Carpenter's new geographical reader. South America

Front matter

CARPENTER'S EW GEOGRAPHICAL READER

SOUTH

AMEMCA class r X,X1. ^

Preface

This book is a revised edition of Carpenter's Geographical Reader, " South America," which for many years has been widely used in our schools. It is more than a revision, however, for it is a new work based upon up-to-date information gathered by the author during a recent tour of more than twenty-five thousand miles made by him in the countries described.

During this tour Mr. Carpenter has kept the children always in mind, and his story of their travels will, it is believed, bring them into a close personal relation with their brothers and sisters of South America. It will give them also a live working knowledge of the geography, resources, and people of each of the republics, and of the social, industrial, and commercial relations which each holds to the United States.

The plan is the same as that adopted in all the books of this series. It consists of imaginary travels made by the children with the author in -the countries described. In this volume the children start out on a voyage from New York to thejfethmus of Panama, and from there move about leisurely from one South American country to another, making their observations and studies along the lines above mentioned. It is the children who do the traveling, and the book is the story of what they see and learn.

Here and there throughout the story the author has inserted questions which suggest interesting research work for the children. These will, it is believed, add greatly to

8 PREFACE

the value of the book. In connection with this feature, tables and diagrams of statistical information will be found at the back, and maps have been freely introduced throughout the text. The pictures also will furnish material for study. Most of them are new, and many are from photographs taken by the author to illustrate this book.

In order to bring out the world relations of South America, frequent comparisons with the United States and other countries and people of the world should be made by the children. For this purpose, reference to the other volumes of the Carpenter Readers will prove valuable. For example, in connection with the diamond mines of Brazil, the interest and information of the child will be increased by comparing them with the diamond mines of Kimberley in Carpenter's " Africa," by reading of the diamond industry in Carpenter's "How the World is Clothed," and by a visit to the diamond cutting establishments of Amsterdam, in Carpenter's "Europe." In the same way, the world study of cotton, coffee, rubber, wool, meat, and almost every other product of South America may be developed.

The two series of books referred to in this connection comprise Carpenter's Geographical Readers on North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, and his Industrial Readers entitled: "How the World is Clothed," "How the World is Fed," and "How the World is Housed."

Contents

I. Introduction

II. From New York to Panama

III. Panama and the Pacific Ocean .