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PREFACE.

THE want of a suitable Geography for beginners, and one, not encumbered with too much descriptive, statistical, and historical matter, for classes more advanced, induced the author to undertake the following work.

In the study of Geography, the one great aim should be, to imprint the map upon the memory, so that whenever a geographical name is read or mentioned, its exact locality will be known at once, by recurring, mentally, to its position on the map, and not to a certain page or part of a page in a book, where the description is given. Therefore, that system of teaching geography is best adapted to common school education, which requires the learner to study the maps, and depend upon a knowledge of them, rather than upon initial letters or descriptive paragraphs in the book.

The distinctive features of this system are as follows:

1. It is suited to any correct modern Atlas. This will save trouble and expense.

2. It varies the form of questions. This will better prepare classes for examination by different persons, and tend to fix the desired knowledge in the memory.

3. It requires a constant searching of the Maps. This leaves in the mind, the appearance of the earth's surface, rather than initial letters and printed paragraphs.

4. It gives the latest changes in boundaries, capitals, &o

5. It contains nothing to be omitted.

6. It reviews every map in such a way as to fasten the knowledge previously gained.. A nail simply driven through a board, may be easily withdrawn; but if clenched, the removal is more difficult.

7. It is divided into Three Parts, to suit all ages.

Part First contains nothing but what children can readily understand, and nothing but what is necessary to an acquaintance with Geography.

Part Second may be thought by some to be too minute, especially in the Reviews; but an experience of more than twelve years' teaching, has convinced the author, that the time spent in searching maps, is by no means lost.

Part Third is intended merely to introduce the study of the Terrestrial Globe and Ancient Geography. The latter is especially designed to aid pupils in their elementary classical reading.

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In many cases the orthography of proper names may differ from the maps used. The method chosen is generally that found in the majority of the Atlases. Those Atlases particularly used in the formation of the questions, are Mitchell's, Olney's, and Smith's. Initial letters and answers are given, where there might be serious difficulty in finding the correct answer from any one of the maps above named. Pictures are omitted, because those generally found in Geographies tend but little either to increase the knowledge or improve the taste of the pupil.

Tables are also omitted, because they are generally found in Atlases, and may be studied without questions, at the discretion of teachers. All questions relating to population, square miles, and chief towns, are omitted; because the population is constantly changing; the square miles are not easily remembered, and are not of sufficient consequence to warrant the expense of time consumed in committing them; and chief towns are too indefinite to the minds of pupils.

ELIZABETHTOWN, N. J.

PART FIRST.

Q. WHAT is Geography?

A. A description of the earth's surface.
Q. Of what is the earth's surface composed?
A. Land and water.

Q. How much is water?

A. About three-fourths.

Q. What is the shape of the earth?

A. Round, like an orange.

Q. What is the distance round the earth?

A. About twenty-five thousand miles.
Q. What is this called?

A. Its circumference.

Q. What is the distance through it?

A. Nearly eight thousand miles.

Q. What is this called?

A. Its diameter.

Q. How many motions has the earth?
A. Two.

Q. What are they?

A. It moves round the sun, and turns on its axis.

Q. How long does it require to go round the sun?

A. One year, or three hundred and sixty-five days.

Q. How long to turn on its axis?

A. About twenty-four hours.

Q. What does its motion round the sun occasion?

A. A change of seasons, as summer and winter.

Q. What causes day and night?

A. The turning of the earth on its axis.

Q. Which way does it turn on its axis?

A. From West to East.

Q. How rapidly does it move round the sun?

A. More than a thousand miles every minute.

Q. What is the Axis of the earth?

A. An imaginary line passing through its centre from North to South.

Q. What are the Poles of the earth?

A. The ends of the axis.

Q. How many poles are there?

A. Two the North and the South pole.

Q. What is the Equator?

A. It is an imaginary line drawn round the earth from east to west, dividing it into two equal parts.

Which way from us is North?

Which way is South? East? West?

Q. How can you always tell?

A. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

If you stand with your face towards the east, which way will the right-hand point?

Which way will the left-hand point?

Q. What is a Map?

A. It is a picture of the earth or any part of it.

Q. What part of the map is North?

A. The top.

Q. What part is South?

A. The bottom.

Q. What part is East? West?

A. The right-hand is east and the left-hand west.

Q. What is an Atlas?

A. Several maps bound together.

Which way is north-west?
Which way is south-east?

Which way is north-east?

Which way is south-west?

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NATURAL DIVISIONS OF LAND AND WATER.

Q. How is Land naturally divided?

A. Into Continents, Islands, Peninsulas, Isthmuses, Capes, Mountains, Shores or Coasts, &c.

Q. What is a Continent?

A. A vast extent of land.

Q. How many Continents are there?

A. Two: the Eastern and the Western.

Q. What does the Eastern Continent include?
A. Europe, Asia and Africa.

Q. What the Western?

A. North and South America.

Q. What is an Island?

A. A portion of land surrounded by water.

Q. What is a Peninsula ?

A. A portion of land almost surrounded by water

Q. What is an Isthmus?

A. A strip of land which connects two bodies of lane Q. What is a Cape?

A. A point of land extending into the sea.

Q. What is a Promontory?

A. A high and rocky cape.

Q. What is a Mountain?

A. A very high hill.

Q. What is a Shore or Coast?

A. Land, that borders on the sea or ocean.

Q. What is a Volcano?

A. A mountain that sends forth fire, smoke, and lava from its top.

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