ASIE CENTRALE

Les dernières nouvelles de MM: Groum-Grjimaïlo datent de Khami le 4 (16) Janvier 1890. Elles se rapportent à l’orographie du Thian-Chan. Les voyageurs ont découvert aux sources du Khargos, une des plus grandes cîimes des monts célestes, qui porte le nom de Doess-Maghène-or c.-à-d. «la plus haute montagne»; ils lui attribuent une altitude dépassant 6,600 mêtres. Ensuite, ils visitèrent le sommet de Bogdo-ola à l’est d'Ouroumtchi, et, après avoir exploré en détail le Thian-Chan de cette région, ils descendirent dans l’oasis de Tourfan. En se rendant de Tourfan aux bords du Lob-Nor, par le chemin le plus court, ils ont

découvert un pays montueux là où les meilleures cartes ne représentent qu’une

plaine sablonneuse et peu élevée au-dessus du nivean de la mer. Au dire de MM. Groum-Grjimaïlo toute l’orographie du Thian-Chan oriental est à refaire. (Correspondance de M. Venukoff. -— fievue de Géographie).

GRANDE BRETAGNE

Le Docteur W. G. Dickson décrit dans «The Scottish Geographical Magazine» un voyage qu'il a fait dans l’intérieur de la province de Canton (A voyage inland from Canton).

M. Alexander Hosie, du service consulaire Britanique en Chine, a publié chez George Philip and Son à Londres, une relation de trois voyages importants faits

par lui dans la Chine occidentale, intitulée «Three years in Western China».

Nous lisons dans The London and China Telegraph de Sep. 10, 1890:

«There is now very little chance that the ninth Oriental Congress will be held in London next year, all attempts to settle the differences having completely failed. The difficulties arose from Dr. Leitner being not only à joint secretary with Professor Douglas, the Rev. Dr. Bullinger, and Mr. Hewitt, of the Bengal Civil Service, but also a delegate of the founders of the series of Oriental Congresses at Paris. This, he claimed, gave him a separate and overruling authority — a contention which his colleagues were by no means inclined to admit. Accordingly a letter signed by Sir George Birdwood, vice-president , Professor Douglas, Dr. Bullinger, and Mr. Hewitt, was adressed to Sir H. Rawlinson, honorary president, and Sir Mounstuart-Grant-Duff, president, stating that it would be impossible to carry on the arrangements if Dr. Leitner remained one of the secretaries. The writers of the letter were then requested to reconsider the matter. in order to try to discover some modus vivendi. They have now reported to Sir M. Grant-Duff that after full deliberation they are unable to alter their decision».

«Dr. Lansdell, the well-known Asiatic traveller, who has been staying a few days in Madrid, is now on his way back to London, after an absence of two years’ duration. During this time he has visited every Kingdom of Asia. Leaving London in 1888, he proceeded direct to St. Petersburg, whence he went to the Caucasus, the Black Sea, Merv, Bokhara, Tashkend and Kuldja, then down to Khotan, the Karakoro Mountains, through Northern India. Afterwards he went to Burmah, and then south to the Straits Settlements, and north to Siam, Cochin-China, Annam, Tong-King, China, Japan, and back to the Philippine Islands, Borneo, Malacca, Ceylon, Afghanistan, Beluchistan, Arabia, Persia, Syria, the Holy Land, Egypt, Northern Africa, and so on to Spain. Dr. Lansdell has brought with him copious notes of his journeyings, some thousands of photographs, about 2000 butterflies and beetles, a large number of skins of rare birds, and other specimens of the fauna of the countries he has traversed».