Denton Examiner, Audenshaw, Hooley Hill and Dukinfield Advertiser. — 1878-02-02 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

TEN YEARS EXPLORATION. At the present day (says the Times) when railways and steamers take a traveller so rapidly over his Journey; when the Challenger took only three years and a half to explore the great oceans; when the English Polar Expedition wea away only seventeen months; when Stanley made his famous journey down the Congo, crossing the half of Africa in nine months; when NordenekjOld takes only 5 few weeks in summer to go from Norway to the mouth of the Yenisei and back; when one can travel round the world in two months and a half; it sounds strange that an exploring journey in South America should occupy nearly ten yeas., and that during this long time we should hear so little of the explorers and see so little of the results. Such has been the work, from 1868 to 1877 of two German explorers, Drs. Reiss and Stiibel ; and Dr. Petermann informs us that from what he has seen of the results they are to the highest degree comprehensive and important. The aim of the expedition was the study and exploration of the volcanic regions of South America, specially that of Columbia and Ecuador. For six years were Drs. Reiss and Stitbel occupied alone with the mountain region for Herv6o, Honda, and BogotA in the north, to Cuenca in the south, carrying on their work amid the greatest difficulties, and often at the height of Mont Blanc. On account of the nature of the country, the thinness and backwardness of its population, and its few resources, the explorers were compelled to travel with a large following—on an average twenty-five men and twenty mules. The expedition cost something like 300,000 marks. The position of these lands "lies half-way between absolute barbarism and European civilian. tion ;" and the difficulties which the travellers had to Remount were, though of a different kind, little lees than those which Stanley had to face in crossing Africa. The paisessions of the original inhabitants have by the Spanish conquest been wasted, and the present lords of the land have only been able to destroy the old without putting anything similar in its place. The violent political commotions, the almost chronic state of revolution, hinder any healthy progress. The character of the highest culture is significant; for example, at Popayan and Paste, both University towns, in the former, "there is scarcely a sheet of writing paper to be bought, far less a book;" in Pasha the belief prevailed that it would be an easy matter far the travellers to put an end to the outbreaks of the neighbouring volcano, and when Dr. Reiss stayed in the town he was waited on for this purpose by deputations from all the authorities, by the whole staff of the University, and the priesthood. Superstition, indolence, and drunkenness are chronic among the inhabitants. "The normal condition of the people is gross drunkenness." The richest and most fruitful regions have often no population; in the district Pachaquisro there was found ()Wye single Didion and n single canoe, and years may pan before anther canoe be seen in the navigable riven of this unusually rich and extensive rsgion. The nngenial weather of these high regions, the utter want of comfort in the houses, often the impossibility of obtaining fire, and other drawbacks, sorely tried the endurance of the patient explorer.. A few of the results of thews travels have been published from time to thee in foreign journals, but it will take years to give them to the world, probably in the form of monographs which will take their place among the clawcu of exploration. Dr. Peternmen states that one of the most interesting results Of this expedition in thet series of oil paintings which Dr. Stiibel hoe brought home, of the scenes of his and his companion's travels mid researches. ' Dr. Petermann states that be has never seen anything equal to them, They are by an artist named Rafael Troya, and there are about seventy ,attogether, some of them being upwards of six feet wide. They will give a more vivid and faithful idea of this region than his ever I been given before, or than could be done by any other  SIIPyOgRD MultP4R.—An elderly man was found loan insensible condition early on Wednesday morning in Abercorn-etreet, Glasgow. He had been robbed of a gold watch and of his hat, boots, and part of his clothe., and it was found that his skull wan fractured and his collar-bone broken. He died on Thursday. His son has identified him as William Gilfillan, warble cutter, and it is supposed he 'vie murdered.