700 REPORT— 1897. 



any longer necessary. Even in England and America, during the last thirteen 

 years, geography has done work enough to prove that she has a mission which no 

 other department of research can fulfil. I say thirteen years, because that not 

 only carries us back to the last Canadian meeting of the British Association, but 

 to the year when the Eoyal Geographical Society undertook an inquiry into the 

 position of geography at home and abroad, mainly Avith a view to the improve- 

 ment of geographical education in England. During that time a good deal has 

 been written as to the held and scope of geography, and a good many definitions 

 given. But we really did not require to go to Germany to teach us as to the field 

 and functions of geography. Sixty years ago, the then President of the Hoyal 

 Geographical Society, Mr. William R. Hamilton, delivered the first presidential 

 address ever given at that Societj^, and his conception of the field and aims of 

 geography was as exalted and comprehensive as the most exacting German 

 geographer could wish. It is too long to quote here.' 



It would be difficult to improve upon Mr. Hamilton's definition, and it shows 

 that a correct conception of the wide and important field of geography is no new 

 thing in England. He proceeded to indicate what remained to be done in 

 the field of exploration, and I commend his address to anyone desirous of forming 

 a conception of the vast progress that has been made since it was delivered, 

 sixty years ago. Since I am dealing with definitions, I may be permitted 

 to quote that given by one so severely scientific as General Sir R. Strachey 

 in a course of lectures which he gave at the University of Cambridge in 1888, in 

 connection with the establishment of a lecturership in Geography in that University. 

 * The aim of geographical science,' he says, 'is to investigate and delineate the 

 various features of the earth ; to study the distribution of land and sea, the con- 

 figuration and relief of tlie surface, position on the globe, and so forth, facts 

 which determine the existing condition of various parts of the earth, or wliich 

 indicate former conditions ; and to ascertain the relations that exist between 

 these features and all that is observed on the earth. ... I claim for geography,' 

 Sir 11. Strachey says, ' a place among the natural sciences as supplying the 

 needful medium through which to obtain a connected and consistent conception of 

 the earth and what is on it.' He gives a list of the various matters which, 

 in his conception, it is the business of geography to deal with, and they are 

 varied and important -enough to satisfy the demands of the most exacting. 

 ' These are,' he says, ' the studies through which scientific geography will lead 

 you, teaching you to view the earth in its entirety, bringing together the great 

 variety of objects seen upon it, investigating their connection, and exploring their 

 causes; and so combining and harmonising the lessons of all the sciences whicli 

 supply the key to the secrets of Nature.' - 



I think we may briefly define geography as the science of the topographical 

 •distribution of the great features of the earth's surface and of all that it sustains — 

 mineral, vegetable, and animal, including man himself. In fact, man is the ulti- 

 mate term in the geographical problem, the final object of which is to investigate 

 the correlation between humanity aud its geographical environment. 



I may be pardoned for dwelling at some length on the function and field of 

 geography. It is a subject that has been occupying the attention of geographers 

 in England for some years, and it may not be without interest to our colleagues 

 on this side of the Atlantic to know the conclusions which we have come to. 

 Moreover, it seems necessary to arrive at some clear conception on the matter, 

 with a view to the researches of the future. I say that the subject has been 

 occupying our attention in England for some time ; it has done so, I may say, as 

 a result of the inquiry by myself on the part of the Royal Geographical Society 

 to which I have referred. The object of that inquiry was mainly to collect in- 

 formation as to the position of geography in education at home and abroad. The 

 report which I presented to the Society attracted some attention, and whether as 



> Journal R.G.S. vol. viii. 1838. 



- 'Lectures on Geography delivered before the University of Cambridge.' 

 London, 1888. 



