March 18, 1887. J 



sciujsrcu. 



259 



wards Switzerland as far as Geneva and beyond, 

 and to Paris and Corsica. The centre of greatest 

 intensity was in the Gulf of Genoa, along a line 

 dividing the place where the Apennines join the 

 Alps, and extending from Savona to Mentone. 

 The earthquake spread over the valley of the Bor- 

 mida, and did considerable damage in a portion 

 of the province of Cuneo, as also in the provinces 

 of Alessandria and Turin, it being very intense on 

 Mont Cenis. It was slighter on the plains and in 

 the valley of the province of Novara. In the 

 places where the earthquake was most intense the 

 principal shocks were three in number, and with 

 a slight difference, depending probably on the dif- 

 ference of clocks, correspond to the times indi- 

 cated by the seismic instruments at Montcalieri ; 

 namely, the first at 6.23 a.m., the second at 6.31, 

 and the third at 8.53. In the places near the 

 centre of motion slight shocks occurred at inter- 

 vals all through the day. The severest and most 

 terrible shock was the first, which was undulatory 

 in several places, oscillatory, and perhaps rota- 

 tory. It was several times prolonged and accent- 

 uated. At Montcalieri, as well as at Turin and else- 

 where, it had three principal repetitions, plainly 

 evidenced by the courses traced by the registering 

 seismograph. These augmentations of intensity 

 were mistakenly regarded by some as so many 

 distinct shocks. The dominant direction of the 

 first undulatory shock was from west to east, with 

 slight deviations at intervals from west and north- 

 west to east and south-east, and with oscillatory 

 and very slight vibrations. The two other shocks 

 were also undulatory, and the last was rather 

 more intense than the second, but without reach- 

 ing the intensity of the first. The second and 

 third had about the same direction as the first. 

 The earthquake, in places where it was very se- 

 vere, was accompanied by rumblings. It will be 

 remembered that slight shocks continued during 

 the following days. These have occurred at in- 

 tervals since, the latest being reported on March 

 11. At Mentone and Porto Maurizio these shocks 

 were the most violent ones since Feb. 28. 



A scientific and industrial exhibition will be 

 opened at Ekaterineburg in May next. The min- 

 ing industries of the Ural Mountains will be well 

 represented. Special interest will attach to the 

 department of ethnography, as it has been ar- 

 ranged that there shall be in the exhibition a 

 number of families belonging to the native tribes 

 of the Ural Mountains and Siberia. Their dwell- 

 ings will be exactly like those in which they usu- 

 ally live, and they will have with them the weapons 

 and implements used by them in hunting and fish- 

 ingl Another important element will be a collec- 

 tion of ancient objects in stone, bone, clay, and 



metal, found in Siberia and among the Ural 

 Mountains. These objects have never before been 

 publicly exhibited. 



Oxford has agreed, in answer to the representa- 

 tions of the Royal geographical society, to found a 

 readership in geography, bearing all the expense 

 thereof. Cambridge has determined to take a 

 similar step, the geographical society paying half 

 the stipend of the lecturer. 



Asia. 



Tlie Russian traveller M. Ogorodnikoff was told 

 at Meshed that there are tin-mines near that city 

 and in various parts of Khorassan. In an article 

 in the Revue scientifique, M. Berthelot points out 

 that this accords with a passage in Strabo, who 

 speaks (book xv. ch. ii. 10) of tin-mines in Dran- 

 giana, the ancient name for the region now called 

 southern Khorassan. If there really have been 

 tin-mines in this district from time immemorial, 

 there can be little doubt that they supplied the tin 

 for the bronzes of ancient Egypt and Assyria. 



Krasnof, who was sent out by the Russian geo- 

 graphical society to explore the Khan-tegri, fin- 

 ished his exploration of the Balkash region, and 

 went to Kara-Kul last summer, where he intended 

 to join his companion, I. V. Ignatief. He re- 

 ports that the river Kara-Soo, which is indicated 

 in the maps, does not exist. He found only a 

 small water-course called Kara-Sai. which is dry 

 at all seasons. All the rivers coming from the 

 mountains of At-lesken are long since dried up. 

 The Ala-Kul has so little water that the Earghis 

 have been able to cross it on horseback ever since 

 about five years ago, the horses having to swim 

 only fifty yards. In spring the rivers are higher. 

 The water of the west side of the lake is fresh, 

 that of the central part brackish, and in the 

 northern parts it deposits salt. The desert can 

 easily be crossed in all directions, the Kirghis 

 knowing many routes ; and, particularly in sum- 

 mer, water may be met with about every forty 

 miles. The river Hi is probably being deflected 

 eastward. The water is stagnant in the beds of 

 its delta, and no floods have occurred in its tribu- 

 taries during the past three years, while the quan- 

 tity of water in the Kurlu seems to be increasing. 

 The district of Kaman abounds in woods and 

 reeds. The Kirghis used to cultivate rice here. 

 At the present time wheat is cultivated only in 

 several districts of the desiccated lakes, which 

 require no irrigation. In the Khan-tegri, KJras- 

 nof and Ignatief discovered an enormous glacier. 

 When about to cross the frontier of China, they 

 were sent back, as the Chinese authorities were 

 not notified of their intention to visit Chinese 

 territory. 



