Sept. 14, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



295 



GEOGRAPHICAL SECTION. 



{Continued from p. 266.) 



Monday, September ioth. 



Col. Sir C. W. Wilson, R.E., F.R.S., presiding. 



The first paper read was one by Sir Lambert Playfair, en- 

 titled Tunis since the Ftench Protectorate, of which the following 

 is an abstract : — 



A very short time ago the interior of the country was practically 

 a terra incognita ; now it is being rapidly opened out to European 

 enterprise, and it promises soon to rival Algeria in what must 

 always be the principal industry of North Africa, viticulture. 



Commerce also has increased in a notable manner, but the beau- 

 tiful and characteristic arts of the country appear to be in a state of 

 decadence. 



The second paper en the list, entitled The Commercial Future of 

 Central Africa, was read by its author, Sir Francis de Winton. 

 In the course of his remarks he said it could hardly be doubted that 

 the advance of civilisation in the district dealt with would only be a 

 question of a few years. 



Mr. Ford read a paper on The Transvaal— the Safety of Stanley, 

 in which he advised any one who had any capital and an idea of 

 emigrating to go to South Africa, the El Dorado of the future. 



Amongst the speakers were Sir F. de Winton, who contended 

 that with regard to Mr. H. M. Stanley, there was no cause for 

 apprehension on his account. He was undoubtedly safe in the 

 interior, and had probably met Etrin Pasha some considerable time 

 ago. With regard to the White Pasha, who was reported to have 

 been seen in the region of the Congo, he said some people thought it 

 might be General Gordon, but he thought however much they might 

 hope it was he, there was but small chance of the lamented General 

 turning up. Mr. Stanley had travelled these regions many times 

 before, and he would undoubtedly turn up all right after a while. 

 There was no more chance ot his coming to grief than there was of 

 his coming to grief in Bath, beyond the chances of mere accident. 



Mr. Ravenstein said he 3greed with Sir Francis in all he had 

 said, and he fully believed Mr. Stanley was safe and sound, and in 

 due time he would turn up. The other gentlemen who spoke were 

 Sir Lyon Playfair, Sir R. Fowler, and Mr. Silver White, 

 of the Scotch Geographical Society, and Professor George. 



Mr. H. H. Johnstone gave a very graphic and realistic descrip- 

 tive account of the Came>ocns. 



Dr. E. G. Ravenstein next delivered an address on Dr. Lhing- 

 stone and Bangweolo, the First African Traveller's Last Journey, in 

 which he drew attention to the discrepancy between his map of the 

 Bangweolo region and his account of the same in his Journal. Had 

 Livingstone lived to finish bis survey of the lake, it would have 

 appeared very different. 



Tuesday, September iith. 



Sir C. W. Wilson, F.R S., presiding. 



The President read a paper by Col. J. H. Bjlland, R.E., on 

 Tl e Photographic and Photozincographic Pre cesses Fmployed in the 

 Ordnance Suivey, in which he explained at some length the various 

 maps used in surveys of the country, mines, drainage, etc., and the 

 way in which they were prepared. The photozincographic process 

 was invented at the Ordnance Survey Office, Southampton. 



General Sir H. E. L. Thuillier said no brush ever touched the 

 copies of the original maps produced and sent to head-quarters. 



Dr. Guisburg said, in Cairo there was a very old copy of the 

 Bible which he tried to get when he was out there with Lord 

 Wolseley, but he was unable to do so. Pie thought they might 

 make a representation to the Government to borrow the Bible, when 

 Sir Charles would take a copy of it, which would be very useful to 

 students. 



Other gentlemen entered into the discussion. 



Mr. H. J. Mackinder, M.A., delivered an address on Geogra- 

 phical Terminology, in which he pointed out that one of the great 

 difficulties encountered in the learning of geography was the 

 inaccuracy of the terms applied to physical features, and one of the 

 worst of these was that used for the word " ocean." The present 

 use of the word ocean, as in the case of the Southern Ocean, was 

 perfectly fatal to beginners. By the way of teaching at present in 

 vogue an impression was left in the mind that there were five plains 

 in some way compatible. The mother of oceans was that great ring 

 of water lying north of the Antarctic Circle. 



Mr. Silver White discussed the paper. 



A communication on The River of foseph, tie Fayoum and 

 Faian Basins, by Cope Whitehouse, M A., was read. A few 

 observations were made on the subject. 



Captain Conyers Surtees read a descriptive paper on A Mis- 



sion to El ITedj, giving in it a sketch of the manners and customs 

 of the various Arab tribes inhabiting that region. 



Mr. G. K. Gilbert, of the United States Survey Office, ad- 

 dressed the audience with regard to the manner of the Preparation 

 of Geological and Geographical Maps of the Survey and the Trian- 

 gula/ion System of the Country, 



Dr. Ravenstein said he was surprised to hear of the very small 

 number of geographers the United States had contributed to explor- 

 ing parties. Although Stanley had very strong claims across the 

 Atlantic, he was undoubtedly an Englishman. He thought in a go- 

 ahead country like America they would not be behind in such a 

 great work. 



Mr. Gilbert responded, remarking that their maps were 

 not yet published, but be would show, them some proofs to 

 demonstrate that some work had been done. 



Mr. W. Barrington d'Almeida read a paper on the Pana"g 

 State of the Malayan Peninsula. The author said Panang was the 

 district which lay between Tringana in the north, and Perak 

 and Selangore in the west of the China Sea. This was practically 

 terra incognita, and until 1S75 no Englishman had been farther than 

 the borders of the State. The question of railways was not 

 Utopian. There were already several of them in full swing, and at 

 Trass a Mr. Fraser was working a very large tin-mine. The heat of 

 the State was very great, and the natives were much darker than 

 they were on the other side of the peninsula. He never in all his 

 travels met with such courtesy as he did in the Malay territory. 

 All the spare time of the natives was devoted to top-spinning. The 

 climate was good, and colonisation would be most beneficial. 



Mr. Mackinder read a paper on The Characteristic Trails of the 

 Aboriginal inhabitants cf Formo a, by Mr. Geo. Taylor. 



Signor Cesare Tondini de Quarenghi read a paper on The 

 General Adoption of the Gregorian Calendar, in relation with that of 

 the universal hour, in which he pointed out that the Chinese had 

 some time ago adopted the Giegorian Calendar, and there were no 

 reasons why the Russians should not do the same. They were 

 keeping outside the pale of civilisat'on by insisting upon being 

 twelve days behind ourselves. 



ECONOMIC SCIENCE AND STATISTICAL SECTION. 



( Continued from p. 268. ) 



Saturday, September 8th. 



Mr. R. H. Inglis Palgrave, F.R.S., F S.S., occupied tl e chair. 



The first paper read was on The Revenue System of the Unit.d 

 Stales, by Dr. Albert Shaw, Ph.D. 



Mr. R H. Inglis Palgrave, F.R.S , F.S.S., then read a paper 

 on The Distribution of the Licences proposed to be transferred in aid 

 of Local Expenditure, 



This paper was followed by one on The Standard, or Basis, cf 

 Taxa'ion, by Mr. Clair J. Grece, LL. D. 



Mr. G. Hurst said these papers had brought before them one of 

 the most important subjects they had to deal with, viz., the subject 

 of Taxation He considered that taxation ought to be strictly as 

 Adam Smith laid it down, viz., that every one should contribute ac- 

 cording to their means. All taxes should be levied in proportion to 

 people's means, and indirect taxation would then fall upon the mul- 

 titude. They could not reach the labouring man except by indirect 

 taxation. 



Mr. W. Botly, of London, thought they should do everything 

 to encourage the outlay of expenditure by those who had the means 

 to do it in anything that was useful and good to the country. 



Dr. Shaw said they were now nearer the possibility of a Tariff 

 Commission than they had been for some time past in America. lie 

 also pointed out that Protectionists and P'ree Traders were not so 

 bitterly opposed to each other. Most of them, who were Econo- 

 mists, did not regard themselves as Free Traders or Protectionists ; 

 they were rather Economic Opportunists. 



The Chairman explained, with regard to his own paper, that his 

 object was to detail particular taxes, and not to go into the policy of 

 the Local Government Bill. 



A paper on The Suitability of Small Toivns for Factory industries, 

 by Mr. Russell R. Tanner, was then taken, after which the sec- 

 tion adjourned. 



Monday, September ioth. 



Mr. R. H. Inglis Palgrave, F.R. S., presiding. 



Professor Edgeworth, F.R.S. , read the report of the Committee 

 appointed to investigate The Best Method of Ascertaining and Measure 

 iug Variations in the Valucof Monetary Standa'd, and Mr. S. Bourne 



