1865.] Geography. 93 



VI. GEOGEAPHY. 



(Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society.) 



The regions of geographical discovery and survey of which we have 

 received accounts during the last six months, have been comparatively 

 few. Central Africa seems to monopolize almost all those enterprising 

 discoverers, who are able to make a hobby of this science, to spend 

 their season (of two or three years) in exploring, and to return to 

 spend another season in book-writing and in lionizing in the drawing- 

 rooms and discussion chambers of London. From somewhat farther 

 afield came M. Vambery, the visitor of Samarcand ; Mr. W. G. Pal- 

 grave, whose paper we epitomized in a former number ; Yiscount 

 Milton from the Eocky Mountains, where he spent in toil months that 

 might have been passed amid every luxury in England, and Mr. John 

 Macdowall Stuart from Central and Northern Australia. We have 

 besides this an accoimt of the settlement of a new colony on Cape 

 York, of the laying the electric cable in the Persian Gidf and Meso- 

 potamia, with a description of the islands of Kishm and Ormuz, and 

 of an attempt to carry a railway over the Serra do Mar in Brazil. 



The discoveries in Central Africa have been diminished by the 

 shocking and untimely death of Captain Speke in the midst of the 

 ovation he so well deserved ; by the decease, on their travels, of the 

 Dutch ladies who had penetrated to the Soudan, but had been obliged 

 to return ; by the loss of Dr. Schubert, who was in search of Dr. 

 Vogel, and by that of M. Jules Gerard. On the other hand, we now 

 have in England Dr. Livingstone and Captain Burton, in addition to 

 Dr. Kirk, Mr. Galton, and others, who were here before. By these, 

 each new discovery is canvassed with minuteness that borders some- 

 times upon cavilling. Scientific researches require coolness and calm 

 discussion, and mistakes may well be acknowledged with frankness or 

 pointed out with gentleness. Captain Burton, formerly consul at 

 Fernando Po (where he is to be succeeded by Mr. Charles Living- 

 stone, brother of Dr. Livingstone), but lately promoted to a like 

 post at Santos, in South America, is said to be about to employ 

 the six months' leave of absence which he obtains on this promotion 

 in the exploration of a certain portion of the continent which of late 

 years he has penetrated. In the meantime he gives to the world two 

 handsome volumes on his late expedition to the King of Dahome, 

 undertaken with a view of diminishing, if not putting an entire stop 

 to, the brutal so-called " Customs." Though unsuccessful in the main 

 object of his mission, he has written a most interesting account of the 

 manners and peculiarities of these barbarians. The Grand Customs 

 and Yearly Customs were witnessed by Captain Burton, and the account 

 of these and of the Amazonian army, naturally form the most in- 

 teresting and original portions of his work. This army of Amazons 

 is computed at 2.500, and is divided into razor women, elephant 

 huntresses, bayonet women, blunderbuss women, archeresses, &c. 

 They mostly have a great tendency to fatness, nevertheless they are 



