THE

GEOGRAPHY OF AMERICA

AND.

THE WEST INDIES.

Edited by George Long

LONDON:

PUBLISHED BY THE

SOCIETY FOR THE DIFFUSION OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE,

59, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS.

1841.

PREFACE.

THE main object of the present work has been to collect and to arrange in a systematic form, the materials which exist for a Geographical Description of the American Continent. Within the present century, and even within the last ten years, large additions have been made to our knowledge of the New World, particularly by the surveys and expeditions under the direction of the British Government, and also by the labours of enterprising travellers of this and other countries. But it may be safely asserted that there is at present no work in the English language, which can claim the merit even of attempting to combine these scattered materials, and to arrange them in a form approaching to scientific exactness. It is not intended to say that this has been accomplished in the present work, but it has been attempted. He who first undertakes to bring into form the scattered elements of any subject, can only accomplish his task imperfectly; but the attempt has its value, if it is based on a right principle. It is only in this way that any branch of knowledge can be improved. The whole matter of a thing must first be brought within certain limits, and reduced to a certain form, which has the same kind of resemblance to a perfect form that the first rude delineations of a country bear to the complete map. The present work has attempted to collect and select the best materials that exist, and to put them into such a shape, that the details may hereafter be corrected without interfering with the general plan.

A work of this description must always be imperfect. The physical features of the world, indeed, undergo comparatively small change within such limits of time as we are concerned with; but even here constant correction of existing information is required, and additions are daily making to our know

ledge. A geographical description of the physical features of any country is only a systematic exhibition of what is known, or considered as known, at any given time. It expects and requires constant correction; but if the method on which such a description has been formed is adequately and fully conceived, the method is as valuable at any future time as it is at the present, though nearly every detail may have required and received correction.

That part of a geographical treatise which is commonly considered as belonging to the department of Political Geography, and which may with no great impropriety be referred to the department of Statistics, is perhaps less susceptible of accuracy than the description of the physical features of a country; and it is also subject to the further disadvantage of continual change. Still such an exhibition of the Statistics of a country as we possess at any given time retains its general value for many years, and it is always useful as an historical record. The present work aims at less completeness in this department than in that of physical geography; but the best accessible materials have been used for this part of the work, and it is made as complete as is consistent with the limits within which the whole is confined.

The authorities which have been referred to are given in various parts of the book. Owing to the great diversity in the modes of writing proper names, some inconsistency in this respect may be detected. Several hands have contributed to this work.

The part from page 1 to page 69 was written by William Wittich, teacher of German in University College, London; with the exception of the statistical matter in the description of the West Indian islands, which was added by George Richardson Porter, of the Board of Trade.

Mr. Wittich also wrote the part from page 70, where the 'General View of North America' commences, to the end of page 197.

The description of the United States of North America, from page 198 to page 352, is by George Tucker, author of the Life of Jefferson,' and Professor of Moral and Political Philosophy in the University of Virginia.

The part from page 353, beginning with British North America,' to page 417, was also written by Mr. Porter; with the exception of the description of New Brunswick, which was written by George Long. The part from page 417 to page 448, comprehending Lower Canada' and the North-Eastern Boundary of the United States,' was also written by George Long.

The remarks on the Political History' of Canada, from page 448 to page 454, are by Henry S. Chapman. The remainder of the work, from page 454 to the end, is by William Wittich.

The plan of the work was formed by George Long, who has superintended its execution, as Editor, and has also made the Index.

GEORGE LONG.