GEOGRAPHY. 



By FRANCIS M. GREEX, 



LlEUTEN'ANT-COJMAXDER, U.S.N". 



The marked and rapid increase in the number of geograph- 

 ical societies and in the membership of those already estab- 

 lished indicates the general sense entertained among civil- 

 ized nations of the importance of geographical research in 

 countries still imperfectly known. Many governments have 

 within the last year granted considerable sums in aid of ex- 

 ploration, and private individuals have, in many cases, assist- 

 ed in the outfit and maintenance of expeditions. 



Among the new geographical societies, one of especial in- 

 terest to this country is the Canadian Geographical Society, 

 which proposes to concern itself especially with matters con- 

 nected with the geography of British America. 



The consolidation of the government surveys of the Unit- 

 ed States, which is to be carried into effect according to a 

 plan prepared and recommended by the National Academy 

 of Sciences, will be of great service to geographical science 

 by systematizing and arranging the work more efficiently 

 than it could be done in any other way. Until the requisite 

 legislation is effected, it is impossible to state what form the 

 consolidation will take; but it is evident that the anomalies 

 and inconveniences consequent upon several departments of 

 the ccovernment bein^ en^a^ed in the same work are no 

 longer to exist. 



In the prosecution of the surveys of the territories of the 

 United States, three government expeditions have been in 

 the field during the past year one under the direction of 

 the War Department, conducted by Lieutenant G. M. Wheel- 

 er, of the United States Engineers ; and two under the Inte- 

 rior Department, in charge respectively of Dr. F. V. Hayden 

 and Major J. W. Powell. The first of these expeditions, the 

 work of which has been conducted for several years under 

 the title of " United States Geographical Surveys West of 



