The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-09
Biographies KeseaEehes--The Roof OF th o
World".-Dr. Livingstone.

The address of Sir r. Murchson, at a recent
session Of the royal geographical society in Lon
don, contained the following interesting matter,
as reported by the London Times:
The attention of the society had been strongly
drawn of late towards Central Asia, and partcu-
larry to the vast regions which bordered the
northeastern and northwestern frontiers of British
India. The principal region in the northeast en-
braced the country lying between Assam and
szechuen. the most westerly province of China.
A warm desire was expressed by q committee Of
the British association, as well as by their own
council, that the intervening space of about $50
miles only should be explored. in order to ascer-
tain If there be practicable passes through the
high mountains and wild tracts which separated
the upper waters of the Ysngtse- kiang from the
Brahmaputra at its great bend near Sudiya. AL
though as yet no positive effort had been made to
solve the important problem, endeavors were be-
ing carried on by the Indian authorities to open
up route of traffic along the more southerly
line between British Burmah and the great Chi
nese province of Yunnan, now essentially inde-
pendent of Chinese rule, and most desirous of
establishing trade with our settlements on the
Irawaddy.
of still more pressing importance, however,
than an acquaintance with the regions Just
alluded to was an exploration of the vast aud I'M
examined tracts on the northwest. far beyond the
tributaries OF the Upper Indus or between Pesh-
awur and Jellalabad on the south, and the centers
of trade and population at ~ arkand and Koshgar.
The main object was to define the physical char
acter of the vast elevated plateau called Pamir,
or Roof of the World" from which the lofty
chains the Kuen. Lun, the Himalays, and Hindoo
Koosh, radiate. In former address he, in 1867
dwelt upon the essential importance of such
knowledge 10 be acquired equally by the Rus
sian government and by our own and he then
said that this great table land or watershed ought
10 be constituted the neutral ground between the
two empires, and to be considered as q broad
zone TO be forever interposed between Eastern
Turkestan-tewards which Russia has now ad-
vanced-and the most northern limits of our
Indian possessions. With view to taking first
step in this desirable exploration the council OF
the society sent ont last spring practiced trav-
eler, Lieutenant Hayward to traverse this region
from Peshawur.
TWAS not, of course, in his power to announce
TO them as yet many of the subjects which would
be brought before them IN the course of the
session now commenced but he might inform them
that they had In hand, besides papers on various
parts Of Central Asia, memoir on Abyssinia by
DR.. Blanc. the companion in captivity of Mr.. Ras-
sam, describing the western part of that region,
which was not visited by the British army; also a
well digested account of the geography, statis-
tics, and natural production of Manchuria-the
great northeastern province of China-by Mr..
williamson, missionary. In concluding his few
anticipatory remarks be might say that, besides
the results OF the explorations of Livingstone in
South Africa, TO which they looked forward 30
anxiously, he had received map of the lake re-
giODs of Equatorial Africa from their medallist,
DIR. Petermann, which he had elaborated from data
recently received from the travellers, Carlo Piag-
gia and Ambrose and Jules Poncet who had
pushed their researches across a portion Of Gen.
trail Africa. hitherto unexplored, extending to %
degrees and "a degrees east longitude. and to a
little more than one degree north of the equator.
He would only add that he hoped the session
now commenced might be one Of as great inter-
est rs many of those by which it had been pre-
ceded. (Cheers.)
Sir r. Murchison again rose, and stated that he
had that evening received, through the foreign
Office, letters from DIR. Livingstone. which. though
not of later date than others which had been al
ready published, would. he was sure, be listened
to by those present with interest. -
The secretary of the society then read one Of
the letters, dated Cssembe. September Ia, 1867, in
which DR.. Livingstone, writing TO DIR. Seward,
represented himself as being WE'LL and as standing
in need of stores for the purpose of his Jour
neysthan anything else.