1010 General Notes. 
the Niger, was reached early in 1883, but a league was formed 
against the French, and the Spahis, spite of their bravery and the 
great loss of the enemy, were compelled to retreat, only again to 
advance and gain victory after victory, thus assuring the domi- 
nation of the Upper Niger and the rule of a country equal toa 
third of France. 
The French in Senegambia soon encountered a new enemy in 
the person of Mahmadu Lamine, a Mussulman of Kayes, who 
resolved to found a new empire in the Sudan by playing the rôle 
of prophet. In 1886 the marabout had fifteen to twenty thousand 
men grouped around Kayes, yet by the end of the year his power 
was broken. A treaty was made with Samory in 1887. He 
accepted the Tankisso as the limits of his state and placed his 
country under French protection. ; 
M. Vigué (Rev. Sci., Oct. 27, 1888) contributes an interesting 
article on the tribes of Senegambia. Notwithstanding the chaos of 
tribes the author believes that all the indigenous peoples may be 
referred to two stocks ; one of them the Guinean proper, the other 
comprising the Mandingoes, Fulahs, and tribes formed by the 
intermingling of these two. 'The numerous foreign Sudanese, 
Walofs, Toucouleurs, etc., are not comprised in either of these 
categories. The peoples of the coast of Senegambia, all of them 
miserable fetichists, appear to be of the same stock with the more 
powerful tribes found farther south, such as the Ashantis and 
nations of the Lower Niger. These Guinean tribes have been 
pushed back by the invading Mandingos and Fulahs, until only 
a narrow strip on the coast was left to them, and would without 
doubt have disappeared altogether had it not been for the advent 
of Europeans. 
America.—M. THovar’s Conciusions.—The last expedition 
of M. Thouar in the region of the Chaco led him across a waterless 
desert and the sufferings of the party were very great. Seve 
men deserted, and out of twenty-one men only three returned alive. 
In his report presented to the Bolivian Government, M. thew 
came to the following conclusions: (1) That the northern aa 
the Chaco is entirely arid and waterless, (2) that the opening O p 
wagon road across this region is impracticable, (3) that a mune 
from Sucre to Pacheco would not pay, but (4) that the opening 0 
the Pilcomayo needs only some simple works of canalization, Wer 
would be largely compensated by the profits drawn from the auriter- 
ous sands and fertile lands of its coast. 
Evroprg.—TuHE Faroiis.—The Faroé Islands are twenty-six 
in number, and have a total area of 1,333 square — 
Seventeen only are inhabited. Almost all are elongated in a no 
