TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 701 



Section E.— GEOGRAPHY. 

 Pbksident op the Section— Captain Ettriok Creak, C,B., R.N., F.R.S. 



THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10. 

 The President delivered the following Address : — 



Of the six distinguished naval officers who have previously presided over this 

 Section, four were Arctic explorers; and therefore, possessing personal experience 

 in Arctic regions, they naturally gave prominence to the deeply interesting subject 

 of the past and future of Arctic discovery in their addresses, whilst not forgetting 

 other matters relating to the geography of the sea. The remaining officers, from 

 their immediate connection with all that relates to the physical condition of the 

 ocean, in its widest sense, coupled with the great importance of giving the fruits 

 of their knowledge to the world, took that subject as their principal theme. 



Valuable as are contributions to our knowledge of the physics of the ocean to 

 the world in general, and especially to the mariner and water-borne landsman, 

 I propose to take a different course, and bring to your notice the subject of 

 Terrestrial Magnetism in its relation to Geography. In doing so, I shall endeavour 

 to show that much may be done by the traveller on land and the seaman at sea in 

 helping to fathom the mysteries connected with the behaviour of the freely sus- 

 pended magnetic needle, as it is carried about over that great magnet, the Earth, 

 by observations in different regions, and even in limited areas. 



I would, however, pause a moment to call attention to the presence of several 

 distinguished meteorologists at this meeting, who will surely attract many 

 to the consideration of matters connected with the important science of meteoro- 

 logy, which already occupies considerable attention from travellers. I feel sure, 

 therefore, that geographers will be glad to accord a hearty welcome to the mem- 

 bers of the International Meteorological Congress now assembled in this town, 

 and especially to the foreign visitors who honour us by their presence. 



Some one may ask. What has Terrestrial Magnetism to do with Geography ? 

 I reply, excellent lectures on that subject of growing importance have been given 

 under the direct auspices of the Royal Geographical Society ; one in 1878 by the 

 late Captain Sir Frederick Evans, and another in 1897 by Sir Arthur Rvicker. And 

 I would here quote the opinion of Dr. Mill when defining geography, in my sup- 

 port : ' Geography is the science which deals with the forms of the Earth's crust, 

 and with the influence which these forms exercise on the distribution of other 

 phenomena.' 



"We know now that the normal distribution of the Earth's magnetism for any 

 epoch is in many localities seriously affected accordingly as the nature of the 

 country surveyed be mountainous, or generally a plain, in the form of islands (or 

 mountains standing out of the sea), and from land under the sea. There is also 

 reason to suspect that the magnetism of that portion of the earth covered by ths 



