Presait Position and Prospects of Geographical Science 1 1 1 



served, being in those far regions of the South, where, at the season 

 of the year in which it will occur, man has never reached ; but no 

 doubt we have many ready to try, and who would not feel dis- 

 honoured at failure. 



In writing of the present position and prospects of geographical 

 science, it would be ungrateful to ignore a source of our own, 

 from which so much has been drawn, and without which our 

 status in regard to it would not have attained its present promin- 

 ence. To the Royal Geographical Society, in its corporate 

 capacity, we owe much by bringing its influence to bear on the 

 government of the country, for the advancement of its objects, 

 or by helping, rewarding, or despatching at its own expense, 

 travellers in search of geographical and kindred knowledge, whilst 

 individually its members are ever contributing to the treasury of 

 knowledge; and although it was our intention to have avoided 

 names, we cannot refrain from alluding to one to whom this pro- 

 gressive state of the science is greatly due, and stating, as geo- 

 graphers, how much we are indebted to Sir Roderick Murchison. 



Want of space compels us to avoid dwelling on the advantages 

 geographical science will derive from the extension of railways, 

 steam communication, and the telegraph, bringing us, as they do, 

 by the ties of commerce and science, nearer to our fellow men, 

 and more closely uniting the great scattered family of mankind : 

 rendering, it is to be hoped, war more difficult, and thus advancing 

 that great consummation of the best human efforts — "on earth, 

 peace." J. E. D. 



