TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 659 



I should like to see a Geographical Society in every large city of this Empire, 

 conducted on the lines I have briefly suggested, because the study of, and interest in, 

 the commercial geography of this great Empire and the world is too much neglected 

 amongst us. Past prosperity, and a tendency to run in the same groove, narrow 

 our commercial horizon. Slowly but surely other nations, competing with us in 

 many parts of the world, are doing so successfully because of the study they make 

 of commercial geography. 



It is for this reason I have in my address dwelt strongly upon the question and 

 study of geography as an applied science, and it is for a greater reason I urge 

 its importance, viz., that we may hand down to our children unimpaired the herit- 

 age bequeathed us by our forefathers ; a heritage gained by courage, energy, per- 

 severance, and patriotism — qualities which, under God's blessing, have made this 

 nation the head of the commerce of the world. 



The following Papers were read : — 



1. Cyprus} By General Sir Robert Biddulph, G.G.M.G. 



2, The Congo Eailway.^ By Captain This. 



3. The Physical Basis of Commercial Geography. 

 By Hugh Robert Mill, D.Sc, F.B.S.E. 



A necessary preliminary to the study of commercial geography is a full acquain- 

 tance with topography, especially with the names and positions of all commercial 

 towns. 



A necessary accompaniment to the study of commercial geography is a know- 

 ledge of the ever-varying relations between regions of supply and demand, the 

 incidence of taritTs, and the political and social conditions of countries. 



The physical basis of commercial geography, which underlies and gives unity 

 to the whole subject, is a knowledge of the resources of the earth as regards the 

 various existing forms of matter and modes of energy, the best means of separating, 

 combining, and modifying these so as to produce commodities, and the way in 

 which commodities can be best transported. Commerce being the artificial redis- 

 tribution of the matter and energy of the world, a knowledge of the general pro- 

 perties, and the unchangeable laws of matter and energy should take a chief place 

 in the training of commercial men. A general acquaintance with this practical 

 science, which may be termed Applied P/ii/siograp/ii/, or Practical Earth Knoidcdge, 

 ought to be possessed by all merchants, and a special branch should be familiar to 

 each. Amongst the advantages which would thus be gained are : — 



(1) The merchant would understand the principles of the production and 

 manufacture of his goods. 



(2) He would know in many cases, without aimless and extravagant experi- 



ments, where it is possible to produce any special commodity in great 

 abundance. 



(3) He could, to a great extent, anticipate the frequent changes in staple 

 commodities by knowing what other commodities it is possible to pro- 

 duce in the regions now yielding the staple only. 



(4) He would understand the best and shortest routes between trade centres. 



Illustrations and arguments showing the importance of these statements were 

 given in the paper, and a large map of the commercial development of the world 

 was shown. 



' Published in the Procccdinys of the Royal Geographical Society, December, 1889. 

 * See Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society, October, 1889. 



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