Geographical Notes

Abstract

THE current number of the Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society contains the report of his first year's work by Mr. Mackinder, the Reader in Geography to the University of Oxford, whose appointment is due to the Society. He describes the year as one of reconnoitre and preparation; nevertheless he delivered forty-two ordinary lectures in the University, and one public lecture; in each of the three terms he lectured for seven weeks twice a week, having two courses going on side by side on different days, to one of which he imparted a scientific, to the other an historical bias. The notices were, by permission of the Board of Faculties, published in the lists of two separate Faculties—Natural Science and Modern History. On the scientific side the lectures have been on the principles of geography—“a review of the subject not merely physical, yet taking the feature, and not the region, as the basis of classification.” This course has not been so well attended as the other, but Mr. Mackinder congratulates himself that he has never been wholly without an audience, “a fate not altogether unknown just now to Oxford Professors and Readers.” On the historical side the lectures were on the geography of Central Europe, and the influence of physical features on man's movements and settlements. “My aim is to furnish general instruction to as large a number as will favour me with their attention; and also to have always round me two or three whom we may style specialists. I can only say that I now see a very fair prospect of obtaining the latter. It may be well to place on record my humble opinion, that the best preliminary training for a geographical specialist is sound grounding in general science, and superadded to this an elementary knowledge of history. I have found by experience that it is exceedingly hard to give the necessary scientific knowledge to an historian” —a somewhat hard saying for the historians. In the coming academical year the lectures will be on the physical geography of continents, the geography of the British Isles, and the historical geography of North America. As Extension Lecturer, Mr. Mackinder has delivered 102 lectures on geography and physiography at various towns throughout the country.