Scientific Intelligence. — Geography. 38S 



40. Berlin Geographical Society. — At the commencement of 

 the present year, there was founded at BerKn a Geographical 

 Society, which, however, is not yet so flourishing as that of Pa- 

 ris. It does not yet give prizes, nor pubUsh a journal, but con- 

 fines itself to its meetings, which, agreeably to the custom of the 

 country, are concluded by a jovial banquet. The institution, 

 however, is one that cannot but be productive of good, in such 

 a country as Germany, where geography has hitherto only been 

 cultivated by isolated individuals. Without doubt, the residence 

 of M. Humboldt in his native country has been one of the prin- 

 cipal causes of this estabhshment. At the head of its founders, 

 and in the capacity of director, is Professor Charles Ritter, a 

 gentleman whose works are well known in the learned world. 

 He has already, for several years, lectured with great success at 

 Berlin, upon general geography. His maps and his work on 

 Europe, have long ago attracted the public attention towards 

 him; but his more remarkable productions are the treatises 

 which he has devoted to Africa and Asia. In place of reducing 

 geography, as most of his predecessors did, to a mere list of 

 technicalities, he has made it a complete and philosophically con- 

 structed science. The Society possesses other very distinguished 

 members, who deserve praise for uniting their efforts in the 

 cause of science *. 



" A French translation of Hitler's two principal works is announced. 

 The Professor is to furnish to the translator additional information ; and 

 Messrs Abel-Remusat, Klaproth, and Jomard, and other distinguished geo, 

 graphers, are to contribute illustrations. We have always considered the geo- 

 graphy of Ritter, from its high merits, as deserving of being known by trans- 

 lation, to the geographers, and in the schools of this country. 



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