Geographical Journal (Journal of the Royal Geographical Society): Volume VIII, No. 5 [‎57r] (116/154)

THE MONTHLY RECORD.
515
advance of which had obstructed the outflowing water. (6) The Etang de Lacanau
has had two outlets, one to the north, the Trou-du-Fer, the other from the centre,
the Port Saint-Vincent, whose position on the coast is exactly determined. The
author adds that the name Balania, which he finds is derived from the Celtic word
balan = broom plant, occurs on many old charts in place of the name Anchise;
and that the dunes to the south of the mouth of the Anchise bear the name “ les
Genets” (i.e. brooms).
ASIA.
Exploration of the Amu-daria. —It appears that during the stay of the
Khan of Khiva at Moscow at the time of the coronation of the Czar, it became
known that the Amu-daria had again begun partly to flow in the Uzboi, since a dam,
which directed all its waters into Lake Aral, had been destroyed by the inhabitants
of the khanate of Khiva. The great river has already reached and partly filled
up the Sari-kamish depression, which is situated, as is known, to the south-west
of Lake Aral. Consequently, General Glukhovsky, who for years has devoted his
energies to the scheme of diverting the Amu into the Caspian Sea, and has published
a detailed work on this subject (‘ The Diversion of the Amu-daria into its Old Bed
leading to the Caspian Sea, and the Acquisition of a Water-communication from the
Frontiers of Afghanistan to the Caspian Sea, the Volga, and the Baltic Sea,’ St.
Petersburg, 1893), has induced the two ministries of War and Communications to
send out a new expedition to explore the present possibilities for such a canal.
The last telegraphic news is to the effect that General Glukhowsky is already on the
banks of the Amu, and a full report of the present state of the river is soon expected.
M. Bonin’s Journey in South-Eastern Tibet. —An important journey of
exploration in the region between the upper Yangtse-kiang and its tributary the
Yalung-kiang has lately been carried out by M. Bonin, French vice-resident in
Tongking (Comptes Eendus, Paris Geographical Society, 1896, pp. 234,250). South
of the main route from Peking to Lhasa this region had remained unvisited by
Europeans, and in great measure even by the Chinese themselves. A surprising
result of the journey is the discovery that below the sharp angle made by the
Kinsha near the town of Li-kiang (at which angle Captain Gill finally left the
stream on his journey to Tali-fu in 1877), it makes a wide sweep to the north,
joining the Yalung in about 28° N. lat. instead of 26° 35', as has been hitherto
supposed. The stream which has been considered as the Yang-tse, and which
was crossed by Mr. Ilosie under that impression in 1883, turns out to be merely
a small tributary. The current delineation of the river has been derived from
D’Anville’s map, but as the agents employed by the Jesuits in their survey of
China were unable to penetrate into these wild regions, that map was based (for
his particular section of the country) on vague reports only. From Tali-fu M.
Bonin proceeded north to Li-kiang, which town he was the first European to visit.
Hence, instead of crossing the Yang-tse by the iron bridge over which passes the
route to Yong-pe, he turned north-west, and crossed over to the left bank at the
sharp angle above referred to. Before finding a route across the precipitous moun
tains which bound the stream on the north-east, M. Bonin was obliged to ascend
the stream for several days. The plateau of Tsong-tien was at last reached bv a
snow-covered pass 14,500 feet high, and a terribly rugged and difficult path led
thence to Yunning-tu-fu (Yung-ning). During the last day’s march the traveller
looked down on the Yang-tse flowing below in a deep gorge.* Yunning-tu-fu,
* M. Bonin did not, therefore, trace the river continuously during its northward
sweep, but it is to be supposed that he did not fall into the error (otherwise attributable
to Mr Hosie) of mistaking a tributary for the main stream. Is it just possible that a
bifurcation takes place, such as was hinted at in a neighbouring region by Gamier?
(see Yule’s introduction to Gill’s ‘ River of Golden Sand,’ p. [107], (abridged edit.).