118 PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS—-SECTION E. 
M. Ferdinand de Lesseps, who, in the course of a brilliant address, 
referring to the various questions for discussion, aptly remarked : 
“Geography, as we understand it in the present age, is not only 
the abstract knowledge of our globe ; it comprehends also the 
complete relations of the earth and man, relations which we 
endeavour to ameliorate. This is the scope of geography, and 
we say with pride there is none grander.” 
The deliberations of this Congress were occupied with numerous 
scientific problems, and prominent amongst the divisions was the 
subject of geography grouped in seven sections, embracing 
amongst them the following subjects :—Geodesy, Hydrography, 
Topography, Cartography, Meteorology and Climatology, Geology, 
Medical Geography, Commercial and Statistical Geography, 
History of Geography and Cartography, Teaching and Diffusion 
of Geography, Voyages and Exploration, Ethnography, and 
Anthropology. Special attention was also given to geographical 
education, and details were formulated as to materials necessary 
in teaching geography, such as the choice of books, cartographic 
exercises, atlases, wall-maps, panoramas and reliefs ; while in. 
group 6 (Voyages and Explorations) the rules for adoption by 
explorers in naming their discoveries were fully discussed, and 
resulted in the unanimous adoption of a resolution that “the 
right of the explorer only begins when the country he is exploring 
has no native inhabitants.” 
The results of this Congress, which cannot fail to be of great 
value in opening fresh channels to “scientific discussion which 
may inspire but not divide,” and in throwing renewed light upon 
obscure problems in which we are involved, will be looked forward 
to with great interest by our organisations in Australasia. 
In September last, the annual British Association of Science 
meeting was held at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, at which no less than 
2437 persons attended. The Geographical Section was strongly 
represented, and numerous able and interesting papers were 
contributed. 
Finally, we may, I think, be pardoned for referring with a 
sense of self-congratulation to the records of our own Society, 
which has some time since, as an evidence of the interest in and 
importance in which such organisations are held, been dis- 
tinguished by the gracious permission of the Sovereign to add 
the term “Royal” as a prefix to its title of the “Geographical 
Society of Australasia,” the vocation of which is being steadily, 
and I think I may add creditably, fulfilled through the efforts of 
the several branches, all of which have successfully produced 
volumes of proceedings that will, I think, bear favourable com- 
parison with those of the older societies, in whose steps they seek 
to worthily follow, displaying an amount of vitality under many 
difficulties, having regard to the limited extent of the leisured 
class of people in these busy working communities, that is highly 
encouraging. , 
