May 10, 1858.] BARTH ON SOCIETY IN NORTHERN CENTRAL AFRICA. 217 
The second Paper read was — 
2. General Historical View of the State of Human Society in Northern 
Central Africa. By Phil. Dr. H. Barth, f.r.g.s. 
This paper is a condensed summary of the existing state of 
knowledge about the whole of Northern Africa, excepting only the 
Nilotic valley and the Western Coast. It is illustrated by a map, 
variously shaded and marked with dotted lines, to indicate at 
a glance the geographical arrangement of its subject matter. 
Dr. Barth commences with physical geography, and traces the 
outline and configuration of the Sahara. It is a sandstone or granitic 
plateau, raised from 1000 to 1400 feet above the sea level, and 
dotted over with mountainous districts, where rain water is caught 
by the hills and retained in the valleys, and human habitation ren- 
dered possible. These oases are of the utmost importance to the 
maintenance of great lines of commerce from the Mediterranean to 
the interior, but in themselves they are unhealthy spots and are 
hot beds of fever, in proportion to the abundance of their waters. 
The available lines of commerce are further marked out by great 
bands of shifting sand hills, which form an insurmountable barrier 
to caravans, except at certain known spots. Moisture collects in the 
troughs between the sand ridges, date palms are found in them, and 
of population going on at present in Australia, in ten or fifteen years Tropical 
Australia will be occupied by English flock-owners to the 12th parallel of latitude ; 
and in less than half that time, if a trading settlement be established on the north 
coast. 
Mr. Crawfurd doubts my account of the fertility of the soil, because it is repre- 
sented as a sandstone country. He may on the same grounds doubt the fertility 
of the counties of Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Durham — in fact any part of 
England where coal fields exist ; but it should have been remembered that the 
table-land and ranges alone represent the really sandstone country, none of which 
is included in the estimated 5,000,000 acres of good pasture drained by the 
Victoria. The wild rice found by me was a different variety from that cultivated 
by the Malays, and was 300 miles in a straight line from their nearest fishery ; 
that found by Dr. Mueller was 500 miles distant, and on a different water parting ; 
nor am I aware of any rice being found near their fisheries. Besides, Mr. Craw- 
furd is in error in saying the fishermen bring their rice with them in the husk. 
In such case they would require to carry their husking-mills with them, which 
would be equivalent to our taking thrashing machines, flour-mills, and wheat in the 
ear, to use on a voyage to Australia. There are many thousands of acres in North 
Australia better suited for rice, in regard both to soil and water, than some I have 
seen used for that crop in Timor. If 20 years’ experience, principally in the wilds of 
Australia, be not worth naming, I may indeed be considered a stranger to Australia, 
to sandstone country, and to fertile soil. Finally it is not necessary that the 
working people in North Australia should be Chinese or Sepoys. There are many 
thousand Christianized natives on the islands of Ombay, Kisa, and Rotte, besides 
people from many other islands, that would gladly move to North Australia for 
employment, and would settle there with their families. 
I am, Sir, &c tJ &e., 
J. S. Wilson. 
