1 882.] Geography and Travels. 343 



Dr. Stecker in Abyssinia. — Dr. Stecker, the former companion of 

 Dr. G. Rohlfs, has recently visited Lake Tana. He has explored 

 all the lake, visited the mountains on its shores, and prepared a 

 detailed map of this basin. Lake Tana has a superficial area of 

 1 150 square miles, and is at an elevation of 6370 feet above the 

 sea-level. The greatest depth ascertained is 38 fathoms. Dr. 

 Stecker has made interesting collections of plants, insects, fishes 

 and mollusks, and he discovered in the Gorgora mountains, situ- 

 ated north of the lake, unmistakable proofs of volcanic activity ; 

 eruptive cones, a crater and a mighty lava stream, all pr'obably 

 recent, as in the volcanic rocks' he has found inclosed remains of a 

 mollusk which still inhabits the waters of Lake Tana. Dr. 

 Stecker, since he completed the survey of the lake in July last, 

 visited Zobul, a province only recently conquered by King Jo- 

 hannes, and never before visited by an European explorer. It lies 

 to the east of Lake Ashangi and is inhabited by Azebu Galla. Dr. 

 Stecker's last letter is written from that lake, the environs of 

 which he had surveyed. If all goes well, he proposes to explore 

 the countries to the west of Lake Tana as far as Fazokl, and then 

 to visit Enarea and Kaffa. 



De Brazza on the Congo. — M. Savorgnan de Brazza, when last 

 heard from, had arrived on the Alima river and was then prepar- 

 ing to launch his small steamer to begin the exploration of the 

 Congo. M. Mizon, who was sent out to assist him reached 

 Franceville, the station on the Upper Ogowe, on September 22, 

 1 88 1 . In his report to the French Committee of the International 

 African Association he mentions among the products of the Upper 

 Ogowe country caoutchouc and palm oil. There are forests of 

 wild pine, the fiber of which is used by the natives for various 

 purposes, including nets for catching game and fish. 



Pbgge and Wissiuann — Doctor P6gge and Lieut. Wissmann, 

 owing to the disturbed condition of the country, have decided not 

 to attempt a visit to Mossumba, the residence of the Muata 

 Yanvo, but will endeavor to reach Tushilango-land. To do this 

 they must follow the Kassai river to its junction with the Lulua, 

 near to which they expect to find a great lake. They will thus 

 advance, if successful, into an entirely unexplored portion of the 

 Congo basin near the fifth degree of south latitude and several 

 hundred miles north of Schutts's furthest point. 



Doctor Buchner.— The German traveler, Dr. Buchner, in an 

 address made at St. Paulo de Loanda on his return from the in- 

 terior of Africa, after giving a brief account of his journey to, and 

 residence at Mossumba, the capital of the Muata Yanvo, stated 

 that in his endeavors to push northwards after leaving Mossum- 

 ba, he had crossed fifteen rivers, thirteen of them in canoes. 

 With the exception of two, all these rivers have parallel and 

 northerly courses. In this respect Dr. Buchner fully agrees with 

 the views of his predecessor, Herr Schutts, as to the Kassai water 



