St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-11-15
A Century of rlap-riaking.

Whoever is privileged to look upon a
good map OF the world. drawn in the
first year Of the present century, and one
drawn in the last year of the nineteenth
century, will perceive many changes, the
greatest being the substitution of occu-
pied spaces Tor those that were blank
hundred years ago.
In the year 1900 Africa was an I'M
known world to the map maker. He
could drawn the indefinite boundaries of
countries around the shore. Vast regions
OF Interior Asia were guessed at by the
chart instructor. In the beginning OF
the century no certain and definite course
of the Mississippi river could be depicted
on the map of North America and of the
United States, nor for severalyears after
ward of the Missouri. The continent of
South America was known only in out
line. Oceanic was recently discovered
continent, and, in fact, new islands have
been found within the past year.
The great changes in the map began well
within the century. The map of the
United States began to assume some
thing like it's present shape after Lewis
and Clarke's return in 1906. African ex-
ploration, and with it's maps of interior
Africa, began with Mungo Park in 1906.
The survey Of India by the British began
in 1900. The distinctions between land
and water ice and rock, began to be set
down on maps in the Arctic regions in
1929 by Perry's exhibition. The Antarc-
tic continent went on the map in 1880.
What may be called the general outlines
OF the continents were fairly defined dur
ing the first half OF the present century.
The more perfect work of the interior ex-
ploration and mapping has been done in
the last half century. The basin of the
Nile and the sources of the White Nile,
unknown for 1000 years, were found in
1857. Lake Nyanza never went on a
map till after that year. Sir Richard
Burton made his trip to Mecca and
Medina in 1853 and furnished the first
correct geographical information con-
corning that region in 1853. A typo
graphical survey of Palestine and Syria,
the oldest known portions of the old
world, was made in 1865. and more was
learned of the country than probably the
wise King Solomon knew.
And who in this century of exploration
and defining of boundaries and setting OF
stakes has done the work? The four or
tive conquering and expanding nations,
the white races. Africa and Asia and
Oceanca have not explored or mapped
themselves. Europe and America have
done the work, Russia and England,
moving respectively from the north and
south, have measured and planted Asia
between them. Great Britain, Germany
and France have passed with compass
| and surveyors chain over Africa. The
Americans have remained in the hands Of
their owners at the beginning of the
century, save that Portugal and Spain
have yielded South America to its native
people.
The map makers of the world in the
past century have been England, Russia
Germany and the United States. At the
opening century France aspired to re.
arrange the map of Europe, but was
obliged to relinquish that design and her
acquired possessions. The other powers
have taken the first places. The flag Of
Great Britain has advanced in all lands
and all waters. Russia has spread like a
cloud over Northern and Central Asia
and now threatens further advances in
China. Germany has risen to a first
place in Europe and plants her colonies in
Africa and Asia, and the United States
carries its dominions by purchase so far
to the north and west that the sun goes
down upon its domain, and by conquest
becomes successor TO the kingdom of Spain
in the West and East Indies.
Thus the map of the world has changed
in the last hundred years. 1t has been a
story of expansion and of consolidation.
Those who have discovered have retained.
Those who have constructed and i'm
proved have entered into the fruit of
their labors. 1t has been a survival of
the strongest and, doubtless, the fittest.
Il Kansas City Star.