TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 755 



Dr. Sambon, Dr. JMurie and Mr. Louis took part. Slatin Pasha also gave an 

 interesting account of his escape from the Sudan. Later in the day General Chap- 

 man read a paper on the Mapping; of Africa, and a committee having been ap- 

 pointed to consider the question, the follo%ving resolutions were carried unanimously 

 by the Congress at a later meeting : 



' That it is desirable to bring to the notice of the Geographical Societies 

 interested in Afirica the advantages to be gained : — 



(1) By the execution of accurate topographical surveys based on a sufficient 



triangulation of the districts in Africa suitable for colonisation by 

 European.s. 



(2) By encouraging travellers to sketch areas rather than mere routes. 



(3) By the formation and publication of a list of all the places in unsurveyed 



Africa, which have been accurately determiued by astronomical obser- 

 vations, with explanations of the methods employed. 



(4) By the accurate determination of the position of many of the most important 



places in unsurveyed Africa, for which operation the lines of telegraph 

 already erected, or in course of erection, afford great facilities.' 



Only one section met in the afternoon, at which Professor Pettersson's scheme 

 for further international work in the North Sea was considered. A resolution to 

 the following effect was passed by the Congress on its last day of meeting: 



' That the Congress recognises the scientific and economic importance of the 

 results of recent research in the Baltic, the North Sea, and the North Atlantic, 

 especially with regard to fishing interests, and records its opinion that the survey 

 of these areas should be continued and extended by the co-operation of the different 

 nationalities concerned, on the lines of the scheme presented to the Congress by 

 Professor Pettersson.' 



On Thursday, Mr. 0. E. Borchgrevink read an interesting paper, in which be 

 described liis antarctic voyage. Professor Kan then read a paper on New Guinea, 

 and Mr. Lindsay discussed future exploration in Australia. One of the sectional 

 meetings was devoted to cartography ; Professor Elisee lieclus reading a paper on 

 a proposed terrestrial globe on the scale of 1 : 100,000. In the other section, Dr. 

 Naumann compared the fundamental lines of Anatolia and Central Asia, and Mr. 

 Henry G. Bryant gave an account of observations on the most northern Eskimo, 

 chiefly made during the Peary Relief Expedition. 



Friday's papers were of interest mainly to specialists. The general session dealt 

 chiefly with ancient maps, a paper by Baron Nordenskiold being presented bj' the 

 President, and a very valuable discussion of the origin of the sea-mile, given by 

 Professor H. Wagner. The sections had papers on spelseology and mountain 

 structure, and on the geographical nomenclature and the morphology of the earth, 

 by Professor Penck. 



On Saturday only one paper was read, by General Annenkoff, on the importance 

 of geography in the present agricultural and economical crisis. A series of resolu- 

 tions, drawn up by the various committees or submitted by private individuals, 

 were put to the meeting. The President then delivered a short concluding address, 

 and dissolved the Congress. 



Experience had shown that if the Congress were divided into a large number of 

 sections, papers would be brought forward dealing with points of detail, and larger 

 questions, which alone ought to be considered on such an occasion, would not 

 receive a proper amount of attention. The plan was therefore adopted of having 

 a morning meeting of the whole Congress, and in the afternoon having only two 

 sectional meetings. During the time when the Congress was being organised a 

 limited number of subjects were especially selected as being suitable for treatment 

 at great international gatherings, and a number of gentlemen were approached to 

 ascertain whether they would be willing to read papers thereon. These special 

 papers formed the basis of the work of the meeting. 



A consultative body was appointed at the Congress consisting of all the 

 acting Vice-Presidents, gentlemen nominated as representing all countries and as 

 especially qualified to consider every geographical subject. This consultative 



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