Victoria Nyanza Lake Levels and Rainfall, in Decades.

| Observers: F. Pordage, F. A. Knowles, H. Galt, S. Spire, W. R. Walker, and others.

Month

Ntebe. Rain, 1900

•Lake
Level,
1900

Bay.

Lake

Feb. 4-23 12

2-50

Level,
1900

Fall

May

2.70 13

0-93

June 5-81 12

282

There can be no doubt that the lake level is primarily influenced by the rainfall. At Ntebe the level rose in the course of 1898 (which was a year of abundant rains), but in the course of 1899 it fell slightly below the level of 1896, and in 1900 it fell a further 7-62 inches. As that year (1900) was one of fairly abundant rains along the Buganda shore (61 inches fell at Ntebe) we are bound to assume that it is not local rains which appreciably affect the level of the lake, but the precipitation throughout its vast drainage area. Thus an abundant rainfall along the Buganda shore would be neutralised by a deficiency in the rainfall in the south. Since the beginning of the present year (1901)

the lake has risen rapidly, and by June 1 its level stood 24 inches above the mean level of 1896. The relations between local rainfall and lake level are illustrated by the following facts :

At Ntebe, between March 20-24, 1900, 3.7 inches of rain fell, and in the course of April 13:54 inches, yet the level of the lake remained unaffected, the heavy local rains being balanced by the outflow and the loss by evaporation, or deficiency of rain elsewhere. Yet in the course of May the lake rose slowly, but steadily, although very little rain was registered locally. Again, between December 3-5, 4-21 inches of rain fell, while the lake only rose half an inch. More remarkable still, on September 12, 125 inches of rain fell, yet the lake level actually fell half an inch. The other stations afford similar instances.

The winds exercise a decided influence upon the level of the lake. There are regular land and lake breezes, and Mr. Macallister remarks that a strong SW. breeze will cause a rise in the level of the lake to an extent of from 1 to 3 inches. At Fort Thruston, on November 13, a severe storm caused the lake to rise 3 inches. The influence of the | wind could be eliminated by making at least three observations daily, and which would be preferable, by establishing a self-registering gauge. Further fluctuations of the lake may be produced by differences of barometric pressure. The difference between the highest and lowest level at Ntebe amounted to 19.0 inches in 1896, 16-5 inches in 1899, and 17-50 inches in 1900. The extreme range, as far as our observations extend, has been 43-5 inches; but if the level, in 1881, exceeded that of 1898 to the extent of 8 feet, as asserted by the French missionaries in Buganda, its amount cannot ¦

be less than 10 feet.

All observations made at Ntebe and Fort Thruston (Lubwa's) are referred to the mean lake level at those stations in 1896. On October 1898, Mr. C. W. Fowler, Superintendent of Marine, claims to have adjusted all gauges to Port Victoria (where observations ceased to be made at the end of July 1899). I fail to see how this can have been done unless the three stations were joined by a line of spirit levelling. On comparing the observations made between October 1898 and February 1899, as recorded, I find that, assuming the level at Port Victoria to be -0-00, the level at Ntebe exceeded that datum level to the extent of 1-98 inches, whilst that at Fort Thruston fell short of it to the extent of 1-89 inches. Such differences in the level may exist, though I fail to see how they can have been ascertained. From all observations recorded since October 1898, 36-53 inches have been deducted in order to reduce them approximately to the mean lake level of 1896. In the case of Kisumu, however, only 30-3 inches have been deducted.

Victoria Nyanza Lake Levels and Rainfall, in Decades-CONT.

In order to elucidate the interesting problems connected with the physical geography of the Victoria Nyanza, it would be necessary to instal rain-gauges throughout its drainage basin, and to establish at least four gauges for measuring the level of the lake, and to connect these gauges by lines of spirit level-a consummation most devoutly to be wished, though not likely to be realised for a considerable time to come. The observations should, as a matter of course, embrace all atmospheric phenomena, and more especially atmospheric pressure.

Victoria Nyanza.-Lake Levels and Rainfall, Monthly Means.

1899.-At Ntebe the lake attained its highest level on June 8. It stood lowest from November 25-28. The difference between the highest and lowest levels amounted to 16 inches.

1900.-At Ntebe the lake reached its highest level on July 21 and maintained it up to July 28. It stood at its lowest from November 21 to December 2. The difference between the highest and lowest levels amounted to 17.5 inches. During the whole of April the lake steadily maintained its level of 5:53 inches below the level of 1896.

At Fort Thruston the lake level was lowest on November 12, and highest on June 22, the difference amounting to 14 inches. At Kisumu it was lowest on November 3, highest on May 10, the range having been 27 inches, an amount accounted for by the position of the gauge in shallow water at the bottom of a bay and high winds.

1901. At Ntebe the lake on June 1 stood 23 43 inches above the level of 1896; at Kisumu on May 7 it stood only 15 16 inches above the level, as assumed by us; and on June 28, 140 inches.

The bench mark cut on the Camp Tree at the head of Port Florence in 1898 by Commander B. Whitehouse, R. N., is 19 feet 11 inches above the zero on the Lake Gange.

VOL. XVII.

21

Diagram illustrating the Fluctuations in the Level of the Victoria Nyanza, at Ntebe, in 1896-1901, compared with the Rainfall.

Diagram illustrating the Fluctuations in the Level of the Victoria Nyanza, at Ntebe, in 1900, compared with the Rainfall.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SCOTTISH GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY.

MEETING OF COUNCIL.

At a meeting of Council held on 11th October, the following new members were elected, viz. :

The Hon. The Master of Elibank, M.P.; the Right Hon. Sir Hugh M. Nelson, K.C.M.G. (Queensland); Robert Fraser, J.P. (Brisbane); Alexander Young; Miss Helena K. Scott; Robert J. Duncan. The election of the three last-named members will have effect from the 1st November.

CAPTAIN LEMAIRE'S AFRICAN PICTURES.

Captain Lemaire, whose paper on his Congo expedition appeared in last month's number of the Magazine, having kindly placed his large and valuable series of water-colour sketches at the disposal of the Council for exhibition in the Society's Rooms, the collection was on view from the 14th to the 19th October; it was visited by a large number of members of the Society, and of the public who were also invited to inspect it. The drawings, which are about 250 in number, and are the work of M. Léon Dardenne, an artist who accompanied Captain Lemaire throughout his journey, are shown just as he executed them on the ground. They afford a vivid illustration of tropical scenery and of the appearance and customs of the native inhabitants. The kindness of Captain Lemaire in permitting the exhibition of his collection has been highly appreciated by the Society.

SWEDISH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION.

Intimation having been received of the expected arrival of the Antarctic at Falmouth on the 22nd October, the following telegram was despatched to Herr Otto Nordenskjöld, the leader of the expedition :—

"Cordial good wishes from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society for your success and safe return."

OBITUARY NOTICES

BARON NORDENSKJÖLD.-By the death of Baron Nordenskjöld, the distinguished Swedish explorer, on August 12, geographic science has sustained a great loss.

Baron Adolf Erik Nordenskjöld was born at Helsingfors, in Finland, on November 18, 1832, and, although during the greater part of his life his home was in Sweden, he always retained a great interest in the affairs of his native land. His ancestors, originally Swedish, had settled

in Finland before the Grand Duchy passed into the hands of the House of Romanoff. In various members of the family we can trace the same scientific bent, Nils Gustav, the father of the deceased explorer, having been a distinguished mineralogist, and head of the Mining Office in Finland. His son's mind was thus early directed towards geological researches, accompanying as he did his father on his scientific tours.

Nordenskjöld entered the University of Helsingfors in 1849, and while there devoted especial attention to chemical and mineralogical work, and during the vacations he made excursions to interesting mineral localities in Finland. In 1853 he went with his father on a visit to the Urals, and was there able to extend his studies. He obtained appointments both at the university and mining office, but having had the misfortune to arouse the suspicion of the Russian authorities, he lost his appointments. He worked in Berlin for a time, and then returned to Finland, where he obtained the Alexander travelling stipend at Helsingfors University, his intention being to visit Siberia and Kamchatka. But at the Helsingfors University promotion festival of 1857, at which he was to take his Master's and his Doctor's degrees, an incident took place by which he again fell under the displeasure of the authorities, and was forced to leave the country. He thereafter settled at Stockholm, and to this change of domicile is due the immediate incitement of Polar voyages. Otto Torell, the great Swedish explorer, was then preparing for his first expedition to Spitsbergen, and Nordenskjöld offered to accompany him. Although Spitsbergen had been known for two centuries, no knowledge whatever was possessed of its geology and topography. During this voyage valuable observations were made, an important one being the discovery by Nordenskjöld of remains of tertiary plants, which with others, discovered by later expeditions, have led to important conclusions respecting the former climates of the country. In 1861 Nordenskjöld took part in Torell's second expedition, the results of which were greater than the former, the whole northern part of the island group being carefully examined. During this expedition the preliminary operations for the measurement of the arc of the meridian were carried out, both in the north and south of the group.

The next important expedition was to Greenland in 1870, and led to valuable scientific results. The geographical structure of the country was examined for the first time, and the great inland ice-sheet first trodden by a scientific observer. Dr. Berggren discovered a scanty vegetation covering the ice-sheet. The expedition of 1872 was not so successful as had been hoped. The two tenders were caught in the ice, and the crews were thus forced to spend the winter in Spitsbergen, thus causing an insufficiency of provisions. Nevertheless, valuable researches on the aurora and its spectrum, and on the Arctic flora of past epochs, with complete magnetic and meteorological observations, were made.

In 1875 Nordenskjöld commenced work in a new field, by a voyage to the mouth of the Yenesei, which river was ascended as far as Yeneseisk. The general public watched this expedition with interest, as it seemed to point to the possibility of a commercial sea-route from Europe to