OeograpJiy of the Land. 125 



REPORT— GEOGRAPHY OF THE LAND. 



By Herbert G. Ogden. 



In preparing this first report as one of the vice-presidents of 

 the Society, I have been obliged to interpret the intent of our by- 

 laws in the requirement that the vice-presidents shall present at 

 the end of the year summaries of the work done throughout the 

 world in their several departments. The amount of information 

 that can be accumulated during twelve months, if referred to in 

 detail, is simply appalling ; to compile it for the Society would 

 be a great labor, and when completed it would be largely the dupli- 

 cation of the work of others, already accessible in the journals of 

 other societies, and in special publications devoted to this and kin- 

 dred subjects. That such a detailed historical joui-nal should be 

 maintained by the Society hardly admits of a question. I had 

 hoped to see one inaugurated during the first year of our work 

 that would have embraced all the departments of the Society : 

 but must confess with some disappointment, to having been too 

 sanguine and to have over-estimated the interest that might be 

 excited in the members of a new organization. We need a jour- 

 nal of the kind for reference ; for our associates, ourselves, and 

 our many friends we hope to attract by the information we may 

 supply them. But it cannot well be compiled by one man en- 

 gaged upon the every-day affairs of life, and I have not made any 

 attempt in that direction, even in those matters circumscribed by 

 the section of the Society under my charge. 



I have found little in the affairs of Europe that it seems neces- 

 sary to bring to your attention ; indeed, the past twelve months 

 seem quite barren of any great events in the progress of Geo- 

 graphic knowledge. This, perhaps, is to be expected at intervals 

 of longer or shorter periods, as it is governed by peoples of the 

 most advanced civilization, who have availed themselves of all 

 the progress of science to explore and develop the land on which 

 they live, until there is little left of nature to be learned, unless 

 science shall determine new truths to bind by stronger links the 

 truths already found. We may. look for the greatest changes 

 here, both now and in the future, in the work of man pressing on 



