The Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume XVI, No. 6 [‎379r] (110/232)

THE MONTHLY RECORD.
683
Cession of Spanish Islands to the United States—By a convention
signed in Washington on November 7, the small islands of Cagayan Sulu and
Sibutu off the north of Borneo, which had remained in possession of Spain, are
made over to the United States in consideration for the payment of $100,000. The
islands formed the last remnant of the Spanish empire in the far East.
The Khotan River.—In Captain Deasy’s paper, p. 513, antea, the title of the
illustration should be the Sources, not the Sands, of the Khotan river.
AFRICA.
The Blanchet Expedition: Death of the Leader.— The fuller details now
received respecting the detention of M. Blanchet and his European companions .on
the borders of Adrar {ante, p. 227) give the affair a somewhat different complexion
from that suggested by the first reports. The travellers received throughout the
cordial support of the King of Adrar, Moktar uld Aida, who did his utmost to
protect them during the disturbances which led to the flight of the French escort.
After a virtual captivity of over two months, the steps taken by the biench
authorities to secure their release proved successful, and the expedition returned to
St. Louis at the end of September. We regret to state, however, that M. Blanchet
almost immediately (October 6) succumbed to yellow fever contracted during the
journey to Dakar. A short preliminary account of the journey, to which we hope
to recur shortly, appears in the new number of the Annales de Geographic.
The Northern Territories of the Gold Coast— This name has been given
officially to the latest territorial acquisitions in the Gold Coast Protectorate, lying
north of Ashanti roughly between 8° and 11° N. lat. A large amount of informa
tion on these territories—a terra incognita until quite recent years has been
collected by officers of the administration, but little has hitherto been published.
The recent issue by the War Office of a report, compiled by Lieut.-Colonel H. P.
Northcott, in which the information so collected has been embodied, is therefore
particularly welcome. It begins with a clear sketch of the geography of the
territories, which lie wholly outside the belt of forest which extends about. -00
miles from the coast. They form a gently undulating plateau, gradually rising
northward from Kintampo and ending abruptly in a scarp facing north and falling
very steeply about 700 feet, through a break in which the White Volta passes in
its southward flow. North of the scarp is another plateau of a character similar to
the first, but rising frequently into definite hills from 100 to 500 feet in height.
The whole area is covered with coarse rank grass, burnt down annually, and dotted
over with dwarfed and shadeless trees. The absence of large trees is probably due
to the fires, for nearly every village possesses its “shade tree ” (baobab, cotton,
etc ) where are held the market and village parliament. The main nver-sjstem
is formed by the Black Volta and White Volta, the former of which has no
important affluents, the latter only one—the Kulpawn. These carry running
water all the year round, and for four months are noble streams, but at the end
of January they shrink to modest dimensions. During the dry season a scarcity
of water i experienced in many parts. The basis of the soil is sandstone cohered
in the lower levels with a thin layer of alluvium. In the hills granite and quarts
are found The report contains some account of the history of the native king
doms of the territories, the principal of which is Mamprusi. This seems to have
been founded by one Tosogo, who came west from Gurma about the beginning of
the century, and conquered, besides, Moshi and Dagomba, which he placed under
his brother and nephew respectively. Until recent years, a yearly present was
made to the king of Mamprusi by the king of Moshi, whose election had also to
be confirmed by the former. The lesser states of Wa, Bole, and Daboya seem to