On the Natural Boundaries of Empires. 99 



Art. XIV. — On the Effect of the Physical Geography of 

 the World on the Boundaries of Empires / by John Finch, 

 F. B. S., M. S. D. &.C. etc. 



Essay, Part II.— Continued from Vol. XIV, p. 18. 



To acquire a true knowledge of the history of nations, 

 we must first study the physical structure of the soil. 



This is the leading feature, on which the historical details 

 are nearly always dependant. 



Mountains, seas, lakes, and deserts, form natural divisions 

 on the surface of the earth, which serve as boundaries to the 

 several nations, and beyond which they can seldom pass with 

 impunity. It is not in the contest between nations as on the 

 chequered table of the chess board, where there are no nat- 

 ural defences, and a plain field of battle lies open to the 

 combatants ; on the surface of the world, the natural bar- 

 riers between nations, restrain them when prosperous, and in- 

 clined to invade their neighbours, and serve as a protec- 

 ting shield in adverse fortune. 



These natural barriers separate nations, not only by the 

 amount of physical force which it requires to pass them, 

 but also because the nations, which they surround, have 

 each their peculiar habits, customs, and feelings, which ren- 

 ders it diflBcult for them to coalesce with the surrounding- 

 states. To form a permanent empire, there must be some 

 common feeling to unite the people under its sway; as all 

 governments are founded, more or less remotely, on the 

 opinions of the people, where they are established. 



In order to impress these facts on the mind, read an ac- 

 count of the boundaries of any nation of ancient times, let 

 us take Csssar's description of the limits of the Helvetii. 

 " Undique loci natura Helvetii continentur ; una ex parte, 

 flumine Rheno latissimo atque altissimo, qui agrum Helve- 

 tium a Germanis dividit : altera ex parte, monte Jura altissi- 

 mo, qui est inter Sequanos et Helvetios ; tertia, lacu Lema- 

 no, et flumine Rhodano, qui provinciam nostram ab Hel- 

 vetiis dividit." — Jul. Cces. Co7nm. 



Or examine a map of the kingdoms of the world as they 

 were arranged a thousand years ago, and one of the present 

 time ; you will find the great political divisions nearly alike. 



In an historial chart, although the divisions do not corres- 

 pond to the relative size of nations, they afford some guide 



