is so strong, that the rudder becomes comparatively powerless, and the vessels constantly take the ground, or rather the banks, which latter are very steep.

In the neighbourhood of Swanhill, where the Murray's course lies through reed-beds, no obstacles interrupt the navigation, although the river is still very tortuous.

Above Swanhill it is divided, by an island of considerable extent, into two branches, the smallest and most easterly being called the Mabut, which is unnavigable. On the junction of the two branches the river again expands, and at Aldbury presents a good navigable stream.

The above remarks are only to be considered applicable during the floods, which are most capricious and sometimes sudden in their rise, although the "flood-wave" travels down the river at a very slow rate. For instance, on my passage up in the 'Lady Augusta,' I met the flood-wave below the Darling, passed it before I reached Swanhill, but did not reach the second flood-wave, which, only a few miles distant from me, was caused by the Campaspy's rising.

On my downward voyage I found that the flood-wave had preceded me (and the river fallen) until I came up with it below Chowilla, and I did not run past it until near Wall, about 60 miles from Wellington.

I hope, when I become better acquainted with the velocity of these "flood-waves," to be able to give your learned Society some interesting information, and the establishment of Nilometers at given points on the river would bring out some curious facts. The last and "snow-flood" generally comes down this month, caused by the melting of the "snows on the Australian Alps. The vertical annual rise of the Murray may be estimated from 16 to 20 ft., but the Murrumbidgí often doubles and frequently trebles that "rise." When I visited Gundagai in November, 1852, about four months after that township was swept away, saw horses and bullocks suspended by the legs by limbs of the gum trees, full 30 ft. above the bank of the river and 40 above the stream.

I

The Darling is the most uncertain of all the tributaries of the Murray, and its rise is at times very sudden: this year it has only been navigable for about 30 miles.

If the Murray River is found navigable as high as the Darling for six months, and as far as Swanhill for eight months, it is as much as I expect.

The Colonial Governments will probably unite in the expenditure of a certain sum for clearing the river of fallen trees, "snags, &c. &c., the accumulation of ages, which will very much facilitate and increase the safety of navigation; many overhanging branches

of trees will also require to be cut off, as they constantly endanger the funnels of the steamers.

The banks of the river are plentifully covered with fine timber; indeed for hundreds of miles on a stretch the river appears like an "avenue," with rows of trees on both sides; and what is remarkable, the same "genus "of trees never appear facing each other. If gum trees are on one bank, the opposite grows "she-oak," "peppermint,' and "box." These trees, seldom interspersed with the gum, suddenly and without any apparent cause shift over to opposite sides of the river. Thus, my shipbuilding-yard on the Wakúl is surrounded on one side by crooked box trees, from which the frames or ribs are taken, whilst we are forced to cross to the opposite bank to cut planking from the straight "flooded gum" trees.

Pines crown all the eminences on both banks of the river, as far as I have ascended. Unfortunately this pine is found so brittle, knotty, and liable to decay, that we only use it for "fuel;" the bark contains much "resin," but although quick and fierce in burning it does not last long, and we find good dry gum to be our best burning wood.

Amongst the pine clumps is frequently found a stunted bastard sandalwood, unfit for commercial purposes, and used by us for boats' timbers and knees.

Magal abounds betwixt the Darling and Murrumbidgí, in the back country, but it never attains any size greater than a bush.

The high "ridges" or "cliffs" which the Murray cuts through, sometimes obliquely, sometimes at right angles, terminate on the N.S.W. bank about 8 miles below the junction of the Murrumbidgí, and on the Victoria side at Willilú, near Euston. They are composed principally of a red and white clay, with layers of half calcined white sandstone, friable to the touch and rapidly dissolving in water.

The formation of the cliffs in the neighbourhood of Morrundí, Captain Sturt has described in his first work.

From the point alluded to on the N.S.W. side, the Murray, as high as the Ovens River, flows through a vast level country, with occasional slight undulations dignified by, but undeserving, the name of hills.

Winds. Like other large rivers, the Murray appears to draw a current of air up its stream. It seems that the prevalent wind in the country through which it flows is S. W., although, before the "great flood" of 1852 swept away the old camps or gunyas of the natives, I observed that they generally fronted or faced to the N.W., which would tend to show that the prevailing wind was

from S.E.

At sunset, should the wind have been up, it generally dies away, and is succeeded by a faint air from the Northward or down

stream.

By the same mail which takes this hurried communication (as I leave to-morrow on my second voyage) I send newspapers and a pamphlet containing articles on the river, which I trust may be found of interest.

Since my return, the Legislative Council of this colony have awarded to me a "gold medal" for opening up and showing the capabilities of the river, and have also voted me 4000l. as a bonus, to place two steamers on the upper rivers. Next flood I look forward to having five steamers on the river, and a boat to go outside. These steamers, with a sufficient number of barges, will be amply sufficient for all goods and passenger traffic. Indeed, the Governments of all the colonies, as well as the settlers on the river, have given me every inducement to prosecute the enterprise.

When the new steamers are on the river I look forward to reaching the Mitta Mitta by the Home; Seymour, about 40 miles from Melbourne, by the Goldburn, between Yass and Gundagai on the Murrumbidgí, and Wangaratta on the Ovens: as to the Darling, I am afraid to hazard an opinion.

did myself the honour of addressing you by letter, dated "Lady Augusta, 5th Oct., 1853," proffering my services to leave any stores on the Murray or Darling, which might possibly be required for the " Exploring Expedition" which, under your auspices, is to be started for the interior. I can now only repeat what I said then.

My time, since my return to Adelaide from the Murray, has necessarily been much occupied in carrying out affairs connected with a navigation of such recognised importance, which I trust will serve as an excuse for the hurried manner in which these remarks have been thrown together; and, looking forward some day to be of substantial use to your learned body,

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

THOMAS CADELL.

XI.-Notes on the Passage of Hannibal across the Alps; and on the Valley of Beaufort, in Upper Savoy. By Professor PAUL CHAIX, of Geneva, Corresp. F.R.g.s.

Read, May 24, 1855.

THAT "vexata quæstio," the passage of Hannibal, has recently undergone fresh investigation in a work by Mr. Schaub, of Geneva. The author begins with a brief summary of opinions of certain previous writers. Many of the views that have been advocated

appear to have been suggested by a desire to identify the line of march with the neighbourhood in which the inquirers resided, or by similar circumstances of an accidental nature. Mr. Schaub regards the theory of Whittaker, followed by Simler and Grosley, which leads Hannibal over the Great St. Bernard, as the most paradoxical.

Deluc and Melville produced the most remarkable work on the subject, in three editions, the first of which appeared in 1818. It was ably supported by Wickham and Cramer in 1820, who increased its importance by a few additions and modifications These authors adopt Roquemaure as the point where Hannibal crossed the Rhone, and Vienne as the northern extremity of his march up the left bank of the river. The triangular interval between the Rhone and the Isère in Dauphiny, compared by Polybius to the Egyptian Delta, answers to the Insula Allobrogum. The Carthaginian General entered Savoy at St. Genix d'Aosta, and crossed the hilly country at Mont du Chat (Mons Thuates), where his first encounter took place with the mountaineers, who kept watch during the day only. From thence Hannibal advanced through the fine plain of Chambéry, and along the wide and fertile valley watered by the Isère, to Bourg St. Maurice, crossing the Alps at the pass of the Lesser St. Bernard, where he fought his last battle with the mountaineers, and then halted on its level plateau for two days, waiting for stragglers.

M. Deluc attached too much importance perhaps to the discovery of a great white rock and of large bones upon the Lesser St. Bernard, and of a silver shield which was found by a farmer in 1714, and deposited in one of the Parisian museums. The shield was dug out of the ground on the estate Du Passage, between La Tour-du-Pin and Abrets, half a mile from the road between Vienne and Chambéry. It was ornamented with Punic intaglios and bas-reliefs, and considered to have been a votive offering. The best arguments of Deluc, Melville, Wickham, and Cramer were based on the concordance of their itinerary with the distances, the number of days, and the geographical data mentioned by Polybius; also on the adoption of that text, almost exclusively, as the only faithful guide; and further, on the coincidence of that itinerary with a choice of locality and season such as would. be made by a man of common sense, and particularly by a general commanding an army. A different opinion was maintained by the Marquis of Saint Simon, who attempted to prove that the Carthaginians marched along the river Ubaye to Mount Viso. route leaves nine days to be accounted for. The author supposes that the army was misled by the guides, and that the time was spent in ascending the mountain. This theory affords the author

This

an opportunity of finding a pulpit, at a height of 13,000 feet above the sea, for the celebrated speech reported by Livy! Apparently for the sake of that result, he does not hesitate to trace the route of an army over a lofty mountain, instead of through passes 6000 or 7000 feet lower. But these guides had been chosen to meet Hannibal by the Insubres, a nation in frequent intercourse with Transalpine Gaul, their original country. The Insubres had found their way to Carthago Nova, in Spain, and the guides they had selected were not likely to mistake the safest road to Italy. Hannibal was in alliance with the Allobroges, as well as with the Insubres, and a prince of the Cisalpine Gauls was with the guides. That road was undoubtedly the safest for him which joined the territories of those nations.

In 1851 M. Replat, a barrister of Annecy, published a work entitled A Note on Hannibal's Passage,' supporting a theory originated by M. Blanc of Beaufort, and Count Vignet. M. Replat leads Hannibal from the Rhone on reaching the Isère, not only below Vienne, but without entering the territory of the Allobroges, in opposition to the positive evidence of Polybius and Livy. He places the Insula Allobrogum between the Isère and the Drôme, although the high and very bold mountains of Royans, Trièves, and Vercors give that tract no resemblance to the Egyptian Delta. The "Insula" lies so evidently north of the Isere, that another commentator, M. Latronne, makes the Carthaginians turn back and recross the Isère in favour of his theory, which continues the line of march along the rivers Drac and Durance to the Pass of Mont Genèvre.

M. Replat, however, follows the left bank of the Isère to Pontcharra, near Fort Barraux, where he places the site of the first battle with the mountaineers, who left the passage defenceless at night. He then crosses to the opposite bank, and reaches Albertville and Conflans. From the last-named place MM. Vignet, Blanc, and Replat advocate the claims of a new route, never before suggested. Turning from the great valley of the Isère because it appears to be "too crooked," they endeavour to trace the African General's march along the hitherto unheeded valley of Beaufort and through a labyrinth of defiles to the pass of La Seigne and the Allée Blanche, at the southern base of Mont Blanc. This route is chosen by M. Replat as the shortest way across the great ridge of the Alps by an Eastern pass.

Valley of Beaufort.-The Valley of Beaufort lies N.E. of Albertville, between that town and Chamounix. There are four routes between it and the Chapieu, which forms the approach to the western foot of the Col de la Seigne:-1st. The Pass of La Sauce, which is so forbidding that it would be madness to think of