14 MAY 1887, Page 2

That is a fine letter from Emin Pasha published in

the Times of Tuesday. This Austrian savant is defending himself in the Southern Soudan against hosts of enemies, and Mr. Stanley is even now ascending the Congo in the hope of rescuing him. His situation must be almost desperate ; yet in a letter received in Edinburgh from him, dated October 26th, 1886, he speaks only of his scientific successes. He has explored a portion of the Albert Nyanza, and discovered a new river, difficult to navi- gate, but pouring a great volume of water into the lake. "The zoological, and especially the zoographical results whioh I have obtained within the last few months, will, I hope, prove of con- siderable importance." He is grateful to his Scotch friend for some presents, but especially for a good many numbers of Nature, "so that at last I am permitted to see once more what is taking place in the scientific world." Dr. Emin's mind, at all events, to him " a kingdom is." There is the true modern Stoic, indifferent to danger, careless of surrounding cir- cumstances, doing his duty patiently, but cordially interested only in increasing his own and the world's knowledge. Let no hope that he will not share the fate of his forerunner, the Greek devotee of applied science who was killed by a soldier while working out a problem.