714 REPORT— 1901. 



devote all his time, or a substantial part of it, to geographical research ; and the 

 sa.ue is true of every official of all the geographical societies. Not one is paid a 

 salary sufficient to enable him to devote the time not occupied by mechanical 

 routine to any other purpose than supplementing his income by outside work — 

 writing text-books, correcting examination papers, perhaps even practising 

 journalism. If by an effort and the sacridee of some of the comforts considered 

 necessary by most people of the professional classes he devotes a few odd hours 

 now and then to some original research, he finds very few to consider it seriously; 

 some friendly expressions of opinion possibly, but scarcely a reader ; and it counts 

 for nothing, save, perhaps, in enhancing the reputation of his country in other 

 lands where scientific work, no matter in what department, is valued in a due 

 degree. All this must be changed before much progi'ess can he made. No doubt 

 a giant of genius would ignore all obstacles and pui-sue his work regardless of 

 recognition ; but such giants are not to be looked for many times in a century. 

 It should be made possible for a man of fair abilities to receive as much oppor- 

 tunity, encouragement, recognition and i-eward for good work in geography as 

 for good work, let us say, in chemistry or electricity. That is all that can reason- 

 ably be asked, and tliat is what is freelj^ accorded in other countries where the 

 status of the man of science is higher than it is with us. It is here that help 

 may be hoped for from the Scottish Universities in the strength of their new 

 endowments. If a Chair of Geography were in.stituted with the purpose of 

 promoting research first and teaching afterwards, properly equipped with books, 

 maps, and apparatus, and held on the understanding that no outside work was to 

 be undertaken, something might yet be done to restore our country to the 

 position it held a century and a half ago, when a text- book of geography was 

 published without a thought of sarcasm, containing a frontispiece representing 

 * Britannia instructing Europe, Asia, Africa, and America in the Science oi 

 Geography.' 



The following Papers and Report were read : — 



» 



1. Martin Behaim of Nilrnherg, 1459-1507. By E. 6. Ravenstein. 



Martin Behaim of Niirnberg fills a place of some prominence in the history of 

 geography on three grounds : firstly, the famous historian Joao de Barros, 

 writing in 15.39, tells us that he was a pupil of Ilegiomontaniis,and was appointed 

 jointly with Master Rodrigues and Master .losepo, a member of a committee who 

 devised a method of ' navigating by the sun,' which hud become necessary since 

 the Portuguese had crossed the equator, and left behind them the pole star to 

 determine their latitude ; secondly, Behaim claims to have commanded a vessel 

 in Cao's memorable second expedition ; and thirdly, during a visit to Niirnberg, 

 in 1490-1493, he superintended the manufacture of a terrestrial globe, which sur- 

 vives to this day, and is the most ancient geographical monument of that kind in 

 existence. As to the first point we may well doubt whether Behaim was a pupil 

 of the great Franconian astronomer, for Regiomontanus left Niirnberg in July 

 1575, and Behaim was intended for a commercial and not for a scientific career. 

 We know, on the other hand, that Jose Visinho, the Josepo of de Barros and a 

 pupil of the astronomer Zacuto of Guimaraes, actually did translate the ' Aimanach 

 Perpetuum' of his master (it was printed at Leiria in 1496), and in 1484 under- 

 took a voyage to the Guinea coast for the especial purpose of determining the 

 latitudes with the aid of the astrolabe and the tables of the declination of the sun, 

 furnislied by Zacuto. Beliaim may have accompained Jose on this voyage. It 

 has bfen suggested that he introduced into the Portuguese navy an ' improved ' 

 astrolabe, the cross-stati' or the ' Ephenierides ' of Regiomontanus ; but these are 

 mere idle conjectures. 



Nor can we admit that Behaim was a member of Cao's second expedition, 

 which left Lisbon towards the close of 1485 and was back before August 1480. 

 Behaim's own account we gather from the legends on his globe and information 

 evidently communicated by him to Hartmann Schedel, the compiler of the well- 



