SCIENCE 



FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER i6, H 



The latest news from Stanley is dated Yambuya Rapids on 

 the Aruvimi River. This is the most eastern point that could be 

 reached by steamers, and here the overland journey to the Mvutan 

 Nsige was to begin. The expedition, which consisted of 6i2 men, 

 left Stanley Pool on May i, on the 'Heniy Reed,' of the American 

 Baptist Mission, with 131 men on board; the 'Stanley,' of the 

 Kongo Free State, carrying 364 men, 500 loads of baggage and 

 goods, nine riding asses and a herd of goats, and the ' Peace,' of 

 the English Baptist Mission, with 117 men on board, and towing 

 two boats. The ' Stanley ' towed the hull of the steel steamer 

 ' Florida,' which had been launched the day before. Two miles 

 above Kinshassa the ' Peace ' met with an accident, her rudder be- 

 ing broken, and she had to return to Leopoldville for repairs. After 

 this accident the expedition travelled steadily on ; but the ' Peace ' 

 proved to be very slow, and was unable to keep up with the other 

 steamers. A short distance below Bolobo another accident befell 

 the expedition. The ' Stanley ' struck a reef, and one of her sections 

 was completely wrecked. Fortunately she could be restored to use 

 by patching plates underneath. In order to make up for the time 

 lost. Major Barttelot marched overland from Wamboko River to 

 Kwamouth, and his party was afterward brought up to Bolobo by 

 the ' Stanley.' Meanwhile the engineer of the ' Peace ' had resolved 

 to screw down the upper safety-valve, and by this expedient en- 

 abled the ' Peace ' to proceed at the same rate as the other steamers. 

 The journey from Bolobo to the rapids of the Aruvimi was effected 

 without any further delays or incidents. On June 18 this place was 

 reached, and Stanley proceeded at once to build an intrenched 

 -camp, in which Major Barttelot is to remain. While Stanley's 

 steamers ascended the Aruvimi, Tippo-Tip was conveyed on the 

 - Henry Reed ' to Stanley Falls station, of which he is the chief. 

 He was accompanied by 96 Zanzibari, and Major Barttelot, who 

 had 40 Sudanese soldiers with him, commanded the steamer. It 

 seems that Stanley was going to leave the Arabian trader at Stan- 

 ley Falls, and proceed to the Mvutan Nsige alone. Barttelot was 

 to return the day after his arrival at Stanley Falls, and to rejoin 

 Stanley at Aruvimi Falls. The natives of Yambuya would not 

 allow the expedition to land, but, on hearing the steam-whistles, 

 fled into the woods. The next day a few returned, and were sent 

 off with presents. Stanley hoped to gain their conjidence within a 

 short time. On June 20 the ' Stanley ' left the Yambuya Falls, and 

 arrived at Leopoldville on July 2. These are the latest letters from 

 Stanley so far ; but the cable informs us that he found the river 

 navigable above the Yambuya Falls, and that he was able to pro- 

 ceed in boats. Probably the ' Henry Reed ' brought this news to 

 Leopoldville. It may be that the river proves to be navigable for 

 a long distance, and in this case Stanley's march to the Mvutan 

 Nsige will be greatly facilitated. 



THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROADS." 

 The transcontinental railroads cross great plains, high moun- 

 tains, lofty plateaus, and broad basins, and follow the courses of 

 long rivers. Nowhere do we find objects of greater interest to the 

 traveller, geographer, geologist, or the student of natural history, 

 than along these lines of travel. The rivers that rise on the eastern 

 slope of the Rocky Mountains pursue an uninterrupted and peace- 

 ful course from the foot-hills, across the great plains, to the valley 

 of the Mississippi. The rivers that rise on the western slope en- 

 1 The unfinished portions of the roads are included in the accompanying map. 



counter range after range of mountains, some higher than the 

 Rockies, and find their way to the ocean over high falls, through 

 deep cafions, or by forcing a way through mountain ranges. Here 

 is the longest persistent rang-e of mountains in the world, — broad 

 plateaus elevated from 8,000 to 10,000 feet above the level of the 

 sea. Here are deep basins, with mountains so closely surrounding 

 them that the streams, unable to find a way to the ocean, sink into 

 the desert. Here is the valley of the Colorado, running through 

 cafions 3,000 to 4,000 feet high, over 200 miles long, and so deep 

 that in some places the sunlight never reaches the bottom. The 

 rain, instead of fertilizing the ground, washes from the rocks 

 every particle of soil, and leaves the country a desolate wilderness, 

 devoid of vegetable or animal life. Here are high snow-moun- 

 tains, and at their base deep valleys, sunk below the level of the 

 ocean. There are mountains, more beautiful than Mont Blanc or 

 the Matterhorn, rising directly from base to summit, 14,000 feet in 

 height, with glaciers exceeding in extent and beauty any in Europe. 

 From the far north to the extreme south are mines of gold, silver, 

 and copper, and vast deposits of coal, lead, and iron-ore. Here the 

 student of natural history finds fossils in endless variety and num- 

 ber, from the toothed bird to the miniature horse. As a com- 

 pensation for the want of trees on the mountains, the largest and 

 finest forest-trees in the world are found at their base, on the 

 Pacific coast. The millions of buffaloes which formerly roamed 

 over the plains are all gone, but their places are supplied by count- 

 less herds of cattle and flocks of sheep. Such a land is worth 

 visiting ; and the description of the country through which the rail- 

 roads run, and of the roads themselves, must be of interest. 



The traveller from the Atlantic to the Pacific by either of the 

 transcontinental railroads enters the great plains, soon after crossing 

 the 95th degree of longitude, near Winnipeg on the north, Omaha 

 and Kansas City in the middle latitudes, or San Antonio at the south. 

 Then commences the ascent, steadily continued until the top of the 

 Rocky Mountains is reached. The land rises, at first slowly, then 

 on steeper grades, and yet so gradually that the passenger on the 

 Union Pacific reaches an elevation of one mile before he has seen 

 the mountains or realizes that he has attained any considerable ele- 

 vation. From the foot-hills, over the mountains to the Pacific 

 Ocean, each road follows a route having its own' features, so strik- 

 ing and distinct that no general description is of any value. The 

 chief objects of interest are the great plains, the rocky mountains, 

 the deep basins, the ranges of mountains west of the Rockies, and 

 the plateau of the Colorado River ; while the railroads — the work 

 of man — vie in interest with the natural wonders. 



The Great Plains. 



Looking from Denver towards the west, or, better yet, from al- 

 most any part of the great plains in Colorado within 50 miles of the 

 Rocky Mountains, are seen the foot-hills, then the mountains, rising 

 higher and higher until lost in the distant snow-caps. Looking 

 towards the east are the green and grassy plains falling in gentle 

 undulations, north, south, and east, as far as the eye can reach, and 

 for hundreds of miles beyond. These are the great plains of 

 America, bounded by the Rocky Mountains on the west, the 

 Arctic Ocean on the north, the Gulf of Mexico on the south, 

 the Missouri and Mississippi rivers on the east. The great plains 

 reach their culminating point between Denver and Colorado Springs, 

 — at the divide between the waters of the North Platte and Arkan- 

 sas rivers. From this elevation of 7,000 feet they slope north- 

 easterly into Wyoming and Canada, towards the Arctic Ocean, 

 easterly to the Missouri River, and southerly into New Mexico. The 

 land, only fairly watered on the east, becomes arid towards the 

 foot-hills of the Rockies, and, though rich and fertile, cannot be 

 cultivated without irrigation. The ri\'ers grow larger towards their 

 sources, as the rainfall on the plains is insufficient to supply the 



