PRESENT PROBLEMS OF GEOGRAPHY 655 



central theory, that it is a mere agglomerate of scraps of miscellaneous 

 information regarding matters which are dealt with scientifically by 

 astronomers, geologists, botanists, anthropologists, and others. Geo- 

 graphy is not so circumstanced. Although its true position has only 

 recently been recovered from oblivion, it is a science, and one of long 

 standing. 



I have said before, 1 and I may repeat, because I can say it no 

 better, that modern geography has developed by a recognizable con- 

 tinuity of change from century to century. I am inclined to give 

 more weight than others have done to the remarkable treatise of Dr. 

 Nathanael Carpenter, of Exeter College, Oxford, published in 1625, as 

 a stage in the growth of geographical thought and theory. The striking 

 feature of Carpenter's book is the practical assertion of the claims of 

 common sense in dealing with questions which superstition and tradi- 

 tion had previously influenced. Varenius, who died at the age of twen- 

 ty-eight, published in 1650 a single small volume, which is a model of 

 conciseness of expression and logical arrangement well worthy even 

 now of literal translation into English. From several points in its 

 arrangement I am inclined to believe that he was influenced by Car- 

 penter's work. So highly was Varenius's book thought of at the time 

 that Sir Isaac Newton brought out an annotated Latin edition at 

 Cambridge in 1672. The opening definition as rendered in the English 

 translation of 1733 (a work largely spoiled by stupid notes and inter- 

 polations) runs: 



" Geography is that part of mixed mathematics which explains the 

 state of the Earth and of its parts, depending on quantity, viz., its 

 figure, place, magnitude, and motion with the celestial appearances, 

 etc. By some it is taken in too limited a sense, for a bare description of 

 the several countries; and by others too extensively who, along with 

 such a description, would have their political constitution." 



Varenius produced a framework of physical geography capable of 

 including new facts of discovery as they arose; and it is no wonder 

 that his work, although but a part, ruled unchallenged as the standard 

 text-book of pure geography for more than a century. He laid stress 

 on the causes and effects of phenomena, as well as the mere fact of 

 their occurrence, and he clearly recognized the influence upon differ- 

 ent distributions of the vertical relief of the land. He did not treat of 

 human relations in geography, but, under protest, gave a scheme for 

 discussing them as a concession to popular demands. 



As Isaac Newton, the mathematician, had turned his attention to 

 geography at Cambridge in the earlier part of the eighteenth century, 

 so Immanuel Kant, the philosopher, lectured on the same subject at 

 Konigsberg in the later part. The science of geography he consid- 



1 British Association Reports Presidential Address in Section E. Glasgow, 

 1901. 



