GEOGEAPHIC PROGRESS KELTIE. 515 



be done, especially in South America, but the explorer of the future 

 must be very differently equipped from the pioneer of the past. 

 Something more is wanted now than a daring spirit and a geo- 

 graphical instinct. What we now want, even for pioneers, are men 

 who have been thoroughly trained and who will be content to devote 

 themselves to a limited region and work it out in all its details of 

 features, and geological character and meteorology, and animals and 

 plants ; ever keeping in mind that man is the center of all, and that 

 we only reach the last stage of the problem when we have worked 

 out the action and reaction that is constantly taldng place between 

 man and his topographical surroundings. If in the solution of such 

 problems as these there is as much activity shoAvn in the next 50 

 years as there has been in the past half century in the work of pioneer 

 exploration, there will not only be an unprecedentedly rich harvest 

 for science, but also, I venture to think, magnificent results bearing 

 on the social and individual welfare of man, who can not but benefit 

 from a better knowledge of his geographical settings. 



In the vast amount of the work of exploration during the half 

 century, the British Empire, I think, may claim the lion's share. 



" We sailed wherever ship could sail, 

 We founded many a mighty State, 

 Pray God our greatness may not fall 

 Through craven fear of being great." 



I fear I have left little time to deal with the other tAvo sections of 

 Che subject — the progress that has been made in raising the standard 

 of geography as a department of scientific research, and the improve- 

 ments that have been introduced into geographical education. Until 

 about 30 years ago I fear geography was not treated seriously in 

 either of these aspects. Long before that, in the early seventies, at- 

 tempts were made by the Royal Geographical Society to induce the 

 universities to recognize the subject in their curricula ; but the society 

 was politely flouted. The subject, we were assured, was beneath the 

 dignity of university recognition, and was only suited for elementary 

 schools. At this we need not be surprised when we examine the geo- 

 graphical literature of the period. It is true, that in certain of our 

 great narratives of exploration — Franklin, Ross, Darwin, Bates, Wal- 

 lace, Livingstone, and others — the scientific side of the subject was 

 dealt with seriously, but the few works which existed on general geog- 

 raphy were entirely descriptive; no attempt was made to show the 

 relations w^hich existed between the various distributions over the 

 earth's surface and the interaction between these and the human be- 

 ings who had to adapt themselves to the geographical conditions or 

 modify them for the benefit of humanity. 



In 1884 the Royal Geographical Society decided to make a 

 thorough inquiry into the position of geography at home and abroad ; 



