NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY PRIZES 31 



same, and it is only a question of time when an absolute limit 

 of speed will be imposed by this restriction of draught. The 

 remedy is to be found in the deepening of channels and harbors 

 and the improvement of docks. Liverpool is being improved 

 beyond all other ports of the world, widening and deepening its 

 docks to accommodate vessels up to 900 feet in length and to 90 

 feet beam and 36 feet draught. Improvements upon a smaller 

 scale but still of considerable importance are either in progress 

 or in contemplation at London, Hamburg, Antwerp, New York, 

 Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Galveston, while the 

 depth of the Suez canal has been increased from 26 feet 28* feet, 

 and plans have beei\ prepared for a further deepening to 30 feet, 

 It will be seen from these brief references that Dr Corthell's 

 paper contains a large amount of interesting information not 

 hitherto accessible to the general reader, and in view of the 

 growing recognition of the absolute interdependence of nations 

 its present publication is most timel} 7 . 



J. H. 



NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY 



Prizes for Essays on Norse Discoveries in America 



The National Geographic Society offers two prizes for the best 

 essays on Norse discoveries in America ; these prizes to be awarded 

 under the following conditions : 



1. A first prize of $150 and a second prize of $75 are offered 

 for the best and second best essays, respectively, relating to pre- 

 Columbian discoveries and settlements of the Norsemen on the 

 mainland of North America and the location of the lands men- 

 tioned in the Icelandic Sagas. 



2. Essays submitted in competition for these prizes should be 

 typewritten in the English language, and should notexceed 6,000 

 words in length ; the} 7 may be accompanied by maps and other 

 illustrations used for the explanation of the text, but not for em- 

 bellishment. 



.'!. Essaya submitted in competition for the prizes should be 

 signed by a pseudonym or number, and should bear no other 

 indication of authorship, but each should be accompanied by a 

 sealed envelope, marked with the same pseudonym or number, 

 containing the name and address of the author. 



I. The competition will close at 6 p. m., December 31, 1899. 



