1881.] Geography and Travels. 165 
from east to west, flows through a wide band of diluvium, which 
is bordered on each side by other formations. These are, to the 
east, miocene and eocene ; west of this, granite and gneiss. To the 
south there are extensive areas of silurian and cretaceous. The 
map is a handsome piece of engraving, but is on a small scale. 
GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVELS." 
Tue East Centra AFRICAN EXPEDITION OF THE Roya GEo- 
GRAPHICAL Society.—At the meeting. of the Royal Geographical 
Society, held November 8, 1880, Mr. Joseph Thomson, the leader 
of this expedition, read an account of his explorations including 
many previous details not previously known. 
The lofty plateau extending round the northern and eastern 
sides of Lake Nyassa and reaching half way to Tanganyika rises 
from 6000 to gooo feet, and is so cut up by denudation as to 
appear like a series of mountains. ‘“ It consists to the north and 
and by no means picturesque. Pass from these to the volcanic 
rocks, and we observe at once a marked change. We have sharp 
Jagged peaks, precipitous rocky sides, notched and cut in the most 
irregular and striking fashion, as becomes mountains formed of 
such diverse materials as compact lava beds and loose tuffs and 
agglomerates. Add to these features huge yawning gorges and 
great precipices where vegetation in vain attempts to grow, an 
some notion of this plateau may be formed.” 
On this high tract of land were found most miserable and 
degraded types of the Negro race. “These people have dark, 
sooty skins, prognathous jaws and thick lips, with small heads 
and shrunk-up withered bodies which speak of an existence of 
the most miserable character. They go, as a rule, perfectly 
naked, and live in conical huts seven feet high and five or six feet 
in diameter, crawling in and out through a hole.” ‘“‘ It was found 
almost impossible to communicate with them, as they seemed to 
be entirely devoid of any abstract ideas, and appeared to be com- 
pletely shut off from all knowledge and communication with the 
outside world.” “ Mr. Thomson,” remarks the Academy, “ seems 
to have formed the idea that these tribes are in their present con- 
dition from having remained absolutely isolated; but others may 
incline to the opinion that it is a case of gradual degeneration.” 
€ commercial importance of this portion of Central Africa is 
* Edited by E.tis H. YaRNALL, Philadelphia. 
