January 24, 1890.] 



SCIENCE. 



55 



its way through its valley, receiving through the picturesque glens 

 many streams of water from the snows that clothe the mountain- 

 tops. Here we have a splendid country, unfortunately harassed 

 by the raids of the Wanyoro, in dread of whom the simple natives 

 •of the mountain-side often creep up to near the limit of snow. Up 

 the mountain, which Lieutenant Stairs ascended for over ten thou- 

 sand feet, bla.ckberries, bilberries, violets, heaths, lichens, and trees 

 that might have reminded him of England flourish abundantly. 

 Here evidently we have a region that might well harbor a Euro- 

 pean population. The mountain itself, Ruwenzori, a great boss 

 with numerous spurs, is quite evidently an extinct volcano, rising 

 to something like nineteen thousand feet, and reminding one of 

 Kilima Njaro, farther to the east. It is not yet clear whether it is 

 the same mountain as the Gordon Bennett seen by Stanley in his 

 former expedition, though the probability is that, if distinct, they 

 belong to the same group or mass. Apart from the mountain the 

 ■country gradually ascends as the Semliki is traced up to its origin 

 in Lake Albert Edward. Mr. Stanley found that, after all, the 

 southern Nyanza belongs to the great Nile system, giving origin to 

 the farthest south-west source of Egypt's wonderful river, which 

 we now know receives a tribute from the snows of the equator. 



The southern lake, itself is of comparatively small dimensions, 

 probably not more than forty-five miles long, and is nine hundred 

 feet above the northern Lake Albert. Mr. Stanley only skirted its 

 west, north, and east shores, so that probably he has not been able 

 to obtain complete data as to size and shape. But he has solved 

 one of the few remaining great problems in African geography. 

 The two lakes lie in a trough, the sides of which rise steeply in 

 places three thousand feet, to the great plateaus that extend away 

 •east and west. This trough, from the north end of Lake Albert to 

 the south end of Lake Albert Edward, is some two hundred and 

 sixty statute miles in length. About one hundred miles of this is 

 ■occupied by the former lake, forty-five by the latter, and the rest 

 by the country between, where the trough, if we may indulge in an 

 Irishism, becomes partly a plain, and partly a great mountain mass. 

 But this trough, or fissure, a glance at a good map will show, is 

 continued more or less south and south-east in Lakes Tanganyika 

 and Nyassa, which are essentially of the same character as Lakes 

 Albert and Albert Edward, and totally different from such lakes as 

 Victoria Nyanza and Bangweolo. Here we have a feature of the 

 greatest geographical interest, which still has to be worked out as 

 to its origin. 



There is little more to say as to the geographical results of the 

 Emin Pacha Relief Expedition. There are many minute details of 

 great interest, which the reader may see for himself in Mr. Stanley's 

 letters, or in his forthcoming detailed narrative. In his own char- 

 acteristic way, he tells of the tribes and peoples around the lakes, 

 and between the lakes and the coast ; and it was left for him on 

 bis way home to discover a great south-west extension of Victoria 

 Nyanza, which brings that lake within one hundred and fifty miles 

 of Lake Tanganyika. The results which have been achieved have 

 been achieved at a great sacrifice of life and of suffering to all con- 

 •cerned ; but no one, I am sure, will wish that the work had been 

 left undone. The few great geographical problems in Africa that 

 Livingstone had to leave untouched, Stanley has solved. Little 

 remains for himself and others in fhe future beyond the filling-in 

 of details ; but these are all-important, and will keep the great 

 army of explorers busy for many years, if not for generations. 



USEFUL PLANTS IN GUATEMALA. 

 In a report on the trade, commerce, and industries of the Re- 

 public of Guatemala for 1888, the British Consul to that republic 

 draws attention to the various vegetable prodiKts cultivated in the 

 country. Coffee is described as the most important agricultural 

 product, and, from its excellent quality, fetches a high price in the 

 market. The area of land planted has possibly doubled in the last 

 few years, and owing to failure in the last year's crop in Brazil, and 

 the consequent rise in the value of the product, an unusually large 

 acreage of fresh land is now being planted, and greater care taken 

 with the present estates, many old plantations being renewed and 

 added to. It is expected that next year, or the year after, 1,000,000 

 quintals will be produced, bringing, exclusive of consumption, a 

 wealth of $11,500,000 to $12,500,000 to the country. There is 



still a quantity of good land available for purchase. Sowing is 

 generally done in June ; and when about, seven inches high, the 

 young plants are transplanted into nurseries, watered in the dry 

 season, and protected from the sun until ready to be planted out. 

 About 100,000 quintals of coffee are yearly consumed in the country. 



Sugar stands next among the most important vegetable prod- 

 ucts. Cacao cultivated in Guatemala is of superior quality, and at 

 one time it was an important article of export, but has of late years 

 greatly fallen off ; and at the present time only about 400,000 

 pounds are produced, scarcely more than is required for interior 

 consumption. The government are encouraging farmers tp turn 

 their attention to this branch of culture, and some new plantations 

 have been made. The seeds have been distributed in considerable 

 quantities in various parts of the south, the sowing has shown good 

 results, and it is expected that the cultivation of this valuable plant 

 will be much increased. It takes about six years from the time 

 the seed is sown before a crop is produced ; but after that period 

 each shrub will yield one pound three times a year, and last for 

 a hundred years. There is little cost in cultivating or gathering, 

 and no machinery is required ; so that, though there is some time 

 to wait before new plantations give any return, the ultimate profit 

 is considerable. A slightly earlier result may be obtained by sur- 

 rounding the plantation with lime or orange trees, well preparing 

 the land, and shading the plants with suitable trees. 



A quantity of coca-seed {Erylkroxylon coca) was last year im- 

 ported from Peru for distribution among the people in a suitable 

 zone for its growth ; but the result was unsatisfactory, from the 

 bad quality of the seed, and fresh means are being taken to extend 

 the cultivation of this plant. 



Pepper and cinnamon are grown in the department of Alta Ver- 

 apaz. Good seed has been imported from Ceylon, and planting is 

 extending in that fertile district, while satisfactory results have been 

 obtained in the department of Escuintla, where a few plantations 

 have been made. 



Rice is a very large article of consumption in the republic, and 

 the government have established at San Jose works for perfecting 

 machinery to separate the husk. 



Good tobacco is grown, but little attention is paid to the mode 

 of preparing it. The production is being encouraged by the gra- 

 tuitous circulation of the best seed procurable from Havana, the 

 United States, and Sumatra, and many new plantations are being 

 made. 



In spite of endeavors made to protect the rubber or caoutchouc 

 trees, the production of rubber continues to decrease, and only in 

 Verapaz and Peten are trees found in any quantity ; while the 

 growers show no signs of replacing those that are worn out. Holes 

 are made in the stems to extract the sap, and alum, saltwort, or 

 some other juice, used to coagulate it. It might be made a profita- 

 ble industry if proper knowledge and appliances were brought to 

 bear. A few new plantations are being made in one or two low- 

 lying farms ; about 3,000 quintals are annually exported. The 

 plant yielding Guatemala rubber is Casiilloa elastica. 



Among other products grown are maize, beans, peas, and pota- 

 toes in sufficient quantity for home consumption; sarsaparilla and 

 vanilla grow wild on the mountains all over the country. The 

 price of sarsaparilla has fallen greatly. There was scarcely any 

 exported last year, and in 1887 it only reached the value of $8,105. 

 The quality of the vanilla is good, but, though it figures as an ex- 

 port, it is not cultivated for that purpose. 



Banana-planting in the east is occupying much attention as a 

 profitable industry, some 200,000 trees being now yearly planted 

 for the supply of the United States market. About 1 20,000 bunches 

 are at present exported annually. Peruvian (Bcshmeria ju'vea) was 

 also introduced three years ago, and more than 600,000 shoots 

 were distributed with a view to its general cultivation, but expor- 

 tation of the fibre has not met with satisfactory results. Indigo- 

 works are subsiding in the country, though a few still exist in the 

 east, and means are being t^ken to encourage them. Indigo was 

 exported to the value only of S465 in 1S8S, though formerly a very 

 large trade was done in it. The industry in cochineal has almost 

 entirely disappeared : for thirty years it was the principal article of 

 export, and now the little produced is used for native consumption, 

 aniline dyes having ruined the trade. 



