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relief and drainage have profoundly affected the world's history. The three great races, the white, the yellow and the black, found their cradles and areas of characterization in the three great zones which they dominate to-day. The white peoples have always occupied a wedge-shaped territory with its broad end reaching from the North Cape to the northeastern border of the Sahara Desert, the northern and southern boundaries narrowing from thence to their point of convergence in the neighborhood of the Pamir. Lying almost wholly within the temperate zone, with a wonderful diversity of surface, a vast coast line inclosing great inland seas, wide and fertile plains, broad rivers, mountain barriers, steppe and forest lands, this central domain of the white race is in striking contrast on the one hand with the bleak, inhospitable plateaus and the wilderness of forest and marsh that stretches north into the Arctic zone, comprised in the vast area of Siberia, Mongolia and Manchuria, the cradle of the yellow race; and, on the other hand, with the enervating forests of tropical Africa, the home and cradle of the black peoples.

SWARTHMORE COLLEGE, Pa.

SPENCER TROTTER.

THE USE OF GEOGRAPHICAL PERIODICALS.

The journals of various Geographical Societies, which we recommend to the attention of school librarians, contain a great variety of essays that may be made to yield much information pertinent to the needs of the school teacher. For example, the Geographical Journal, the organ of the Royal Geographical Society of London, contains in its January issue A Journey through the Malay states of Trengganu and Kelantan" by Hugh Clifford, illustrated by a number of pictures from photographs, and accompanied by an outline map showing the traveler's route. Now at first sight, this would not appear to be a promising article for a school teacher to read. The region lies on the eastern slope of the Malay peninsula, between latitudes 4° and 6° north. It seems remote, and the essay appears to be much occupied with considerations of a more advanced nature than would be fitting in school work; yet a further inspection reveals many items of immediate application in elementary teaching. They would be acceptable additions to the teacher's store of information if they could be remembered and used at the right time. But memory does not always suffice to preserve definite records; something in the way of permanent notes is needed. Moreover, it is important that the notes taken while reading should be in form for ready use when wanted, without re-copying. Hence I suggest a method of reading and recording that has been very useful in my own work. It is presented here in rough form, in order to persuade the busy teacher that no time need be given to elegance of finish; it is substance, not style that is aimed at.

In the first place let it be remembered that the object of reading is an enrichment of class-room work. The teacher should strive to be able to explain and illustrate every statement of the text-book; and to enlarge and comment upon all the more important passages by narrative and example. As the contents of the text-book are already in mind, let the reading of geographical books and essays be directed to the discovery of items and descriptions that can be related to the text in one way or another; at one time serving slightly to expand a brief statement; at another time, adding a whole new chapter of information. When such material is found, let it be entered in abstract either on blank interleaves of the text-book, or on note slips, such as may be torn from a block of paper of convenient and uniform size. If entered on blank interleaves, the items may be placed close to the paragraph with which they will be used. If entered on separate slips, some system of classified headings must be devised; and these had best be similar to the headings of chapters or divisions in the text. Systematic reading and abstracting is laborious work, but it is extremely profitable. If continued a few years, the teacher will be well repaid, as I know from my own experience, by the fund of valuable and pertinent information that is thus conveniently gathered.

Now returning to Clifford's journey, let us see what items may be gleaned from it. Here are some samples, sometimes abbreviated, sometimes deliberately quoted, and all in the rough order in which they were abstracted. A short reference comes at the end of each, showing its source.

Monsoons.-N. E. monsoon sweeps across China sea, Nov.Feb., causes huge breakers on shore of Malay peninsula and "keeps beaches free from the dismal mangrove swamps which do so much to disfigure the scenery in the straits of Malacca." In N. lat. 4°-6°, beach of bright yellow sand, strewn with marvelous shells, interrupted only by occasional rocky headlands. During this season, navigation of coast exceedingly difficult. Entrance over bars at river mouths possible only at spring tides, and then dangerous if wind strong. From March to October, sea calm, offshore breeze in early morning, on-shore in afternoon. " Morning land wind takes out with it large fleets of native fishing-smacks with their broad palm leaf sails, which in the afternoon are wafted in again by the evening breeze." Fishermen work hard in this season; live rest of year on earnings, repair boats and houses, mend nets, do a little planting. - London Geogr. Journ., '97, 3, 4, 37. (Mem. Put ref. to this under Malay States.)

Malay States.-Inland from east coast, country covered by one enormous forest and tangled jungle. Gigantic trees, 80 feet before branching; among these, “lesser trees push and crush their way upwards, fighting among themselves for every square inch of available space." Like crowd at theatre exit. Brambles, thorns, creepers, and undergrowth twine beneath "in one huge intricate and entangled web." "The whole reeks with the damp smell of rotting and growing green stuff." "There reigns by day a perpetual gloom and silence." "Jungles are dark almost before the sun sinks." Thro forests, a few tracks, the merest foot-paths, run from point to point, kept open by traffic of successive generations of men. An occasional giant tree falls, bearing down adjoining growth, forming barrier 20 feet high; fresh track cut around it. Even the beasts of jungle usually come and go by well-worn paths. Rainfall and dew heavy. "The country consists of a number of small hills, and in the guts between each one of these there is a stream of more or less magnitude." (This seems to mean an upland well dissected by branching valleys.) Leeches are plenty in Travelling is difficult

dank leaves underfoot. No lakes or ponds. on land: hence rivers are chief highways of Malays. Large boats in lower rivers, changed for smaller boats in upper branches. At night, animals of jungle are afoot, and their cries are heard. Tracks of animals going down to water, often six feet wide, as well beaten as bridle paths. Lower Stiu river is infested by crocodiles, much dreaded by natives; may even attack and capsize boats. People mostly live along rivers. One district, near Besut river, devastated by typhoon in 1881; forest blown down, afterwards burned for several miles back from coast; only open place in the region. Much about corruption of officials, taxation, etc. London Geogr. Journ., '97, 15.- (Mem. Refer to this under forests and rainfall.)

Races: Malays. - Details of a barbarous prison; wretched fate of prisoners. Prison is in center of city; an enclosure of boards, ten feet high, surrounding space containing cages for prisoners. Cages with slats of heavy boards, stand in two rows, back to back. Each cage six feet long, two wide, five high; raised six inches above ground. Prisoners are literally never allowed to leave cages until sum of money is paid by family, or until dead. Men, women and children; in 1894, three men died of starvation. Officials and people indifferent to welfare of prisoners. All foul and filthy; no water for bathing. Some prisoners become "absolutely callous and indifferent, expressing no longer any desire to regain their liberty." Dreadful description of inhumanity in a barbarous people. London Geogr., '97, 24-26.

It is manifest from the variety of facts in these extracts that a teacher's resources in the way of narrative description would be readily enlarged if one geographical article were read and noted every week. The usefulness and application of the notes will vary greatly. The item given above about the monsoon and the forest would find ready listeners in a class of young pupils. The account of the prison is too shocking for literal repetition, but a teacher who calls races "barbarous" because she knows that their practices are such as are here described, instead of merely because she has found them so labelled in a text-book, will give an emphasis to her mention of them that will impress her hearers.

Geographical journals are more or less accessible to teachers in large cities through the public libraries. They are less commonly to be found in school libraries than could be wished. In small cities and villages they are rarely seen. In their absence, the editors of this JOURNAL hope to introduce in its pages something of the materials that the larger journals contain, always selecting its articles and abstracts with especial reference to their use by teachers.

HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Cambridge, Mass.

W. M. DAVIS.

NOTES.

The Climate of Alberta. "There is, we believe, great ignorance in this country as to the climate of this remote territory of Canada, and it appears from Dr. R. F. Stupart's remarks, who read a paper on the subject before the Canadian Institute (Trans., October, 1896), that almost as much uncertainty on the subject prevails in the Dominion. Mr. Stupart has studied and analyzed nine years' observations at Calgary and eleven at Edmonton. The difference between the means for the winter months in different years is very striking; for example, in 1891, the January mean was 20.9° at Edmonton, and 27° at Calgary, the former being about that of Toronto, while in 1890 the Edmonton monthly mean was 6.8° below zero, and the Calgary 3.5° below, or somewhere about the mean at Moose Factory, St. James Bay. The normal deduced from the eleven years' observations at Edmonton is 2.7°, and from the nine years' records at Calgary, 9.4°. In February the mean shows the same tendency to great variations. The normal is 5.4° at Edmonton and 12° at Calgary.

"At both stations the winter months are in some years excessively cold, but scarcely a month goes by without one or more intervals when the temperature rises to 40° or sometimes 50°. On seventeen out of the fifty-nine days in January and February the thermometer rises above freezing point at Edmonton, and on twenty-three days in Calgary. On the other hand, at neither station has there ever been a January in which the temperature 57° below have been recorded at With March a marked improve26.8° for Calgary and 23.7° for

did not fall 20° below zero, and Edmonton and 48° at Calgary. ment sets in, and the normal is Edmonton, while in April it rises at both stations to 39.3°. Scarcely a year passes without temperatures of 70° being recorded in this month. On comparing the record with those of other parts

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