40 CORRESPONDENCE 



The stronp; point of tlio iirefjent handbook is tliat it does not attempt to liandle 

 diHicnlt scientific ])rohleins. It is adapted to eveiy one's capacity, l)nt it re- 

 quires that tiie pupil ac(iuire habits of accurate observation and logical reason- 

 ing, instead of the inaccurate and illogical processes that so commonly prevail- 

 We believe that it will exert a strong and beneficial influence in the grammar 



and high schools of the country. 



Cleveland Abbe. 



CORRESPONDENCE 



Royal Scorrisii Geographical Society, Queen Strei<:t, 



Ediniu'RGII, Novemher 30, 1S99. 

 The Editor, Tlif Nallnnnl (Hcnyrapliic Matjazine, WaKltington, D. C. 



Dear Sir: In your Noveinl)er number, opposite page 449, you reproduce our 

 maj) of northwest Canada and southwest Alaska, and this map is adduced as 

 a proof that, "even after the Joint High Commi.ssion had been agi'eed ujwn, 

 the best informed British cartographers had not become aware of any conflict- 

 ing claim," referring to the l)oundary between British territory and Alaska. 



First of all, I must admit that the nuij) is very badly printed [in our Maga- 

 zine]. Nevertheless, if Mr Foster had examined it attentively he would have 

 seen that the pink coloring, rei)resenting British territory, extends to the west 

 of the line claimed by the United States; indeed, owing to bad })rinting, it 

 extends over .some of the islands belonging to the United States. Of course, 

 the cojiy in the National (teograimiic Magazine does not show this, being in 

 black and white only. 



We do not discuss at length political questions, but as shown by one or two 

 notes (on page 488, volume xi), we are quite aware of the questions in dispute 

 relating to the boundary and should not publisii a map that was erroneous in 

 this respect unless due, as in this case, to bad printing. 

 Yours very truly, 



W. A. Taylor, 

 Acting Editor, The ScottisJt Geographiad .)f<tg(tzi)ie. 



Tmk Russian Government is making preparation for the construction of a new 

 railway from southern European Russia to Turkestan. This will considerablj' 

 shorten the route from the commercial centers of Russia to Central Asia. 



On Octol)er 24 the government of General Castro announced to the represent- 

 atives of foreign nations its exercise of governmental functions throughout the 

 Republic of N'enezuela. It was recognized as a de facto government by (ireat 

 Bi'itain on November 18 and by the United States on November 21. 



The first grain elevator ever constructed in the Netherlands has just l)een 

 completed at Amsterdam by the municipal government. Its total capacity is 

 from 16,000 to 18,000 metric tons, its maxinuim receiving capacity 440,920 

 pounds per hour, and its discharging capacity, on the harbor side, 220,460 

 pounds Iter hour. 



