708 REPORT — 1901. 



most cases lacking the cartographic expression which makes it possible to take in 

 the genei'al state of the country from year to year. The same is true of the 

 Kegistrar-rGeneral's Eeturns of births, marriages, and deaths, in themselves an 

 admirable epitome of the health conditions of the country, and of the fluctuations 

 in population, but limited by a narrow specialism to the one purpose. 



Finally and chiefly we have the Census Reports. Once in ten years the 

 people are numbered and described by sex, age and occupation. The inhabited 

 houses are numbered, and the smaller dwellings grouped according to size. The 

 fio-ures are most elaborately classified and discussed, so as to bring out the distri- 

 bution of population, and its change from the previous decade. But to the 

 geographer the Census Reports are like a cornfield to a seeker of bread. The 

 grams must be gathered, prepared, and elaborated before the desired result is 

 obtained. Nowhere is the cartographic method more useful than here. It is 

 a strikin"- contrast to turn to the splendid volumes of the United States Census 

 Reports, many of them statistically inferior to ours, but thickly illustrated with 

 maps, showing at a glance the distribution of every condition which is dealt 

 with ' and enabling one to follow decade by decade the progressive development 

 of tiie country, and to study for each census the relations between the 

 various conditions. 



These are only a few of the statistical publications, produced by Government, 

 and embodying year after year a mass of conscientious labour, which, save for a 

 few specialists who extract and utilise what concerns themselves, is annually 

 'cast as rubbish to the void.' 



One small department supported by public money, but under unofficial 

 direction, may be referred to as an example of the successful employment of 

 cartographic methods. This is the Meteorological Council, appointed by the 

 Royal Society, and charged with the collection of meteorological data and the 

 publication of weather reports, forecasts, and storm warnings. The maps 

 published twice daily to show the distribution of atmospheric pressure and tempe- 

 rature are only rough sketches and very much generalised, yet they serve the 

 purpose of presenting the facts in a graphic form, yielding at a glance information 

 which could only be extracted from tables by long and laborious efforts. The 

 pilot charts, published monthly by the same' department, showing the average 

 conditions of air and sea over the whole North Atlantic, and the occasional 

 atlases of oceanographical data are valuable geographical material. 



The official work of Government is supplemented by the voluntary labours of 

 many societies, in whose Transactions much valuable material Is stored, and in 

 not a few cases is well discussed. But even with these supplements gaps remain 

 which must be filled by private enterprise before a complete geographical descrip- 

 tion can be compiled. 



Considering 'the Ordnance Survey alone it is much to be regretted that cir- 

 cumstances have prevented the extension of the survey to the lake-beds, whatever 

 reason may be assigned for the omission ; yet such is the fact. The directors of the 

 Survey have, however, shown themselves ready to encourage private workers by 

 placing the data presented by them upon the maps with due acknowledgment. 



The Survey of the Lakes. 



It is with profound satisfaction that I now make an announcement— by special 

 favour the first public announcement— of a scheme of geographical research on a 

 national scale by private enterprise. Sir John Murray and Mr. Laurence Pullar 

 have resolved to complete the bathymetrical survey of all the fresh-water lakes 

 of the British Islands. Mr. Laurence Pullar will take an active part In the pro- 

 posed survey, and has made over to trustees a sum of money sufficient to enable 

 the investigation to be commenced forthwith and to be carried through m a 

 comprehensive and thorough manner. It is intended to make the finished 

 work an appropriate and worthy memorial of Mr. Pullar's son, the late Mr. 

 Fred Pullar, who had entered enthusiastically upon the survey of the lochs of 

 Scotland, and whose heroic death while endeavouring to save life in Airthrey Loch 



