116 Ch von icles of Science. [Jan . , 



the S.W. Dr. Livingstone expresses his determination to make this 

 spot, where he has been well received and is in the confidence of the 

 chief of the Makonde, his head-quarters, until he has fully explored 

 the Lake Nyassa and determined its relationship to the other great 

 lakes and the water system generally. The Makonde have some 

 notion of a Divine being, nevertheless the Arabs had done nothing 

 towards proselytism, a circumstance which is reported of them 

 elsewhere. 



An interesting paper, " On the Physical Geography of Natal," 

 was read by Dr. E. J. Mann, who exhibited various maps and 

 diagrams illustrative of the experience gained in an eight years' 

 residence in the country. The colony forms a portion of the 

 peculiar raised coast which surrounds the flatter interior of Africa. 

 In consequence the rapid slope from the coast to the Drakenberg 

 mountains, meets the sea breezes in the summer, causing a rainfall 

 of 24 inches, whilst the winter monsoon brings but 6 inches of 

 moisture, affording a remarkable climate, well suited for most 

 tropical and temperate vegetation, but unsuited to other plants, 

 amongst which is especially to be remarked the vine. The harbour 

 of Natal admits vessels of 700 tons, and could easily be made 

 available for those of larger tonnage. 



9. GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY. 



{Including the Proceedings of the Geological Society.) 



Until recently all deposits containing gold in situ were generally 

 considered, on the authority of Sir E. I. Murchison, to be of 

 Palaeozoic age,* notably Lower Silurian. Sir Eoderick Murchison 

 also believed that, in all cases, the gold was introduced into these 

 ancient rocks during the Tertiary period. But we now possess 

 a more perfect knowledge of the phenomena attending the occur- 

 rence of gold, and are proportionately better qualified to discuss 

 the question, and one consequence has been that these old theories 

 have been entirely contradicted by well-ascertained facts. In the 

 first place, fossils were discovered in situ in the auriferous slates 

 of California in the year 1863, which, on examination, proved to 

 be of Jurassic age ; t then, Professor Whitney has remarked that not 

 a trace of any Silurian or Devonian fossil has ever been found in 

 California ; but, on the other hand, gold occurs in many localities 

 in rocks as new as the Cretaceous. 



We may conclude, therefore, that the Geological Survey of 

 California has effectually disproved the old views ; but they had 



* ' Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society,' vol. viii. p. 134. 

 t Whitney. Report on the Geology of California. 



