North
America and the Atlantic ocean are the field of action in both cases.
These maritime explorers opened up the geography of this hemisphere at
its most interesting stage. No part of the Atlantic ocean or of its
North American coasts was overlooked by the navigators. The climate,
vegetation and people upon its islands and coasts were curious objects
to European adventurers. The first pioneers surveyed the eastern coast
and the adjacent interior of a new continent, with its bays, rivers,
forests, and mountains. The stories themselves are not intelligible
without full geographical explanations, and the personal interest in
the narratives throws a peculiar charm upon the geography.
The _Mississippi valley_ is a great field for both history and
geography. It is one of the striking physical features of North
America and the best of stories find their setting in this environment.
Not a great river of this region but is the scene of one of the
stories. The lakes and streams were the natural highways of the
explorers and settlers. The mountains obstructed their way, presenting
obstacles but not limits to their enterprise. The great forests housed
their game, concealed their enemies, and had to be cut down to make
space for their homes and cornfields.
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