MODERN GEOGRAPHY.

A

DESCRIPTION

OF THE

EMPIRES, KINGDOMS, STATES, AND COLONIES;

WITH THE

OCEANS, SEAS, AND ISLES;

IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD:

INCLUDING THE MOST RECENT DISCOVERIES,
AND POLITICAL ALTERATIONS.

DIGESTED ON A NEW PLAN.

45

BY JOHN PINKERTON.

THE ASTRONOMICAL INTRODUCTION

BY M. LA CROIX,

MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE;

TRANSLATED BY JOHN POND ESQ. ASTRONOMER-ROYAL.

WITH NUMEROUS MAPS,

REVISED BY THE AUTHOR, AND ENGRAVED BY MR. LOWRY.

To the whole are added, a Catalogue of the best Maps, and Books of Travels and Voyages,
in all Languages: and an ample Index.

A NEW EDITION, WITH ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS TO THE YEAR 1817.
IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.-EUROPE, AND PART OF ASIA.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR T. CADELL AND W. DAVIES, STRAND; AND LONGMAN, HURST, REES,
ORME, AND BROWN, PATERNOSTER-row.

1817.

KONINKLIJKE BIBLIOTHEEK

0684 7112

ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE THIRD EDITION.

THE HE publishers conceiving that an edition of this Work in two volumes quarto would be more convenient for general use than the former, which was divided into three, this intention has been accomplished by a smaller type and greater compression. Some extracts, of little importance to the English reader, though useful in the foreign editions, as the works have not been translated into other languages, are here omitted; but in other respects the work has been rather enlarged, and has at the same time admitted some corrections and improvements. The account of the most important Spanish colony in America, New Spain, which had remained in singular obscurity from the jealousy of its possessors, has in particular been almost written anew, the materials furnished by the recent interesting publications of the travels of Humboldt and Pike having far surpassed all the former information concerning this grand and opulent province. Important additions will also be found in the description of the various colonies in South America. Of the recent revolutions in the Spanish colonies, few memorials that can serve the extreme accuracy of history have yet been received; but it appears that, under a sincere or simulated allegiance to Ferdinand the Seventh, they have all withdrawn their adherence to the parent country, except New Spain, which seems to await the assistance of the United States.

From a recent publication it appears that Tonquin, Cochin China, and some adjacent realms, are now united into one empire like that of the Birmans.

This work being originally founded upon the ancient, and, in many instances, natural divisions of Europe, it has been regarded as beneath the dignity of the science to render it an almanac of the recent fluctuations in the divisions of states, the more especially as it has already been adduced in favour of concessions, which can only be regulated by a general peace; our adversaries affecting to confound the voice of an individual with that of the government or nation. The description of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland has been retouched and corrected in several parts, chiefly from notes communicated by learned correspondents: but the account of a recent discovery in the Isle of Skey did not appear till the impression was nearly completed. The description is conveyed in a style of such singular affectation that the object is only seen as through a mist. It appears, however, that in the year 1808 there was discovered in the S.E. angle of the Isle of Skey a beautiful cave, about two hundred and fifty feet in depth, clothed with stalactites and stalagmites of white marble, in the form of pillars, statues, &c. so as to rival the famous grotto of Antiparos.

The accounts of Russia, and some other European countries, have been improved by extracts from German authors little known in this country. A learned traveller of great celebrity also kindly imparted his copy of the former edition in three volumes, with his notes on many countries which he had visited in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The astronomical introduction to this work by the learned Dr. Vince having been found too extensive, and abundant in topics not strictly connected with geography, it has, at the request of many readers, been supplied by that of Lacroix to the French edition, which is univerfally acknow* Three new maps have also been inserted. *A 3

VOL. I.

ledged

ledged to be the ablest and most appropriated which has yet been prefixed to any geographical system. He may perhaps, however, have improved or augmented it in the new and splendid edition of this work about to be published at Paris, with the notes of many eminent literati, as it has been ordered to be used in all the military academies of the empire. The present translation is from the former French editions; and the name of the translator is a sufficient recommendation of his accuracy and consummate skill in the subject.

In the projection of maps some improvements were suggested by Murdoch, whose plan appeared about fifty years ago in the Philosophical Transactions. Some were also estimated by Euler and Lambert, both geometricians of the first rank. Lambert was a member of the Royal Academy at Berlin, where he died in 1775. One of his last works was his Letters on Cosmogony, published about 1765, probably in the German language. The French translator altered the form, reducing them to a regular plan in distinct chapters; and of the latter an English translation appeared in 1800, 12mo. This little work, intended to be of a popular nature like Fontenelle's Plurality of Worlds, has the advantage of being founded on Newtonian principles, combined with the most recent discoveries, and the most profound geometrical demonstrations, while Fontenelle's, as is well known, is founded on the reveries of Descartes. Some of the most striking features of this work of Lambert are his ideas concerning the position of this our solar system with regard to the universe, and his doctrine concerning comets. The recent appearance of two remarkable comets in the space of a few years, and the numbers observed by Herschel's great telescope, will lend additional interest to his ideas on this singular subject, and if they were just, instead of planetary systems we should speak of cometary systems. As the work is

That there is an enlarged edition of this introduction by M. Lacroix would appear from the following notice which the author has just received from Paris, dated 1st July 1811, announcing the appearance of the first volume of this new edition, with illustrations by some of the most learned men in France. "GEOGRAPHIE MODERNE, rédigée sur un nouveau Plan, ou Description historique, politique, civile, et naturelle, des Empires, Royaumes, Etats, et leurs Colonies, avec celles des Mers et des Iles de toutes les Parties du Monde, par J. Pinkerton et C. A. Walckenaer, revué, corrigée, et considerablement augmentée, principalement d'Articles sur les Langues, par L. Langlès, Membre de l'Inftitut, l'un des AdministrateursConservateurs de la Bibliothèque Impériale, etc. Précédée d'une Introduction à la Géographie mathé matique et critique, et à la Géographie physique, ornée de Cartes et Planches, par S. F. Lacroix, Membre de l'Institut de la Légion d'Honneur, etc.; suivie d'un Précis de Géographie ancienne, par J. D. Barbié du Bocage, Membre de l'Institut, Professeur de Géographie et d'Histoire à l'Université Impériale, etc.; accompagnée d'un Atlas Grand, in folio, dressé par P. Lapie, Ingenieur-géographe, d'apres les Autorités les plus récentes; avec un Liste des meilleurs Cartes et Livres de Voyages. Tom. I. in 8vo.

Prix, avec les Cartes en noir gr. in fol.

Le meme, avec les Cartes coloriés,

Pap. vel. superfin, dont il y a très-peu d'Exemplaires,

II fr.

12 fr. 24 fr. "Ce volume sera bientôt suivi d'un second, qui contiendra l'Asie jusques et compris l'Empire des Birmans, avec les cartes des différens pays décrits dans cette seconde livraison.

"Le même libraire vend séparément, d'apres les demandes des instituteurs et des élèves, l'Introduction à la Géographie mathematique et critique, et à la Géographie physique, par M. Lacroix. Ce volume est accompagné de belles cartes;

Prix, avec les Cartes en noir,

Avec les Cartes coloriée,

Avec les mappemondes grand in folio, non pliées,

9 fr.

10 fr.

II fr.

"A Paris, chez J. G. Dentu, Imprimeur-libraire Rue du Pont de Lodi, No. 3. près le Pont-Neuf, et Palais-Royal, galeries de bois, No. 265 et 266. 1811.

"On trouve chez le même Libraire :

"Moyen de parvenir en Littérature, ou Mèmoire à consulter sur une question de proprieté littéraire, dans lequel on prove que le Sieur Malte-Brun, se disant Géographe Danois, a copié littéralement une grande partie des Euvres de M. Gossellin, ainsi que de celles de MM. Lacroix, Pinkerton, Puissant, etc! etc.! et les a fait imprimer et débiter sous son nom; et dans lequel on discute cette question importante pour le commerce de la libraire: "Qu'est-ce qui distingué le plagiare-copiste du simple contrefacteur; et jusqu'a quel point le premier peut-il être regardé comme devant encourir la peine portée par la loi contre le dernier?" Par Jean-Gabriel Dentu, Imprimeur-libraire, Editeur de la Géographie de J. Pinkerton; 1 vol. in 8vo. de 200 pages, grande justification; deuxième édition, augmentée d'un grand nombre d'articles nouveaux copiés de la Gographie de Pinkerton, etc. etc. Prix, 2 fr.”

full