﻿440 Canadian Record of Science. 



century. Had it been as suitable as America or Australia, 

 we may be sure it would not have remained so long 

 neglected and despised by the European peoples as it has 

 done. Unfortunately for Africa, just as it had been 

 circunniavigated, and just as Europeans were beginning to 

 settle upon its central portion and trying to make their 

 way into the interior, Columbus and Cabot discovered 

 a new world — a world as well adapted as Europe for the 

 energies of the white races. The discovery postponed the 

 legitimate development of Africa for four centuries. 

 Nothing could be more marked than the progress which 

 America has made since its rediscovery 400 years ago, and 

 the stagnation of Africa, which has been known to Europe 

 since long before the beginning of history. During these 

 400 years North America at least lias been very thoroughly 

 explored. The two great nations which divide North 

 America between them have their Government surveys, 

 whicli are rapidly mapping the whole continent and 

 investigating its geology, physical geography, and natural 

 resources. 



I need hardly tell an audience like this of the admirable 

 work done by the survey of Canada under Sir William 

 Logan, Dr. Selwyn, and his successor. Dr. George Dawson ; 

 nor should it be forgotten that under the lands depart- 

 ment such excellent topographical work has been carried 

 out Ijy Captain Deville and his -predecessors. Still, though 

 much has been done, much remains to be done. There 

 are large areas wliich have not as yet been roughly 

 mapped. Within quite recent years we have had new- 

 regions opened up to us by the work of Dawson and 

 Ogilvie on tlie Yukon, Dr. Bell in the region to the south 

 of Hudson bay, by the brothers Tyrrell in the barren 

 lands on the west of the same bay, by O'Sullivan beyond 

 the sources of the Ottawa, and by Low in Labrador. 



But it is not so long since that Dr. Dawson, in review- 

 ing what remains to be done in the Dominion in the way 



