Chapter I: Preface

This is not a history of geographical exploration, though the leading episodes in the advance of our knowledge of the face of the Earth are necessarily referred to in tracing the evolution of geography as a department of science. That is the object of this volume as one of a series dealing succinctly with the history of the various sciences. We are not concerned to discuss whether Geography is entitled to be considered as a science or not. It is hoped that in the attempt to tell the story of its evolution up to the present day it will be evident that it is as amenable to scientific methods as any other department of human knowledge, and that it performs important functions which are untouched by any other lines of research. I use the first person plural because I am greatly indebted to Mr. O. J. R. Howarth in coming to my help after I had accumulated much of the material, but was seriously delayed owing to a great increase in my official duties. The greater share of whatever merits the book may possess ought to be awarded to Mr. Howarth.

I am indebted to Mr. E. A. Reeves’s interesting little book on _Maps and Map-making_ for many of the illustrations.

J. SCOTT KELTIE.

_July 2, 1913._

CONTENTS

PAGE
CHAPTER I.

BEGINNINGS 1

CHAPTER II.

THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE GREEKS AND ROMANS 8

CHAPTER III.

THE DARK AGE 33

CHAPTER IV.

THE MEDIÆVAL RENASCENCE 42

CHAPTER V.

PORTUGUESE EXPANSION AND THE REVIVAL OF PTOLEMY 51

CHAPTER VI.

THE NEW WORLD 59

CHAPTER VII.

THE FAR EAST AND THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 68

CHAPTER VIII.

POLAR EXPLORATION TO THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 74

CHAPTER IX.

JAMES COOK AND HIS SUCCESSORS 87

CHAPTER X.

MEASUREMENT, CARTOGRAPHY, AND THEORY, 1500–1800 90

CHAPTER XI.

THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: AFRICAN RESEARCH 107

CHAPTER XII.

THE NINETEENTH CENTURY AND AFTER: ASIA AND AUSTRALIA 115

CHAPTER XIII.

THE NINETEENTH CENTURY AND AFTER: THE POLES 122