THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
295 
in this manner, and if viewed on a bright day, 
when the sun is shedding its rays obliquely across 
the entrances, the sight will be one, that will not 
easily be forgotten. My visits have been many; 
and yet I am looking forward with pleasurable 
anticipations to the next. They never fatigue; they 
never pall. Inexhaustible in their objects of in- 
terest, every fresh visit is productive of new plea- 
sures. The wonder is, how little is known of these 
charming spots ; or, if known how little they are 
appreciated. Nature there seems to have clothed 
herself most fantastically, most picturesquely. 
To the lover of Nature, to him who can indulge 
his imaginative faculties in conjuring up scenes of 
the past, for the purpose of comparing them with 
those of the present, who can discover in the vicis- 
situdes of bygone ages the constitution and mode 
of working of those forces that have been the cause 
of such differences in the surface contour; to such, 
the varied scenery that the ravines, gorges and 
coast-lines of the islands present will afford a never 
failing source of pleasure; but to those that have 
not cultivated these perceptions, the low-lying 
shores, the craggy cliffs, mural escarpments and 
fantastically formed caves will be of as uninviting 
a nature as was the journey to Sadak, vhen he was 
in search of the waters of oblivion. 
The Italian Geographical Congress of 1892. 
The first National Geographical Congress of 
Italy was held at Genoa, from September 18th to 
25th. The Congress held at Venice in 1881 was 
one of the series of International Congresses, held 
at Antwerp, Paris, and Berne, and to be held in 
London in 1895. It was a great success. The 
weather was magnificent; the attendance, chiefly 
Italians, was numerous: Genoa, always superbly 
beautiful, looked at its best. As is well known, 
in the preceding week the fourth centenary cele- 
bration of the birth of Columbus in this, his native 
city, took place amidst much pomp and splendour 
in the presence of their Majesties the King and 
Queen of Italy. The Geographical Congress com- 
menced after the close of the festivities. There 
was an Exhibition of Arts of a general kind, and 
also a Geographical Exhibition, special to the work 
of the Congress, in a separate building. 
H.R.H. the Prince of Naples was the Patron; 
H.R.H. the Duke of Genoa was the Honorary 
President, and took a personal share in the pro- 
ceedings; the ex-President of tlie'Italian Geogra- 
phical Society, the Duke of Sermoneta, and three 
other Senators of the Kingdom of Italy, were Ho- 
norary Vice-Presidents. The actual President was 
Marquess Doria, the President of the Italian Geo- 
graphical Society. Professor Giuseppe della Ve- 
dova, the Secretary of the above-named Society, 
who is so well known to, and highly esteemed by, 
many English friends, discharged the office of 
Secretary of the Congress. 
There were three Sections, as follows: (1) Scien- 
tific, embracing mathematics, physics, Ac.; (2) 
Economic, and embracing political divisions, sta- 
tistics, commercial and social features; (3) Educa- 
tional. General and sectional meetings were held, 
and the time available was distributed to suit the 
convenience of members. An order of the day was 
published and distributed each morning. Each 
Section had its president and vice-president, and 
secretary; the former were elected daily. 
In each Section certain subjects were put down 
for discussion, and certain papers received as com- 
munications; and the subjects were numerous and 
well chosen. The meetings and the Central Office 
were held in the Palazzo dell’Universita, Via Balbi 
— a magnificent building. The general meetings 
took place in the great hall, and the Sections were 
held under the same roof, in side rooms. 
The inaugural meeting was held on Sunday, the 
rest of the week being taken up with the business 
of the various sections. 
H.R.H. the Duke of Genoa and the African 
traveller Casati were two o'f the most prominent 
figures at these daily meetings. 
On Sunday, the 25th, there was a ceremony in 
the grand hall of the University, in the presence 
of H.R.H. the Duke of Genoa and a very large 
assembly of the general public, as many of the 
Congressionists had left, in honour of the great navi- 
gator, Christopher Columbus. It had been arran- 
ged that a representative of each country and each 
learned society should have the opportunity of 
speaking for five minutes, in the alphabetical order 
of the country, in their native language. Professor 
Della Veciova, the secretary of the Congress and 
of the Italian Geographical Society, led the way 
