A PICTORIAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD, COMPRISING A SYSTEM OF UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHY, POPULAR AND SCIENTIFIC, INCLUDING A PHYSICAL, POLITICAL, AND STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE EARTH AND ITS VARIOUS AND ILLUSTRATED BY MORE THAN TWELVE HUNDRED ENGRAVINGS, OF MANNERS, COSTUMES, CURIOSITIES, CITIES, EDIFICES, RING, BEASTS, BIRDS, FISHES, WITH A COPIOUS INDEX, ANSWERING THE PURPOSE OF A GAZETTEER. By S. G. GOODRICH. A NEW EDITION: IN WHICH THE ORIGINAL WORK IS RE-ARRANGED, REVISED AND ENLARGED, WITH THE ADDITION OF A Supplement, PREPARED FOR THE PRESENT PUBLISHER. VOL. I. THE OLD WORLD. BOSTON. PUBLISHED BY CHARLES D. STRONG. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1840, by S. G. GOODRICH, In the Clerk's office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1856, by CHARLES D. STRONG, in the Clerk's office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts THE very large sale of about twenty thousand copies of Goodrich's PICTORIAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE WORLD in those limited parts of the country (confined almost exclusively to New England), in which hitherto it has been extensively brought to the public notice, afford abundant proofs of its merits, and its adaptation to the purposes which its sagacious and accomplished editor had in view. The lapse, however, of fifteen years since its first publication could not, in this progressive and stirring age, but leave the work as originally produced, somewhat behind the present times, particularly in respect to population, commerce, and public works, which, in certain parts of the world, advance at present with such rapid strides. To remedy this defect, and to adapt this valuable work to the political and social changes which have taken place since its first publication, the original text has undergone a very careful revision. Wh a view to the arrangement of the work in two separate and independent volumes, one devoted to the Old World, the other to the New, (including America and Oceanica); the Chapters have been arranged in a new order. Some, which had become antiquated, have been omitted altogether, and their places supplied by new ones; and in almost every page of those which have been retained, important, and often extensive, corrections have been introduced. But the improvements which could thus be made did not seem sufficient entirely to accomplish the object which the present publisher had in view; and to complete his design he has added to each volume a SUPPLEMENT (separately paged), chiefly devoted to those topics upon which the reader might desire information more extensive and complete than is given in the original work. The Supplementary Introduction appended to the first volume will be found to contain, besides some original views on the subject of climate, many valuable and interesting scientific details derived from the most recent publications. The supplementary view of the Old World, also appended to the first volume, is mainly devoted to the great leading States of Europe, the British, French, Austrian, and Russian empires, and the German Confederation; particularly to the British Empire, as being that country of the Old World as to which, for a great variety of reasons, the American reader would desire the fullest knowledge. The Supplement to the second volume,—that relating to the New World, -is largely devoted to the British North American Provinces, which are but very slightly treated in the original work, but whose rapid progress in population and wealth, and whose intimate commercial and social connections with the United States, make them objects of daily increasing interest. A more full and complete account of these provinces is here given than can be found in any other work. The articles devoted to the United States embody all the most material information embraced in the published reports of the late Census, as well as full descriptions of those States and Territories organized, acquired or explored since the publication of the original work. There is also added a pretty full account of the growing British Australian colonies, to which the recent gold discoveries have attracted so general attention. On the whole, the publisher cannot but hope, that the entire work, taken together, in the shape in which it is now presented will afford, not less by its profuse illustrations than by its printed text, a full view of the World, precisely suited to meet the wants of that great mass of readers who desire to find in a single work a complete geographical encyclopedia- not too dry to be studied with pleasure, and adapted to entertain as well as to instruct;—while, at the same time, it should constitute. a reliable, work of reference upon those valuable and indispensable subjects of knowledge arising from a view of the world in which they live, and of the beings who inhabit it. The author of the original work is well known; it is proper to state distinctly to the public that the re-arrangement, revision and supplement of the work in its present form, have been prepared by another but it is believed equally competent hand. C. D. STRONG. |