386 THE FUNCTION AND FIELD OF GEOGRAPHY. 



known, regions of the globe. Let us briefly refer to the problems 

 remaining to be solved in this direction. Turning to the continent of 

 Asia, we find that immense progress has been made during the past 

 sixty years. In the presidential address given sixty years ago, already 

 referred to, Mr. Hamilton says of Asia: "We have only a very general 

 knowledge of the geographical character of the Burman, Chinese, and 

 Japan Empires; the innumerable islands of the latter are still, except 

 occasionally, inaccessible to European navigators. Geographers hardly 

 venture on the most loose description of Tibet, Mongolia, or Chinese 

 Tartary, Siam, and Cochin China." Since then the survey of India, 

 one of the greatest enterprises undertaken by any State, has been 

 completed and is being rapidly extended over Burma. But I need not 

 remind you in detail of the vast changes that have taken place in Asia 

 during these years and the immense additions that have been made to 

 our knowledge of its geography. Exploring activity in Asia is not 

 likely to cease, though it is not to be expected that its inhospitable 

 center will ever be so carefully mapped as have been the mountains of 

 Switzerland. 



The most important desiderata, so far as pioneer exploration in Asia 

 is concerned, may be said to be confined to two regions.^ In soutbern 

 and central Arabia there are tracts which are entirely unexplored. It 

 is probable th?.c this unexplored region is in the main a sandy desert. 

 At the same time it is, in the south at least, fringed by a border of 

 mountains whose slopes are capable of rich cultivation, and whose sum- 

 mits the late Mr. Theodore Bent found, on his last and fatal journey, to 

 be covered with snow. In exploration, as in other directions, it is the 

 unexpected that happens; and if any traveler cared to face the diffi- 

 culties — physical, political, and religious — which might be met with in 

 southern and central Arabia, he might be able to tell the world a sur- 

 prising story. 



The other region in Asia where real pioneer work still remains to be 

 done is Tibet and the mountainous districts bordering it on the north 

 and east. Lines of exploration have in recent years been run across 

 Tibet by Eussian explorers like Prejevalsky, by Eockhill, Prince Henry 

 of Orleans and Bonvalot, by Bower, Littledale, Wellby, and Malcolm. 

 From the results obtained by these explorers we have formed a fair 

 idea of this, the most extensive, the highest, and the most inhospitable 

 plateau in the world. A few more lines run in well-selected directions 

 would probably supply geography with nearly all she wants to learn 

 about such a region, though more minute exploration would probably 

 furnish interesting details as to its geological history. 



The region lying to the north of the Himalayan range and to the 

 south of the parallel of Lhasa is almost a blank on the map, and there 

 is ample room here for the enterprising pioneer. The forbidden city of 



^ For_ part of what follows witli reference to Asia I am iutlebted to a valuable 

 jngmorandum on the subject drawn up by the late Mr. Ney Elias. 



