TRANSACTiONS OP SECTION E. 699 



Geography in the Universities. 



The prospect of immediate expansion in many British universities seems at 

 last likely to afFoi'd more than one opportunitj^ of wiping out the old disgrace of 

 the neglect of geographical science in the accredited seats of learning. Already 

 Oxford has a •well-manned School of Geography, and Cambridge has a Reader in 

 Seography. The reconstituted University of London occupies the best position in 

 the world for creating a chair of geographical research, situated as it is in the very 

 centre of the comings and goings of all mankind, and in touch with the most com- 

 plete geographical library and map-collection in existence. The new University of 

 J3irmingham may, it is hoped, prove better than its promises, and may perhaps after 

 all provide some more adequate treatment of geograpby than its proposed par- 

 tition amongst the professors of half a dozen special subjects, all of them con- 

 cerned in geography, it is true, but none of them individuall}', nor all of them 

 collectively, capable of embodying that co-ordination of parts into a harmonious 

 unity which gives to geography its power as a mental discipline and its value for 

 practical application. But England in all that pertains to higher education is still 

 a poor country, and the will to do v/ell is hampered by the grinning demon of 

 ]ioverty. Here, on the other side of the Border, we are in a different atmosphere. 

 The wave of the magician's wand in the hands of Andrew Carnegie has brought 

 wealth that last year would have been deemed fabulous to the ancient universities 

 in Scotland, and it will be a disgrace to our country if this sjilendid generosity 

 does not result in the establishment of one or more fully endowed and completely 

 equipped chairs of geography. 



There may still be some people who view geography as the concern only of 

 soldiers and sailors, adventurous travellers, and perhaps of elementary teachers. 

 Exploration is undoubtedly the first duty of geographers, but it is a duty which 

 has been well done, the nineteenth century having left us only one problem of 

 the first magnitude. This is the exploration of the polar regions, and even here 

 the twentieth century clamours for new methods. 



The Antarctic Ux2Jedition8. 



This year has seen the long-hoped-for Antarctic expeditions set out on their 

 great quest, a quest not only of new lands in the southern ice-world but of 

 scientific information regarding all the conditions of that vast unknown region. 

 Two expeditions have been planned in Great Britain and Germany with a com- 

 plete interchange of information regarding equipment and methods of work. 

 Provision has been made for simultaneous magnetic and meteorological 

 observations, and in some instances for the use of instruments of identical 

 construction, and all possibility of any unseemly rivalry in striving for the 

 childish distinction of getting farthest south has been obviated by the friendly 

 understanding that the British ship shall explore the already fairly known Rosa 

 quadrant, where it is pretty sure that extensive and accessible land will favour 

 exploration by sledges, while the Germans have chosen the entirely unknown area 

 of the Enderby quadrant which no ice-protected steamer has yet attempted to 

 penetrate, and where they enter a region of potential discovery before they cross 

 the Antarctic Circle. 



The British expedition is equipped on the good old plan that produced such 

 fine results in the days of Cook and Ross ; it is manned by sailors of the Royal 

 Navy and is under the command of a gallant naval officer, though, unlike the 

 earlier vessels, the ' Discovery ' is not herself a naval ship. As in the days of Cook 

 the naval officers are assisted in their non-professional work by several young and 

 promising scientific men, two of whom have already had experience of work in 

 the polar regions. These have the great advantage of the counsel and help of 

 Mr. George Murray of the British Museum, who goes as far as Melbourne in the 

 position of Director of the Scientific Staff. 



No one who has seen the zeal and unflagging enthusiasm with which Sir 



