Ceographical Pivot of History 



33 



ing hare is also found in large numbers. 

 Fur-bearing animals are not particularly 

 abundant. 



A good growth of timber surrounds 

 the entire lake, the forest as a whole 

 being of much the same type as that 

 which occupies the greater part of the 

 interior of northern Alaska. The white 

 spruce (Picea canadensis) is the prevail- 

 ing tree, and as a rule it is of very fair 

 size. The average tree is about a foot 

 in diameter, but some are larger ; several 

 measured breast high were found to be 

 over 6 feet in circumference. In moist 

 situations and on comparatively level 

 ground the black spruce (Picea mariana) 

 was found in abundance. The decidu- 

 ous trees, mainly of three species, are 

 scattered through the coniferous forest 

 or gathered in thick clumps. The paper 

 birch (Betula papyrifcra) is perhaps 

 most abundant, but it is not large, being 

 exceeded by the poplar (Populus tricho- 

 carpus). The aspen (Popu/us tremu- 

 loides) is also found in man}'- localities, 

 and the usual alders and willows occupy 

 their respective areas, while smaller 

 boreal plants, moss, lichens, etc., are 

 found in characteristic profusion. 



The entire length of Take Clark we 

 estimated to be between 50 and 60 miles. 

 Its width varies from two to eight or ten 



miles, the widest part being about oppo- 

 site the mouth of the Chulitna River. 

 We made no soundings, but the depth 

 of water must be considerable, particu- 

 larly on the south side, where the moun- 

 tains rise abruptly from the water's 

 edge. According to Schanz, bottom 

 can not be reached in many places within 

 100 fathoms. On the north side, how- 

 ever, it is comparatively shallow. Nu- 

 merous gravelly beaches occur there, and 

 small islands are scattered along near 

 the shore. 



The general contour of the lake, par- 

 ticularly the upper part of it, we found 

 quite different from that usually shown 

 on maps of Alaska, and I have been 

 unable to ascertain the origin of the 

 large T-shaped arm, which does not 

 exist, but which appears on all maps 

 where the lake is indicated at all. Our 

 time was so occupied by other work that 

 we were unable to attempt anything in 

 the nature of an accurate map of the 

 lake, but a few hasty sketches were pre- 

 served. Our photographs were also 

 none too good, as the films were not 

 developed until several months after the 

 exposures were made, and meanwhile 

 were carried in a canoe on a long trip 

 during continuous wet and very stormy 

 weather. 



THE GEOGRAPHICAL PIVOT OF HISTORY 



The Physical Features of the World That Have Been in the Past 

 and Will Be in the Future the Most Coercive of Human Action 



AT a recent meeting of the Royal 

 Geographical Society in London 

 Mr H. J. Mackinder delivered 

 an address on ' ' The Geographical Pivot 

 of History," in which he asserted that 

 the pivot around which the destiny of 

 nations has revolved in the past has been 

 the great steppes of interior Asia — of 

 Siberia and Mongolia — and that the 



history of future centuries will revolve 

 even more dependently around these 

 enormous plains, whether dominated 

 by the Russian, Chinaman, or Japanese. 

 In other words, the social movements 

 of all times, past and future, have played 

 and are to play around the same phys- 

 ical features, the heart of Asia. There 

 is much food for thought for this ap- 



