The Material Creation Being A Compendious System Of Universal Geography And Popular Astronomy Volume 1 Devoted To Geography PDF Download

Excerpt from Universal Geography, Vol. 1: Or a Description of All Parts of the World, on a New Plan, According to the Great Natural Divisions of the Globe; Accompanied With Analytical, Sypnotical, and Elemetary Tables The design of the present Work is, to bring together, in a series of historical discourses, the whole of Ancient and Modern Geography, in sock a manner as to furnish the reader with a lively picture of the whole terraqueous globe, with all its different countries - the memorable places which they contain - the tribes of men by which they have been successively peopled, and those which at the present moment are its inhabitants. It appears an immense undertaking, when we consider how many varied details require to be combined in a work of moderate size. It might even appear rash in its nature, when we contemplate the characters of the different subjects embraced in it - subjects which have usually been consigned to erudite rather than to elegant pens, and have been regarded as susceptible of no brilliancy of literary composition, or depth of philosophical remark. The diffidence which the prospect of so many difficulties naturally creates, has, however, yielded to a thorough conviction, that the science of geography admits of being made very different from what it now is. We have thus reasoned: Is not geography the sister and the rival of history? If the one enjoys the empire of universal time, does not the other rightfully claim that of place? If the one has the power of recalling past generations, should not the other exert that of fixing in one scene the shifting pictures of history, by delineating to the mind the permanent theatre of the poor and brief transactions of mankind, strewed with the wrecks of numerous empires; and describe the course of nature, constantly occupied in repairing, by its beneficial operation, the ravages arising from human discord? Does not a description of the globe intimately connect itself with the study of human nature, human manners, and human institutions? Does it net offer information of the utmost importance to the political sciences? Is not this department always brought fully into view before a complete form can be given to any branch of natural history? And does it not supply literature with a boundless treasure of feelings and of images? These considerations have cherished in our minds the hope of raising for geography a monument not worthy to rank along with the pleasing compositions by which history has been adorned. Many long years would indeed be requisite to confer on such a work that degree of perfection which it is natural to desire. In publishing it in a state short of this, we find ourselves excused by the urgent demands made on us for a "Treatise on Geography." The attempt now laid before the public will, we hope, with all its imperfections, satisfy the wishes of those who complain that there is an absolute want of a work by which geography may be learned, without the risk of contracting a permanent disrelish for this branch of instruction. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.