1885.] Geography and Travels. 589 
of the wide marshy valley (40 miles by 1314) of Odontala, or, as 
the Chinese call it, Sing-su-hai, or Starry sea, After a course o 
about fourteen miles, the river falls into a lake, the southern shores 
of which it colors with its muddy waters, then pouring out of it 
to the east it soon enters another lake, which it leaves a consid- 
snow-covered ridge of Amne-machin, its mad current tears 
through the cross strata of the Kuen-lun and flows toward China 
proper. After this our traveler went southward, but was stopped 
by the unfordable Blue river, or Di-che (Yang-tsze), and return- 
ing northward, made his way to Zaidam, after two serious en- 
counters with Tangutan robbers. 
Asiatic Notes —M. Donbrof has explored the upper course of 
the Selenka, and reached the hitherto unvisited source of this 
great tributary of Lake Baikal. According to Mr. Gowland, 
who has recently crossed the central range of Corea during a 
journey from Séul to Fusan, there are in this part of the peninsula 
no mountains above about 4000 feet in height, no characteristic 
volcanic cones, and no indications of mineral wealth. ‘The re- 
sources of the country appear to lie entirely in agriculture. 
M. Jos. Martin has arrived in Japan after a most arduous journey 
from the Lena to the Amoor, across the Stanovoi range of moun- 
tains. Dr. Gustave Le Bon is traveling in Nepaul. He is said 
to be the first European who has been permitted to travel through 
that country. 
AUSTRALASIA.— The North Coast of New Guinea-—Mr. Robidé 
van der Aa has recently published an account of two voyages to 
the north coast of New Guinea. In the first, the Mapia group of 
islands was visited, and the voyagers afterwards landed on Jamma, 
an island in Walckenaer bay, and a depot for the cocoanut fiber 
of the main land. About twenty-five miles south-east of Jamma 
is the mouth of a river, the Witriwaai, not found on any map. 
This was ascended to a large lagoon. About eight miles to the 
east is the Wiriwaai, with a strong current discoloring the water 
far out to sea. Sadipi bay, nearly a degree further east, is a deep 
and safe harbor. The houses here have at each gable end a pent- 
house roof, which comes so low that a hole is made to enable the 
occupants to crawl in. On the second voyage, the Amberno 
river was ascended for over sixty miles, when it shoaled, with a 
current of four and a half miles an hour. Mr. van der Aa argues 
from the size of this river (it is eight hundred yards wide) that it 
has a long course from the interior, cutting its way through the 
' Rees mountains. Thus its upper waters may be navigable-——— 
Dr. R. von Lendenfeld has found that Mount Kosciusko is not 
the highest of the Australian alps. He has ascended a higher 
at some distance farther south. This is 7256 feet high, 
while Mount Kosciusko has been measured at from 7171 to 7176 
