1867.] Geography. 115 



to read in person a paper on his discoveries. The rivers of Caravaya, 

 in Southern Peru, had been explored Cor three years by Don Antonio 

 Baimondy, who will furnish another paper on this subject. The 

 expedition to the North Pole had not received much attention from 

 the late government, it was to be hoped that the present would feel 

 more fully the necessity of satisfying the expectations of the 

 scientific men, not only of this country, but of all Europe. With 

 an allusion to the Leichhardt expedition and the monument to Sir 

 John Franklin, erected near the Athenaeum Club-house, which has 

 since been uncovered, the address concluded, and was followed by a 

 paper on Mr. W. H. Johnson's recent journey from Leh, in Ladakh, 

 to Khotan in Chinese Tartary. It appears that Mr. Johnson was 

 bom and educated in India, and that he was engaged on the Great 

 Trigonometrical Survey of India. Whilst in this pursuit he was 

 residing in the extreme northern limits of the territories of the 

 Maharajah of Cashmere, and on this occasion was invited by the 

 Khan of Khotan to visit this territory. The principal novelty that 

 he saw was the city of Ilchi or Khokan, which had previously been 

 visited only by Marco Polo, Benedict Grey, and a few Jesuit mission- 

 aries. The whole of this country has, until quite lately, been under 

 the dominion of the Chinese, but since they have been so weakened 

 by internal revolution and war with England, these districts have 

 revolted and asserted their independence. All communication with 

 China being at an end, they are anxious to open a system of 

 commerce with India, but the high tolls levied by the Maharajah of 

 Cashmere have almost entirely prevented this desirable consumma- 

 tion. A more direct route was afterwards taken by Mr. Johnson 

 over passes from 15,000 feet to 18,000 feet above the sea-level, 

 which, it is hoped, will be found available for the produce of the 

 country, metals, jade, coal, cereals, cotton, and especially fine wool, 

 of which latter there appears to be enormous quantities, from this 

 the largest pastoral region in the world. This district had in 

 former times been the stronghold of the Buddhist religion in Central 

 Asia, now the inhabitants are essentially Turkish, and speak Turkish 

 exclusively over an enormous district. It is anticipated that the 

 commerce of this country will be of great importance, the more so 

 as Kussian influence was not likely to be strongly exerted in this 

 direction. 



The letter from Dr. Livingstone, to which we referred above, 

 gives an account of his having discovered an excellent harbour about 

 25 miles to the north of the Kovuma river. The entrance is some 

 300 yards wide, and if this be considered the handle, the rest of the 

 harbour may be looked upon as the blade of a spade on cards. 

 After leaving this harbour he returned to the Bovuma and advanced 

 up its north or left bank as far as Ugoniano, the confluence of this 

 Bovuma or Louma, and the Louendi, a larger stream coming from 



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