Correspondence 



53 



the land is wonderfully rich. The rainfall 

 throughout Lower California is sparse. Prac- 

 tically nothing of real value has been written 

 on the country. Mr J. B. Lippincott, engineer 

 Reclamation Service, Los Angeles, California, 

 probably knows more about the country than 

 any one else. 



St Louis, Mo., November 21, '05. 

 Editors National Geographic Magazine. 



Dear Sirs : Is not the statement by Sir 

 William Wharton in the November number, 

 page 4S8, that the circumference of the earth 

 is 21,600 miles in error? Is it not about 

 25,000? 



Yours truly, A. W. D. 



The equatorial circumference of the globe 

 is approximately 21,596.11 geographical or 

 nautical miles or 24,900 statute miles. The 

 polar circumference is approximately 21,534 

 geographical or nautical miles or 24,818.64 

 statute miles. 



Gallup, New Mexico, December 20, 1905. 

 Editors National Geographic Magazine. 



Dear Sirs : Will you kindly advise me of 

 the name of the most complete and reliable 

 book or books on geology? 



Yours truly, G. Mulholland. 



Joeph Le Conte : "Geology." New edition, 

 edited by II. L. Fairchild. 1903. D. Apple- 

 ton & Co. $3.00. 



T. C. Chamberlin and R. D. Salisbury: 

 "Geologv." 2 vols. Henry Holt & Co. 1904. 

 $4.00. 



Plainfield, N. J., December 7, 1905. 

 Editors National Geographic Magazine. 



Dear Sirs : Will you kindly inform me 

 what is the highest latitude that has been 

 reached by any explorer in search of the 

 North Pole? 



Yours truly, 



Ernest R. Ackerman. 



Abruzzi, 86° 33', 1900. 

 Nansen, 86° 14', 1895. 

 Peary, 84° 17', 1900. 

 Greely, 83° 24', 1882. 



GEOGRAPHICAL SQUIBS 



First Explorer: "We are in terrible 

 straits. The supply of champagne is re- 

 duced to 13 cases, the cigars are nearly 

 gone, and the mineralogist is half dead with 

 gout." "Cheer up, old man, the third relief 

 party is due this month." — Life. 



"Which is farther away," asked the 

 teacher, "England or the moon?" 



"England!" the children answered quickly. 



"England?" she questioned. "What makes 

 you think that?" 



" 'Cause we can see the moon and we 

 can't see England," answered one of the 

 brightest of the class. 



Little Rob was the prize geographer of 

 his class; that is, he could locate cities and 

 bound countries with great glibness. He 

 could draw the most realistic maps, print- 

 ing in the rivers, mountain ranges and cities 

 from memory. Rob considered geography 

 purely in the light of a game, in which he 

 always beat, but he never associated it with 

 the great world about him. Rivers to him 

 were no more than black, wiggly lines; cities 

 were dots, and states were blots. New York 

 was green, Pennsylvania was red, and Cali- 

 fornia was yellow. Of course, Rob had 

 never traveled. He was born in a canyon 

 near the country school he attended. One 

 day the teacher made the discovery of Rob's 

 idea of geography through the following 

 incident: After vainly inquiring of several 

 of the children where British Columbia is 

 located, she called on Rob, who, as usual, 

 was waving his hand excitedly, wild with 

 the enthusiasm of pent-up knowledge. 



"It is on page 68," he declared. 



After the roar had subsided the teacher 

 explained that that was only a picture of 

 British Columbia. Then she asked Rob to 

 bound British Columbia. 



"Can't, teacher; it's all over the page." 

 — Success Magazine. 



Fred B. Smith, the Y. M. C. A. worker, 

 who has just returned from a trip around 

 the world and who remained in Washington 

 several days last week, tells a good story 

 of Australia. Before he started, he told 

 a friend of his proposed trip and said that 

 he planned to visit Australia last. 



"That's good," remarked the friend. "Be- 

 cause an American always feels at home 

 there." 



The traveler met another friend in Eng- 

 land and told of his prospective visit to 

 Australia. 



"Yes, that's fine," was the comment. "An 

 American always feels at home in Aus- 

 tralia." 



Meeting another friend from this country 

 in India, he stated that he intended to visit 

 Australia and then go home. 



"When you get to Australia, you will feel 

 as if vou were home," remarked the friend. 



"Why is it that Australia is so much like 

 America, as every one tells me?" asked Mr 

 Smith. The friend thought a moment, 

 rubbed his hands together briskly, and re- 

 plied: 



"Well, they brag down there just the same 

 as we do in America." — Washington Star. 



