12 



KNOWLEDGE. 



[Junk 1, 18:H>. 



an introilnctory memoir describing the general features of 

 Ordnance maiis, uxplaininf; scales, the use of contour-lines, 

 and map reading generally. This should also contain a 

 statement of the principles of geography as applied (o 

 regional descriptions. The suggested memoir for each 

 sheet would include : — 



(«) /;)(/('.i- of all names on the sheet, referring to them 

 by latitude and longitude in areas of one minute by one 

 minute, giving also the altitude (exact or approximate) in 

 the case of hills, river sources, towns, villages, houses, etc., 

 and the length of streams or portions of streams included. 



(/() riiiir-iitiiiit's. — Notes on such of the place-names as 

 present features of geographical interest. 



((■) Miaii Kh'idt'KiH of the sheet, with the areas between 

 successive contour-lines, and statement of maximum and 

 minimum heights. 



((/) Hijpso(jittphical IK'nrription. — A general statement of 

 the elevations and depressions of the sheet, mentioning 

 their relation to the larger features of the country. Length 

 of streams and their drainage areas. 



(c) rhiixiniirajihicat K.cjiliDKitiiin with reference to the 

 type of land-form in relation to geological structure, the 

 position of the surface in the cycle of geographical 

 development, the character of the soils and mineral pro- 

 ductions, the local magnetic conditions, and the con- 

 ditions of climate so far as these are dependent on position 

 and configuration. 



(/') Vi'iit'tiitiun and A<iriculture. — The approximate areas 

 of woodland, moorland, pasture, arable land, and the 

 leading crops. Local tloras and faunas. 



((j) Foliticiil and Historical. — The parish, county, and 

 municipal boundaries. Historical sites, and events which 

 depend on geographical conditions. 



(/i) (TiOfjrapliical Ikscriptiim, showing the relation of 

 the human inhabitants to all the foregoing conditions, 

 especially with regard to the sites of towns and villages, 

 the distribution of population, the utilization of natural 

 resources, and historical development of industries. 

 Local vocabularies. 



( (■) fllustiations. — A few carefully selected photographs 

 of typical scenery should accompany each sheet. Borne 

 sketch-maps and diagrams might also be included. 



(/.■) Bildioi/rajiln/, giving titles of works relating to 

 places contained in the sheet. 



Several matters of very great importance cannot be 

 included, because the facts to be ascertained would involve 

 special surveys, <-.'/•, the variation of the force of gravity ; 

 the seismic conditions ; hydrographic conditions involving 

 the volume, speed, and normal seasonal fluctuations of all 

 rivers — a subject which will acquire great economic 

 importance in a few years ; and the ethnological descrip- 

 tion of the people. 



Proposed Method of Execution. 



((() ludi'.r. — This requires simple mechanical compila- 

 tion. It would vary greatly in length, some sheets 

 having less than fifty names, others probably more than 

 one thousand. 



(//) Place-names. — The notes would be limited to (1) 

 alternative names for places mentioned in the sheet, (2) 

 corrections of spelling, (3) critical discussion of such 

 place-names as are descriptive of geographical forms or 

 positions, (4) discussion of names which can be traced by 

 historical records sufhciently far back to throw light 

 on prehistoric populations. The necessary information 

 would be obtained from topographical and arcbreological 

 works, from dictionaries of place-names, and from local 

 students ; but the lists would require very careful editing 

 by an expert, and must be strictly limited to cases con- 

 cerning which there is no reasonable doubt. 



(c) Mean Eleration, — The area between successive 



contour-linos on the map must be measured by the 

 planimetcr or by squared tracing paper, and the volume 

 deduced by considering the mean inclination of the succes- 

 sive surfaces, which would also give the true area of the 

 country as contrasted with the area projectiid on the plane 

 of sea-level given on the map. The distortion due to the 

 conical projection on which the map is drawn will probably 

 bo too insignificant to require notice ; if not, it must 

 bo allowed for. Check estimates might be made by 

 Heiderich's method of drawing numerous equidistant 

 profiles, and calculating the contents by Simpson's 

 formula ; and also by marking as many actual elevations 

 as possible on the map, and combining the arithmetical 

 averages of each square inch, as in Karsten's method of 

 estimating ocean depths. This work demands a con- 

 siderable amount of skill and attention. It would be very 

 suitable as an exercise and training for students, if any 

 institution existed in this country where students could be 

 induced to study geography seriously. 



{d) The Ihijisniirapliieai Description would in most cases 

 be very brief. It should be written from the map, con- 

 sidering both hachures and contour-lines, and afterwards 

 verified on the ground. The lengths of parts of rivers 

 and their drainage areas would be treated in this descrip- 

 tion. 



(e) Tlic Plii/sidi/rnphical K.rplanation would, so far as the 

 geology is concerned, be simply a restatement of the 

 " Physical Geography " section of the Geological Survey 

 memoir, with such modifications as the modern views of 

 the cycle of development of a land surface suggest. The 

 character of the soils would, to a certain extent, be derived 

 from the drift-maps of the (ieological Survey, from notes 

 of official or private geologists, and in some cases from 

 local inquiries. The mineral productions would be de- 

 scribed from the official returns. Climatic data would be 

 derived from the publications of the Meteorological OfBce 

 and of societies, supplemented in many cases by local 

 information. 



(/■) Vef/etation and Ai/rieulture. — The areas of forests, 

 parks, and moorland or commons would be measured on 

 the six-inch Ordnance Survey maps, on which a distinction 

 between different kinds of wood is made. The agricul- 

 tural information would be got from official returns, the 

 transactions of agricultural societies, and local inquiries ; 

 while a knowledge of any peculiarities of local flora and 

 fauna would be similarly obtained. 



(il) Piditieal and llistnricid. — The boundaries would be 

 taken as shown on the map, referring to any important 

 changes, such as the reports of Boundary Commissioners. 

 Historical information wovxld be sought from historical 

 and archiBological societies, and would be very stringently 

 edited, so as to confine it strictly to those features and 

 events of direct geographical importance. 



(/() The (leui/niphical ] >escriiition would be the most 

 important part of the memoir, and must be the work of a 

 trained geographer, who, after studying the maps in the 

 light of all the information referred to above, shall have 

 made himself familiar with the ground. It would deal 

 directly with the relation of the people to the land, 

 showing the control exerted by geographical conditions 

 on the sites of towns, on dwellings, occupations, the 

 distribution of the people, the lines of communication, 

 and, if data are forthcoming, on local character. His- 

 torical changes in the resources and industries of a 

 region would be considered, to show in what degree they 

 occurred in consequence of geographical changes, e.i/., the 

 silting up of harbours, the destruction of forests, the dis- 

 covery or exhaustion of minerals ; or in what degree they 



