April 1, 1887.] 



SCIUN'CE. 



313 



marched through Ladak into northern Tibet 

 (Changtan) as far as the Mangtsa Lake, and then 

 struck northward, descending on the plain of 

 Turkestan, near Kiria. He thus traversed over 

 three hundred miles of country vvhich had never 

 before been visited by a European. The altitudes 

 on this section of the journey were always very 

 great, the track running usually at about sixteen 

 thousand feet above the sea, while one, at least, of 

 the passes crossed, was calculated to reach nine- 

 teen thousand feet. After a stay at Kiria and 

 Khotan, the Khotan River was followed to its 

 junction with the Tarim ; the route then lay along 

 the latter river to Sarik, and then across a stretch 

 of desert to Shah-Yarand Kuchar. From the 

 latter place the Tarim was followed down to a 

 point where it turns southward towards Lake 

 Lob. From this point the towns of Kurla and 

 Karastaber were visited, and about the end of the 

 year the Tarim was struck again and tracked 

 down to Lob-Nor. Thus the whole length of the 

 Tarim has been explored. The country along its 

 banks is described as flat and reedy, and the 

 people extremely poor and miserable. Mr. Carey 

 pitched his camp at the village of ("haklik, some 

 distance south of the lake, and close to the foot of 

 the great range of mountains which forms the 

 northern scarp of the Tibetan highlands. On 

 April 30, 1886, Mr. Carey started from this vil- 

 lage on a journey southward into Tibet, over a 

 pass in the Altyn Tagh range, and onward by a 

 track occasionally used by tlie Kalmucks. Since 

 this start, nothing has been heard of Mr. Carey, 

 but it is presumed, that, after spending the sum- 

 mer and autumn in travelling over the elevated 

 ■region, he has returned to Turkestan to winter." 



Africa. 



Stanley's expedition arrived at the mouth of 

 the Kongo on March 18. According to Nature, 

 Stanley, on his arrival at Stanley Falls with the 

 first contingent of his expedition, about 2.50 men, 

 will proceed at once to Emin Pasha, without wait- 

 ing for the rest of his party. No doubt he will be 

 re- enforced by some of Tippo's men. The main 

 body will follow as soon as the steamers are able 

 to land them all at Stanley Falls, but first a camp 

 will be established, at some distance from the 

 Falls, as a base of operations. 



The reports published by the Kongo association 

 on the state of affairs on the upper Kongo are a 

 strong contrast with letters published by the Paris 

 geographical society. Some details on the loss of 

 the Stanley Falls station are given, and the fear is 

 •expressed that the Arabs might attack the Ban- 

 galla station. Besides, the intercourse on both 

 shores of Stanley Pool is said to be interrupted by 



the natives attacking the caravans. It is probable 

 that Stanley's negotations with Tippo-Tip may 

 lead to the establishment of friendly relations be- 

 tween the Arabs and the Kongo Free Slate. The 

 latest news saj's that Tippo-Tip is to be appointed 

 chief of the Stanley Falls station. 



Lieutenant Baert, who explored the Mongalla, 

 states that at the farthest point reached by him it 

 is only thirty feet wide and four or five feet deep. 

 This place is very near Junker's Ali-Kobo, on the 

 Welle. Baert's statement shows plainly that the 

 Mongalla is not the lower course of any one of the 

 rivers the sources of which were explored by 

 Junker, but that its drainage area is a small 

 one. 



Dr. Zintgraff, who visited West Africa a few 

 years ago, has been commissioned by the German 

 government to explore the river system of the 

 Cameroon districts in the little steamer Nachtigal. 

 He intends to visit the Cameroon Mountains. As 

 laige quantities of caoutchouc are said to be ob- 

 tained there, he will be accompanied by an ex- 

 pert in that material. 



America. 



It must be regretted that congress failed to ap- 

 propriate the money demanded for a survey of 

 the boundaries between Alaska and the British 

 possessions, and between the south-western terri- 

 tories and Mexico. Besides its being desirable 

 from a scientific point of view, it is practically of 

 great importance. The discovery of rich gold- 

 deposits near the boundary between British Colum- 

 bia and Alaska may furnish grounds for another 

 quarrel between the United States and Canada. 

 The boundary, as defined by the treaty with Rus- 

 sia, follows the summit of the mountains situated 

 parallel to the coast as far as longitude 141'^ west, 

 and is in no place moi'e than thirty nautical miles 

 from the coast-line. Of course, this definition is 

 very vague, and disputes between American and 

 Canadian miners may be expected if the survey 

 is not soon undertaken. 



Polar regions. 



Mr. A. Mc Arthur's prospects of being success- 

 ful in his enterprise of i-eaching the north pole are 

 not very promising. He left Winnipeg only a 

 few weeks ago on the way to Hudson Bay. A 

 few days ago his companion returned to Winni- 

 peg, having left him to go on alone. Neverthe- 

 less, McArthur may do good scientific work in 

 Hudson Bay, if he resolves to confine himself to 

 researches in that region. 



According to the Dagblad of Copenhagen, the 

 population of northern Greenland, about the end 

 of 1885, was 4,414 (3,119 males and 2,295 females); 



