Occasional Notes. 
The Schomburgk Brothers. — To us, the people of 
the place, British Guiana appears of considerable im- 
portance ; but it is to be feared that to all but us and 
our friends it is a very undiscovered country. Even 
those whose geographical knowledge is so vast that 
they know that Guiana virtually forms part of the West 
Indies, are apt to think of the place as an island ; and it 
is not so very long since it was spoken of as an island in 
a very high place indeed. Another mistake often made is 
a confusion of Guiana with Guinea ; and it is hardly pos- 
sible to read through any one of the extensive, and often 
learned, catalogues of the topographical works on sale by 
German and French booksellers without seeing instances 
in which Guiana books have been entered under the head 
of 'Africa', Guinea books under 'Americana'. More- 
over, there lies before me at this moment an envelope 
officially addressed, in this present year, from the Cam- 
bridge University Library to ' Demerara U. S. A 7 Let 
us, however, be thankful for that, little as it is, which 
people in general do know of us, and let us be espe- 
cially thankful to those who spread this knowledge. 
Among these latter none has done more for us than have 
the brothers Schomburgk : Sir ROBERT SCHOMBURGK 
by his reports on Guiana published in the Journal of the 
Royal Geographical Society and by his other writings, 
Dr. Richard Schomburgk by his " Reisen in Britisch 
Guiana". Of these two travellers Sir ROBERT came 
to Guiana as long ago as 1835, an( ^ was here, with 
