11 

 GEOGRAPHICAL SOIREE. 



Director: ELI SOWERBUTTS, F.R.G.S. 

 January 17th, 1888. 



This Soiree was under the direction of Mr. Eli Sowerbutts, 

 F.K.G.S., Honorary Secretary of the Manchester Geographical 

 Society. 



In the course of a few observations Mr. Sowerbutts spoke 

 of the great importance of Geography from military and com- 

 mercial points of view. All maps were, in the first place, con- 

 structed for military purposes, and many soldiers to-day could 

 not get the idea out of their heads that maps only existed for 

 .their use. The Germans and other continental nations seemed 

 to be much in advance of England in the preparation of maps, 

 and this, perhaps, was to be explained by the fact that those 

 nations were in a greater sense military nations, and also from 

 the fact that commercial studies are there more in vogue. In 

 the German army every tliird soldier was provided with a map 

 of the district over wjiich his regiment was marching, so that it 

 was almost impossible for him to lose his way. Very often, as 

 in the war. of 1870, every thii'd soldier was also possessed of 

 maps of the enemy's country. Geography owed a great deal to 

 religious pioneers. Many of the best maps and geographies of 

 various districts had been prepared by these missionaries. The 

 connection between geography and commerce was easily seen, 

 for geography told the climate and natural productions of 

 different countries, and thereby enabled traders and merchants 

 to supply goods adapted to the climate, and better to meet the 

 wants of those places. Geography also gave more correct know- 

 ledge of science, and tended to prevent such mistakes being 

 made as sometimes happened, when traders swamped a country 

 with goods at a time when the inhabitants were literally 

 decimated by famine. 



Mr. Sowerbutts concluded by remarking that in view of the 

 large number of people in the world who are not christianised, 

 differences of creed should be overlooked in the great effort to 

 bring them within the range of its teaching. 



The following is a Catalogue of the Exhibits kindly placed 

 at the disposal of the Club by the Manchester Geographical 

 Society: — 



1. Atlas, (Universal.) M. Robert, 1757. 



2. Atlas, (Folio,) 1690—1700. 



3. Cosmographie Universelle, 1768. M. Philipe. 



4. Geography of the Ancients. London 1747. 



