Olney's school geography, a practical system of modern geography comprising a view of the present state of the world ...

Front matter

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Preface

I’iir introduction of Geography into common schools, as a regular branch of education, has of late years become nearly universal. Formerly this science was taught only to the higher classes, it being thought by most teachers that the pupil must be well advanced in other branches before he could study this with advantage. F.xperience has however taught, that children can learn Geography at a very early age, and hence its introduction into the younger classes at the present time.

But among the books which have been published on this subject, although many of them are works of great merit, there are none suited to the capacities of young beginners. Most of them begin with definitions, which, to be understood, require a degree of knowledge on the subject, never possessed by the new beginner. Children, instead of being made to commit definitions to memory, should, as much as possible, at the beginning, be taught by means of the eye; and hence the uso of maps, pictures, and diagrams, in teaching infants. The map is to Geography, what orthography is to the art of reading. The scholar must not only understand its use, but must have an intimate knowledge of all its parts, before he can undertake the study of descriptive Geography with advantage. When he has acquired a practical and thorough knowledge of the map of a country, he has then laid the ground work for understanding its description, and not before. Suppose a child should learn by heart every thing about the climate, scenery, and productions of Switzerland, for instance, and suppose him to be intimate with the names of all its mountains, lakes, and forests, how much knowledge of the geography of that country would he possess? It is obvious that without knowing also the relative situation of these mountains, lakes, and forests, in respect to each other, together with their distances and bearings, such knowledge never could be applied to any practical use. The map, then, ought to be the first lesson in Geography, for by its means, the child can locate his ideas, and can see, at a single glance, the situation of the places, the names of which he learns.

Having been for a number of years occupied in the instruction of youth, and principally in the science of Geography, I have, in common with others, long regretted that no work well adapted to the instruction of youth on this subject could be obtained, and my excuse for offering the present volume to the public is founded on that fact. A practical knowledge of Geography, instead of requiring years, I am taught by experience to believe, may be obtained in a few months; and I cannot but hope that others will find this opinion well founded.

In preparing this work, I have endeavored to adapt it to the natural progress of the youthful mind. Instead of introducing the beginner at once into Astronomical Geography, and requiring him to spend weeks in learning definitions, and the description of the heavenly bodies, I have commenced with the town in which 1 * vi.

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he lives. From the town, the sphere of his observation is extended to tho coun ty, from the coun'.y to the state, &c. This 1 am confident will be found not only the natural, but the philosophical method of teaching Geography ; for on all subjects the learner must make himself master of simple things, before he can understand those which are complex.

In the present instance, the pupil begins with confidence and alacrity, because he not only knows something about his own town, but the subject itself is highly interesting to him. From these simple descriptions, the pupil is gradually led on, by a series of the plainest and most important questions, to a knowledge of the grand divisions of the globe. When he has become familiar with these divisions, and can without hesitation point them out on the map, he is qualified to commence the Second part. In this part, after a few general observations on the divisions, he is required to learn on the map, the boundaries, names of rivers, towns, &.C., and then he commences with a description of the several countries which it contains. In every department of description, great care has been taken to select what is most important for the pupil to know, and to commit to memory, and to reject whatever is of little use ; for experience has taught me that long descriptions’ however judiciously arranged, do not fail to tire and discourage the young pupil. Some of the more prominent features of the country are therefore all that should be required of the beginner.

This work will be found to possess some peculiarities. The use of initial letters, in particular, I consider of much consequence in enabling the pupil to determine the correct answers ; so that it is believed in ’going through the entire work, he will seldom require any assistance from his teacher.

The Third part treats of Latitude and Longitude ; and perhaps no part of the work is of more importance than this, and particularly as most books of this kind are deficient in this respect.

The Fourth part contains an introduction to Astronomy and Physical Geography, together with problems on the Globes, also, an introduction to the study of Ancient Geography and History.

The numerous tables which the work contains, it is hoped will be found useful and correct. Some of them have been copied with little variation from Morse and Malte Brun, and others have been arranged with much care and considerable labor, expressly for the work.

In giving this little volume to the public, I cannot but entertain the hope that I shall contribute in some degree to our improved method of teaching a science so necessary and popular as that of Geography. But how far I shall have the satisfaction of seeing this hope realized, the public must determine.

J. OLNEY.

• Hartford, Dec. 1828.

The Publishers having found it necessary to newly stereotype this work from the sixty-third edition, after the sale of about one and a half million of copies, a few slight alterations have been made, and the Tables are now inserted in the Atlas, but hereafter changes will be made only when regard to accuracy renders them indispensable.