120 president's address SECTION E. 



Thirdly. To speak briefly of cartography, with special reference 

 to Professor Dr. Penck's projiosal to construct a colossal 

 map of the world on a uniform scale; the geographical, 

 commercial, and educational value of such a map, and the 

 necessity for completing the topographical and geological 

 surveys of the whole of the Australian Colonies. 



Fourthly. To touch on geographical discovery and exploration, 

 and the importance of photography in its relation thereto. 



Fifthly. To suggest fields for future exploration. 



WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY? 



In an address delivered by Mr. J. H. Mackinder, B.A., in 1877, 

 before the Royal Geographical Society of England, he puts the 

 above question, and he proceeds to reply to it thus: — "There are 

 at least two reasons why it should be answered, and answered now. 

 In the first place geographers have been active of late years in 

 pressing the claims of their science to a more honored position on 

 the curriculum of our schools and universities. The world, and 

 especially the teaching world, replies with the question, ' What is 

 geography?' There is a touch of irony in the tone. The other 

 reason is that for half a century several geographical societies have 

 been active in promoting the exploration of the world. The natural 

 result is that we are now near the end of the roll of great discoveries. 

 The polar regions are the only large blanks remaining upon our 

 maps. A Columbus can neA^er again discover another America, nor a 

 Stanley reveal another river like the mighty Congo to the delighted 

 world.'" 



That no doubt is true, but there yet remains a large amount of 

 work for geographers in New Guinea, in Africa, even in Central 

 Asia, in the North and South Polar regions, as well as in Central 

 Australia. For many a year to come a Tasman, a Cook, a Greely, 

 or a Nansen will now and again arise to show that the rai e of 

 heroes in discoverv has not become extinct. Still, as tales of 

 geographic adventure grow fewer and fewer, even geographical 

 societies may despondently ask, "What is geography?" 



Geography, as I xmderstand it, is a complete and systematic 

 knowledge of the science which treats of the world, describing the 

 earth, its physical structure and characteristics, natural products, 

 political divisions, and the people by whom our globe is inhabited. 

 Geography, therefore, viewed from its scientific side, is something 

 more than committing to memory the names of places and lines 

 laid down on the maps and globes. 



SCOPE OF GEOGRAPHY. 



In our Australian Colonies, at least, the true scope and aims 

 of geography as a science are still very far from being properly 

 understood. It has been aptly said " that geography is the central 



