GEOGRAPHY AND EVOLUTION. 205 



when the earliest steps of civilization had removed the necessity for 

 unremitting search after the means of supporting existence. Then 

 was broken down the chief harrier in the way of progress, and man 

 was carried forward to the condition in which he now is. 



It is impossible not to recognize that the growth of civilization, 

 by aid of its instruments, pastoral and agricultural industry, was the 

 result of the unconscious adoption of defenses supplied by what was 

 exterior to man, rather than of any truly intelligent steps taken with 

 forethought to attain it ; and in these respects man, in his struggle 

 for existence, has not differed from the humbler animals or from plants. 

 Neither can the marvelous ultimate growth of his knowledge, and his 

 acquisition of the power of applying to his use all that lies without 

 him, be viewed as differing in any thing but form or degree from the 

 earlier steps in his advance. The needful protection against the foes 

 of his constantly-increasing race the legions of hunger and disease, 

 infinite in number, ever changing their mode of attack or springing 

 up in new shapes could only be attained by some fresh adaptation 

 of his organization to his wants, and this has taken the form of that 

 development of intellect which has placed all other creatures at his 

 feet and all the powers of Nature in his hand. 



The picture that I have thus attempted to draw presents to us our 

 earth carrying with it, or receiving from the sun or other external 

 bodies, as it travels through celestial space, all the materials and all 

 the forces by help of which are fashioned whatever we see upon it. 

 We may liken it to a great complex living organism, having an inert 

 substratum of inorganic matter on which are formed many separate 

 organized centres of life, but all bound up together by a common 

 law of existence, each individual part depending on those around it, 

 and on the past condition of the whole. Science is the study of 

 the relations of the several parts of this organism one to another, 

 and of the parts to the whole. It is the task of the geographer 

 to bring together from all places on the earth's surface the materials 

 from which shall be deduced the scientific conception of Nature. 

 Geography supplies the rough blocks wherewith to build up that 

 grand structure toward the completion of which science is striving. 

 The traveler, who is the journeyman of science, collects from all quar- 

 ters of the earth observations of fact, to be submitted to the research 

 of the student, and to provide the necessary means of verifying the 

 inductions obtained by study or the hypotheses suggested by it. If, 

 therefore, travelers are to fulfill the duties put upon them by the divi- 

 sion of scientific labor, they must maintain their knowledge of the 

 several branches of science at such a standard as will enable them 

 thoroughly to apprehend what ai-e the present requirements of sci- 

 ence, and the classes of fact on which fresh observation must be 

 brought to bear to secure its advance. Nor does this involve any 

 impracticable course of study. Such knowledge as will fit a traveler 



