New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-10-28
Geography ard Geoxrnphers, Aueiext asA
Modern.

| AT the Academy OF sciences, on M0nGay
| night, October q, DR.. }. +. Walker, chair
man Of the section Of geography and stats
| tics, read a paper under the above title, to
al intelligent: and appreciatiye audience,
including number of ladies. The paper
was an exhaustive essay upon tho topics
! included under the above heading. occupy
/ ing about an hour in the reading.
The speaker described modern geography
! as "a progressive science new discoveries
| continually demanding the correction OF
previous opinions; thence had arisen q
prejudice in The minds OF many parents
against the study Of this branch of learn
! ing, in schools: . prejudice having some
| support in the character Of many Of the
popular text books, not only on this, but
many other subjects.
He objected 60 the res t9icte6 definition OF
OF the Geographical Encyclopedia, which
would apply geography only to mere geo
metrical outline; this being bu: the basis
for more interesting Investigations. hlstori-
cal. political and statistical. He also
pointed GU: the close connection existing
between geography and variou. other
sciences and ologies. including geology,
NEUROLOGY, mineyalogy, neteo1ology. clima
solegy. etc.
The speaker then sketched rapidly :he
progress of the science from the superst-
tons of the days of Homer, some $50 B. G.,
to the discovery OF America. comparing
Ptolemy's map OF the world of $50 3. G.
with one of 1870 IN which japan and Cuba
are represented as side by side and d little
north of America; and these two with the
magnificent, full-sized map OF the present
day, with its oceanic currents, isothermal
lines, etc. He gave the various theories of
Thales. Pythagoras, Copernicus. Calico,
the discoveries of the Greeks, the Romans,
the Arabs, tho iabors of Charlemagne and
Alfred. the claims Of the Danes and the
Norwegians. the influence of the Crusades,
the discovery OF America and the.circ1m-
navigation Of the globe by Magellan IL 1920.
He then dwell more at length upon the
subject Of vnys.ra, eeo2 .sphs. paying in
this connection an eluIuen: tribute 20 tie
memory o. the Iamented Commodore
Maury. tie said tina. his investigations
had shown the physical system OF the earth
to be - chain OF hartnonies intimately con.
nected together, the result Of one grand de.
sign. worked out under ;mnutable Jaws,
for and in accordance with the general
good Of the WHOLE" He spoke OF the ter.
restria! machinery which makes day and
night, seed time and harvest. which lifts
the yapov from the sea. and causes the Cir.
culation Of the waters: attributng to man
such Al direc: agency in controlling these
forces rs to alter climates. change the
course OF winds, increase or diminish rains,
etc. He mentioned the color. pho.phores.
cence, depth and saltness Of the ocean, with
their causes and effects; the various classes
OF rivers and lakes; the mountain chains,
their relations to river syetems and their
relative proportion to the oceans they face:
the various classes Of mountains, especially
volcanoes. those living proofs OF the in
ternal fires OF the globe, whose forces alone
have caused the diversity of the surface Of
the earth, hill and valley. land and water.
Tho subject of clima:ology furnished an
the various causes OF the great variation OF
climate between different places in the
same latitude, the geographical distribution
Of plant. and animals, and the adaptabi.ity
Of man 10 al! climates and elevations. he
alons being cosmopolite in constitution.
The development Of civilization. govern.
ment. language and religion. led 70 con.
siderat!on o! the future Of che Mississippi
Valley. prophesying that with population |
made up q: IL Heterogeneous. commir Cling Of |
the people of all the nation. OF the globe. |
combining the blood Of all the races, speak |
ing all the known tongues and generating |
dioms characteristic Of the eeyera! races |
ana languages. and also oi local peculiar. |
ties. j. mus: eventually develop. not any |
known race in Is individuality, no. any !
Known language in it's purity. bu. by enc }
grand comminsiing Of blood and tongues.
: mas; develop a new world. a new race.
new tongue. and new .oea! syste!n
: hich shall. perhaps cou:co! the destiny Vt
\ - world -