1879. | Geeography and Travels. 705 
of square miles of the delta have become habitable since the 
days of Lord Clive. The wonderful history of these changes 
can be traced by the student, who thus enables the geographer to 
explain the phenomena which he observes. gain, to pass to 
another part of the world. The student of history reads-of the 
great sea fight which King Edward III fought with the French 
off Sluys; how in those days the merchant vessels came up to 
the walls of that flourishing seaport by every tide; and how, a 
century later, a Portuguese fleet conveyed Isabella from Lisbon, 
and an English fleet brought Margaret of York from the 
Thames to marry successive Dukes of Burgundy at the port 
of Sluys. In our own time if a modern traveler drives twelve 
“miles out of Bruges across the Dutch frontier he will 
small agricultural town surrounded by cornfields, and meadows, 
and clumps of trees, whence the sea is not in sight from the top 
of the town-hall steeple. This is Sluys. A physical geographer 
will seek out the causes which have brought about this surprising 
change. They are most interesting, and most conducive to an 
intelligent comprehension of his science, and he will find them 
recorded in history. Thus the historian and the geographer work 
jar in hand, each aiding and furthering the researches of the 
ot 
The second day’s session was devoted to African exploration 
and papers by Maj. Serpa Pinto and Lieut. Savorgnan de Brazza 
on their recent journeys, were read. Of Maj. Pinto’s journey, 
om. Cameron remarked that it was one of the greatest ever 
made, his positions were accurately laid down and his observa- 
tions were carried out in such a way as had never been done on 
any previous expedition, and when his book was published they 
would have a mass of scientific knowledge such as had rarely, if 
ever, been acquired in the same space of time and with the same 
limited amount of means at command. 
Several important papers on Afghanistan were on which had 
been prepared by officers and others with t nglish army 
during the war. Many explorations have et made in the 
unknown portions of this country, and the most important result 
is the destruction of the belief ee held that there were 
only three entrances into India on the north- spines and that a 
these passes were blocked up ae was yrs It now appears 
stated by the president, that the whole country, om ‘Jellalabad E 
boundary,” therefore, has no existence, and there must be a con- 
-tinuous frontier frorn north to south with lateral communications 
along it. 
_ A paper on Arctic research, by Com. L. A. Beaumont, RN, of 
z recent "British Arctic expedition, advocated the ecqcouaeel of 
voL. XII.—NO. XII. 53 
