THE PRESENT STANDPOINT OF GEOdUAI'HY.* 



By Clements H. Markham, V. H. S. 



The work of geogTai^liical discovery, during- livinj;- memory, has pro- 

 ceeded with such rapidity that many ot us hav<' been halt inclined to 

 think that there is little left to be done.' Brilliantly successful expedi- 

 tions have traversed the unknown parts of the great continents, blank 

 ■es on our maps have been tilled up year after year, entrancing nar- 

 ratives of perilous adventure have held us in rapt attention during 

 each succeeding- session, until we are tempted to believe that the glori- 

 ous tale is nearly told. But this is very far indeed from being the case. 

 There are still wide tracts, in all the great divisions of the earth, which 

 are unknown to us, and which will furnish work to explorers for many 

 years to come, while the examination of ocean depths is an important 

 task which has but lately been commenced. Moreover, there are regions 

 of vast extent whicli are only very partially known to us, the more 

 detailed examination of which will enable explorers to collect geo- 

 graphical information of the highest value and of the greatest interest. 

 It is from the methodical study of limited areas that science derives the 

 most satisfactory results. When such investigations are commenced 

 it is found how meager and inaccurate previous knowledge derived 

 from the cursory information, picked up during some rajiid march, had 

 been. A detailed scientific inonograi)h on a little known region of 

 comparatively small extent supplies work of absorbing interest to the 

 explorer, while he has the satisfaction of knowing that his labors will 

 be of lasting value and utility. There is sufiicient work of this less 

 ambitious, but not less serviceable kind to occupy a whole army of tield 

 geographers for many decades. Exact delineation, by trigonometrical 

 measurement, is our crowning work. It is barely commenced. With 

 the excejttion of countries in Europe, British India, the coast of the 

 United States, and a small part of its interior, the whoh^ world is still 

 unmai>ped. Supposing that the surface of the earth does not undergo 

 changes, our work will be completed centuries hence, when all the 

 regions of the earth have been discovered, have been exi)lored in detail, 



* Opening- address of the president, delivered at the nieeting- of the Royal Geo- 

 graphioal Society, Noveniljer \'A. ISWA. ( The GcoyriiphicaJ Journal. London, vol. II, 

 pp. 481-504.) 



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