AN INTRODUCTION TO Ancient and Modern Geography, TO WHICH ARE ADDED RULES FOR PROJECTING MAPS, AND THE USE OF GLOBES. ACCOMPANIED WITH AN ANCIENT AND A MODERN ATLAS BY J. A. CUMMINGS. Tenth Edition, REVISED AND IMPROVED. New-York: PUBLISHED BY COLLINS AND HANNAY, No. 230, PEARL-STREET. ALSO BY CUMMINGS, HILLIARD, & CO. BOSTON, UNIVERSITY 047*172 DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, to wit: District Clerk's Office. BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the twenty-first day of September, A. D. 1825, and in the fiftieth year of the Independence of the United States of America, Cummings, Hilliard, & Co. of the said District, have deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof they claim as proprietors, in the words following, to wit:-" An Introduction to Ancient and Modern Geography, to which are added rules for projecting maps, and the use of Globes. Accompanied with an ancient and a modern atlas, by J. A. CUMMINGS. Tenth edition, revised and improved." In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, "An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned:" and also to an Act, entitled, "An Act, supplementary to an Act, entitled, An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned; and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical, and other prints." JNO. W. DAVIS, Massachusetts. PREFACE TO THE IMPROVED EDITION. THE Science of Geography has made such rapid progress in this country since the first publication of Cummings' Introduction, that his work could hardly have been expected to retain for so long a time a respectable standing in our schools. The authors who have succeeded Mr. Cummings deserve the credit of many important improvements; but it is doing him simple justice to say that he first introduced into our schools the method of instruction in this science, which has been found so useful. Others are much more indebted to him for the present system, than the editor of this edition can be to them for any improvements which he has adopted. In revising and reforming this work, the publishers have chosen to reduce it to a cheaper form, and to have it, in all respects, better adapted to the use of common schools. Of the most interesting and useful parts of Geography, it contains more than the original work; and of the abstract statistical parts, it retains quite as much as can profitably be studied in the class of schools for which it is particularly designed. A considerable part of the work has been newly written. The questions on the text and on the maps are given immediately after the lessons to which they refer, because this arrangement - is more convenient for the student. Remarks on the proper mode of studying and teaching have been interspersed in the body of the work, because instructers seldom refer to a preface for directions. For a similar reason the pronunciation of difficult names is given where the names first occur. This method will be found far preferable to arranging them in a vocabulary, which will seldom be consulted. There are still many geographical names, of which we cannotgive the true pronunciation. Travellers and geographers have rarely furnished any information for determining it. This is doubtless a great defect in their works; and it is highly important that those who have the means, should assist in supplying the deficiency. Whatever question there may be as to the propriety of reducing foreign names to the idiom of English pronunciation, there can be none as to giving American names their local pronunciation. The inhabitants of Ohio pronounce Gallipolis, Gal-le-po-lees'; in Louisiana, Natchitoches is called Nak'e-tosh; and the indians say, for Osage, Waw-sash'y. This is competent authority; and no other pronunciation of these names should be tolerated. Cummings' Geography has been distinguished for the simplicity and plainness of its style. The editor has endeavoured to give this character, in a still higher degree, to the Improved Edition. A new and handsome Atlas will accompany this edition; and it is hoped, that the efforts of the publishers to improve the work will be regarded by the public as a suitable return for the extensive patronage which it has received. GEOGRAPHY. GEOGRAPHY is a description of the earth. The earth is a large globe, the diameter of which is nearly eight thousand miles, and its circumference nearly twenty five thousand.> The earth is known to be round, because its shadow on the moon in the time of an eclipse is circular; because the surface of every part of the ocean and every large body of water is manifestly convex; and because navigators have often sailed round it. The earth is 95 millions of miles from the sun, from which it receives its light and heat. It moves round the sun once in a year in an oblique direction, which occasions the change of the seasons; and is constantly turning on its own axis, making a complete revolution every day, which occasions the change of day and night. {More than two thirds of the earth's surface is covered with water. Questions. What is geography. How large is the globe? How is it known to be round? How far is it from the sun? In what time does it revolve around the sun, and around its own axis? What do these motions cause? What part of the earth's surface is water? MAPS. A map is a representation of the earth's surface, or a part of it, upon a plane. The top of a map is north, the bottom south, the right hand east, and the left hand west See Map of the World. Through the middle of this map from west to east a line is drawn called the Equator All parts of the earth situated north of this line are said to be in the northern Hemisphere, that is, in the northern half of the globe. Those which are situated south of the Equator, are said to be in the southern Hemisphere, or southern half of the globe. The map is also divided into two parts, called the Eastern and the Western Hemisphere. When a place is situated north of the Equator, it is said to be in north latitude; wher south of the Equator, in south latitude. |