1865.] Geography. 287 



VI. GEOGEAPHY. 



{Proceedings of the Boyal Geographical Society.) 



A fkiexd once remarked to us on the subject of African missions, 

 that it was necessary to cast a great deal of rough-cut but good stone 

 into the sea before it was possible to build a mole to stand above the 

 surrounding waters, or to raise a breakwater against the ocean waves. 

 It is much the same with African explorations. Many a sterling, 

 honest, scientific traveller is struck down before his work is com- 

 pleted, before he raises any monument to himself which stands out 

 above the flood of ignorance and barbarism that overwhelm that land. 

 Such an one was Dr. Baikie. He was the son of a captain in the navy, 

 born at Kirkwall, and educated in the Grammar-school of that place, 

 whence he proceeded to the University of Edinburgh, where he gradu- 

 ated in medicine. He joined an African exploring party in a medical 

 capacity. For the last six years he has travelled independently, and 

 has acquired much scientific information, which will probably be given 

 to the public at some future time. He was returning to this country, 

 and had arrived in Sierra Leone, in order to take the mail, when he 

 was seized with dysentery and fever, which carried him off in two 

 days. It seems almost to be doubted if the expenditure of valuable 

 lives like this is repaid by the scanty effects of African discovery. 



Of another party, that of the Dutch ladies who tried to ascend the 

 western branch of the Nile — Madame Tinne herself, two of her 

 maids, Dr. Steudner, and Herr Schubert, and, after an interval, 

 Madame de Capellan ■ — have all perished in the course of a third 

 journey into the interior. Of their companions, however, Fraulein 

 Alexine Tinne, Baron von Heughlin, Herr Mumzinger, and Moritz 

 von Buermann still remain. 



From Africa there is but little new. The old is still being 

 brought over by those who are competent to appreciate the earnest- 

 ness of travellers, the difficulty of travelling, and the impossibility of 

 absolutely avoiding mistakes. Charity is a virtue not as yet culti- 

 vated by the Africans, whether of white or black skins. 



M. Bolfs Gerard is returning to Europe, after a journey into the 

 interior of Morocco, south of the Atlas range. He is anxious to set 

 on foot a new expedition over somewhat similar ground. Dr. Living- 

 stone proposes to visit that part of the east of Africa which lies be- 

 tween his own most northern point on Lake Nyassa and Burton and 

 Spekes's' southernmost part of Lake Tanganyika. He is to be assisted 

 with 500Z. from the Geographical Society, as much from the Foreign 

 Office, and a private friend has contributed 1,000Z., to which may be 

 added the Doctor's salary of 500Z. a -year, as consul to the native 

 races of Eastern Africa. 



Farther south, the Government talk of annexing the district called 

 British Kaffraria to the Cape Colony. The boundary of the province 

 will henceforth be the river Kei, whilst the land which was pre- 

 viously occupied by the Cape mounted police, between the Kei and 

 the Bashee, will in future be left to certain Kafir chiefs, who will be 



