Max 27, 1887.] 



SCIJEJSrCE. 



505 



formations in New York ; but toward the south 

 they become gradually more calcareous, and the 

 Utica also becomes thinner, and fails to reach the 

 Ohio River; the Hudson River series overlapping 

 it, and reposing directly upon the Trenton. The 

 lower Helderberg series, which has been hereto- 

 fore assigned a total thickness of one hundred 

 feet, is proved to measure five hundred, possibly 

 six hundred feet, and to include all the beds in 

 Ohio formerly referred to the Salina and Oriskany 

 groups. The Cincinnati uplift, formerly supposed 

 to have a north-easterly trend, is shown to run 

 almost due north in northern Ohio, and to send 

 off an important branch through north-eastern 

 Indiana ; and it is along this branch that the im- 

 portant discoveries of oil and gas in Indiana have 

 been made. The best gas-wells of north-western 

 Ohio are now yielding from five million to fifteen 

 million cubic feet each daily, and the oil-produc- 

 tion for the entire field exceeds fourteen thousand 

 barrels daily at the present time. The extent and 

 rapidity of the development of the new districts 

 are well shown in the statement that the Lima 

 field alone now contains four hundred and twenty- 

 four producing oil-wells, an average of more than 

 one new well per day since the first discovery. 



The suggestion of Captain Bartlett, chief of 

 the U. S. hydrographic office, that an inter- 

 national convention be called for the purpose of 

 assigning different portions of the ocean to each 

 maritime nation, will probably be favorably con- 

 sidered by congress. It is believed that this 

 would prevent casualties at sea by ships running 

 into floating derelicts. Captain Bartlett says in 

 his report, " Each nation would patrol its own 

 portion of the ocean for the purpose of towing in 

 or destroying all obstacles. Frequent reports are 

 received of ships running into these derelicts, and 

 the number lost from this cause may be consider- 

 able. If shipmasters felt that every attempt was 

 being naade by civilized governments to clear the 

 ocean of these dangers, their anxieties, which are 

 sufficiently great from purely natural causes, 

 would be materially relieved." 



THE POSITION OF EMIN PASHA. 



It was in July, 1881, that Mohammed Achmed 

 of Dongola, a carpenter, who had lived for some 

 time as a hermit on the Island of Aba in the White 

 Nile, declared he was the ' Mahdi,' the prophet 

 whose arrival is expected by the Mohammedans 



about this time. The number of his adherents 

 increased rapidly, and belief in him was strength- 

 ened by the failure of several Egyptian expeditions 

 to capture him. In an encounter with the Egyp- 

 tian troops he braved their guns, and so the belief 

 in his invulnerableness was established. The 

 Egyptian government failed to understand the 

 seriousness of this movement, though it was fre- 

 quently warned by Emin Bey, the governor of the 

 equatorial province. The Arabs and Dongolans, 

 who had been masters of these countries before 

 they were conquered by the Egyptians, joined the 

 fanatic adherents of the Mahdi, and soon the 

 movement had spread over the whole country. 

 The government, which had only by the greatest 

 efforts succeeded in subduing the revolt of Soli- 

 man Pasha in 1878-80, was powerless against the 

 Mahdi. He retreated before an expedition sent 

 from Khartum, to the southern parts of Kordo- 

 fan, and in December, 1881, vanquished the mudir 

 of Fashode. At this time the serious disturbances 

 caused by Arabi- Pasha threatened to overthrow 

 the Egyptian government, and delayed further 

 action against the Mahdi. Thus the number of 

 his adherents increased rapidly, and within a short 

 time he commanded a large army. It is not 

 necessary to dvvell upon such events as the de- 

 struction of the Egyptian army, Gordon's defence 

 of the Sudan, the final fall of Khartum, and 

 Gordon's death. 



In 1878 Emin Pasha was appointed governor of 

 the equatorial province by General Gordon. When 

 he entered upon his duties, the country was in a 

 general state of war. Only the banks of the Nile 

 beyond Lado, the district of the Mvutan Nsige, 

 and the country inhabited by the Shuli, were 

 quiet. Nubian slavers invaded the country and 

 captured slaves without meeting resistance. Emin 

 succeeded in driving them out of the country and 

 gathering the scattered natives into their villages. 

 Under his peaceful government many roads were 

 built, and the cattle, the most valuable possessions 

 of the district, increased in number. He intro- 

 duced new manufactures and the culture of new 

 plants, and thus improved the province, which in 

 1882 yielded an income of $40,000, derived from 

 taxes, while formerly it had an annual deficit of 

 from $100,000 to $200,000. 



At a time when the Egyptian government did 

 not understand the seriousness of the disturbances 

 caused by the Mahdi, Emin called attention to 

 the imminent danger, but his warnings were dis- 

 regarded. In April, 1882, during his visit to 

 Khartum, he offered to treat personally with the 

 Mahdi, and to use his personal influence and his 

 acquaintance with the persons to bring about a 

 modus Vivendi between the parties. His offers 



