Neumayer dwelt on the great scientific advantages of antarctic research, especially with regard to terrestrial magnetism. He urged international co-operation as the only means for securing adequate results. In the discussion which followed, he was supported by the great weight of the authority of Sir Joseph Hooker and Dr. John Murray, and a resolution advocating the necessity of antarctic exploration by an expedition before the close of the present century was unanimously passed by the Congress. Arctic travel was discussed, the first two papers being by Admiral A. H. Markham and General Greely. Herr S. A. Andrée's bold proposal to reach the north pole by means of a balloon attracted most attention. His scheme consists in filling a balloon at some convenient spot within the arctic circle, and then waiting for a favourable wind before setting forth. Experiments made by him have proved that, by the aid of drag ropes and sails, balloons can be made to deviate from the direction of the wind as much as 27° on an average, and he pointed out that the arctic regions were especially favourable for such operations because of the equable temperature, the absence of gales, and the nature of the surface of the ground. The sections which met in the afternoon were concerned with physical geography and geodesy. Papers were read on the Modification of the Normandy Coasts, by M. S. Lennier, and on the Periodic Variations of French Glaciers, by Prince Roland Bonaparte. In the geodesy section, M. Charles Lallemand gave some account of the work of the French surveys, and papers were read by General J. T. Walker, Colonel Holdich, Mr. de Smidt, and Dr. Gill, on the geodetic work of the Indian and Cape of Good Hope Survey Departments. On Tuesday the general meeting of the Congress was devoted to receiving reports on matters referred from the last Congress. The most important subject was Professor Penck's proposed map of the world. The report of the Commission was unanimously adopted by the Congress. It stated that the production of a map of the earth is exceedingly desirable; that a scale of 1: 1,000,000 is especially suited for that purpose; and that the meridian of Greenwich and the metre be accepted for this map. The last statement is of peculiar importance in having the warm support of the French members of the Commission. Professor Brückner presented a Report on a Scheme for an International Bibliography of Geography, and a resolution was passed, remitting to the Bureau of the Congress the study of this question. Mr. Frank Campbell read a paper, in which he proposed that each Government should annually issue a proper register of the literature of that country issued during the year in a form suitable to the requirements of bibliography; and a resolution dealing with this subject was passed-That this Congress expresses its approval of the principle of State Printed Registration of Literature as the true foundation of National and International Bibliography, and approves the appointment of an International Committee to further the said object; the constitution of the committee to rest with the Bureau of the International Geographical Congress.' The sectional meetings were devoted to oceanography and geographical orthography and definitions; and a resolution was passed-That an International Committee be appointed to determine how far agreement can be arrived at as to the mode of writing foreign names.' On Wednesday the question as to 'How far is tropical Africa suitable for development by white races?' was raised and produced a most interesting debate. Sir John Kirk commenced by reading a paper in which he distinguished between areas where true colonisation might be possible, and areas where white men might reside temporarily to superintend the labour of natives. After discussing fully the conditions necessary to render colonisation possible, he expressed the belief that there existed in tropical Africa considerable areas where the climate was such as to enable Europeans to become indigenous, and where the conditions as to health were probably not prohibitive, though on this latter point information was scanty. He believed that the experiment would be first tried in British South-East Africa, and also suggested Nyasaland as a possible field. A keen debate followed, in which Count Pfeil, Mr. H. M. Stanley, Mr. Ravenstein, Mr. Silva White, M. Lionel Decle, Major Baker, Captain Hinde, M. J. Vincent, Dr. Bassaria, Captain Amaral, Dr. Sambon, Dr. Murie and Mr. Louis took part. Slatin Pasha also gave an interesting account of his escape from the Sudan. Later in the day General Chapman read a paper on the Mapping of Africa, and a committee having been appointed to consider the question, the following resolutions were carried unanimously by the Congress at a later meeting: 'That it is desirable to bring to the notice of the Geographical Societies interested in Africa the advantages to be gained : (1) By the execution of accurate topographical surveys based on a sufficient triangulation of the districts in Africa suitable for colonisation by Europeans. (2) By encouraging travellers to sketch areas rather than mere routes. (3) By the formation and publication of a list of all the places in unsurveyed Africa, which have been accurately determined by astronomical observations, with explanations of the methods employed. (4) By the accurate determination of the position of many of the most important places in unsurveyed Africa, for which operation the lines of telegraph already erected, or in course of erection, afford great facilities.' Only one section met in the afternoon, at which Professor Pettersson's scheme for further international work in the North Sea was considered. A resolution to the following effect was passed by the Congress on its last day of meeting: 'That the Congress recognises the scientific and economic importance of the results of recent research in the Baltic, the North Sea, and the North Atlantic, especially with regard to fishing interests, and records its opinion that the survey of these areas should be continued and extended by the co-operation of the different nationalities concerned, on the lines of the scheme presented to the Congress by Professor Pettersson.' On Thursday, Mr. C. E. Borchgrevink read an interesting paper, in which he described his antarctic voyage. Professor Kan then read a paper on New Guinea, and Mr. Lindsay discussed future exploration in Australia. One of the sectional meetings was devoted to cartography; Professor Elisée Reclus reading a paper on a proposed terrestrial globe on the scale of 1: 100,000. In the other section, Dr. Naumann compared the fundamental lines of Anatolia and Central Asia, and Mr. Henry G. Bryant gave an account of observations on the most northern Eskimo, chiefly made during the Peary Relief Expedition. Friday's papers were of interest mainly to specialists. The general session dealt chiefly with ancient maps, a paper by Baron Nordenskiöld being presented by the President, and a very valuable discussion of the origin of the sea-mile, given by Professor H. Wagner. The sections had papers on spelæology and mountain structure, and on the geographical nomenclature and the morphology of the earth, by Professor Penck. On Saturday only one paper was read, by General Annenkoff, on the importance of geography in the present agricultural and economical crisis. A series of resolutions, drawn up by the various committees or submitted by private individuals, were put to the meeting. The President then delivered a short concluding address, and dissolved the Congress. Experience had shown that if the Congress were divided into a large number of sections, papers would be brought forward dealing with points of detail, and larger questions, which alone ought to be considered on such an occasion, would not receive a proper amount of attention. The plan was therefore adopted of having a morning meeting of the whole Congress, and in the afternoon having only two sectional meetings. During the time when the Congress was being organised a limited number of subjects were especially selected as being suitable for treatment at great international gatherings, and a number of gentlemen were approached to ascertain whether they would be willing to read papers thereon. These special papers formed the basis of the work of the meeting. A consultative body was appointed at the Congress consisting of all the acting Vice-Presidents, gentlemen nominated as representing all countries and as especially qualified to consider every geographical subject. This consultative body reported to the Congress its opinion with regard to every question about to be submitted to it, and this opinion carried so much weight that the views of the Vice-Presidents were in every case accepted by the Congress as a whole. Another useful innovation is the resolution that the officers of each International Geographical Congress are to retain their duties until the meeting of the next Congress. The Congress only meets once in three or four years, and in the interval there has been no authority charged with the duty of seeing that the resolutions passed are carried out. Continuity of action is now secured. The total number attending the Congress was about 1,500, of whom about 600 were foreigners, including most of the professors of geography in the world. The bringing together of so many workers in one science was, in all probability, one of the most beneficial effects of the Congress, and plenty of independent evidence could be brought forward to show how much our foreign guests appreciated our efforts to entertain them. The Congress has never met in Germany, and it was decided that the next meeting should be held in Berlin in the year 1899. 6. On the Cosmosphere: an instrument combining the Terrestrial and Celestial Globes for the purpose of demonstrating Astronomical-Geogra phical Phenomena and Navigational Problems. By W. B. BLAIKIE. The cosmosphere is a form of globe in which the celestial sphere is a transparent film mounted with an independent motion outside the terrestrial sphere and concentric with it. The two spheres are connected with a floating horizon automatically adjusting itself to any latitude to be examined, thereby showing the student the actual apparent motions of the heavenly bodies from the standpoint of the observer; it also enables him, by measuring from the zenith and the horizon, to see and practise the problems in geodesy and navigation which have to be solved by travellers and navigators. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14. The Section did not meet. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16. The following Papers and Report were read : 1. An Expedition to Ruwenzori. By G. F. SCOTT ELLIOT, M.A. The journey of which this is an account was undertaken with funds partly supplied by the Government Grant Committee of the Royal Society, and partly by myself. The general route which I adopted was as follows: I left Mombasa in November 1893, and travelled up to Kampala, Uganda, by the ordinary route. I was unable to visit Elgon, and obliged to remain a month in Kampala on account of the war with Kabbarega which was then in progress. During this time Captain Gibb, Acting Administrator, entertained me with the very greatest kindness. After a month's delay, there seemed to be no chance of definite news from Unyoro, so I passed down through Buddu to the Kagera, which I was anxious to visit. I crossed this river at Kitangule and followed its course for six or seven days westwards. I then struck across Ankole to Ruwenzori. After four months spent on the mountain, I turned southwards again, reaching the Kagera river at Latoma. I followed it as nearly as I could manage across Karagwe and then turned across Urundi and Bugufu towards Tanganyika, which I reached in September. I came down Tanganyika in an Arab dhow, and afterwards crossed the Stevenson Road and arrived in the Shiré Highlands, eventually emerging from the continent at Chinde, the mouth of the Zambesi. The earlier part of the journey was over very well known ground, and I shall therefore begin by trying to point out the relative position of Ruwenzori, which was the objective point of the expedition. It rises in a very isolated fashion out of an area which is depressed relatively to the Victoria region plateau. The levels of the Albert Edward Nyanza and Semiliki Valley are both lower than that of the Victoria Nyanza, which is the lowest portion of the granite plateau usually called Uganda. Ruwenzori is 16,500 feet in height. Dr. Gregory, in a paper to be published in the Journal of the Geological Society, has pointed out grounds for supposing that it is a 'scholl' mountain. The central core, of which I brought home a specimen, has been, in a sense, forced through the schists, which I found to dip away from it in all directions. It is allowable to suppose that this process resulted in lines of crack or weakness. I found along what may be supposed to be lines of weakness of this kind a series of relatively recent volcanic craters and crater lakes. The most important is that which has produced the division of the Albert Edward into the Nyanza proper and Lake Ruisamba. The Salt Lake and four other craters belong to this line, which is approximately south-east. There is another running south-west, and along the eastern side one finds at least two others; one, at Vijongo, is in a north-easterly direction, whilst the other is nearly due east from Kyatwa and Butanuka. These have all had the most important effect on the geography of the country round the mountain, but this cannot be clearly shown without a large-scale map. The recent volcanic area also extends across the Albert Edward and occupies a stretch of its eastern shore. It seems strange that the mountain escaped notice so long, but it is obviously the 'Blue Mountains' of Sir S. Baker and the mountains of Usongora' which recur frequently in Emin Pasha's letters. The reason is probably the way in which it is frequently covered with clouds. At about 10 A.M. thick clouds usually hang at an average level of 7,000 feet to 11,000 feet, though they are much lower in the narrower valleys. As the morning advances, they gradually ascend, and may vanish altogether at about 5.30 P.M. fact, before 5.30 P.M., or occasionally just about sunrise, it is most unusual to see the summit except from a very great distance. In The vegetation follows the average movement of this cloud belt. From 5,000 to 7,000 feet the surface is covered by shrubs and cultivation. The true mountain forest begins at 7,000 feet, and extends to 8,600 feet. From 8,600 to 10,000 or 11,000 feet is a bamboo jungle; and from the latter level to 15,000 feet is a heather zone. The forest is very dense, full of creepers, and with occasionally very fine timber. Sometimes it contains tree ferns, and is extremely similar to the wet forests of the Congo. Mammal and birds are scarce. Bush buck may be seen occasionally, and there are Cercopithecus n. sp., Colobus, probably a new species, various squirrels, Galago, etc., but all are unusual. Butterflies also are particularly scarce. The bamboo region is always extremely cold and wet, and climbing is excessively difficult and uncomfortable. The ground in the heather region is mainly a wet and soft peat moss. Amongst this are masses of Viola Abyssinica (which I saw visited by a new species of Argynnis, A. Ellioti Butler), Cerastium Africanum, Epilobium sp., Cardamine sp., and Hypericum. There are extremely large-fruited kinds of Rubus, and, in the more sheltered ravines, enormous trees of Ericinella Johnstonei, as well as arborescent Senecios, Hypericacea, and the extraordinary tree Lobelia. The mountain is in reality a meeting-place of floras. The higher altitude plants are probably of Abyssinian origin, and have a very strong Mediterranean affinity. Those in many of the more humid and wet valleys at from 6,600 to 7,600 feet are of a distinctly Western type, while in the drier valleys below 5,000 feet one finds species of the Victoria regions, and above that level plants of Abyssinian affinity or belonging to the Ankole-Karagwe hills. Besides all these sources, there are on this mountain many endemic forms. The Wahima, which form the nobility of all the eastern side, are a very late immigration from Abyssinia. On the western side the Wawamba are certainly very closely related to the Wanyuema tribes of the Upper Congo; while the Wakondja, in the centre of the mountain, which are part of the Bantu group (at least, so far as I could tell; I am not at all sure that they are not different), correspond to the plants of the Ankole and Karagwe hills. The Wahima (e.g. such high chiefs as Kasagama and Makwenda, and the much less mixed villages at Kakaruka and Buhimba) are very distinct from the others. They have broad, prominent foreheads, small lips, and quite small and occasionally retreating chins. They are tall and slender in build, and amongst them may be seen occasionally individuals who have a very Semitic appearance. This race, coming from Abyssinia, seems to have overcome, and now furnishes the nobility of, all those tribes which border the Victoria. In the course of my journey I first met them in Kavirondo, and reached their westward limit on the borders of the Wawamba. Makowalli's people and all the tribes south of Latoma on the western side of the Kagera are not, I think, Wahima, and I do not fancy they ever crossed the Kagera below that point. In a southward direction I think they stop at Buhimba and Kakaruka; but beyond these places I did not go and cannot speak from personal experience. They are easily distinguished from the Bantu races by their extreme intelligence and disposition. They are treacherous, rather sulky, and also extremely licentious. The Wakondja, who have been conquered by them, are greatly oppressed. I found them a simple, good-natured and industrious people of the regular negro type. The Wawamba in manner, language, and custom, show distinct Wanyuema affinities. They are different physically from both the preceding races, but I found them so timid and suspicious that I was quite unable to obtain any exact measurements or learn the language. Unless the Wakondja contain amongst themselves remnants of a far more primitive race (and I should not be surprised to learn that this was the case), I do not believe there is an aboriginal people on Ruwenzori. The distinction I have drawn of three races on the mountain will, however, be found very marked. During the four months which I spent on Ruwenzori I suffered greatly from fever; but I was able nevertheless to visit pretty thoroughly the Msonje, Yeria, Wimi, Mubuku, Sebwe and Nyamwamba valleys on the east, and the Butagu on the west. There are two important rivers on the south whose valleys I had nɔt time to visit, and on the east the Muhokia and Hima were not investigated. I constantly attempted to reach the snow, but I never ascended higher than over 13,000 feet, which was in the Nyamwamba. I also nearly reached 13,000 feet on the Butagu. I did reach the summit of the range near the sources of the Yeria river on two occasions, but it was only about 11,000 feet at these places. On my return journey I crossed to Kwa Kaihura and thence through Mpororo, Karagwe, Bugufu, Urundi to Tanganyika. 2. Report on the Climate of Tropical Africa.-See Reports, p. 480. 3. Three Years' Travelling and War in the Congo Free State. In 1891 Captain S. L. Hinde landed at Boma, and went up the caravan road to Stanley Pool. After four months' residence in the neighbourhood of the Pool, part of which was spent in exploring, he went up to the district of the Lualaba, and |