Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1897-04-16
AUSTRALASIA.
Conflict OF Authority a- go the Tcfris
fnrx

toSt ~ hncluOcss
learned society is rather unfortu-
nate. to say the least, when it is I'M
able 10 tell what it's name means. This
IS The dilemma Of the Royal Geograph-
icai scc'ctv &c Australasia. 1t asked the
International Ce0graphical congress
in Lccdon last year To give ap answer
10 Use question: Whut is the true def
i:tion of the term Australasia? The
Congress. heihg very busy with other
iaatters, had no time for this conun-
CTum. and the question is still unan-
Swcrcd.
The Australian geograPhcrs decline
10 accept the British definition of the
word as given i'm the imperial statute.
which declares that 1.-THE term Austral<
asia shall signify and incihde New Zea-
land nnd Tasmania as well us AUS
tralia." Why. ask the Australasia ge-
ograpbers, should New GU;tea. Fiji,
New Caledonia and the other islands Of
the South seas be excluded? In fact,
no geographical society and few writ
Sfs accept the British definitions; but
confusion arises because everybody
Uses the word according 10 his own idea
OF what il embraces. The Australians
themselves have tired in vain TO reach
a common understanding. A geegraph-
ical conference at Melbourne in 1881
argued the question, but failed 10 at
s1ia aty conclusion, and none has been
arrived at since. though the great So
ciety, with It's branches in ali the lead
ing colonies, said in its memorial to the
London congress that 1--WE consider it
a matter Of dailyinercasing impor-
tance."
Tho fact is, there arc few accepted
Boundaries for parts of the world con-
sidered in q geographical instead of q
political sense. What is the Gcograph-
zeal, the so-called natural, division be
tween Europe and Asia in the south
cast? One famous authority says ii is
the Manytsch depression north of the
Caucasus; another, that it is the line
following the crest Of the main eau
casus range, and still another, that il
is the southern boundary Of Trans
faucasia; and the latest edition of "Be-
vollkerung der Erde," which deals with
the matter, gives three determinations
Of the total area of Europe, according
as one or other of these boundary lines
ts accepted.
There is no agreement even % TO the
number of continents, for some dis
tinguished writer's recognize only
three, Euro-Asio, Africa and America;
and when they talk of the great d.
visions Of the land surface the number
varies from five to eight, according to
diff ut writer's. Perhaps in only one
respe, is this n matter of much impor-
thnce. When writer or speaker re-
fers 10 legion it is highly desirable
10 know how much Of the carth's sur
face he Incl ldes under the name.
Cptil half century ago there was
much confus IN in books and aliases
with regard u, he names and extent
of the various occans- The Royal Geo
graphical society Of To. appointed
committee In 1S45 10 settle these mat
tiers, and the conclusions reached by the
committee, with some notifications,
We're generally accepted and have
proved advantageous. There is much
less confusion with regard to the names
and extent Of land surfaces, but such ms
exists Is not likely to be re1netiied unless
some authoritative tribunal takes the
matter In hand and the rest Of the world
accepts it's dccisions.-N. y. Sun.