The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-12-06 00:00:00

OROROB BAYLEY.
"WILLIAM PATTEILSON.
"JOHN JORDAN.
"Messrs. Montague, Leverson, and Hawley, 12, St.
Helen's-place, London, E.C.

THE LIVINGSTONE EXPEDITION.

A crowded meeting at the Royal Geographical Society
was held on Monday evening at Burlington-house;
Sir Roderick I. Murchison, Moe-president, in the
chair.

Among those present were the Danish and Swedish
Ministers, the Bishop of Llandaff, the Earl of Sheffield,
Lord Keane, Admiral Sir T. Herbert, Sir E. Belcher, Sir
J. F. Davis, Sir Erskine Perry; Generals Fox, Mon-
teith, Cannon, Phillips. Moore and Beason; Colonel
Ainslie, Archdeacon Raymond' the Hon. H. S. LBW,
the Hon. W. L. Bathurst, the lion. G. Barrington, Con-
suls Petherick and M'c Leod ; CaptainsCollineon, Craw
ford, Bedford, and Bedingfeld, R.N.; Mr. Maclear, As-
tronomer Royal, Cape of Good Hope; Major Cooke;
Captains Burton, Speke, Allen, Young, Lynch, Jenkin,
Dupree, Johnson, Austen, and Harrison 'Walker; Mr.
John Hotterill, of Leeds; Mr. Denby Seymour, M.P. ;
Drs. Fitton, Bipby, Tidmen, Bennett, Ogle, Dobie, and
Kinkel; Messrs. Stavely. John Barrow, Crawfurd, Os-
borne Smith, Arrowsinith, Babbage, &c.
Captain H. H. Godwin Austen, Captain the Hon. A.
Cochrane, R.N. Lieutenant Colonel C. Lypn Cocks,
Major W. E. Hay, Captain A. Cooper Key, R.N., the
Earl of Lichfield, Colonel W. Pinney, M.P., Sir Erskine
Perry, Rev. Frederick Silver, M.A.. Captain Charles
Sun. R.E.. Captain W. Strati, Major-General Sir C.
Yorke, K.C.8., Messrs. Robert E. Alison, P. Watson,
Braybrooke, Richard Cull, G. Wingfield Digby. R. H.
Wallace Dunlop, John P. Gassiot, jun., Isidor Gersten-
berg, H. Hacks Gibbs, H. Norwood Horwood, Quartos
W. Hoskyns, Louis Levensohn, John C. M'Gnitb,
rho. %wear (Astronomer Royal at the Cape of Good
Hope), George M'Leay, G. Shorto Douglas Pennant,
William Perry, Charles Pbillimore, W. H. Pardon,
C.E., E. G. Ravenstein, Edward H. Rickards. Christ*"
idler Sykes. J. W. Truman, M.D., R.N., and W. West-
prth, were elected Fellows.

- The Chairman annonneed that he had that day receiv-
ed from the Duke of Newcastle a notification of the safe
arrival of the British North American Expedition.
under Captain Palliser, F.R.0.8., at Fort Col-
ville.

Tbe were read were :-1. "Bwn Signals, for the
nee of Travellers ; by Franca. Galton, •U a
pieoe of looking glut be held in soak a position that a

person at a distance can see some portion or other of the
sun's disc reflected in it, it ASAMACS the appearance of an
exceedingly brilliant star of solar light. The object of
Mr. Galton's invention has been to provide au optical
arrangement by which the signaler may know whether
he is holding the mirror aright. The smallest bize of
hand heliostat can literally be carried in the waistcoat
pocket; yet, by its means, whenever the sun is shining,
a signal can be instantly made that shall be visible to
the entire neighbourhood of any given spot within sight.
k distance of twelve miles on a day of average clearness
is well within the power of the little instrument. If the
flash be replied to A regular communication can be car-
ried on, in which the signals ale varied by gentle move-
ments of the hand, that cause the flash to be been and to
disappear alternately. Words and sentences are com-
municated by a notation of long and short flashes, but
the mere power of calling attention from great distances
and of conveying three or four simple signals, such as a
series of single flashes for affirmation, and of doublets for
negation, is of the highest consequence to a traveller.
Sir Edward Belcher and the Astronomer Royal of the
Cape testified to the enormous distances at which hello-
static lights were visible when employed in triangulating
a country.
2. " Latest Accounts from the Central African Ex-
pedition from Dr. Livingstone, F.H.G.S.. with illustra-
tions."—Dr. Shaw remarked that as the papers were
very voluminous, a few only of the most interesting
extracts could be read. The first portion, dated May
12, 18:41, gave an account of Dr. Livingstone's journey
to Shirws, a large inland lake. It had no known out-
let, and, according to native reports, was separated
from Lake Nyingesi by • tongue of land only five or
six miles broad, and the southern end they discovered
to be no more than 30 miles distant from • navigable
branch of the Shire. The water of the Shirwa had a
bitter taste, but was drinkable. Fish, alligator, and
hippopotami abounded. During strong southerly winds
the water was said to retire sufficiently from that side
for the people to catch fish in weirs planted there. The
lake was of a pear shape, and in its wide part from 25
to 30 miles in breadth, the narrow portion being pro-
longed some 30 miles Youth from where the travellers
stood. Its length might be from 50 to GO miles, not
including the southern narrow portion of 30 miles. The
height of the lake above Chibiaa Island, where they left
the launch, was I,SOO feet, and 2,000 feet above the
level of the sea. Mount Zomba, in its neighbourhood,
was 6,000 feet high. The whole region was well though
not densely peopled. The Portuguese did not even
pretend to know Shirwa ; frequent inquiries were made
of the natives as to whether any white men had ever
visited them before, and they invariably replied in the
negative. Dr. Livingstone, therefore, claimed the first
discovery for himself and party, although the Portu-
guese claimed the honour for themselves. The Man- ,
gaily cultivated the soil, which was very rich, exten-
sively. The grass was generally from six to eight feet
long; • few yards' distance often completely hid a com-
panion, and guides were always necessary. Gardens
were common high up the hills, and on their tops
cotton was much cultivated, and the further they went
the more important the crop appeared. Every one spun
and wove cotton, even chiefs were seen at the spindle
and distaff. The process of manufacture was the most
rude and tedious that could be conceived. There were
two varieties of the plant, and there were no insects to
spoil it. Among the Manganya everyone carried •
knife, and mamma every village had a furnace for smelt-
ing black magnetic iron ore. A people to the north-
north-west had manufactured • rude imitation of •
pistol, which they fired only on occasions of mourning.
They were not aware that it could propel a ball.
Another paper was also read, on the navigation of the
Zambesi, which Dr. Livingstone stated to be navigable.
In the midst of great disadvantages they had travelled
upwards of 2,350 miles of river. From October, 185 S,
to June, 1559, 5.752 elephants' tusks had gone down
the Zambesi from Tete alone. Two-thirds of these were
large, or upwards of 30th. each, and the weight of the
whole was 100,0001 b. The merchandise was conveyed
in unwieldy canoes, which cost from .I'6o to L'7o each.
The Americans were absorbing all the trade of the east
coast below Zanzibar.
The Chairman also read extracts from letters which
had been addressed to himself, and announced that he
had the assurance of Lord J. Russell, the Foreign
Secretary, that every aid which he could afford would
be given to Dr. Livingstone.
An animated discussion followed the reading of the
paper, in which the astronomer at the Cape, Mr. Crau-
furd, Mr. SFLeod, and Captain Bedingfield joined ;
the Chairman, in adjourning the meeting to the 12th of
December, stated that there was another and very Mi.
portant paper on the list, on the Trigonometrical Sur-
vey of Cashmere, by Captain Montgoinerie, F.R.G.S.,
the original manuscript of which NM suspended in the
room, but as the hour was advanced the subject would
be postponed until the ensuing meeting.