The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-13 00:00:00

The Royal Geographical Society.

An interesting meeting of this society was held
at Burlington-house last evening. Sir Roderick I.
Murchison presided, and there was a numerous at-
tendance of members and others. Among those pre-
sent were the Earl of Sheffield, Lords Strangford
and De Blaquiere, Admirals Sir E. Belcher, R. Col-
linson, and Elliott; i ord A. Churchill, M.P. ; Mr.
M. Milnes, M.P.; Mr. Danby Seymour, M.P.; Sir
H. Rawlinson, Sir R. Alcock ; Colonels Baynes,
Stewart, Rark, and Shaffner ; Major Kane, Captain
and Mrs. Burton ; Captains Belford, Glyn, and Sel-
wyn, R.N.; M. Du Chaillu, Mr. Alderman Finnis,
Dr. Rae, Ducket, Day, Goss, and Beke, Professor
Tyndal, Sir Digby Neave, Sir Charles Bright ;
Messrs. Charles White, Osborne Smith, J. Lyons
M'Leod, &c.

The minutes of the previous meeting having been
read by the hon. secretary, Dr. Norton Shaw, and
some preliminary business despatched,
Mr. J. A. MANN read a paper on Ocean Currents
on the North-east Coast of South America. The ob-
ject of the paper was to present an account of the
voyage, in July and August, 1862, of the Monte
Christo from Cayenne, in Guiana, to Paranahiba, in
Brazil, in which some extraordinary phenomena
conected with the Guiana current were experienced.
The popular idea is that this current always runs
i❑ a north-west direction, at a rate varying from
one to four knots per hour; but in this voyage
of the Monte Christo it was found that the
current was entirely reversed, running at a rate
of 41; knots per hour—a circumstance which, if
proved, would upset the received ideas not only on
the subject of this particular, but of the entire
ocean streams. Much evidence was adduced, and
well authenticated, to prove the phenomena de-
scribed, and although, as Mr. Mann stated, he was
not able to secure as satisfactory observations as he
could wish, it seemed that there was no good reason
to doubt its existence.

Captain MAURY, of the American navy, being
called upon by the president to make some remarks
upon this subject, said that during the last year or
two his mind had been occupied with other matters
than ocean currents—(hear, hear)—and he very
much regretted that he had lately had very little
to do with the sea. But he must express his thanks
to Mr. Mann for the very interesting and philoso-
phical paper he had laid before them. That gen-
tleman had truly said that these currents were ap-
parently most capricious, for sometimes they not
only did not run forwards, but they even turned
and ran backwards. When he was at Bermuda, on
his way hither from South Carolina, he saw an
officer of her Majesty's navy who had been cruising
for some years on the North American station, and
he was told by him a fact corroborative of what
Was stated in the paper just read—viz., that on his
passage from Halifax to Bermuda he had come
across this extraordinary phenomenon; that the
Gulf stream actually ran to the southward and west-
ward. The temperature of the water was all right,
but his reckoning was all wrong. On going back
he tried it again, taking care to verify his instru-
ments, and, singular to relate, it happened again
that the Gulf stream not only was not running in
its usual course, but was running backwards. He
thought the action of the Gulf stream accounted
for the mild winter now being experienced in Eng-
land. It operated like a hot-air furnace in the
sea, mitigating the temperature, and to what-
ever eccentricities it might be liable in its course,
it reached the shores of this country in
the long run, influencing its climate. The pecu-
liarities of the Guiana current were almost as re-
markable as those of the Gulf stream itself. Ships
sailing from the month of the Amazon to Rio Ja-
neiro had to stretch out to the northward, and west-
ward until they reached 25 or 30 deg. north when
about the longitude of 60, and then they got into
the trade winds and came south again, thus dodg-
ing those very currents which Mr. Mann's observa-
tions showed to be of an exceptional nature.
Before proceeding to the next paper,

The PRESIDENT said he had received within the
last 24 hours an interesting letter from that distin-
guished African traveller and his excellent friend,
Dr. Livingstone. With the concurrence of the
Council of the society he would now read it. It was
as follows :

"River Rovtima, Oct. 10, 1862.

" My dear Sir Roderick,—We have just returned
from a month's exploration of the Rovuma River.
We turned at long. 38 deg 30 min. east, and let.
11 deg. 13 min. south; so, assuming the longitude
of the anchorage to be 40 deg. 30 min. east, and lat.
10 deg. 28 min. south, we went about 114 miles, as
the crow flies, from the coast. Adding our longitude
and latitude together, we went 156 miles up the
river. It was unusually and excessively low, and
entailed frequent dragging of the boats at the
crossings. When the water split up into three
channels the work was grievous ; but having chosenthe
the dry season, when we cannot do much in
Zambesi, we put a stout heart to
daafaeterYlsbdr:yePs'
never stopped except on Sundays, a
up and 10 down find ourselves rathern tired and
brown.
a m" T 1
eh
we
ibded
e. of
ut. he es
flanked ve is o
r ab byho aut
fi
ghwhi tel hlllslra:enwsedoicudfo
eaemerd
tte
tablet
hre
isl
go ohs
e
slaonnide,twimheicshthloeoksepulirks
eorfanthgees
to the water, but generally there is a mile of
level alluvial soil between them and the bulk. So
few people appeared at first, it looked like a
land to let,' but, having walked up to the edge of
the plateau, considerable cultivation was met with,
though to make a garden a great mass of brushwood

PRICE .4d.
STAMPED

must be cleared away. The women and children
fled, but calling to a man not to be afraid, he asked
if I had any objection to liquor with him, and
brought a cup of native beer. There are many new
puttingownish
trees on the slopes, plenty of ebony in some places,
and thickets of brushwood. The whole scenery had
e d e a
y thebe
called othersour winter.
on
brownish
a light gray appearance, dotted over with masses of
greenon
n ew
trees,
foliage, which
forich
re Otherd,
but
s treeso,m
all showedwil l
b
theireg
young leaves
gloriously green. Further
up we came to numerous villages, perched on sand-
banks in the river. They had villages on shore
too, and plenty of grain stowed away in the woods.
They did not fear for their victuals, but were afraid
of being stolen themselves. We passed through
them all right, civilly declining an invitation to
precede
m I
land at a village where two human heads had been
cut off. A lot of these river pilots then followed us
till there was only a narrow passage under a high
bank, and there let drive their arrows at us. We
stopped and expostulated with them for a long
time; then got them to one of the boats and ex-
plained to them how easily we could drive them off
with our rifles and revolvers, but we wished to be
friends, and gave about 30 yards of calico in pre-
sants in proof of friendship. All this time we were
within 40 yards of a lot of them, armed with mus-
kets and bows, on the high bank. On parting, as
we thought, on friendly terms, and moving on, we
received a volley of musket balls and arrows, four
bullet holes being made in my sail, and finding that
we, instead of running away, returned the fire,
they took to their heels, and left the conviction
that these are the Border ruffians who at various
points present obstacles to African exploration
—men stealers, in fact, who care no more
for human life than that respectable party in London
who stuffed the Pioneer's life-buoys with old straw
instead of cork. It was sore against the grain to
pay away that calico ; it was submitting to be
robbed for the sake of peace. It cannot be called
black mail,' for that implies the rendering of im-
portant services by Arabs; nor is it custom dues.'
It is robbery perpetrated by any one who has a
traveller or trader in his power, and, when tamely
submitted to, increases in amount till wood, water,
grass, and every conceivable subject of offence is
made an occasion for a fine. On our return we
passed quietly through them all, and, probably, the
next English boat will be respected. Beyond these
Makonde all were friendly and civil, laying down
their arms before they came near us. Much trade
is carried on by means of canoes, and we had the
company of seven of these small craft for three days.
They bring rice and grain down to purchase salt.
When about 60 miles up the table-land mentioned
above retires, and we have an immense plain, with
detached granite rocks and hills dotted over. Some
rocks then appear in the river, and at last, at our
turning point, the bed is all rocky masses, four or
five feet high, with the water rushing through by
numerous channels. The canoes go through with
ease, and we might have taken the boats up also,
but we were told that further up the channels were
much narrower, and there was a high degree of
probability that we should get them smashed in
coming down.
the
RL oi
vk
Lue Nyassaw
athoil Qht ul
little
lrfoit
farther
arising
Khgeirfl wrforamo)
from
at bthhoeeu tcho3il.ol
" We were on part of the slave route from the
Is mu
on
nne s b
c ethol-
f
low the station of Ndonde, where that route crosses
east of the Lake Nyassa, flows into Rovuma. It is
said to be very large, with reeds and aquatic plants
growing in it, but at this time only ankle deep. It
contains no rocks till near its sources on the moun-
tains, and between it and the lake the distance
is reported to require between two and three days.
At the cataracts where we turned there is no rock
an the shore, as on the Zimbesi, at Kebrabasa, and
Murchison's Cataracts. The land is perfectly
smooth, and, as far as we could see, the country pre-
sented the same fiat appearance, with only a few
detached hills. The Tsetse is met with all along
the Rovuma, and the people have no cattle in con-
sequence. They produce large quantities of oil-
yielding seeds, as the susame, or gerzelin, and have
hives placed on the trees every few miles. We
never saw ebony of equal size to what we met on
this river; and as to its navigability, as the mark
at which water stands for many months is three
feet above what it is now, and it is now said to be a
cubit lower than usual, I have no doubt that a
vessel drawing when loaded about 18 inches would
run with ease during many months of the year.
Should English trade be established on the Lake
Nyassa, Englishmen will make this their outlet
rather than pay dues to the Portuguese.
" We return to put our ship on Nyassa, by the
Shire, because there we have the friendship of all
the people, except that of the slave-hunters. For-
merly, we found the Shire people far more hostile
than are the Makonde of Rovnms, but now they
have confidence in us, and we in them. To leave
them now would be to open the country for the
slave-hunters to pursue their calling therein, and
we should be obliged to go through the whole pro-
cess of gaining a people's confidence again.
" It may seem to some persons weak to feel a cord
vibrating to the dust of her who rests on the banks
of the Zambesi, and thinking that the path thereby
is consecrated by her remains. We go back to
Johanna and the Zambesi in a few days. Kind re-
gards to Lady M., and believe me ever affection.
ately yours,

" DATID LIVINGSTONE."

The next business was the reading of a paper by
Dr. G. C. WALLIca, on the question of a Survey
of the Physical Condition of the Atlantic,
cab e
preli-
minary to the laying down of another electric.
Amerlca. Dr.
b
connecting Europe with North
Wallich began by pointing out that both the amount
and kind of information we now possessed regard-
ing the deep-sea bed of the Atlantic were altogether
inadequate to meet the requirements of oceanic tele-
graphy. Referring in proof of this to the line of
soundings taken by Capt. Dayman, in 1857, on
board her Majesty's ship Cyclops, he observed that
these, though as perfect as circumstances then
allowed, furnished data necessarily incomplete; in-
asmuch as only 41 soundings were taken at depths
exceeding 250 fathoms, across an area of 1,300 miles
of ocean, leaving a mean interval of 32 miles be-
tween each two soundings. Having assigned his
reasons for disbelieving that the entirecentral basin
of the Atlantic is, as many have supposed, a vast
plateau unbroken by alterations of level as great as
those existing on land, he observed that in the in-
tervals between the previous measurements of the
depth of the ocean-bed some of the largest moun-
tain ranges might very well be included— matternate safe
' obviously most important, as bearing
no such sub
laying of a telegraphic cable.
marine slopes had hitherto
whichbeeln'ru detected t
esve ematseadianstisnauiranteehdd:
mid-Atlantic, but the datahon
ere
existsouitnn
tdilinagi,wo_efr.e_loo fathoms..
that they did not
had
purely arbitrary. A
it N., within about
been taken by Lieut.
32 miles of one of 3,0005 a fathoms taken by Captain
Dayman. Dr.
then enumerated the various
kinds of observations that he had thought essential
to a trustworthy telegraphic survey, among which
was a method of probing the deposits of the sea-bed,
with a view to determine their geological character.
He exhibited an ingenious instrument, designed by
him to effect this object, b:sides other new appara-
tus for raising specimens of water from any desired
depth, and for gauging, the pressure at all depths.
Passing to the means requisite for carrying out
his survey, Dr. Wallich recommended that the
Government should equip two steamships for the
work ; the great novelty of his plan consisting in
the two vessels sailing in parallel courses, removed
only two miles from each other, and the soundings
being taken alternately on each line of the longi-
tudinal belt thus defined. Wnile, therefore, there
would be an interval of five miles at the utmost be-
tween any two soundings on the same line (that was
taken by the same ship), there would be an interval

line of soundings should form, 44 it were, the
base of operations, and be taken as the centre of the
two-mile longitudinal belt which he proposed to
have surveyed. The entire work might, he thought,

be finished in five or six months. Summing

up the advantages of his plan, he remarked that it
would furnish no less than 640 reliable observations
extendinK,,t -v the entire deep watei •of 411,e,
sea bed might ultimately be mapped out. In con-
clusion ' - and et... wing a basis upon which its whole
he said the task was unquestionably arduous.
lor
Its execution might prove costly and tedious. But
there it was, staring us in the face—a task which
we must either manfully grapple with and master,
or leave unfulfilled to our successors the accomplish-
rable explorations,
a
accomplish-
ment of the grandest international project that
human sagacity had heretofore suggested. The
paper was listened to with marked interest, and re..
peTatheedlpyßaEpstaEuNdTed.saidAttihtastcplorse.
Wallich had ac-
companiedSirtieLnsec!aonldd Ahlis pen‘Clintohckad
in
nnrhiiched smemthoe"
scientific literature of the t
coun ry. That society
had seldom had a paper placed before it more
directly connected with the highest objects of
physical geography than that which hod just been
read. Dr. Wallich had also exhibited and
explained to them the working of his ingenious
apparatus for not only tapping the soft strata, but
also boring into the rocks at the bottom of the
ocean. Whether or not any adventurous body of
persons would lay down a telegraphic cable be.
tween this country and our North American kins-

folk, as a nautical people it was of the greatest

importance that we should become acquaint Ted with
the characteristic features of the great ocean bed
between the two hemispheres. (Hear, hear.) It
was to prevent illusory schemes from being taken
up, or encouraged, that the present paper had been
submitted to them.

Sir E. BELCHER, as almost the senior surveying
officer now in England, felt it his duty to say a few
words on this project. It was very well as far as
concerned the passage across the Irish Channel;
but in his experience of searching for shoals even
within 100 yards of his own ship, for six weeks, and
14 hours a day, he knew the difficulty of finding a
rock which did not cover a much larger space than
their president's chair. (Hear, and a laugh.) Re
therefore conceived that the proposed survey would

not only cost the country an immense sum of money
and take 60 years to complete, but it could not be
carried into effect. They did not want the deepest
water for the laying of a transatlantic telegraphic
cable. If they carried the line from the Hebrides
or the Orkneys to the Faroe Islands, and so on in
that direction, they would have a simple method of
being sure of what they were doing. He thought
a cable might be laid down from spot to spot at a
very trivial expense, and in that mode they could
surely feel their way across the ocean. He had him-
self used a very accurate instrument, not only for
sounding and obtaining the bottom, but also for as-
certaining the temperature at any exact depth and
bringing up the water. That instrument consisted of
a cylinder within a cylinder, made of stout bell
metal ; and between they ears 1836 and 1847 neither
it nor the delicate thermometer within it showed
the slightest derangement. In conclusion, Sir
Edward expressed his conviction that, before sanc-
tioning any such scheme as that sketched by Dr.
Wallich it would be better to take the opinions of
scientific men as to whether it would not be right to
have four separate stations for the telegraph across
the Atlantic, instead of adopting the plan of cross-
ing by one long line. (Hear, hear.)
Admiral ELLIOTT believed that if they carried
out the survey proposed by Dr. Wallich, and ob-
tained the accurate information he desired as to the
ocean•bed, they would then be no wiser than they
now were with regard to the laying down of the
electric cable.— (hear)—for they could not thread
their way across the Atlantic, as Dr. Wallich sug-
gested, in the manner that would avoid the hollows
and mountains that might be found at the bottom.
Moreover, he did not think the proposed scheme for
sounding was at all practicable, and he should pre-
fer the method recommended by Sir E. Belcher.
Again, to keep the laying of the cable in abeyance
until such a system of soundings could be taken
would be most inexpedient. Let them lay down
the cable at once, and if it lasted only for two years
it would repay the outlay and confer a great benefit
upon the public. He did not believe the failure of
the last cable was attributable to the nature of the
ocean bed. It might be accounted for by various
other causes. One of these was the weight of the
cable itself, and another was that it might not have
been sufficiently tested before being put on board
ship. He had great faith in the possibility of lay-
hag a light cable across the Atlantic, so as to enable
them to establish the communication between the
two hemispheres, within the next 12 months. As
the chairman of a company for laying down such a
cable, he should regret anything that might destroy
the confidence of the public in the feasibility of
such an undertaking—(laughter)—and prevent its
being carried out.

Professor TYNDALL believed that, as far as the
physicallobjects indicated in the paper went, they
were not likely to be of sufficient importance tojus-
tify a very great outlay. His own reflection had
brought him to a conclusion on this matter some-
what
in accordance with that of Sir E. Belcher and
Admiral Elliott. The proposed survey was open to
this objection, that in the five mile intervals be-
tweeni
Matter-
horn m tihgeh
might
soundingspossibly
peaexistk
being discovered.
__

8.N., and Mr. Webster took part, Dr. Wal-
Aiter some further discussion, in which Captain
; Seei
cc
hlt
replied, defending his plan from the ob-
wiobynrinse'tfihy
at had been urged againstit, and adducing
further reasons against the adoption of the counter
telegraphic route suggested by Sir E. Belcher.
The proceedings then terminated at a quarter to
11 o'clock.

Importing Tea without colour on the leaf pre-
vents the Chinese passing off inferior leaves as in the usual
kinds. Horniman's Tea is uncoloured, therefore, always
good alike. Sold in packets by 2,280 agents.
By late advices from Fortress Monroe we are glad
to hear that the famous "sione fleet" with
President Lincoln and his advisers, to the disgust oftlitoo
civilised world, attempted to close up the
approaches
saferthan they were
which
Charleston, has entirely failed to produco theintended
leading into Charles-
effect, and therefore a large amount of Federal.. money has
been expended in vain. The clumped's
N pAaLndßsltubMstGaEn
Gazette. positive amount of
ftoornmhearrlybo;usro
outare oafctatinalleyvibleitnivtotsenatnoua
ky and Navy
good has arisen.--dro
YORK.—The
,tial iron bridgopening
e
which
0r E N
Gthe°l beautiful L E
which lies been erected over the river Ouse at Lendal, York,
took place on Thursday last, and will supply a want which
has long been felt. The foundation stone of a bridge was
laid on Tuesday, October 9, 1860, by Mr. Alderman Evers,
the then lord mayor. As the bridge advanced, and its cha-
racter became more prominently displayed, neither those
who had seen the plans nor the general public were at all
satisfied with the appearance it was likely to present. Most
of our readers are acquainted with the circumstances at-
tending the destruction of the bridge on Friday, Sept. 27,
1861, very nearly a year after the foundation stone had
been laid. One of the girders fell into the river, and the
others were prostrated upon the bridge, five persons em-
ployed thereon being instantly hurled into eternity.
The design for the bridge (which is after the style of the
Westminster Bridge) presented by Mr Page was ulti-
mately adopted, and the contract for the iron work from
Messrs. Hawks, Crawshay, and Co., of Gateshead, for
£3,600, was accepted by the committee a year ago. The
has
a consists of a single arch of the Tudor style,
a span of 175 feet 2 inches, and is 25 feet in height
from the summer level of the river to the crown. Six
ribs of immense sizti are tied together with cross girders
e
and braces tied and stayed, there being bearers for the
corrugated iron plates which had been prepared for the
been used in
girder bridge and which have the present
bridge, The spandrills consist of castings of Gothio
tracery, ornamented with large shields of the city on one
side, and the arms of the see of York on the other. The
footpaths on the bridge are made of the Hopton Ward stone,
a beautifully white paving stone, which has been used at
the 'louses of Parliament. The extreme width of the
bridge is 37ft. gin. ; the width of the footpaths, Bft. 3in. ;
and the width of the roadway, 21ft. 3in. The weight of
the bridge is at least 360 tons, and it is believed to be of
sufficient strength to carry a railway train. In the evening
a grand banquet took place in honour of the occasion.