Gill's Imperial Geography ... Illustrated with ... maps and ... woodcuts ... Revised edition

Preface

TO THE NEW EDITION, 1888 This Text Book has been compiled to furnish a practical manual for teaching the General Geography of the world to pupils of every age, in Colleges and Middle Class Schools. After a long experience, and a must careful investigation of the school literature of the day, we have endeavoured to supply, in this graduated course of study, a Text Book which furnishes those facts only which a pupil should be expected to learn and thoroughly grasp in every stage of his school career. It is, therefore, simply a Practical School Geography and not a Gazetteer, and is no way burdened with the unnecessary facts which unfortunately crowd the manuals of many School Geographies, and too often render the study perplexing, and even unprofitable to the student. In arrang ing the general plan of the work, it has been thought desirable to attach as much importance to the Elementary Definitions and Introduc tory Facts to be learnt by the younger pupil, as to the more extended knowledge of the various countries of the world, which belongs to the work of the more advanced ; hence, it is especially adapted for pupils of every age, and may be used in any class of the school.

In measuring the scope of matter appropriate for Middle Class Schools on this subject, we have carefully reviewed the questions that have been recently given at the Oxford and Cambridge Local Examinations, as well as those set by the Education Department to pupil teachers, and have embodied in the work the facts which appear to us to furnish the kind of knowledge such pupils are expected to know. The teacher, however, who is preparing his pupils for any of these examinations, must not rely on the mere repetition by rote of a number of facts in a mechanical fashion. This at best can only be of partial use. He should systematically give oral lessons on the special features of interest connected with the pupil's daily work, and carefully illustrate the subject by reference to maps and other diagrams.

The candidates, too, should be encouraged to read such works as the travels and discoveries of Livingstone, Baker, Stanley, Cameron, Wallace, and Burnaby. These supply the special knowledge of many interesting countries which the scope of r.o ordinary Text Book could provide, but which most examiners require. In addition to graduating the facts, we have endeavoured to present them in a moie attiactive manner than is usually found in

PREFACE.

. similar works, believing that the eye does more to assist the memory than either of the other senses. Hence, the work is carefully illustrated with a series of valuable Maps and Woodcuts. Much attention, too, has been bestowed on the general appearance of the letterpre-ss. Distin guishing types have been very freely used, and with considerable effect ; thus, the chief features appear in large character, whilst notes, remarks, etymologies, &c, are set in a smaller size. The sixty-seven Maps and numerous Woodcuts found in the work have been most carefully edited and prepared by an able engraver ; and, we trust, will much enchance its value, and be of great benefit to the pupil. These should be constantly and carefully copied in special exercise.books for that purpose. Particular notice has been given, both in the text of the maps and in the letterpress, to districts which recent ■political events have made important ; as, for example, to illustrate the geographical relations between England and Russia in Central Asia, the extent of the British Dominions in South Africa, and the most recent discoveries of Stanley, Livingstone, and Cameron, in Central Africa.

The Statistics have been carefully gathered from the most recent tables bearing authority, published in the various states to which they refer ; and the facts connected with the surface of the different countries have been stated with regard to the most reliable surveys. These will be modified periodically, to keep pace with the newest discoveries and researches, so as to render the work a permanent authority. To further assist the pupil's memory, we have given the aretis and populations of the various countries in round numbers where they are sufficiently approximate. In its preparation we have been aided by the judgment and experience of many practical teachers, especially several masters of Middle Class Schools, for whose valuable assistance we are deeply grate ful ; and, as we wish to establish it as a Standard Text Book in the Middle Class Schools of the country, we trust that all who notice any error or shortcoming in the information given, will at once inform us of its existence, that it may be corrected in future editions.

At the earnest request of many teachers, the earlier portion has been entirely re-written, in order to meet the most modern require ments of the Middle Class School curriculum. in Physical Geography. INDEX PAGE Introduction 5 England and Wales - 34 Scotland 81 Ireland 95 British Possessions 104 Europe 1°8 France 126 Belgium 132 Holland, or the Netherlands 136 Scandinavia 139 Denmark - 143 Russia • 147 The German Empire 153 Austro-Hungarian Empire - 158 Switzerland 163 Spain and Portugal 166 Gibraltar 170 Italy 171 The Maltese Islands 174 Turkey 176 Roumania - 1S1 Servia 182 Montenegro ---- 133 Greece 184 Asia 1S7 Asiatic Turkey 197 Palestine 200 Asiatic Russia 202 Arabia 210 Persia 212 Afghanistan 214 Belooehistan 217 Hindostan 218 Further India 225 The Chinese Empire 229 Japan - ..- 233 Africa - 235 Barbary States 243 Egypt 244 Abyssinia -.-- 247 Senegambia 247 North Central Africa 247 Upper Guinea 248 South Central Africa 250 British Possessions in South Africa 254 Orange Eiver Free State 257 Zulu Land INDEX.

PAGE America 261 British North America 279 Danish North America 279 United States 281 Mexico 289 " Centra] America 291 The West Indies 293 South America 297 Guiana 300 Peru 301 Bolivia 302 Chili 302 Brazil 304 The States of La Plata 306 Uruguay - 308 Paraguay -- - 308 Oceania 310 I. — Malaysia, or the East Tndian Archipelago 310 II. —Australasia 314 III.— Polynesia 323 LIST OF Livingstone R. (Frontispiece) page The World - 13 A Wind Chart 26 The British Isles 35 England— Physical - • 37 Isle of Man .... 40 Thames Basin 45 Severn do. - - - - 45 Trent do. - 47 Ouse do. • 47 South Wales Coalfield - - 51 Lancashire Cotton District - 53 Birmingham and District - 54 London and Suburbs - - 62 England— Railway - - - 63 Do. Political - • 6S Sketch Map— Boston to Brighton 71 Do. Devon and Cornwall 73 Wales 77 Scotland 83 Ireland 96 Europe 109 Do.

Railway - - - 119 France 128 Belgium .... 133 Holland 137 Sweden and Norway - - 140 Denmark -.-- 144 Russia-in-Europe - - - 148 German Empire - - - 154 Austro-Hungarian Empire - 159 Switzerland 164 Spain and Portugal . - - 167 Gibraltar 170 Italy . - - - - 17* MAPS. PAGE Maltese Islands 175 Turkey-in -Europe - - - 177 Greece 185 Asia 191 Asia Minor .... 19s Palestine 201 Russia-in-Asia - - - 203 Central Asia - - - 20S Arabia 211 Persia, &c. - 215 India 219 Further India - - - 226 Chinese Empire - - - 230 Africa 236 Egypt 245 West Coast of Africa - - 249 South Central Africa - . 251 British South Africa - - 255 Zulu Land, Transvaal, &c. - 259 North America - - - 263 British North America - - 269 Dominion of Canada - - 272 Arctic Regions ... 2S0 United States- - - - 2^3 Mexico 290 British West Indies - - 294 South America - - - 29S Brazil 305 Oceania 3U East Indian Archipelago - 313 Australia .... 315 New Zealand - 321 Polynesia ....

Introbitttioir THE EARTH AND THE SUN. 1. Geography1 describes the surface of the Earth. Geography tells us about the shape, size, and motions of the Earth ; the distribution of land and water; the countries into which the Earth is divided ; the cities and towns found in these countries, as well as the people who live in them ; and the oceans and seas our ships are constantly crossing. 2. The Earth in shape is a large round ball or globe. It is, however, not a perfect sphere,2 that is, it is not perfectly round, for it is flattened a little at two of its opposite parts. (See par. 5.) The Sun, too, is round like the Earth, but it is very much larger, being nearly 1,250,000 times as large as the Earth. It appears smaller on account of its immense distance from the Earth— 92-J millions of miles. 3.

The Earth is a Planet3 which revolves around the Sun. The Stars we see in the heavens are divided into Planets and Fixed Stars. The word "planet" means "a wanderer" and the Planets are so called because they move around the Sun. There are more than two hundred Planets known to us, but only five are visible to the naked eye. Of these, Mercury and Venus are nearer the Sun than the Earth, and Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are next in order more distant. Two others, Uranus and Neptune, are very large, but at a great distance. The remaining planets are so small that they are called Asteroids, that is, small stars. 1 (Gr.) Ge— the Earth, Grapho—l write. * (Gr.) Sphaira—s. sphere. a (Gr.) Planetes— wanderers. 4. "We know the Earth is round, because — («) People have travelled around it. (b) The shadow which the Earth throws in causing an Eclipse1 of the Moon is round, and a shadow is always of the same shape as that which causes it.

An Eclipse of the Moon is caused by the Earth passing between the Sun and the Moon, and an Eclipse of the. Sun by the Moon passing between the Earth and the Sun. Eclipses are either total or partial. (c) The masts of ships approaching the shore are seen before the hull, which is hidden from view by the Earth's roundness. (d) Sailors first see the tops ofthe mountatns when they approacli the land. QUESTIONS ON THE EARTH AND THE SUN. 1. What does Geography describe 2. What is the Earth in shape i 3. Is the Earth exactly round ? How many Planets have been discovered ? 8. What two Planets are nearer the Sun than the Earth ? 4 ■ Where do we find the flattened parts of the Earth ? 9. Wliat three Planets are farther away from the Sun? 5. Around what body does the Earth revolve? 6. What revolves around the Sun besides the Earth I 10. Wliat proofs can you give that the World is round ? >(Gr.; .) Eldeipo- )— to fail.