, 1879-07-18


Auatralinn, Polar, and American Exp1ora-
tions.
Lnndon 71mta. JuIy2
We had hoped to have been able to chronicle
the complete accom- pllshment In ore vcar OF tic
for,hcas. Passage BY Nordcnskioll's c1pcd-
tton. For the opening up Of the Siberian Sea
trade great deal has been tlnne during tllc
past rear, nn,l regular route from Europe By
sen may nov be eaid to be faisly established.
Tie modest Dutch Arctic expedition, Ia the
William Barcntz to the spt.koerGen' 'Novaya
Ict11va ecas collected Il considerable anount of
data on tho lce+ sen, and meteorological condt-
flons OF tho region: while Cant. Tyson In The
Florence, on the Greenland side, brought hack
morc than enough TO Justify The expedition.
Cant. Johanseen's discover Of a new island to
the northeast of foTaya Zcmlya Is m interest
Ing orent IN The Arctic exploration Of tho past
year. as Is the small Danish expedition to the
Grecatand Interior. In Russian Laplanl and
OIL Its shores Lieut.. saudeherg has been doing
sosnt careful scientific exploration, and at tho
othrf end Of Europe the connection Of the
tsianguat!on Of Europe With tic Algerian sys-
TEN has been all but accomplished.
Africa swarms with explorers, professional,
amateur, and n'ssionarY,-EnGl!.h French.
German, Belgian, italian, Portuguese, Egypt
ian. Much is hoped from the expedition under
Keith .Johnaton, which recently left England for
the region bctwecn Oar salaan, Lake Nyassa.
nnd Lake Tanga,Ivlkn. Altogether there !,as
been steady, substantial increase Of our knowi-
edge Of Africa and It's peopls during tile past
year, In As!a there ha. been quito rs much
acstYltv as IN Africa, quite m army Of Russian
explorers having bceu out. Col. Prjwelskr's
Journey from ku1ja to I>obnor, concluded early
IN sl'e yctr, Is one Of the most Important OF
modern times, giving us on accursso knowledge
OF an interesting region, prevtons!r almost TN.
known. Ills narratlve has inst been published
y .England by Messrs. Sampson, Low &
e. i1 the , co6' psscrs H.. and te Ala!
work; and the recently published ,c.
by afnskkcloH, senastoff. skassf and otfcrs
enab!c Us to correct mitch that is conjcctus.l
anu Inaccurate an our nlnps. The account Of
the spetial mission IT, KarateEin In the HH.a;sthe
{5trae abounds with information on this little
known. scni-indepcndent Central Asian. State
ana w It's people; and Msyeil's exploration ot
Importance. Our readers know what Can't.
burton has been doing In Mtdian, while an
italian explorer has been successfully at.empt-
ing South Arabia. rhe narratives Of Baker,
gu. Morrison. and Mcintyre {of the China
h!tsa!on} have t'iadc us better acquainted with
Chlna und It's people; while Dutch expedition
has made important additions to Our knowledge
of inlantl snmatta. Our own Indian surrey Is
steadily proercS.sng; tie narratire [n the last
report OF the Mullahs journey up the Indus
virtually completes our knowledge OF that
rsrcr. The stntf attached to the Afghan CT
ptdttlun will bring back manv sPoiEs 10 science.
In Austra1Ia. 9cr.,L.:n'B expedition iu tic
northern territory nuu Forrest'. in the western
arc 10 be noted, though ono from, Queensland
westward does not seem to have made much
1lcutiway. p'Albcrtis. In hts TWO recent rapcrs
read In London, has given the chief results OF
Ills long and thoroughly scientific exploration Of
New Guinea. The go].l discoveries 10 shr is!Hnd
bY Mr. Oolhit have catisel inucl, stir In Aua-
tralta, though the struggling bands Of advcu-
turers that have gouc to collect It have not done
either themselves OR the natives mlsell guod.
Mr.. Gol1lc has ad,lCd q little to our knowledge
OF The luterio. asit1 the southwest couat. The
narrative Of tho French explorer Rasfras Of his
evlatt to tho nurth Of the is1and WIS given this
yenr to the Paris Geographical Society; bis
study was mainly Of the pcDDle. We recently
ga7c the results Of M!clucAo-slac1ay'e visit to
thc Pclrw lslands. Or. O. Fusell, OF the Berlin
exploration to Southeast Asia nna Australia:
from 81 qualified M observer tue best results
may be expected.
In North America, tho Canadian md United
States surveys have been steadily at work. Mr.
| Oher has been exploring several of the West
| india Islands, mainly Us naturalist. Creyaux
| las been dolllG capital work In the practically
unknown interior Of British Guiana, willie twp
AIerteun e5rsa's4onYs Y aye gons 10 tc Anazsa
tatued pretty satisfactory Information as to tlle
cxtent to which thc MAtiefra may be used a. =
| irudc route. The narrative Of alorgno's e1-
| ploratton OF Southern Patagonia has hc!pcd 10
I'LL Up tho imp OF that reEiUn The Brazilian
| Government hare taken stcps to obtain correct
| 'ongitudes for their cht,f cities. The Couven-
! ton for the cutting Of canal across Nicaragua
IL uotahte geographical event Of the past year.
Altogether. though there has been no brilliant
| achievement 10 mark the 3car. there has been
substantial, stcady progress toward moro
| complete and more accurate knowledge of thu
cnrtlls surface. The lrath Of 1)r. Pc1er1nann.
| u Gutha, has been a serious loss to the cause
of exploration and. to scientific geography.