842 REPORT— 1893. 



plain of slight elevation, which emhracea a strip of forest-clad ' Tsrai ' and a more 

 open country further south. Over a great part savannahs of gigantic grass 

 alternate with patches of forest, sal on the higher and lighter soils, and mixed 

 forest fringing the streams. The grass is burnt down annually, and the trees with 

 which it is dotted are usually quick growing and shed their leaves annually, and 

 are thus less affected by the burnings. The tiger, leopard, bear, elephant, rhinoceros, 

 buffalo, bison (so called), pig, and several kinds of deer inhabit the jungles. 

 The peacock, jungle-fowl, florikan, parrots, and a handsome pigeon are the most 

 prominent birds. The rainfall is very great, and the climate unhealthy, though 

 this improves with clearing. The tract is sparsely inhabited, except in the 

 southern and newly-settled parts, by Mechs, a tribe of Mongolian affinities who 

 can thrive in spite of the malaria. They are of wandering habits, cultivating by 

 burning patches of jungle, and moving on to new spots after a few years. Much 

 of the land is very fertile, and well suited for both early and late rice crops. 

 Channels, often of great length, are dug by the Mechs from the numerous streams 

 for the irrigation of the late rice crops, though the tendency of the rivers to deepen 

 their beds in the friable soil is a difficulty to more permanent settlers. The 

 climate and the exposure to raids from Bhutan have kept the country in a 

 backward state. It became British territory as a result of the war of 1864. 

 Much land has since then been settled and tea-gardens opened, especially in the 

 western part ; while within the last three years a large tract of jungle has been 

 provisionally set apart by Government — at the instance of the Rev. A. J. Shields, 

 C.M.S. missionary to the Santals, warmly supported by Mr. D. Sunder, settlement 

 officer at Jalpiguri — for settlement by Santals, who in their hill country south of 

 the Ganges are often unable to obtain sufficient land for cultivation. Forty 

 families were taken up in 1891, the author assisting in their settlement, and still 

 larger numbers have followed since. Although the partial failure of the rains in 

 the first season caused unforeseen difficulties at first, these, it is hoped, are now in a 

 fair way to be overcome. It should be mentioned that a similar experiment has 

 been tried with success in Assam by a Norwegian mission. 



6. The Use of tJie Lantern in Geographical Teaching. 

 Jjij B. Bentham Dickenson, M.A. 



There has been for some years past a growing conviction amongst teachers 

 that they have in the optical lantern a very important auxiliary. In the hope 

 that by united action much valuable time might be saved, a meeting of public 

 schoolmasters was held at Oxford in May of this year, at the invitation of 

 Mr. H. J. Mackinder. 



At this meeting an association for the promotion of geographical teaching 

 was formed and some of its functions discussed. It was hoped that it might 

 ' serve as a medium for disseminating ideas and suggestions for improved methods 

 of teaching geography,' ' that it might approach examining bodies with a view to 

 pointing out how greatly many of the examination papers set lead to keeping the 

 subject at the "cram " level,' that it would naturally take in hand the manage- 

 ment and preparation of geographical lantern-slides, and in time, perhaps, arrange 

 for geographical museums. 



It was agreed that, for the present, the work of the association should be 

 limited to the preparation of lantern-slides for such schools as might wish to use 

 the optical lantern in class teaching. 



At a subsequent meeting held in August at University College School, London, 

 a method of teaching by lantern -slides was discussed, and the character of the 

 slides to be prepared determined. 



The object of this paper is to bring the newly formed association under the 

 notice of those interested in the teaching of geography, to give some account of 

 the work upon which it is now engaged, and to exhibit a few of the slides 

 prepared under its auspices. 



i 



