1805.] Geography. 95 



and the boundaries of every lake, whilst one or two Englishmen seem 

 inclined to back the explorations of the Portuguese in preference to 

 that of their own countrymen. We must hope that this devoted 

 traveller will profit by the remarks made on his former work, and will 

 arrange his present production in a more logical manner, and take 

 some pains about the actual composition, so as to give his work a more 

 readable character than the former. One of Dr. Livingstone's former 

 companions, Mr. Thos. Baines, the artist of the expedition in 1858, 

 has now published an account of his journey from Walvisch Bay on 

 the Western Coast to Lake Ngami, and thence to the Victoria Falls 

 on the Zambesi, undertaken in the years 1861 and 1862. The route 

 described is not one of any great interest, as it has almost entirely 

 been traversed before, but the word-pictures of the artist make us 

 hope that the actual sketches may some day find their way to the 

 public eye. At the same time the work itself is somewhat tedious, 

 arising from the fact that the author has been unable to act as 

 editor, otherwise we may be sure that much which was interesting 

 enough when first sent home, would have been cut out, and that re- 

 petition of similar every-day occurrences would not be chronicled 

 with the fidelity of the writer of a Court Circular. Mr. Baines's 

 collection of Natural History Specimens will no doubt add much to 

 our present knowledge, at the same time his want of scientific nomen- 

 clature prevents many of his descriptions from being of such use as 

 they otherwise might become. 



Other travellers are pressing in upon this continent. M. du Chaillu, 

 the report of whose death turns out to be untrue, is advancing to- 

 wards the interior from the western side. The upsetting of a 

 boat had caused the loss of his instruments, but these have been 

 replaced. Though M. du Chaillu lives, Dr. Schubert of Leipsig, 

 attached to the expedition in search of Dr. Vogel, and Madame 

 Tinne and her maids, have forfeited their lives in the pursuit of 

 science ; Baron von Heuglin, however, continues the researches be- 

 gun by her in spite of the obstacles thrown in his way by the slave 

 merchants and other dealers, who are unwilling that too much light 

 should be thrown upon their nefarious traffic. He has already dis- 

 covered several isolated mountains, and one range to the west and 

 north-west of the Quola country. He contributes various ethnolo- 

 gical, linguistic, and geological facts to the previous knowledge of 

 the kingdom. It is sincerely to be hoped that the slave trade of the 

 interior, which is really the greatest obstacle to research in these parts, 

 should be checked by the official interference of European authorities 

 — a measure much easier of execution and much more useful in its 

 fulfilment than the watching an extensive coast for the departure of 

 slaves. The recently-announced death of another brave adventurer, 

 Jules Gerard, who attempted to penetrate into Central Africa, from 

 the West Coast, is also to be sincerely regretted. Although completely 

 unsuccessful in every attempt to enter the interior, and notwithstanding 

 that his accounts of the places where he sojourned have been meagre, 

 we think it right to refer with regret to his untimely end. 



From Australia the news is but small. A new town has to be 



