods in the University of Edinburgh, here gives us 

 another volume on his favorite themes. In it he touches on a 

 great variety of educational topics, and handles most of them with 

 ability as well as enthusiasm. Professor Laurie believes in the 

 importance of studying educational theories and methods, and 

 holds that no teacher is properly equipped for his work who has not 

 been through a course of such study ; and he gives excellent argu- 

 ments and illustrations in support of this view. In regard to both 

 subjects of study and methods of teaching, he is at issue with 

 some enthusiasts of the present day, and especially with the advo- 

 cates of manual training and competitive examinations. With re- 

 spect to the latter, he takes the ground that competition in school 

 is in its nature an evil, since it fosters " the desire to beat others, 

 and exalt self over others," which he justly affirms to be anti-social. 

 Moreover, he maintains that educational competition does not 

 secure the best service to society. The whole lecture on this 

 subject ought to be carefully read by American educators. He 

 is opposed to free schools, and presents the well-worn arguments 

 against them, but without adding any thing new. 



With regard to subjects of study, Professor Laurie is a strong 

 advocate of the humanities. He believes in technical schools in 

 their proper place, but speaks slightingly of manual training in 

 ordinary schools, remarking, that, " if the spirit of man can be 

 educated through his fingers, it is a pity that Plato and Shakspeare 

 ever wrote, and Christ ever taught." The end of education, in his 

 view, is not to make good workmen, but good men ; and his school 

 curriculum is arranged accordingly. He would abandon Greek as 

 a required study, because of the importance of French and German, 

 and would base the course of study in secondary schools on Eng- 

 lish and Latin. He has a strong and, we think, sound sense of 

 the educational importance of literature, especially in its moral 

 and ffisthetic aspects ; and he would also devote considerable time 

 to national history and politics. Of the physical sciences he would 

 teach only geography, which seems a very narrow view ; though it 

 must be added that he would have geography taught in a very 

 wide and liberal spirit. In mathematics he would teach only the 

 elementary branches ; and in French and German, as much as 

 there is time for. This programme is sure to provoke criticism, 

 from the scientists at least ; but Professor Laurie is evidently not 

 averse to controversy. His whole book is very suggestive, and we 

 trust will not be overlooked by any one interested in education. 



A Treatise on Hydraulics. By MANSFIELD Merriman. New 

 York, Wiley. 8"^. $3.50.' 

 This volume is intended mainly for the use of students in tech- 

 nical schools, and consequently the subject has been treated, and 

 the material selected and arranged, with a view to meet the re- 

 quirements of such students. The author, who is professor of 

 civil engineering in Lehigh University, is gifted with a perspicuous 

 and pleasing style, and has produced a book which will without 

 doubt prove an acceptable text-book upon the subject. A brief 

 interesting chapter is devoted to the units of measure, physical prop- 

 erties of water, atmospheric pressure, gravity, and computations. 

 A few hints on methods of study, appended to this chapter, would 

 be of service to students in any department of science. Then 

 follow in regular order chapters on hydrostatics, theoretical hy- 

 draulics, and the flow of water through orifices, over weirs and in 



