1867.] Geography. 405 



heard of by a caravan of merchants as having passed the spot of his 

 supposed death and as making onwards inland. At the instigation 

 of the Royal Geographical Society, an expedition is to be assisted by 

 the Government, and the men who undertake this work will accom- 

 plish something, whether they discover any traces of the former 

 traveller or not. They take with them a steel boat in portable 

 pieces, which will be launched on these mighty lakes, and which 

 will assist in the solution of some of the problems connected with 

 them. The loss of Dr. Livingstone, if he prove to be dead, is 

 undoubtedly a great one, and much to be regretted ; at the same 

 time a fictitious excitement has been caused by the publication of 

 unsifted scraps of information which only serve to add conjecture to 

 conjecture. 



As to other parts of Africa, M. de Sainl in the centre, and 

 Professor Freilli in the north, are making attempts to penetrate 

 the interior. The detention of the captives in Abyssinia still 

 continues, and Dr. Beke has published a second edition of his 

 work* on that country, with remarks on the late proceedings. 

 Naturally he condemns the diplomacy which has brought such 

 deplorable results, and which was opposed to his advice. An 

 account of Madagascar! by a missionary gives a fairly full descrip- 

 tion of the people, who seem to be advancing towards civilization 

 at a tolerably rapid rate. 



The Russian Government has been giving full employment to 

 its topographical corps in surveying and mapping out their newly- 

 acquired territories in Manchuria and the neighbouring states, so 

 that the whole of the southern border of the empire is now 

 delineated on a scale suited for practical purposes. Whilst Russia 

 is thus advancing upon China from the north, the Government of 

 India is having surveys of much of the country between Burmah and 

 the Celestial Empire, whilst an endeavour is being made to bring 

 the provinces formerly in dependence on China, but now inde- 

 pendent, into commercial relations with northern India. Viscount 

 Pollington has traversed some portion of Central Asia, and has 

 written a book, J which however does not contribute much to our 

 previous knowledge. 



Dr. I. I. Hayes, the Patron's Medalist of the Royal Geographi- 

 cal Society this year, has written an excellent book on his late 

 expedition among the Esquimaux. His opinion, as well as that of 

 M. Gustave Lambert, backs that held already by many German 

 and English geographers, and advocated in former numbers of this 

 journal, that there is open sea towards the North Pole. The last- 

 named gentleman advocates the attempt by Behring's Straits, and 



* • British Captives in Abyssinia,' by Chas. T. Beke, Ph.D. Longmans. 

 f 'Madagascar Revisited,' by the Rev. H. Ellis. Murray. 

 % * Half Round the Old World.' Moxon. 



