462 



Progress of Geographt/ in 1836-7. 



executed by Lkutenant Barnet, R. N., whose indefatigable labours on 

 the vast and dangerous cays* near the Mosquito Coast have entitled him 

 to the gratitude of every West Indian navigator. Much useful infor- 

 mation will also be found in Sir Andrew Halliday's lately published 

 work on the natural and physical history of these islands. 



South America.— Beioi-e proceeding further with a country that re- 

 calls to us at every step that excellent traveller Baron Humboldt, we 

 must notice his valuable work entitled " Examen Critique de la Geogra- 

 phic du nouveau Continent, aux 15me et 16me siecles," — in which the 

 author thoroughly examines all the claims of pretenders to the disco- 

 very of the new world — points out when the name of America was first 

 applied to it — and fully exposes the absurdity of the pretensions, by- 

 means of which the prenomen of Vespucius has become unalterably 

 affixed to the largest portion of the globe. 



Z?7•a^^7.— Nor would it be right to omit the excellent collection of 

 Noticias para a Historia e Geografia das Naqoes UUramarinas, throw- 

 ing much light on the early voyages of the enterprizing Portuguese 

 navigators, which are publishing by the Academy of Sciences at Lisbon, 

 and are ably illustrated with notes by the Senhor de Macedo. 



G^Mttjf'awa.— Commencing on the northern coast, the river Essequiba 

 and its tributaries have been traced by Mr. Schomburg, under the di- 

 rection of the Geographical Society, to within two degrees and a half 

 of the Equator — he has fixed many positions on it astronomically — ob- 

 tained much information respecting the natives-— and made a valuable 

 collection in natural history. In October last Mr. Schomburg ascended 

 the river Gourantine as far as 4*^ 16' north latitude, where a series of 

 cataracts obliged him to return j the river was there 900 yards wide, 

 and its level 530 feet above that of the sea. Mr. Schomburg, by the last 

 accounts, on Dec. 1, had begun to ascend the river Berbice, with the 

 hope of reaching the line of separation of waters between the x^raazons 

 and the Essequibo. 



In French Guyane MM. Bauve and Leprieur have explored the river 

 Oyapok, and part of the Marony — some of the details of which will be 

 found in the Bulletin de la Societe de Geographie. 



Amazons, — This mighty river has been explored by two British 

 offieers, Messrs. Smith and Lowe, who have shown that an easy navi- 



