No. 1.] MISCELLANEOUS. 123 



cisely the circumstances under which Dr. Johnston would be 

 likely to distinguish himself. His own passionate devotion to 

 geographical science induced the determination to make the study 

 take its place among the necessary branches of a liberal educa- 

 tion. He received the warmest encouragement from the Koyal 

 Geographical Society, from Karl Eitter, and from Humboldt, — 

 a special interview with the latter having taken place in Paris in 

 Paris in 1845, on the subject of the Physical Atlas ; while the 

 former geographer explained the original merits of the work at a 

 meeting of the Geographical Society of Paris. This Atlas was 

 at first intended to be founded mainly on the great work of Berg- 

 haus : but, as its construction proceeded, the number of additions 

 and improvements that were found necessary caused the abandon- 

 ment of this intention, and Dr. Johnston's Atlas became essen- 

 tially an original work. It was published in 1848, and was wel- 

 comed by all competent authorities, not only because it was a 

 valuable contribution to the study of physical geography, but 

 because it embodied within convenient limits the results which 

 had been secured by the observations of numerous scientific tra- 

 vellers on the geology, meteorology, climatology, and hydrography 

 of the globe. The Geographical Society of Berlin having awarded 

 its Honorary Diploma to Dr. Johnston, Karl Bitter, the Presi- 

 dent, took the opportunity of once more acknowledging the merits 

 of the Atlas. Berlin was not alone in determining to do honour 

 to the great geographer. The Boyal Society of Edinburgh spon- 

 taneously conferred on him the honours and privileges of Fellow- 

 ship; while the leading Geographical Societies of Europe, 

 America, and India, elected him to Honorary and Corresponding 

 Fellowships. The University of Edinburgh also, after the lapse 

 of years, gave him, in 1865, the honorary degree of Doctor of 

 Laws — the highest honour of the kind that the University could 

 bestow. In 1855 he commenced his ' Boyal Atlas of Modern 

 Geography,' in which he may be said to have embodied the 

 results of the arduous studies which he had prosecuted for a 

 quarter of a century. The late Prince Consort took a deep inte- 

 rest in this splendid work, the progress of which he carefully 

 watched, and every sheet of which he criticised as it came out. 

 During recent years Dr. Johnston devoted himself mainly to the 

 publication of maps and other works for educational purposes, 

 and to bringing the results of his previous labours before the 

 public in comparatively cheap forms. — Condensed from The Athe- 

 nceum. 



