The New York Herald Newspaper, December 7, 1875, Page 5

$< A A STAN LEY,’ Colonel Grant, 0. B., on the American Exploration in Central Africa, aontlintetloaeametan! THE MISSION OF BURTON AND SPEKE IN 1867 Scientific Results of the Travels of the Englishmen, SIR. SAMUEL BAKER'S MISTAKE. Lake Victoria Niyanza—Its Tributaries and Point of Outflow. The Work of the American—His Coming Honor from the Savans, pl WHAT HE HAS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED, By the European mail we have been placed in posses- sion of a complete report of the address which was read by Lieutenant Colonel Grant, C. B., before the Royal Geographical Society, the members and visitors, on the 29th of November, on the subject of exploration in Central Africa, from the earliest efforts which have been recorded to the latest, the grandest and most suc- vessful in history—the work and accomplishment of Mr, Henry M, Stanley in tracing the Nile to its sources, in following up and placing most of its great aifluents, ‘n4 in correcting the errors made by previous savans onthe subject. The story of the work of the Ameri- can commander of the New York Heraup and Tele-- graph expedition, coming from the lips of Colonel Grant, possesses extreme interest for the world at large. LIEUTENANT COLONEL GRANT'S ADDRESS. The journey recently made by Mr. H. M. Stanley, the commissioner of the New York Hera.p and Lon- don Telegraph is one of the most importantand brilliant ‘hat bas ever been made tn Central Africa, or, indeed, in any other country. For when we consider that ho accomplished it s0 quickly, taking only about fifteen mouths from the time be left England, it seems at first as incredible as was his famous discovery of the lave Dr. Livingstone, Itis notalone the short time, but the great geographical question which he hag finally settled—namely, he bas contirmed Speke’s discovery, that the Victoria Niyanza was one vast inland fresh water lake; he has navigated its shores for a thousand tailes, thereby proving that {ts waters are continuous, OPINIONS OF THE ANCIENT GROGRAPHERS, Before remarking upon Mr. Stanley’s two letters, dated the Ist of March and loth of May last, I may al- lude to the knowledge we had of the great lake previous to the time when Mr. Stanley visited it. The lakes of Central Africa were known to geographers as far back as the fate, also in Abul Hassan’s map of 1008, we have the Nile rising from one Lake ‘‘Lacus Kura Kavar;” and in \he latter map we have mention of M, Komr (Mountains of the Moon) at latitude 7 deg. south. Several old maps, showing the lakes with their effluents, have been re- terred to in Lelewel’s “Géographie du Moyen Age” thus and may be classed as tollows:— 1164. Tabula Rotunda Rogeriana ; 1274. Ib’n Said; 1331. Ismael Ab’ulfeda—Have three lakes avd three rivers. 1274. [b’n Said—Has one lake and three rivers, 1311. Ber- ardi Sylvani; 1501-4, Charta Marina Portugalensis; 1507, lohannes Ruysch—Have two lakes and one river. 1529. Diego Rib’ero; 1529, Diego Rib'ero; 1540. P. Api- ae R. Gemma Frisius—Have three lakes and one tiver. Other more modern maps might be quoted, but dur- ‘ng tho last century map makers seem to have lett out ull the lakes of Central Africa, and it is only in the last Qfveen years that the centre of Africa has again been Sludded with its lakes. BURTON AND SPEKK’S EXPLORATIONS. In the year 1857 the London Geographical Soctety sent Captains Burton and Speke, both officers of our {indian army, to explore Africa from Zanzibar via Lake Niyassa, to Egypt Thus it was that we first heard of lakes Tanganyika and Victoria. Captain Speke, in 1858, went twenty marches north of Kazch alone, with jf) Seventeen natives, to test the Arab rumor that a ts ocean, which they called @ bahr, or sea, existed. found that the Arabs had informed him correctly ; ® lake of almost unbounded extent stretched away ‘rom bim to the north; there was, he was told, as great breadth of it on his left hand as there was on his tight, He returned to England and presented his map ff the discovery of the Victoria Niyanza to this so- ciety, accompanying it with his belief that the waters ue had seen were those of the Nile—but this had yet to be proved. The President for the time was the lato Sir Roderick Murchison, who at once grasped the sub- fect, and said, “Speke, we must send you back again.” GRANT AND SPEKE SET OUT. Many months’ preparation for his next expedition passed slowly to Speke, but at length, in 1860, he and started from Zanzibar with 200 followers, It will give some idea of the ficklo African when | tell you that we had only 40 men of the 200 when we reached Kazch, 430 miles west of the seacoast, Three-fourths bad deserted us, We need not, therefore, be alarmed by the report of Mr, Stanley that one-half his men were gon-effective. , He will enlist others, or do with fewer. Months of weary delay again took place on the way between Kazch aud the hilly region of Karagweh, on account of the difficulties thrown in the way by the in- habitants. We wished to get on quickly, and tried to march near the lake, but were told that the ordinary foute via Usui must be kept.’ We accordingly went shat way, d the watershed at 214 deg. south latitude, position we descended the north- tro incline of Kquatorial Airica, and never left Nile ‘and till we reached the Mediterranean. AFTER CROSSING THR WATERSHED, After leaving Karagweh, the country bounding the lake on the west and north to Uganda, its capital, may be generally described ag @ plain of 4,000 feet inttati- jude, but worn away at intervals of from one to ten miles with narrow excavations wade by streams falling ‘nto the lake. The route may be likened to the teeth of Bsaw, the points being plains and the depressions fwamps, We had extensive views of the lake from these plains; seemg its bays and islands, but no peaks hor distant ridges nor mountain cones to the cast, noth- ing bat a clear sea horizon wag visible, and no native tould tell who lived beyond this sea. BAYS, INLKTS AND ISLANDS. The bays and long inlets of water or frithe seen by us on the western and northern shores were M’werooka, Katonga, Murchison, &c, Some were completely land- jJocked aud twenty miles in length; I allude to the one écen near our vainp at Uganda capital, It ishere, prob- ably, that Colonel Long, of the Khedive’s service, found himself the other day, When he reported that Speke’s Victoria Niyanza was morely a small affair of thirty miles in extent, What a prize he had at his feet! The largest island I observed was that of Sesseh at the northwestern corner of the lake; by compass Dearing it was forty miles long; the width could not be taken with any accuracy from the shore, but it ap- peared ouly three or tour miles. It bas no hills, is low in the water, and atone point I observed its shore to Se within @ mile of the mainland. The King of Uganda keeps bis fleet of canoes here, and consults with the god of the lake, who resides on this tsland, SIR SAMUEL BAKER'S MISTAKE, It was mentioned last season, at one of our meetings hore, by Sir Samuel Baker, that he was given to under. stand the native name for the lake was Sesseh, Peter- mann, in a comprehensive map published this autumn, | has followed this mistuke by calling the lake Sessi See. as well as Ukerewe, and Victoria Niyanza. I explained that Sessch was a large island, and am giad to have my statement conirmed by Mr. Stanley, who bas found it vo be the largest island on the lake. Various and bumerous were the other islands seen by us, but they vere nearly all uninhabited and of no importance, THE KITANGULE KAGERRA RIVER, Tho greatest river on the route between the most southern pomt of the lake, round its western and northern shores, is the Kitangule Kageera, in the dis- irict of Karagweh, It rises probably from the foot of the conical mountain of M’Poombiro, supposed by us to be 10,000 feet high. Numerous lakes and valleys send their waters to It In appearance it has a slow, Majestic winding course, which is navigable for thirty to forty miles from {is mouth, Vessels drawing twenty-five feet of water could, I believe, float at the ferry where we crossed, Speke and I had to conjeo- ture this depth atthe ferry, because we were forcibly prevented from dropping our lead-lines into it; the King would not be pleased; it was not “canny” to ake soundings. ‘I should not be the least surprised to hear that Mr, Stanley selects this noble river as a point for exploration. With the Lady Alice he can ascend this stream from the lake up almost to King Ruma- nika’s door, or he can cross over the mountains of Ruanda and Urundi and descend to the spot on Lake Tanganyika where Livingstone and he such a leasant picnic, or he may select the Albert Niyanza as 18 field for exploration, All will be new to us; either route would interest geographers Intensely, for the country, its people and its animals are all unknown, VIVE AND TWENTY STREAMS. Leaving the River Kitangule and proceeding north to the capital of Uganda, a distance of 125 geographical Miles, we counted five and twenty streams, varying in depth {rom three to ten fect, which we waded, éwain or crossed by bridge. There were numerous other imaller ones, which would. not give trouble even when Hooded, They were mud-colored and mud-sided— swamp rivers, in fact. THE AREA OF THR LARR, secording to Speke, who took latitudes and longitudes ‘or its western half and only had native information for she other balf, is 645 geographical miles in circum: rence, and if we add to this the circumference of Lake ‘ear 833, for in “Tabula Alinamuniana” of this j | Shimeeyu—seems to be the only important river, It NEW jabr- we have 910 geographical miles. peony after his last journey in 1! Victoria Niyanza out to bé of an area not equal to but Superior, which is 1,600 milos in circumference, lel in size with Huron and Erie (650), and Boarly. doubling the size of! Michigan and Ontario, whicb are 550 and 500 miles in circumference, ‘THE EXIT OF WATER The only point where water was observed to leave the lake was at Ripon Fi a in Uganda Here body of water is 300 yar ide—the depth was not calculated—but this quantity bears but a small propor- tion to the contents of the lake, As to the depth of the lako | am inclined to the belief that Stanley's measure- ment will show it is @ comparatively shallow body of water, resting on a vast plateau; that there is no chasm such as Tanganyika is formed of. The Nile, after leaving the lake at Ripon Falls, has a navigable course to the Karuma Falls, From here to the Albert Niyanza its course is through rock and over high falls, We have yet to learn tho exact position of the river as it leaves the Albert; but it is again navigable from this to Buili, the village near M. Miani’s tree; hence \t again foams over rogks for some distance, and at Intervals, as it runs below north of the Jubl Kookoo Mounta: Colonel Gordon has, however, found it navigable far- ther up from Gondokoro than ‘was suspected—namely, up to twelve miles south of Rujaff, whence all the way to Egypt—during high Nile—for miles there is no obstruction to a boat drawing five or six feet of water, COMING HONOR TO STANLEY. Many will remember the enthusiastic reception given in old Burlington House, where Spek ceived after telegraphing that the ‘Nile was settled ; that “the Victoria Niyanza was the source of the Nile. ’” Such a reception certainly awaits Mr. Stanley when he appears here, and if he should make more discoveries— which he undoubtedly will if God spares bim—there is no honor which tbis society can bestow that he will not have earned over and over again. He, as an observer, a traveller in its real sense, a provider ot true and pleasant pictures from unknown lands, has confirmed. the discoveries made by Speke, and to him the merit is Gue of having sailed on the broad waters of the laki fied, SPRKR’S WORK AND PAM, Here it may be as well to explain that some geo- graphers never accepted Speke’s lake as one great ocean, although the geographical world did. The fore- most of unbelievers, and the one who appeared first in the field, was Captain Burton, the companion at one time of Speke. He did not seem to bave any reason for his argument, He said there must be several lakes, lagoons; anything, in fac Even the late Dt, Livingstone and Mr. Stanley mado out there must be several lakes. Livingstone wrote in & very patronizing tone:—*Poor Speke had turned his back upon the real sources of the Nile;’? ‘this river at Ripon Falls was not large enough for the Nile,” and | was disparaging of Speke’s discoveries, The work of | Dr. Schweinfurth, the ‘Heart of Africa,” bas en into the greatest blunder, About three yeursago a map, constructed without authority in our map room, was suspended from tlfese walls; but, on my protest, the President, Sir Henry Rawlinson, ordered that {t be altered to the delineation of the lake by Speke. This was done, Numbers of other writers and map takers, Continental and English, have gone on disin- tegrating the lake from book to book, map to map and from year to year; but I think the public will now per- ceive how unjust'the aboye critics have been, how firmly the fame of Speke has been established, and will not failto accord him that place in their opinions which he may have lost for a time. TH VICTORIA NIYANZA IN TWO OR MORE LAKES. The following published maps exhibit the Victoria Niyanza, divided into two or more lakes:— “The Nile Basin,” by Richard F, Burton, 1864, Coast line delineated only at south extremity of lake and the south eide of the islands Kerewe an from the Kitangule River to the Katonga; at Murchison Creek; at Napoleon Channel. Between these are placed except the lake, the words “Supposed Site of Victoria Niyanza,” Ba- hari 'Ngo made a distinct lake, “Lake Region of Eastern Africa,” by A. Keith Johnston; second edition, 1872, Victoria Niyanza, a continuous coast line trom Napoleon Channel, along only a8 water at the south extremity and around the islands Kerewe and Mazita; from a little south of Kitan- gule River to ashort distance east of the Katonga; about Murchison Creek; about Napoleon Channel. Tho eastern side made a distinct lake, with the name Bahari a Ukara. Lake Baringo entirely separated trom the ictoria Niyanza, “Dr, Livingstone’s Routes,” 1866 to 1872; map in “Ocean Highways,” July, 1872, by A. Keith Johnston, Victoria Niyanza, @ continuous coast line as.above, with the islands Kerewe and Mazita, forming a peninsula from the east shore; water shown only from Napoleon Channel to the Kitangule River; about the southern partof the lake and the peninsula; along the east Boast with the name Sea of Ukara, Lake Baringo quite istinct, “Hew I Found Livingstone,” by H. M, Stanley; map by E. Stantord, 1873; soutn of Equator only. ‘Coast line of Victoria Niyanza only delineated, and water colored at Jordan’s Nullab, a little past Muanza, the Bengal Archipelago, and south side of Kerewe and Ma- | xita islands; from opposite Mashonde to the Equator, | on east side, about Kaverond of Wakefield's map, with name “Sea of Ukara.”’ In sketch map of Dr. Schweinfurth's routes, 1868-71, by EB. Weller, in “The Heart of Africa,” by Dr. Schweinfurth, a seriés of five distinct lakes, of small extent, connected by rivers, takes the place of the Vic- toria Niyanza. Of these, Lakes Ukara and Ukerewe, respectively the east and south extremes of the Vic- toria, are named, Lake Bhari’Ngo is quite separate, drained by the Asua, receiving at the north the waters of Lake Zamburu, by a river from its south extremity, which last receives the waters of another lake, not named ‘Sid Atrika und Madagaskar,”” by Dr. Petermaun; 45 degrees of Sticler’s Hand Atlas, 1872. In this “Ukerewe’? (Victoria Niyanza), 4,808 ‘fect (?), is delin- eated by Speke, except that there 18 no east coast marked. Lake Baringo is also omitted. In Colonel Long’s manuscript map of his visit to M’tesa and the Victoria Niyanza the lake ts shown to have @ width of only twenty miles from the north coast, STANLEY’S JOURNEY AND WORK. Tt is now my place to make some comments on Mr, Stanley's journey. Staring from Zanzibar, in the month of November, 1874, with 300 followers, he made a rapid journey of 720 miles to the southeast corner of Victoria Niyanza, per- forming this distance in 108 days, inclusive of hats. Through forests, across deserts and rivers, he conveyed the boat Lady Alice in sections and launched her on the lake. The forethought ana energy required to convey this boat must command the fullest admiration, for th given us a thrilling account of its extent, its rivers and shores and its beautiful nds. He experienced almost stunning losses and privations in his land journey, Having to travel through sterile, unhealthy regions, the wantof food and water was felt severely; his men suffered from sickness—death was rife among them—and he had to contend aguinst the Waturu rave, who sounded their war drums and killed twenty-one of his men. After contesting with them for three days, and clearing a way for his advance, he continued his march toward the lake. In his latest letter, the 15th of May, allusion is made to a fight from bis boat with the Warama race; but as no particulars are furnished, the account may ‘ve in the correspond- ence sent via Uganda to Kgypt, [This correspondence has reached England since the above was written.) The Island of Uvuma at the north end of the lake ts the Rearest approach to the race mentioned. WIS FIRST VIEW OP THE GREAT SEA. On the 27th of February last he obtained his first view of the great sea, and it can be imagined how im- patient he must have been, and how hard he and his men must have worked to put the Lady Alice together to have a short trial on the lake before taking to sea in her. ‘There are many questions whicn we should like to ask Mr. Stanley here—namely, what crew had he? who were they ? how did they ail manage for food? aud was it ever rough weather? But we must be content with broad expanse, OP THE RIVERS which ho observed during his voyage round by south, east, North and west coasts, be gives, commencing with the most southern and proceeding northwards, the Monunguh, Luamberri and Duma. These three join and form the Shimeeyu. The Ruapa falls into Speke Gulf, and is made ninety miles In length. Fifty miles farther north comes the Mara, seventy to eighty miles, Twelve miles north there is the Mari; then, in suc- cession, the Shirati, Govi, Ugoweh and Yagama, in all, ten rivers are in the map. The ‘only ono described—the Leewumbu or rises in 5 deg. south latitude and 35 deg. east longitude, runs @ course of 170 miles, where it and two others | join to form the Shimeeyu, which extends for 100 | miles farther, The width of the Leewumbu in the dry season is twenty fect, and depth two feet. Mr. Stunley gives great importance to the Shimeeyu, saying its course is roughly 360 miles, But the river Ugoweh, at the northeast corner of the lake, must be a consid- erable stream also, for hippopotami were seen in it, No remarks are made on the other streams. We, therefore, have but one great stream on the wholélength of the eastern shore of this great lake; and we know that on the western shore there is the same coincidenee, namely, the Kitangule-Kageera, the only river which we crossed in a canoo. The river Katonga we heard much spoken of, but I do not think it can be navigable from the bay. THE GREAT PLAINS. Tt seems as if the great brown plains which Mr. Stanley epeaks of as bounding the lake to the east drink up alt th rain ‘that. falls upon them. Every- where he heard of plains to the east, even the ‘tower. ing tabie’ Mountain of Majita or Mazita, east of Ukereweh Island, was seen to be surrounded by plains; also the island-like mountains of Ururi, Urambi and Shashi they, too, had their plains; but all. these being within a radius of forty miles (vide map), I take it they are the remains of an old plateau, being 5,000 feet above the level of the lake, There is milar table mountain at Cheysimbee on the opposite coas' GIGANTIC MOUNTAINS, The mountains of Ugeyeya are called gigantic, for Mr, Stanley says:—‘We pass between the island of Ugingo and the gigantic mountains of Ugeyeya, at whose base the Lady Alice seems to crawl like a tiny ingect, while we on board admire the stupendous sum- mits,” Thero is nothing as to size or summit on the other side of the lake to compare with this description of the equatorial mountains of Ugeyeya. This seems to be rather ® mountain region, for to the east of the “Bridge” or Basalt Isles a “flat and slightly wooded district, varied at intervals by isolated cones,’ was visi- ble from the summit of the isie. Manyara, at the north- east angle of the lake, on the eastern side of the bay, is ‘a land of bold hilld and ridges, while the very north eastern end, through which issues the Yagama River into the Niyanza, is flat” Having extracted all the notes on the mountains of tho east coast, we can say that there are no mountains, no vol- canic cones, to be compared with them as to their height and proximity to the lake on the west coast, where tho,whole country ts flat trom Kitangule north, and the streams run to the lake like hare soup down & tilted plate, leaving deep furrows in the plain, We saw €e veral jong valleys, which, no doubt, once were fritha,’? n the Victoria Niyanza, ‘They are silted up. Thou- we 40d Of acres of laud on the west coastare in this state, ORK HEHKALD, *‘ and sent home a map and descriptions so vivid and | truthful that the most sceptical camnot fail to be satis- Mazita; | north and west sides to Urundi, on eust coast; colored | doing so he has navigated the tuland ocean, and | | oF Speke; they were obtained by inquiry from natives, | his map bow belore us, with its rivers, islands and | I therefore cannot but conclude that the fairway or tne Jake will be found on the east coast, and that the miles of swamps and shallow water in the west do not exist to the same extent on the other shore, But this inter- esting question will, I trust, soon be settled when we receive Mr. Stanley's observations on depths, SIXTY ISLANDS, No fewer than sixty islands ma; Mr. Stanley’s map, dotted gener around the shore: from the mainlan Sesseh, whic! Stanley mak Kitangule, we have Bumbir the curves of the lake, Ukereweh, 32x7; Ugingo, Usuguru, 22x5; and Uvuma, 16x10. The remainin, islands are small in comparison to those mentione here, and the majority of the islands are near the northern shore, at the end where the waters leave for Egypt, and the’ others are chiefly by the shores of the southern third of the lake. If we examine the areas of the islands mentioned above, tor instance, Sesseh—or, as Mr. Stanley calls 1t, Sasse—it has an arca of 1,110 English square miles; the dimension of this one island Will give some idea of the importance of this inland sea, which is probably the largest body of fresh water—at this altitude—in the known world, LAKM BAHR-INGO. Captain Speke attached the Lake Bahr-ingo to his Jake at iis northeast corner. Rev, T. Wakefield places it fifty miles detached from the lake, but Mr. Stanley inquired of the natives Togarding tt and was told there was no lake in that direction, jowever, considering that the native information obtained by the two former gentlemen has proved to be correct in most cases, and ‘that it was obtamed independently, on this account I do not give in to the non-existence of the Bahr-ingo Lake. He mentions that the River Ugoweh joins the lake here, and is of considerable size. Hippopotami were seen there by him, and it may be the water com- munication which Speke heard of as connecting the Babr-ingo with the Niyanza, There is also the Yagama here, garding THR ALTITUDES 2 taken by Mr, Stanley, we find that in leaving the desert plain of Ugogo, he ascended to another plateau, 3,800 be counted upon ly im clusters ail mil ‘At distances of two and thi feet; agai, as he proceeded northwest, he came on still higher one of 4,500 feet, and greatest altitude was 6,100 feet which is the watershed between the lake and the sea coast, This last height corresponds with the highest inhabited country Speke and 1 traversed in our journey—viz., the capital of Karagweh, which ap- proaches to within fifty miles of the west-southwest end of the lake, The height of the Niyanza above the sea was 3,550 to 8,665 feet by one aneroid and 3,575 to 8,675 by another. ' A further observation by Mr. Stan- ley with two boiling thermometers made the altitude subject to correction, similar to Speke’s—viz , 3,808, or sixty-eight feet in excess of Speke’s observations. The difference is insignificant and we may accept them as the established altitude ot Victoria Niyanza, LONGITUDES, Mr. Stanley found that his latitudes along the Uganda shores differed from Speke’s by an average of fourteen miles, His longitudes varied little. In one instance, that of the Katonga, Stanley made it sixteen miles north latitude, while Speke’s observa- tion was a few miles south of the Equator. The two | observers observed differently ; but this is no reason for discrepancy. Mr, Stanley took the sun at noon with a sea horizon and made an observation for longitude in the afternoon, He cannot understand how Speke—who was on shore—observed, unless it was by double alti tude of the sun; but I can give the explanation, SPEKE TOOK HIS LATITUDES by observing the meridian altitude of suitable stars with an artificial horizon and generally found a star of the first magnitude for his purpose. At Katonga he had Capella and Canopus (both first magnitude). Indeed, while in Uganda, it will be seen from the following that he used no others. The observations were checked by the fact that he was travelling north at every stage; his dead reckoning would correct him. 1 cannot seo how to account for such a blunder, for I have the fullest confidence in his observations :—January 31, 1862, at Meruka, by star (first. magnitude) Capella, lat- itude 86 min. 2 Sec. §.; February 1, 1862, at Sangwa, by star (first magnitude) Capella, latitude 30 min, 47 sec. ; February 2, 1862, at Masaka, by star (first magnitude} Capelia, latitude 20 min. 2) sec.; Febsuary 6, 1862, at | Kituntu, by star (first magnitude) Canopus, latitude 7 min, 40 sec, S,; February 9, 1862, at Nakusi, by star | rst Magnitude) Capella, Intitude 7 min, 15 sec. N.; | Yebruary 10, 1862, at Kibibi, by star (first magnitude) Capella, latitude 15 min,; February 12, 1862, at Naka- tema, by star (first magnitude) Capella, latitude 17 min. 55 sec. ; February 13, 1862, at Niamagoma, by star (first magnitude) Capella, latitude 17 min, 15 sec, ; February 25, 1862, at Bandowaroga, by star (lirst magnitude) Canopus, latitude 21 min, 19 sec, Speke never rested satisfled with an indifferent ob- servation; he repeated it by another star on the same night or following opportunity, so that he took many | more observations than are Tocorded, and only regis- tered those which gave him confidence. At the stations immediately south and north of the equator he observed as follows tor longitude and varia- tion:—February 3, 1862, at Masaka, 6 altitudes and 3 compass bearings; February 4, 1862, at Masaka, 3 dis- tances; February '10, 1862, at Kibibt, 10 altitudes and 7 distances; February 11, 1862, at Kibibi, 12 altitudes, 6 distances and 1 compass bearing. THE AREA OF VICTORIA NIYANZA, ‘as made known to us by Mr. Stanley, proves that Speke far underrated its extent I have carefully measured | the maps of both travellers with compass to ascertain | their existing difference, measuring every ten miles, | aud the result, by this rather rough means, obtained is | as follows:—Circumference of Speke’s lake, 645 geo- graphical miles; circumference of Stanley’s lake, 890 geographical miles, Ifwe add 265 geographical miles, the circumference of the Babr-ingo Lake in Speke’s map, We get 910 miles as one body of water—a curious similarity, in circumferency, to Stanley’s single lake, SPELLING THE WORD NIYANZA. Mr. Stanley thinks the mode of spelling Nyanza fs objectionable, because he says the natives do not pronounce it inthis way. Let me first explain that in using the expression Lake Victoria Nyanza, we actu- ally say Lake Victoria Lake—Nyanza signifying lake. All that is necessary, when using the word, 1s to call | it the Victoria Nyaoza, or Victoria Lake, As to tho | spelling and pronunciation of the word, we find that it 1s sounded differently in different localities, | and different people spell it differently :—In old maps, Nianja, of three syllables; in Livingstone, N’yassa, of two syllables; 1863, Speke and Grant, N’yanza, of two | syllables; 1870, Rev. '. Wakelleld’s Sadi, N’yanja, | oftwo syliables; 1876, Mr, H. M. Stanley, Niyanza, or | Neo-yanza, of three syllables, Nyassa, Nyanz-a (nasal n), and N’yanja have a more | liquid sound than the three-gyilable word of Neo-yanza, and we found the Waganda and Wanyoro pronounced it by the method adopted by us. | NAMES O¥ THB COUNTRIES WHICH WERE OBSERVED BY | STANLEY. i Some allusion may be made to the names of the | countries which were observed by Mr, Stanley on the east and northeast shores of the lake, trying, by com- aring them with the routes given by the Rev. T. ‘aketield, to find similarity or identification; but, after @ close examination, I have failed to dovetail the routes of the latter 'with Mr. Stanley’s names. Sadi, Mr. Wakefleld’s informant, was correct in describing | the extent of the lake, and conjectured that the north- | ern stream from Lake Bahr-ingo “enters the Nyanza to the northward; but, as already stated, Mr. Stanley | could get no information whatever regarding this lake. The only names which tally are given below, and I | leave it to others w make further inquiry :— , Wakefield's Map. Stan ey'e ash Speke. Ushaki, Urudy, Kavirond —_ Ukara. Kavi (may be Kari) Ligey Igeyeya (or Ukerew None of the above places were ited either by Sadi | and their positions are tolerably accurate when com: pared with the same places fixed, I presuime, astronom- ically by Mr. Stanley. AMERICAN ENERGY COMPLIMENTED, In concluding these few remarks on Mr. Stanley's | Journey, I may state that they are made on my own | authority, by request of the President of the Geograph- | ical Soctety, for I felt that it was not forme to come | forward as the champion of Speke—he required no such olstering; in fact, 1 should have preterred that some and more competent hand wrote @ comment on Mr. Stanley's journey. However, I have great pleasure {n complying, for it has opened up tome an old love, and givea me this opportumty of congratulating the society on the great achievement before them. Who among us would hayo had his energy? Who would undertake a cruise in an open boat and absent himself from his camp for fifty-eight days? Who would risk such danger to life and exposure to an African sun in the month of April? Who of us are able to guide, pro- vide for, lead and attend to @ little army snecesstully, and, in the midst of all this, take their observations for latitude and longitude? I think him a worthy repre- sentative of the energy which sent out such an expe- dition. J. A, GRANT. Hovaram,, Naren, N. B., Nov. 3, 1875. CRUELTY TO CHILDREN. A regular meeting of the Board of Managers of the New York Society tor the Prevention of Cruelty to Childrea was held at the rooms of the society, No, 860 Broadway, yesterday afternoon, The Secretary ro- ported the work for the past month as follows:—Com- plaints received, 44; complaints investigated, 85; cases prosecuted, 9; children rescued and sent to instita- tions or homes, 6 The Secretary also reported the conclusion of the Hughes case, in which it will be re. mombered thas the father of a little boy seven yeara old, alter goverely beating the child, attempvea to drown him, ‘This most mhuman parent has been con- victed and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment and the child sent to the New York Oatholic Protectory. After the transaction of a large amount of routine bua ness, Including the eiection of over thirty new mem- bers, the Board adjourned. A HINT FOR MR. BERGH. Naw York, Dee, 5, 1875, To Tax Epiror or the Heeaup:— 1 desire to call the attention of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals—especially that part composed of Henry Bergh—to a regulation existing in the Central Park, which requires his influence to repeal, For examplo—Wohilo riding in the Park Jast Saturday my horse picked up a stone, which caused him to go “dead lame.” After dismounting I was not allowed to Jead him out of the Park precinots, but must remount, d compel him to carry 170 pounds (a great weight for a lame horse), over a mile, before leaving the Park jurisdiction, which I consider @ great cruelty and a ‘most extraordinary rule for the Commissioners to sanc- tion, Therefore, if Mr. Bergh has time to spare from his attacks upon the fox hunters ho may ‘lo an act of kindness to his friend, the borsa oO UBSUAY, DEUEMBHK 7, 1875.-TRIPLE SHEET. THE: NAVY. Annual Report of Sec- retary Robeson. THE VESSELS NOW AVAILABLE. Operations at Home and Abroad. Wasnmaton, D. C., Dec. 6, 1875, Secretary Robeson’s report of the naval service for the year shows that the number of vessels of every class and description now borne on the navy register is 147, These carry, all told, 1,195 guns, and are of 152,492 tons meas. urement, Of these 26, carrying nominally 266 guns, are sailing vessels without steam power, STEAM VESSELS. The steam vessels of the navy, as distinguished from iron-clads and torpedo ships, number in the whole ninety-five, of which, however, twenty-five are tugs employed as towing, ferry or torpedo boats at the va- rious navy yards or stations or in use as surveying vessels or in the service of the Fish Commission, in accordance with the law directing the same. Twenty-nine of all classes are in ordinary at the yards on the Atlantic or at Mare Island. Three— namely, the Gettysburg, the Despatch and the Talla- poosa—are used as’ freight and despatch vessels, Three more are in commission as training and recciv- sbg ships, at all times ready for service, and the re- mainder are in commission on the several stations or are at the various navy yards, ready for use when required, Of these wooden ships eighteen are, in fact, new—the Trenton, Adams, Essex, Enterprise, Alliance, Alert, Huron and Ranger— being the eight new sloops built under special Appropriation, and ten others—the Monongahela, Ten- nessee, Mohican, Swatara, Vandalia, Marion, Quinne- baug, Galena, Nipsic and Tallapoosa—have been rebuilt with live oak timber and supplied with substantially new machinery during the two or three years past, Besides such of these new ships as are in commission, thirty-two others, including the largest and most efficient ships of the navy, are in actual service as cruisers or training ships, and twelve of tho remainder, though requiring more or lesa repairs to their boilers and machinery, could, if needed, be put into condition for service as soon as sailors could be en- listed to man them. THE IRON-CLAD FLEET. Our iron-clad fleet consists of twenty-six vessels, classed as follows:—Three, the Massachusetts, Oregon and Colossus, which are of a class and in condition to be of no service whatever, having been designed during the war as large seagoing iron-clads, but were launched, and though their names still appear on the navy list they consist only of their wooden frames with a single exception, much deteriorated by time’ and their unfinished armor and machinery stored in | the navy yards, The remaining twenty-three, consist- ing of twenty-one vessels of the monitor type and two iron torpedo ships, are all efficient vessels of their class and very powerful in both defensive and offensive operations near our shore. Five of them— namely, the double-turreted monitors, Amphitrite, Monadnock, Miantonomah, Puritan and Terror—are in process of complete repair, requiring from four to six months to finish if pushed, while the remaining eighteen, consisting of the Roanoke, the two torpedo ships Alarm and Intrepid, and fifteen single-turreted monitors— namely, the Ajax, Canonicus, Camsuche, Catskill, Dic- tator, Jason, Lehigh, Mahopac, Manhattan, Nahant, Nantucket, Passaic, Saugus and 'Wyandotte—are all in good condition and ready for any service at any time. ‘his makes eighty ayuilable ships, including sixteen iron-clads and two torpedo boats. CRUISING STATIONS. Our cruising stations remain the same as last re- ported im nutnber and designation, being six separate | Stations, each commanded by a rear admiral and designated respectively the European, the Asiatic, the | South Pacific, the North Pacific, the South Atlantic and the North Atlantic stations, These comprise within their limits the whole fleld of naval operations in every part of the world. Details are given of tbe operations | of the fleet on each station, and the following allusion made to the visit of American war vessels to Tripoli in August last:— THE TROUBLE AT TRIPOLI. Only one circumstance has arisen within the limits of the command to mar the pleasant and usually exist- ing intercourse, It became necessary in August last to order two vessels to Tripoli to inquire into insults offered to the Consul of the United States by sailors of the Tripolitan squadron, The Hartford, then just out of the canal on her way home trom the ‘Asiatic station, was telegraphed to touch at Tripoli, and Rear Admir: Worden received orders to send one or more vessels of his command, {f necessary, to that point for the pur- pose stated, and he’ accordingly despatched the Congress. Both vessels arrived about the same time, the 17th of August, and the senior in command entered upon the duty to which he was assigned. They were not well received by irresponsible parties on shore, who made some rade demonstrations, but the | matter was soon satisfactorily settled, suitable atone- ment being made by the Tripolitan government, and the two vessels took their departure onthe 28th of August, ISTHMUS OF PANAMA TROUBLES. During the political disturbances on the Isthmus of Panama in August and September, on account of which some apprehension was felt lest lawiess parties might interrupt the transit over the railroads, molest our citizens or injure their property, two cruisers of this Station were ordered to remain in the Bay of Panama, prepared to render assistance, so bong as their presence should be necessary. Quiet was restored without any interference on the part of our force, OUR INTERESTS IN JAPAN AND CHINA. The commercial ports in Japan and China open to, our vessels have been frequently visited, and the gruis- ing has also been extended to Sumatra, Batavia, .Bor- neo, Manila, Singapore and other settlements im the | Straits, Neither our citizens nor their property or interests over this vast field of commerce and resort have been so interfered with as to appeal for naval pro- tection, and the most cordial relations have continued \ prevail between our forces and the authorities of all the Eastera Powers. LOSS OF THR SARANAC. The loss of the Saranac, one of the most useful ves. sels on the station, in Seymour Narrows last June, is; mentioned. The department, although having duly ac-. knowledged and expressed its appreciation of the kind; acts of Rear Admiral Cochrane, of the British Navy, and the officers of Her British Majesty's ship Myrmidon,, and the Hudson Bay Company's steamer Otte desires publicly to express the — same. The Saranac in the early part of the yeai returned from visit to La Paz and other places in the Gulf of California, whither she was sent in consequence of disturbances affecting the lives, property and interests of American citizens. All proper steps under the circumstances were taken by er commanding officer looking to the protection and encouragement of our people engaged im mining and other lawful pursuits in that qnartor, Her loss inter- rupted a cruise which promised to be both useful aud interesting, commercially and scientifically. THR SAMOAN ISLANDS. The return home of His Majesty, the King of the Ha- waiian Islands, in the Pensacola, and the engagement of the Tuscarora in deep sea soundings and other duties, in- cluding a visit to the Samoan group of islands for ‘the purpose of conducting, at the instance of the State De- partment, an inquiry into the claims or complaints of American citizens Against the natives of that group, is spoken of. Regarding the Tuscarorats visit to the Samoan group , the Secretary says:—This duty was performed in highly satisfactory and prudent manner, and the course, of her commanding officer, and those associated with , him, was such as to inspire & feeling of friendship and good will between the rulers of tho Samoan Islam and the citizens of the United States, Mr. Steinberger, special United States Commissioner, availed bimself ol ® passage on the Tuscarora to Samoa on thié occasion. Returning from this service, the Tuscarora refitted and sailed again from San Francisco, on the 3lst of October, for Honolulu, and will run aline of deep sea soundings? from that point to Australia This is an Important 9| cruise, and she will be absent some months. THE HOME BQUADKON, This station {s commanded by Rear Admiral J, R. M., Mullany, Of the vessels which composed the force ont this station one year ago the Canandaigua, Kansas andi. Wachusett have been withdrawn and put out of com.» mission. The Brooklyn has been transferred to the.| South Atlantic station and the Colorado sent to New York asa receiving ship, The Plymouth, the Hartford, the Swatara, the Alert, the Huron, the Powhattan, tho.| Rio Bravo and the Dispatch have been added to |t in’ the meantime, so that it now conaisistof the Hartford, Worcester, Powhattan, Plymouth, Swatara, Ossipee, | Alert, Huron, Shawmut, Rio Bravo, Dispatch, Dictator, Cavonicus, tug Pinta an@storeship Pawnee. ‘This station comprised within {ts limits all the West Indian and adjacent telands, the waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf ‘of Mexico, and thy that wash the shores of the | great istimas, Central America and tho Spanish Main. Here it ts that most of our home and coasting trad touches foreign waters and comes in contact with for- eign authority. delicate interests of our commerce, and here arises the most difficult sibilities which rest upon Us In our relations to other governments, The feet which oceupies this station ig sometimes called It now consista, for general pur- the home squadron, poses, of the ships,above mentioned, bat all our iron- clade, except two which are attached to the Pacific fleet, really belong to it when in commission, All our vessels on detached service in tho Atlantic can also be readily attached to this fleet as well as our reserved force of receiving and training ships kept in condition for service at the various Ath tic stations, It could also be rapidly reinforced at any time by all the ships in ordinary at the several Atlantic na yards which are fit for service. The ships of the European and South Atlantic stations are also within call and could reach our shores in lees than & month should ‘vice on our own shores in a very short time a flect of at least forty cruisers, canying over 500 guns, besides ff. | teen iron clads and two ir ron topedo ships. Considerably | | extending from vupa. by Jamaica, to Barbados andthe Windward Isiands, bas been arranged for. The works for the defence of the seaboard, under the more than one baif of this force i# already in commis- | Engineer Departinent, have progressed satisfactorily SioB, and the remainder might be rapidly as their crews could be en! THE TRANSIT OF VENUB. The commission on the transit of Venus is at present engaged tn the re-examination and verification of the instruments used tn the observations, It regards these | observations, taken as a whole, and {n connection with those of other uations, as satisfactory and as promising Valuable results, The publication of the volume con- tain.ng the observations has been placed in charge of the secretary of the commission. THE IXTER-OCBANO CANAL. Attention is given to the surveys for an inter-oceanic canal and to the reports of Lieutepant Collins and Com- modore Lull on the Napip) canal route and the surveys near the line of the Panama Railroad respectively, re- ports concerning which have heretofore been printe: Jp this matter the Secretary says:—I have the honor also to trausmitto you areport made to yourself by the distinguished commission appointed by you to con- sider the whole subject of comimanication by canal be- tween the Atlantic apd Pacific Oceans over the isthmus. This report is very concise, stating only results, and 1s made in advance of their more elaborate and final re- | 7 into service as | isted and organized, port, giving data upon which they are founded, fler a careful examination gf ail the routes proposed | their unanimous conclusion is that the oie bo n as the “Nicaragua route,” beginning at or near Graytown | on the Atlantic side, and ending north of the Rto Del Brito on the Pacific, affords the most advantages and presents the fewest difficulties of cM route yet found across the Isthmus. These conclusions wiil command the highest respect on account of the char- acter of the commission and tho labor bestowed by them upon their work, though on a subject so tmport- anta final opinion must popeatronss until all the date can be given and considered. Reference is made to the the United States Hydrographic Office, WORK IN THE WEST INDIES. Under the Hydrographic Office the work for the deter- mination of the geographical position of various points in the West Indies has been dilligently prosecuted by Lieutenant Commander F, M. Green and the officers of the United States steamer Fortune, and is being contin- ued by the same officers in the United States steamer Gettysburg, the Fortune having proved unfit for prolonged service at sea This work called for no extra expenditure, and the results thus far indicate its great importance. Much Interest has been manifested in its success by geographers, both at home and abroad, and the most gratifyin; jae and assistance have been extended to the officers the expedition by both foreign au- thorities and the officers of the telegraph companies whose cables are being used for the determination of longitudes. The positions of Pan Aspinwall, Kingston, Santiago de Cuba and Havana have been de- termined with precision, and the work of extending the measurements through the Windward Islands to the Continent of South America is now being performed. In connection with this work the commanding officer of the Gettysburg has been directed to collect mate- | rial for the completion of a much needed directory for the nayigation of the West India Islands, and to | make deep sea soundings in various localities where the depths of the ocean have not | and where such examination will be of scientific importance, Should {t be found practicable {t is the intention of this department to con- tinue these valuable observations along both coasts of South America, using the telegraphic cables for deter- mining with an accuracy otherwise unattainable the vexed question of longitudes. Tho public spirit of the telegraph companies who have offered the use of their cables for longitude determinations is worthy of high commendation, NAVY YARDS. On the subject of navy yards the report states:—For | the past few years no appropriations for new buildings or other works of improvement have been made for several of them, and the small amount ap- propriated for repairs and preservation has wharves in that thorough state of ropair and efficiency | which should characterize all public works, An appro- Priation ta asked for building boundary wall on the | west side ofthe Boston ‘Navy Yard, and appropriations | to supply new buildings for several in the yard now | unfit for the purposes for which they are ‘used, are asked. The Secretary reviews the recommendation made in his last annual report as to the con- | | servation of the valuable New York Navy Yard | in its site and territory. In this yard nothing has been done beyond tho current repairs. ‘The appropriations asked for the protection of that | | part of the yard bordering upon the Brooklyn docks, | | And for the improvement and enlargement of the ora: nance dock are very much needed, Quite a large area of pew ground has been filled in during the past year, with- out cost to the government, and is now valuable ground ; Teferred to, LIVE OAK REQUIRED, The Secretary is constrained to repeat the recom. mendations of his last report as to the wisdom—indeed, | the alnost absolute necessity—of securing, before ib passes entirely away, a8 great a quantity as possible of our sea shore five oak, the best ship timber | of the world. Tho rapid deterioration of all | of our vessels built of other wood constantly warns us how invaluable is this timber, now so rapidly passing away. I have before said it is the growth of centuries, and, when once gone, will never be replaced. ‘The supply, which was never large, is being rapidly ex- hausted, and it becomes yearly more difficult to pro- cure, as what is left 1s being eagerly bought up for ship ment abroad. All of it that we had laid up by old Navy Commissioners was consumed during the war, and the departmont has been endeavoring for the last few years, whenever it had the opportunity and the means, to secure what could be had for the present use or t0 be laid up to season for the future use of the navy. ‘THE ORVNANCE. BURKAU has been principally engaged in the arming of our men- of-war and supplying the requisitions of the squadrons aad single cruising ships abroad. At the same time experiments have been made with regard to the intso- | duction of breech-loading howitzers into our system of boat armament, and the results have been so satis- | Boat equipment is found in the Gatling gun, which 1s provision for arming our ships with rifled cannon i¢ so obvious and’pressing that pending the construction of new guns the department purposes to convert a mited number of 12-inch smooth bore guns into safe and eflicient rifles by the insertion of wrought iron tubes— practicability of making the conversion with safety ‘and certainty. THE TORPEDO SCHOOL ‘The torpedo school at Newport continues in a high state of efliciency, and the knowledge obtained by the oticers in the manufacture and use of every description of this terrible means of warfare is of inestimable value wo the service, A recent personal inspection of the sta- tion satisties me that no branch of our naval system deserves more care and sepport. ELLIS ISLAND MAGAZINE. The Secretary calls attention to the dangerons prox- vimity of the naval magazine at Ellis Island to the city fof New York and to Jersey City. This subject has al- ) ready been brought to the attention of Congress, and a board appointed for the purpose of examining into the matter made @ report recomeending the removal of the magazine to a point up the North River. No further action, however, was taken, and the magazine is still ‘kept on the island, 3 GENERAL CONDITION OF THR NAVY. The Secretary bas the following to say upon the con- dition of the navy :— “Tt is gratifying to be able to report that the navy is now in stronger and more efficient condition than it | ever has been at any tume since the commencement of | your administration. Ibis not very strong in the aum- | ber nor in the classes of its ships, but what there are of them are in as good a condition as it is practicaple to keep such materials of war under the various apd try- ing conditions to which they are, in the nature of their Services, constantly exposed. A far larger proportion thian usual of our wooden ships are ready for service, Oar ironclad fleet is efficient’ Our storehouses are fruirly stocked with ordnance, equipments and supplies, and we have on hand a supply of the best material for the building and repair of efiiciency, compared with what existed a few years ago, Dy uttligibg, execpt ia the case of eight sloops buile \under special appropriation, what could be spared from tthe currentappropriations and from the appropriations as it existed im as perm state of the ships and the m it command permitted. The wisdom of uhis,policy is, I think, illustrated by the prensa of our position to-day. It would also be well think, if Congress would afford means to finish al once all the repairs of the five double turretted smonitors, since when they are finished, accord- ring to the present design, our tron clad fleet will “be much more powerful, and while they are undergoing Tepairs uacless for any present | prt gwen the pro- cess of repairing thew out of what can be spared from current be phagemid not only cripples the depart- ‘™ment in all its other operations, but is, of course, ver; slow. With these added to {t our iron-clad force would, for purposes of defence, present a very substantial bar- rier to anything which would cross the seas and at- tompt to enter our ports, THE ARMY. SECRETARY BELKNAP’S REPORT. ‘The annual report of the Secretary of War is dated November 22, and opens with the statement that a marked improvement hay taken place in the morale of the service since last year, The army is now reduced $0 25,000 men, Recruiting was resumed in November, 1874, for the purpose of keeping up the standard nom- der, and under a careful system In the selection of the men the class of recruits now received is ofa superior ‘quality. Tho desertions for she fiscal year ending June 80, 1874, were 4,606; re-enlietments, 699; the number of sergeants re-enlisted, 149, The desortions of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875, were 2,621; re-enlist- monte, 1,986; sergeants nlisted, 347, At the Military Prison there has been 362 prisoners received during the year, and thero are now 225 in the establishment, Daring the past year 102 signal stations have been maintained, to fill the system of stations of observa- tion frgm which reporte are necessary to enable warn- ing to be given of the approach and force ef storms and of other meteoric changes, for the benefit of agri- cultural and commercial interest, A series of daily their presence be needed, By utilizing all these means we should be able, if required, to bring into actual ser- telegraphic reports from stations in the West Indies IDEN DEIED EE services rendered to hudiogaphy. and navigation by | been examined, | proved insufficient to keep the buildings, stocks aud for all purposes of the navy yard. The Washington, | Norfolk, Pensacola and Mare Island navy yards are also | factory as © warrant their manufacture and fssue as) fdr as the limited appropriation will permit. A very powerful addition also to our | now issued to-all ships. The nocessity for making sore | the recent experiments in this direction made by the | Army Ordnance Bureau having clearly determined the | ships, The service bas been placed in this state of ood condition as the and as rapidly as the means provided would admii, ‘The class of works, adopted in 1869, are heavy earth batteries, shoroughly protected, and arranged for guns and mortars suitable to resist the attack of the most powerful irouclads. Already some of the positions se- fected, parucularly in our larger commercial ports, lg large proportion of their gua positions pre- pare The work of James B. Eads and those associated with him in constructing permanent jetties 80 a8 to secure and maintain a wide and deep channel between the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico through the South Pass of the river, ts fully referred to, The geographical explorations and surveys west of tho 100th meridian also have extended reference, The plan of concentration proposed by the Board on Arsenals in 1874 is recommended. This consists in the establishment of a grand arsenal of construction 1n the vicinity of New York city, retaming the Spring- field armory and the Franktord arsenal as adjuncts for manufacturing purposes; retaining also the Indian- apolts arsenal, Indiana; Konnebec arsenal, Maine; Fort Monroe arsenal, Virginia, and Augusta arsenal, Georgia, as places for storage and —_repa’ and ‘selling the Allegheny, Waterviet, Wate own and Washington ‘arsenals as rapidly 48 circumstances will permit, the proceeds of such sales to be devoted to the purchase of a site and’ the erection of shops, storehouses and other works for the grand arsenal. The amount that can probably be realized from the sales will be over $3,000,000. “The wisdom and econoray of a greater concentration of ord nance manufactories seem to call for no extended argu- ment, The military powers of the world bring to- gether in one grand whole all their resources that there. may result economy and perfect work. The experience of all private enterprises points to concentration as vital element of success. Proximity to raw materi skilled labor and cheap transportation can be uttaine by the plan proposed, and it appeals strongly for Legis- | lative consideration and action, because it can be | carried out without taking @ dollar from the public | treasury. This pelicy of concentration has been carried | out for the Fag\‘ic coast at the Benicia arsenal, and for he Mississippi Valley at the Rock Island arsenal, and not be too highly commended nor too closely fol- lowed, The entire army has been supplied with new rifles: and carbines, calibre .45, and we have now in store a reserve supply of these arms of 26,000 At the end of the present fiscal year our reserve supply may reach. @ total of 40,000 arms of the new model and calibre— about enough, in case of war, to arm one army corps. During the past year the Armament for our sea coast defence has engaged the attention of the department, and a board of distinguished ordnance officers has been’ in session endeavoring to obtam all the data possible with the very mengre resources at its command, Its report of December 14, 1874, was sent to Congress by the President in a special Message, urging ‘the absolute necessity for immediate provision by Con- gress for the procuroment of heavy cannon,” Adding that “the constant : appeals for legisla- tion on tho armament of fortifications ought no longer be disregarded, if Congress desires in peace to | prepare the important material without which futuro wars must inevitably lead to disaster.” An appropria- tion of $75,000 was all that was obtained from Congress, and tho attention of that body to this important sub- ject is urgently recommended, and an appropriation of the money estimated for is strongly pressed upon its consideration. | _ The report of the commanding general of the Depart- ment of Texas contaius detailed information concern- | ing the difficulties which have created such excitement | on the Lower Rio Grande, where some of the moss prominent officers and wealthy merchants of that part | of Mexico appear to be regularly engaged in fitting out | parties to plunder tbe stock ranches on this side of the river. Reports ot murder in open daylight of sev- eral influential citizens, including United States officials and soldiers, and other dastardly outrages on the | part of these vagrant Mexicans, were made to the division commander, who invites attention to the grave character of the invasions } and the importance of prompt and decisive | measures on the part of the government for their sup- | pression, Many of the reports from that locality are ! peopel sensational in character, and are believed to | have been instigated by parties whose personal interests would be subserved by the presence of more troops on the borders of Texas; but many others are of un- | doubted reliability, and measures have been instituted | by the department commander, under orders from su- | perior authority, to preserve the integrity of, and en- force a proper ‘regard for, the territory of the United States. | The actual expenditures of the War Depart- ment forthe year ending June 30, 1874, including river and harbor improvements, wero. "$42,326,318 The sam 6 30, 1875, were... sr onrangtss, SLREL A Showing a reduction of..... 1,088,939 | The estimates for the military establishment | for the ensuing fiscal year ending June 30, 1877, are... ade 39,452,306 Those tor the current fiscal year, ending June 80, 1876, were. + 2,488,960 Being an increase of. ae 963,427 The appropriations for that purpose for the current fiscal year were.........+..0+++.+ $23,727,407 Good progress has been made during the year in the preparation of the official records of the war of the re- Ddellion, both in the Federal and Confederate branches. The curiosities of the Yeliowstone National Park are rapidly being destroyed. If authority were given the War Department so make surveys and to locate roads | through the park, and station one or two companies of troops in or near it for the purpose of preventing spolia- tion, satisfactory results would no doubt follow. ‘The officer designated to take charge of the contribu- tion to be made by the War Department at the Interna- Uonal Exhibition of 1576, has labored to organize the | means within the department of making a display of | our war materials equal tn extent and variety to any similar contribution to like exhibition in this or foreign | countries. The total expense of making a full and sausfactory exhibit of our war materials bas heretofore been estimated at $200,000, Con- | gress, at the last session, appropriated only 133,000 of this amount, and burdened the appropria- | tion with a pro rdta shure of the expense of any build- ing that might be erected for the accommodation of the entire government exhibit. Experience has shown that the amount thus left for the practical exhibit of the War Department is inadequate. and it is recom- mended that Congress supplement the appropriation already mado by a further one, granting sutficient to make up the sum of $200,000 for the practical exhibit of the department This amount js set down at $89,000, which inclades an item of $22,000 as reim- bursement for moneys expended in the ercetion of tho | government building at the exhibition. The Secretary believes that the government, in appearing as a volun- tary contributor at this exhibition, international as it is in character, should avoid the mortification of an in- considerable or discreditable display, THE VICE PRESIDENT’S DEATH. Dr. William A. Hammond last night read before the New York Neurological Society a paper on the cause of Vice President Wilson's death, About 100 members were prosent, and listened to the paper with the most profound attention. The subject was treated from a | purely medical standpoint, and the substance of the entire matter was that the speaker believed that the physicians who attended Mr. Wilson were mistaken in thinkiog that death was caused by apoplexy. Dr. Hammond considered that the real cause of death was the plugging up of the blood vessels at the upper part of the spinal cord, ‘ FAIRS AND LECTURES, The Ladies’ Fair of St. Peter's church for the benefit of the parochial schools will open next Monday evening and continue for two weeks. ‘The fair at No. 23 Union square fn atd of the Associa- tion for Betriending Children and Young Girls will posi- tively close this evening, when all articles will be sold at low prices, Professor Nathan Sheppard will lecture this evening, with readings (rom George Kliot, under the auspices of the Young People’s Association of the Calvary Baptist charch, West Twenty-third street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues. His course will be continued with Dicker hursday afternoon, Thackeray Saturday after. made during the Caban emergency, and applying | noon and Carlyle next Tuesday evening. tthesé means practically and steadily vowar ‘A doll’s bazaar open id yester at the Woman’s putting what was worth saving of the navy | Froe Training School, No, 89 East Tenth street, For this purpose the lady’ managers have appropriated their spacious pariors, which are tairly filled by ail varieties of miniature mimic humanity and articles of doll’s dress and equipment. Here a lady who pro is to supply herself with Christmas presents will find what cannot fail to please her Iyttle friends and suit herself, Added to these attractions is a restaurant, where dishes can be found cooked and served in absolute perfection, BUSINESS FAILURES. James Cochrane, Jr., furniture dealer, of No. 152 West ‘Twenty-third street, whose assignment to Lorin Inger. soll has already been noticed in the Henan, has liabili- ties amounting to $64,723 70; assets, $43,287 95; actual r G, and Anthony W. have $14,286 92 of liabilities and $6,261 22 assets, a The foilowing assiguments wore filed yesterday: ‘est street William P. Bowne, hay dealer, of No. 256 to Carman T, Smith; Krauskopf & Gunsen, hosiers, 0! No, 883 Broadway, to Moritz jerzberg; Jobn Merry & Co., galvanizing, No. 46 Clif street,’ to Cor Payne; A. & Spaulding & Co. o Horatio Reagents 3 Martha Seckendorf to Henry O'Neill; Henry Rosenthal Aaofph Zadig, and James LL’ Swovate to William 0. —_————. PROCEEDINGS IN BANKRUPTCY. Ata meeting of the creditors of Daniel C. Birdsall held at the office of James F, Dwight, Rogister in Bank. Tuptey, No. 1 Beekman Street, Moses S Friend was elected assignes, A large meeting of the creditors of J.B. Ford & Co., publishers, of No, 27 Park place, was held yester- day before Register ities, at No, & Warren s and the Vopr for a settlement at thirty per cen ‘wore fuily ratified. Mi Ata meeting of the creditors of Moses M. Y before Register” Dwight, at No. 1 Beckman ste James M. Wood was elected assignee in bankruptey, The creditors of 8. B. Potter & Co,, produce mer- chants, of No, 13 Broad street, met at the office of John Fitch, ister in Bankruptcy, No, 347 Broadway. Ten creditors proved their claims, The Bank of Bi hampton, one of the largest creditors, strongly objected to the admission of certain cla whieh it claimed are fraudulent, and the procendings were adiovrned,