74 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION 



eras, phonographs, etc., as well as apparatus for collecting and cases 

 for shipping natural history specimens, would be of great service. 

 The announcement that the Carnegie Institution stands ready to re- 

 ceive applications for aid from travelers properly trained for their 

 work v/ould, I believe, greatly promote the development of scientific 

 travel among our young men. I would, however, urge that em- 

 phasis be laid on "proper preparation" in order to distinguish 

 scientific work in some one of the various phases of geography 

 from mere traveling and big-game shooting. 



B. The exception above noted is in the Antarctic regions. New 

 classes of facts may be expected from the study oi far-southern lati- 

 tudes. * Hi * 



C. There are various special topics in which a trained investigator 

 is sure of interesting results. For example (as suggested by Mr. 

 Gannett), a sum might well be allotted in aid of studies of North 

 American glaciers. Systematic work on glaciers should be inaugu- 

 rated, to be continued for a long period of years. A moderate sum 

 would be of much service in enlisting the interest of travelers, 

 sportsmen, and otliers, who could bring good results home by fol- 

 lowing systematic instructions. The special studies of shore lines 

 need extension in the field. »Similarly studies of Appalachian rivers 

 offer results of value in several connections ; but the most available 

 men are already supported in such work by the United States Geo- 

 logical Survey. It should be noted that in this sort of work it is not 

 necessary, not even desirable, to explore in the ordinary sense — that 

 is, to go into previously unknown regions. There is abundant field 

 for scientific geographical exploration east of the Mississippi, and 

 still more west of it. 



Probably the best way to encourage work of this kind would be to 

 announce the establishmetit of five or ten fellowships in geography, 

 of from $500 to $1,000 each, to be assigned to well-prepared students 

 who wish to undertake investigations in some part of the broad 

 geographical field. It would be my preference that the idea of rela- 

 tionship, indicated above, should be made a prominent part of all 

 such studies, in order to bring forward that fundamental principle 

 that underlies all true geographical study. The work might be sys- 

 tematic — that is, concerning some special subdivision of the subject, 

 as glaciers or shorelines, above mentioned, or it might be regional, 

 concerning all the geographical features, inorganic and organic, of a 

 certain region, Pennsylvania, for example. A study of this kind, 

 well conducted, would greatly enlighten the public, even the sclen- 



