TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 791 



globe and treating them as though they are of the same character ; this is certain 

 to confuse east and west ■with most children, as one has to be looked at from the 

 outside and the other from the inside in actual fact. Again, as some star charts are so 

 made that they may be looked at from above and others from below, causing the east 

 and west points to differ, there is sure to arise confusion. I venture to say that there 

 are few young minds which are not absolutely and hopelessly confused by the use 

 of celestial globes and charts. I believe it to be essential that until the mind is 

 fully trained and developed the stars should be looked at from within and not from 

 without, and it appears to me that all the information which a child can require, 

 apart from practical observation, concerning the phenomena of day and night, the 

 seasons and mouths, the circles and zones, the phases of the moon and eclipses, 

 can be imparted by the use of a lamp with a reflector and two globes, though a 

 good orrery placed in the school for children to examine and observe for themselves 

 would often enable the dull ones to keep up with the rest more easily. 



It will be interesting to note whether the class of error alluded to does not arise 

 principally among those bred in towns, and who have not had an opportunity of 

 developing their observation in the country; as with those who do use their observa- 

 tion a habit is acquired of unconsciously working out questions which arise, and the 

 mind arrives at a correct conclusion. This end should be the great aim and object in 

 instructing in geography, for as there is no royal road to knowledge divested of 

 grind and pain, there is yet the path which provides the greatest amount of result 

 with the least amount of grind, in which all the labour expended is productive, and 

 in which after a time labour even becomes a pleasure. 



It seems very desirable that the first maps presented to a child, viz., those of 

 the school grounds and the parish, should be placed on the floor and properly 

 oriented ; this will go far to fix the correct positions of east and west, north ani 

 south, and will prevent the idea of the north necessarily being up and the south down. 

 It is to be observed that if the child looks up to a map it is almost equivalent 

 to looking at the map when lying on the back, iu which case the east and west are 

 inverted. The motion of the sun over the map might with advantage be pointed 

 out at various times of the day, and if the position of the rays of the sun on the 

 floor when on the meridian could be shown each day when practicable on the line 

 drawn north and south, it would do much to fix in the mind the fact that the sun 

 is in the meridian at apparent noon each day. A sundial should also be available 

 in every school-yard to which children may have access. 



The map of the district round the school should only be made use of in order 

 to clear the way to understand what a map is, for reference in describing other 

 maps and for practical purposes in giving the child useful information as to the 

 places in the neighbourhood. While this is going on the child should be taught to 

 point out the actual directions in space of the principal towns, &c., in the county 

 and island, and then an outline map of the British Isles with the principal places 

 and features marked on it should be brought under review. Too much detail 

 should not be crammed into the early lessons ; a good firm foundation is required, 

 something to start upon before the great test of faith is made in teaching, viz. that 

 the world is round. 



Children should be taught, as far as is practicable, to make this discovery for 

 themselves, and many will arrive at it one way or another, or think they do so, 

 which is equally important. It is far better they should grasp truths themselves 

 than have them drummed into them ; it gives them confidence in their own deduc- 

 tions and leads to further observation of nature. In introducing the world as round, 

 a blackboard globe should be used, about three feet in diameter, on which the con- 

 tinents are outlined boldly in red, with some meridians and parallels of latitude 

 in white. It would be well if a portion of this globe could be taken to pieces to 

 show how a horizontal sundial for the particular latitude is constructed, and for other 

 matters of interest. It is material to show that the earth revolves on a fixed axis 

 from day to day, and in one direction. All the great difficulties in learning geo- 

 graphy are at the threshold of the science for those who have not observed nature •, 

 the more abstruse subjects are comparatively easy to teach. 



The first difliculty common to all is that with reference to latitude and longitude, 



