THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY 



The Forthcoming Course op Lectures on the Effects of Geoorai'hic 

 Environment in Developing the Civiijzation of the World 



As supplementary to the general synopsis of this Course, pub- 

 lished in the January number of The National Geographic 

 Magazine, the following special s3niopses have been furnished 

 by the different lecturers : 



March 1. Tlie Effect of Geographic Environment in lite Development oj 

 Civilization in PreJiistoric Man, by Hon. Gardiner G. Hubbard. 



The civilization of mail did not originate from witliin, bnt has ever been 

 the effect of geograpliic environment, pressing from withont. 



While civilization has been on the whole beneficial, yet every advance 

 has been accompanied by suffering and death. Man was originally sub- 

 ject to nature and depended on nature for his food and habitation, and 

 was even less provided than many other animals. 



The joy and suffering of the savage were less than those of civilizod 

 man, for care and responsibility come with civilization. 



Civilization has never advanced steadily in any country or any age. 

 After remaining stationary for ages and often retrograding, beginning in 

 the Orient it has gradually traveled westward, save in its early progress 

 to China in the east and to Egypt in the south. 



Nearly three-fourths of the earth have always been and are now occu- 

 pied by savages or barbarians and nomad races. Three-fourths of the 

 population are civilized and occupy the remaining quarter of the globe. 



The earliest remains of man are found in banks of rivers and in caves 

 in England and France, and are accompanied by bones of animals, either 

 long since extinct or now living in the arctic or torrid zones, showing the 

 great antiquity of man, and his manner of life and implements of offense 

 and defense. 



Savage and barbarous nations obtain all their food from nature, and, 

 like many animals, have no care or thought for the morrow ; this un- 

 certainty of life leads to recklessness and idleness. 



The first step in advance seems to have been made by the inhabitants 

 of central Asia, where the geographical environment furnished induce- 

 ment for the life of the nomad, for here was the home of the sheep, goat, 

 and horse. Tliey were obliged to care for their fiocks morning and night, 

 and in summer provide for winter. Thus they were trained in ways un- 

 known to the savage, and took the first step toward civilization. These 



