AprIL 28, 1904 | 
NATURE 
621 
‘for more than ten degrees of longitude, certainly for about 
half the debated region between Knox and Kemp’s 
Lands, and perhaps for the whole. At least, for the 
actual determination of the westerly tract, observations are 
now at hand by which light may be shed on the specified 
question. An important factor is the steep fall of the land 
down to a deep sea discovered by us; important, also, is the 
structure of the land, which consists of old crystalline rocks ; 
lastly, it is important to find that this margin of the con- 
tinent is occupied by a volcanic formation the lavas of which 
contain molten gneisses which have been forced up with 
them from the bed-rock. 
The inland ice covering the continent presents a picture 
of our former Ice age, and is undoubtedly the vastest Glacial 
area now existing. Yet it was still more extensive in former 
times, as shown by traces on the Gaussberg. 
To this continent we directed our operations, and 
endeavoured to study all the phenomena presented by it. 
In the biological field, these studies ranged with Prof. Dr. 
Vanhéffen from the large marine mammals and the flocks 
of rare birds on the seaboard, through the numerous species 
of the smaller marine fauna to the bacteria which Dr. 
Gazert was able to detect, if not in the Glacial sea itself, 
at least in its organisms, as well as in the rookeries of 
the stormy petrels on the Gaussberg, and in its few lichens 
and mosses. On the physical side, our observations 
extended from Dr. Philippi's studies of the Gaussberg lavas 
and of the continental boulders borne to great distances by 
the ice, through the numerous properties of the Glacial sea 
and of the Glacial formations by myself, up to determin- 
ations of the force of gravity, and to Dr. Bidlingmaier’s 
determinations of the most delicate oscillations of the 
terrestrial magnetic forces, both in their normal periodicity 
and in their stormy perturbations, such as are displayed 
especially during the appearance of the southern auroras. 
But should anyone doubt that we there lived and worked 
in a new region on the fringe of the south polar continent, 
conviction will be afforded by the climate. In the north 
we left behind us the zone of west winds and crossed 
a trough of low barometric pressure, remaining on its 
southern slope, where the pressure again rises to a maxi- 
mum over the continent. Hence the prevalence of the 
easterly winds, which sweep down from the south over the 
vast uniform and but slightly inclined surfaces of the 
inland ice, and appear on the seaboard as easterly, Fohn- 
like gales. 
These gales impart to the south polar region its character 
and its limits; by their frequency and uniformity they 
reveal the immensity and the homogeneous nature of those 
Antarctic lands. Their northern confines may have some 
importance for practical navigation whenever there is a 
question of circumnavigating the zone of the Austral west 
winds. 
EDUCATION IN INDIA. 
“THE promulgation of an elaborate and comprehensive 
State document by the Home Department of India, 
already referred to in Nature (April 7, p- 55°), exhaustively 
reviewing the subject of education in all its branches and 
laying down the policy adopted by the Government in regard 
to each, and the recent passing of the Universities Act in 
the Viceroy’s Legislative Council in India, naturally direct 
attention to the efforts being made in the Indian part of 
our Empire to place every grade of education upon a satis- 
factory basis. The various stages in the agitation which 
preceded the adoption of the Universities Bill by the Legis- 
lative Council have already been referred to on several 
occasions in these columns. In the following brief summary 
of the distinguishing characters of each of these efforts to 
advance education in India, continual reference has been 
made to the columns of the Pioneer Mail of Allahabad. 
First to deal with the official minute with which Lord 
Curzon is naturally conspicuously associated. We find the 
system of public instruction in India includes five universi- 
ties, those of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, the Punjab, and 
Allahabad, which prescribe courses of study and examine 
the students of affiliated collegés. These colleges are widely 
scattered throughout the country, and number in all ror 
No. 1800, vor. 69] 
(exclusive of some colleges outside British India, which are 
not incorporated in the provincial statistics), with 23,000 
students on the rolls. In them provision is made for studies 
in arts and Oriental learning, and for professional courses 
of law, medicine, engineering, teaching and agriculture. 
Below the colleges are secondary schools, to the number of 
5493, With an attendance of 558,378 scholars, and primary 
schools numbering 98,538, with 3,268,726 pupils. Including 
private institutions, there are about 43 million scholars, 
maintained at a cost of 400 lakhs, of which nearly one-half 
is derived from public funds. The total grants from public 
funds fall short of 1,300,001. a year, and the extension and 
improvement of education in India are chiefly a matter of 
increased expenditure. 
In India, far more than in England, the majority of 
students who frequent the higher schools and the universi- 
ties are there for the purpose of qualifying themselves to 
earn an independent livelihood ; Government service is re- 
garded by the educated classes as the most assured, the most 
dignified, and the most attractive of all careers. It is, 
however, justly complained by competent authorities that 
higher education is too much pursued with a view to 
Government service, that excessive prominence is given to 
examinations, that studies are too literary in character, that 
the memory is trained rather than the intelligence, and that 
in the pursuit of English education the vernaculars are 
neglected, and so fail to become the vehicles for the diffusion 
of western knowledge among the masses. But it is clear 
from the minute that the Government of India holds that the 
multiplication of competitive tests for Government service 
neither results in advantage to Government nor is consistent 
with the highest interests of a liberal education. In fixing 
the educational standards which qualify for appointments, 
it is stated that the natural divisions of primary, secondary, 
and university education should be followed. School and 
college certificates of proficiency should, so far as possible, 
be accepted as full evidence of educational qualifications, 
and due weight should be attached to the recorded opinions 
of collegiate and school authorities regarding the proficiency 
and conduct of candidates during their period of tuition. 
The questions as to what subjects should be taught and by 
what means proficiency in them should be tested are con- 
sidered as a part of the larger problem of the true object of 
secondary education. The Government of India thinks that 
the solution of the difficulty will be found in adapting to 
Indian conditions the system of leaving examinations, held 
at the conclusion of the secondary course, which has been 
tried with success in other countries. 
Referring to technical education, the minute points out 
that the first call for fresh effort is toward the development 
of Indian industries. Technical instruction directed to this 
object must rest upon the basis of a preliminary general 
education of a practical kind, which should, as a rule, be 
imparted in schools of the ordinary type. In fixing the 
aim of the technical schools, the expansion of the existing 
Indian markets is of superior importance to the creation 
of new export trades. As a step towards providing men 
qualified to take a leading part in the improvement of 
Indian industries, the Government of India has determined 
to give assistance in the form of scholarships to selected 
students to enable them to pursue a course of technical 
education under supervision in Europe or America. The 
Government hopes that the technical schools of India may in 
time produce a regular supply of young men qualified to 
take advantage of such facilities, and that the goodwill and 
interest of the commercial community may be enlisted in 
the selection of industries to be studied, in finding the most 
suitable students for foreign training, and in turning their 
attainments to practical account upon their return. 
Agricultural education in India is then passed in review. 
India possesses no institution capable of imparting a com- 
plete agricultural education. The existing schools and 
colleges have neither produced scientific experts nor 
succeeded in attracting members of the land-holding classes 
to qualify themselves as practical agriculturists. Both of 
these defects must be supplied before any real progress can 
be expected. In the first place an organisation must be 
created by which men qualified to carry on the work of 
research, and to raise the standard of teaching, can be 
trained in India itself. The Government of India has there- 
fore under its consideration a scheme for the establishment 
