166 General Notes. [ February, 
not great. ‘“ Nowhere,” says Thomson, “have I seen a single 
metal in a form which a white man would for a moment look at 
as a profitable or phar speculation. There is, no doubt, a 
considerable abundance of iron in many parts, but very little 
more than sufficient to _supply the simple wants of the natives. 
Coal I saw none, and my researches would lead me to believe that 
such a thing does not exist over the wide area embraced by our 
route.” “The chief characteristic of this part of the country was 
its utter barrenness and the absence of anything worth trading 
for 
The expedition marched for six days along the Lukuga, the 
outlet of Lake Tanganyika and which pursued its tumultuous 
course ina W. N. W. direction “ through one of the most charming 
valleys I have ever seen in Africa; beautifully wooded hills rising 
on each side from to 2000 feet above the level of the lake, 
while forest clumps and open glades diversified the scenery along 
the river’s banks, where antelopes and buffaloes grazed in abun- 
dance.” The refusal of his men to go further prevented Mr. 
Thomson’s following the river to its junction with the Congo. 
While there is much beauty and picturesqueness in the scenery, 
along the shores of Tanganyika one is on the whole, disappointed 
in its monotony. There was the same unvarying tint of green, 
the same unbroken hill-ranges which would have been inexpressi- 
bly dreary but for the frequent appearance of a jutting cape or 
small island. The chief feature in the scenery was the immense 
boulders and blocks which everywhere lined the shore.” 
nthe return to the coast, e Hikwa was visited. “ We 
saw it from an altitude of about 8000 feet above the sea, its sur- 
face lying more than half that height beneath us, and the moun- 
tains rose in such perfect precipices all round, that it seemed as if 
we could throw a stone into it. One of its peculiarities i is, that it 
has no visible outlet—a fact which admits of little doubt. From 
my own personal knowledge I can say that none exists either 
north, south or west, while Elton and Cotterill, in passing near 
its eastern side, found no stream flowing from that direction.” 
Of the one hundred and fifty men who started on this remark- 
able and most successful journey all but one reached the coast 
again, arriving in the best of health and condition after traversing 
no less than 2830 miles, of which 1300 were over entirely new 
ground, 
AFRICAN ExPLoraTIon.— Dr. Emil Holub proposes to make a 
journey through Africa from the south to the north, starting from 
the borders of the British colonies and visiting first the Zambesi 
and the Marutse-Malunda country. Then crossing the watershed 
between the Zambesi and Congo he will explore the region 
around the sources of the latter river, after which he hopes to 
reach the utterly unexplored region north of the Congo and make 
his way through Darfur into Egypt. Dr. Holub anticipates ac- 
