Geographical Collections. 291 
Baron van Sieboldt, a distinguished naturalist, was sent to Japan, and was so 
zealous and industrious, that sixty-two chests of rare natural productions have 
been received from him at Leyden. He subsequently continued to obtain a chart 
of the island, which coming to the knowledge of the Government, they caused 
the chart and other documents to be seized, and, determined to make a terrible 
example, condemned the baron to prison for life, and from the strong prejudices 
of the Japanese, they feared that no European influence can procure his release. 
—Continental Paper. 
Cape Town.—At a meeting in March last of the clergy and others at Cape 
Town, it was resolved to take measures for the establishment of a college at the 
colony, for the instruction of youth in the ancient and modern languages, and 
the liberal branches of education. 
Mountains of Thibet.—Doctor Gerard, the brother of M. G. who has traversed 
the Himmaleh mountains, has just visited the valley of Sulej, and made some 
curious observations at that place, which is the highest inhabited spot on the 
globe. The principal object of his Journey was the introduction of vaccination 
into Thibet ; but it appears that the prejudices of the Rajah prevented him from 
succeeding in that humane enterprise. One of the villages where he stopped was 
proved to be 14,709 feet above the level of the sea. At this place, in the month 
of October, the thermometer, in the morning, marked 8° 33/ centrigade below 
zero; and during the day the rays of the sun were so hot as to be inconvenient, 
and yet the waters in the lakes and rivers were frozen during the night, but were 
free from ice at two o’clock in the afternoon. By means of artificial irrigation, 
and the action of solar heat, large quantities of rye were raised at this immense 
height, some of the fields being at 14,900 feet. Dr. Gerard gives his opinion, 
that cultivation might be carried as high as from 16 to 17,000 feet. The goats 
bred in this region are the finest in the country, and are of that species whose 
wool is used for the manufacture of shawls. 
At a height of 15,500 feet, quantities of fossil shells are found on calcareous 
rocks, upon strata of granite and pulverized schist : they consist of muscle, and 
others of various forms and dimensions. To the north of the frontier of Konna- 
our, Dr. Gerard attained a height of more than 20,000 feet, without crossing 
the perpetual snow. At one o’clock in the afternoon the thermometer was at 2° 
78’ centigrade below zero. Notwithstanding this extreme elevation, the action 
of the sun had an unpleasant effect, thongh in the shade the air was freezing, 
The aspect of the surrounding regions was sublime and terrible; and on the 
frontier a ridge of snow was perceptible. In these regions, which for a long time 
_ were inaccessible, M. Gerard met with one of the most intrepid philologists known 
in Hungaria, named Csoma de Koros. This traveller, after advancing towards 
the centre of Asia, arrived at Konnaour, in Thibet, where he fixed himself in the 
monastery of Kanum, and lived amidst the monks of the Lamaic religion. Aided 
by a learned Lama, he made great progress in the study of the literature of Thi- 
bet, and discovered an encyclopedia in forty-four volumes, which treated of the 
arts and sciences. The medical part of this large work forms five volumes. The 
art of lithography has been practised at the principal city of Thibet from time 
immemorial, and it has been used to display the anatomy of the different parts of 
the human body. It appears that science and letters, flying from the tyranny of 
the caste of the Brahmins, abandoned the plains of Hindostan, and took refuge 
on the mountains of Thibet, where, until the present time, they remained totally 
unknown to the rest of the world.—Lit. Gaz. 
Notice on the province of Texas.—The political and commercial relations 
which have existed for some years past between the United States and the pro- 
vince of Texas, have tended to improve our knowledge of this fine province, 
of which we had hitherto a very imperfect notion. Situated between Lonisiana, 
the Gulf of Mexico, the Rio del Norte, and the Red River, it is, according to 
