A Physical, Historical, Political, and Descriptive Geography

Abstract

THIS work is in every way creditable to its unfortunate young author, who, our readers may remember, succumbed some months ago to the hardships of African travel while leading an expedition from the West Coast towards Lake Tanganyika. Mr. Johnston has not sought to enter into that minute and often painful detail with which we are familiar in most text-books of geography. His object has been to record in each of the great departments of geography the results of the latest research, leaving it to the teacher or to special text-books to fill up with details. After a brief sketch of some of the main points in mathematical geography, a clear and sufficiently full sketch of historical geography is given, treating not merely of the progress of discovery, but of the various movements of peoples and nations which have led up to the political divisions of the earth as they are at present; this we think a useful introduction of scientific method into history. Then follows a section on physical geography, in which the most trustworthy results of research in the various departments of this subject are stated with clearness and accuracy. The remaining two-thirds of the work is devoted to the special geography of the various continents and countries—their physical features, natural history, products, industries, peoples, and political and social conditions. The same method is followed throughout of dwelling only upon the important features. The work is amply illustrated by useful and beautifully executed maps, and is one of the best general handbooks of geography that we know.