and Nations on the extent and situation of Forests. 237 



versal connection between the individual facts, and to investi- 

 gate the general laws, those tokens of a Divine order of things. 

 Its object does not consist in producing a long list of iso- 

 lated facts without meaning, but it consists in representing 

 to the senses the influence of Nature upon nations, and man- 

 kind in general ; in showing the intimate connection between 

 the general aspect of the earth and the particular physical 

 character of the countries on the one hand, with the progress 

 of civilization on the other, by means of giving an accurate 

 description of the contrasts between highland and lowland 

 countries, to be regarded as a basis and distinguishing cha- 

 racteristic ; as also by discussing the method, according to 

 which the knowledge of the physical character, and of the 

 elevation or depression of countries, establishes a system of 

 significant relations between all the diff'erent portions of con- 

 tinents, and gives precision and certainty to delineations and 

 political relations. By considering the subject-matter of geo- 

 graphy under this point of view, the method underwent a ma- 

 terial change ; the former was raised to the rank of a science, 

 and an almost universal interest excited in its favour ; for 

 geography is now taught, not merely for the sake of its use- 

 fulness, but principally for the sake of moral and intellectual 

 improvement. The want of a solid system of teaching geo- 

 graphy is more and more generally felt, both as regards deeper 

 scientific pursuits, and as regards the acquisition of knowledge 

 bearing upon the various branches of industry ; there is also a 

 constant increase in the accumulation of geographical data, 

 which, in spite of the great progress geography has expe- 

 rienced, in its new character of a science (thanks to the dis- 

 tinguished labours of Professor Bitter), can scarcely be mas- 

 tered, whilst the interest taken in the drawing of compari- 

 sons becomes daily stronger. Abstracting entirely from ma- 

 thematical geography, that is, from all the measurable terres- 

 trial relations, and keeping in view the physical relations only, 

 there still remains an extraordinary quantity of matter for 

 scientific investigations, which forms a basis for political ele- 

 ments, and furnishes the most certain and positive evidence 

 of the intimate connection between the earth and the human 



