1867.] Geography. 407 



We would call attention to the following works on Geography- 

 la tely published: — 'Geographic de Strabon,' traduction nouvelle 

 par Amedee Tardieu. Duarte Barbosa's 'Description of the Coasts 

 of East Africa and Malabar in 16th Century,' translated by the 

 Hon. H. E. J. Stanley. A kind of geographical novel, called ' Wild 

 Life among the Pacific Islanders,' by E. H. Lament. The three 

 following German works, — ' The Prussian Expedition to Eastern 

 Asia, from Official Sources,' a good account of Japan, &c. ; 

 L. Hacker's ' American Sketches ; ' Dr. H. A. Pagenstecher's 

 ' Sketches of the Balearic Islands ; ' Shepherd's ' North - west 

 Peninsula of Iceland ; ' and ' L'Annee Geographique ' of V. de 

 Saint-Martin. The second edition of Kiepert's ' New Hand-Atlas 

 of all Parts of the World,' in forty-five sheets, is worthy of mention, 

 on account of its accuracy, clearness, fullness, and cheapness. 



Proceedings of the Koyal Geographical Society. 



At several meetings of the Society since our last report the 

 probable fate of Dr. Livingstone was discussed, a subject which our 

 readers will find fully treated elsewhere. The first paper we have 

 to notice is one by Admiral A. Boutakov, of the Russian navy, who 

 has since received the Founder's Medal for the discoveries therein 

 described. The gallant traveller surveyed the Delta of the Oxus, 

 in the Sea of Aral, and was the first to launch a boat in that little- 

 known lake. If we are ever justified in arguing from silence, this 

 lake did not exist in so-called historic times, that is to say, during 

 the period in which we have authentic works on geography, &c, 

 written in Europe. No description of this sea occurs in European 

 writers, nor did Asia furnish writers who could give details suffi- 

 ciently explicit. In the way of positive testimony in the other 

 direction, the Oxus and Jaxartes are said by Arabian geographers 

 from the 13th to the 15th century to empty themselves into the 

 Caspian, though previously the sea of Aral existed much as it does 

 now. The several mouths of the Oxus all appear to be extremely 

 shallow, and to afford but small advantages to a commerce that 

 would at all times be liable to be interrupted by hostile tribes. 



A map of Chinese Tartary, founded on the Prussian surveys and 

 on the map of caravan routes made by Colonel Walker, of the 

 Indian Trigonometrical Survey, was exhibited by Captain Sherard 

 Osborn, who also added a description of the country as far as it is 

 at present known. It divides itself into three principal divisions — 

 Manchuria, Mongolia, and Hi, or Eastern Turkestan. The former 

 of these belongs in part to the Russians, who in all probability 

 will get the whole before very long, when they will be better able, 

 by means of the various river valleys, to communicate with the set- 



