128 president's address— section e. 



ledge of the relations that subsist among living beings, which is a 

 direct result of geographical discovery, shows us man's right place 

 in nature. 



The accumulation of knowledge from other countries of various 

 forms of life, and of the different conditions under which they are 

 found, could only have been obtained by means of geographical 

 exploration; and it was this, without doubt, that rendered possible 

 the remarkable generalisations of Darwin and Wallace as to the 

 origin of species, 



CARTOGRAPHY. 



With special reference to Professor Pet.cJv ' proposal to construct a Colossal Map 

 of the World, 6(C., ^c, ^c. 



When Joshua divided the Promised Land among the twelve 

 tribes, minutely describing their respective boundaries, we can 

 hardly conceive that he did so without the aid of a map of some 

 kind. It may, therefore, be taken for granted that maps have 

 existed from very early times. The only document of the kind 

 which has come down to us (and that in fragments) is a map of 

 ancient Rome, engraved on slabs of marble originally fixed into 

 one of the walls of the Forum. 



The proposal of Professor A. Penck to construct a colossal map 

 of the world, on a uniform scale of 15-78 (or about 16) miles to the 

 inch, has been recently submitted to an international committee of 

 about twenty-five cartographers to concert measures and frame 

 regulations for its execution. 



Some idea of the magnitude of the work may be gathered from 

 the following figures: — Area of paper required, 1,000 sheets 

 14in. X 18in. ; cost of drawing, lithographing, and printing each 

 sheet in six colors, on six separate stones, £100 per sheet. Total 

 cost of the complete map, £100,000. At the Paris (1889) Exhibi- 

 tion, a globe 42ft. in diameter, r.UTs 070-00" of the diameter of the earth 

 (the scale of Dr. Penck's map) was exhibited, the surface area of 

 which was 5,500 square ft. 



The advantages of a map of the whole world on a uniform scale 

 must be evident to all. A survey of Australia mapped on the scale 

 indicated would be a grand Avork, and well worthy of the attention 

 of all geographers. A general map of the world on the same scale 

 would mark an epoch in the history of cartography, and confer 

 incalculable benefits on geography. The large map of Australia 

 now before you on the wall is on a scale of twenty-six miles to lin. 

 On the colossal scale proposed the Australian Continent would 

 cover a sheet two-thirds larger. 



A ncAv and carefully revised edition of this map of Australia, 

 with additions and numerous corrections, and showing the latest 

 geographical discoveries, is now being compiled by A. J. Skene,M,A., 



