268 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. IV., No. 84. 



farther. At my visit all were filled with water, so 

 that I could study only what had been removed from 

 them. The excavations consisted of sandstone like 

 that mentioned, and of large pieces of marne, black 

 sandstone, foliated, and enclosing thin strata of coal, 

 which in some places measured .01 of a metre in 

 thickness. Rumors of the officers stationed at Bou- 

 Saada state that pieces of rather hard coal have been 

 taken from the shafts, and that the stratum encoun- 

 tered was at times almost a metre thick. This coal, 

 on breaking, is bright, compact, and of a good ap- 

 pearance, burns well, with a beautiful flame, and 

 gives a light, brilliant coke. 



— The Prussian minister of instruction has pub- 

 lished an opinion on the overwork in schools through 

 the medical deputation sent to him on the subject. 

 The evil exists not only in the upper and middle 

 classes of the high schools, but in the earlier school 

 years. It is strongly recommended that pupils should 

 not be received into the elementary schools until the 

 completion of their seventh year, and not into the 

 gymnasial sexta until their tenth year. 



— The new German orthography, supposed to be 

 more phonetic than the old, is to be made official 

 next year in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. 



— Two important geographical works are projected 

 at St. Petersburg. One is, according to Professor 

 Veniukoff, the preparation of a grand monograph on 

 the physical geography of European Russia. Several 

 members of the imperial geographical society have 

 been constituted a committee to elaborate the project. 



The second is the preparation of a good general 

 map of the same region, for the use of the public, to 

 replace that issued by the society in 1863. The selec- 

 tion of matters to be omitted or retained is to be 

 made by specialists, and approved by an editorial 

 commission. The execution will be in the highest 

 style of cartography. 



The report on the unification of Russian geodetic 

 and topographic work has been elaborated by the 

 commission, and submitted to the general government 

 for approval. 



— Revoil has returned to Zanzibar from his explo- 

 rations among the Somalis. Although prevented by 

 a state of things resulting from the disturbances in 

 the Sudan from carrying out his original plans, he 

 made good use of his forced sojourn at Guelidi and 

 on the Benadir coast. He devoted his attention to 

 the archeology and natural history of this region, and 

 has brought back valuable collections and notes on 

 the resources and productions of the country. 



— Ussagara mission station has been visited by fam- 

 ine due to drought. The Rev. Bloyet writes, that, 

 notwithstanding this, the people about the station 

 are well disposed. 



— The work upon the canal between the gulfs of 

 Corinth and Aegina is being energetically pushed, 

 and another year will probably see it completed. 

 Advantage will be taken of the vestiges of the canal 

 begun by Nero. The trench will be a straight line, 

 about six kilometres in length, including the basins 



at either end, and crossed by two bridges. The 

 greatest height of the ridge to be pierced is about 

 seventy metres. The completion of the canal will 

 shorten the distance between the Adriatic ports and 

 those of western Turkey, — Salonica, Constantinople, 

 Smyrna, etc., nearly two hundred miles, and for 

 vessels from the Atlantic about half as much, beside 

 enabling them to escape much dangerous navigation. 

 The tariff will be fixed at one franc per ton for vessels 

 from the Adriatic, and half a franc for others. The 

 monthly movement of tonnage is at present about 

 137,000 tons, mostly in small vessels, the local trade 

 being extremely large. The contract for cutting the 

 canal has been taken for about five million dollars, 

 and there is no reason to suppose that this will be 

 exceeded. 



— The important question of a port of embarkation 

 in south-eastern Brazil for the region about the 

 lagoon or estuary known as Lagoa dos Patos has 

 recently been discussed by the engineers Plazolles 

 and Sichel. On the borders of the lagoon are the 

 important colonies of Porto Allegre, Rio Grande, and 

 Pelotas. By steamers of light draught communica- 

 tion is had with an extensive interior region contain- 

 ing a large population. The entrance to the lagoon, 

 however, is composed of a shallow passage obstructed 

 by shifting sands, where the bad weather of a day 

 may obliterate the effect of dredgings during several 

 months. The peninsula, which extends between the 

 lagoon and the Atlantic, has been supposed to be of 

 a sandy or porous nature, unsuitable for permanent 

 works. Recent investigations by the above-men- 

 tioned gentlemen show, however, that this idea is 

 erroneous, and that the foundation of the peninsula 

 is a compact, hard clay, well suited for excavation. 

 These engineers propose to select a favorable spot, 

 where a large fresh-water lake exists, to dig out 

 a small basin at the coast capable of containing 

 several large vessels, and to connect it, by a canal 

 deep enough to admit the largest ships, with the 

 above-mentioned lake, which is to be dredged out to 

 form an extensive basin or port. As the Lagoa dos 

 Patos is too shallow to accommodate large ships, the 

 freight is to be transferred, by a railway eighteen 

 kilometres long, to the point where the light-draught 

 vessels of the lagoon can be reached. The projectors 

 ask only an authorization to make and maintain the 

 works without subsidy or guaranty. The Brazilian 

 messenger states that it is now practically certain that 

 this important work will be carried out, thereby giv- 

 ing the colonists excellent facilities for commerce, 

 the want of which has hitherto crippled the develop- 

 ment of a rich and healthy region. 



— The government of the Argentine Confederation, 

 in the hope of obtaining water by artesian borings, 

 has ordered an investigation of the geology of the 

 San Luis district. Water is generally found only at 

 a depth of one hundred and eighty feet. Potable 

 water is usually reached at that depth ; but at Upper 

 Pencoso only salt water was found, though at a 

 height of fifteen hundred feet above the sea, while 

 at Cuijades the water is hot, reaching 75° F. 



