THE utility of geographical work is so generally admitted, that it seems unnecessary to endeavour, by any lengthened statements, to conciliate the favourable opinion of the reader by dwelling on their merits. There are few so incurious as not to wish to learn something of the state of foreign countries, especially of those with which their own nation is connected, or which have been celebrated in history. The desire to gratify this laudable curiosity has, in all ages, prompted individuals to visit foreign countries; and has made the works of voyagers and travellers be eagerly sought after. But the situation of most people precludes the possibility of their leaving their native country; while few of those who do travel can survey more than a small part of the earth's surface. Neither is it possible adequately to supply this want of personal knowledge by resorting to the relations of travellers. These are frequently contradictory and inconclusive; the statements in them are usually, also, limited in their application, and are not always to be depended on; and, though it were otherwise, the command of many hundred volumes, and the free disposal of one's time, would be necessary to enable an individual to acquire, by their means, even a superficial acquaintance with the different regions of the earth. Hence the utility of geographical works, compiled with due care and knowledge: they embody the information scattered in the accounts of travellers, in topographical works, and in official returns and other public and private documents; sift and distribute it under its proper heads; and lay it before the reader in a condensed form, disencumbered from superfluous or irrelevant matter.

Systematical works, or those in which the various details with respect to the physical, moral, and political state of a country or district are arranged in their natural order, in a consecutive narrative, are probably the best adapted for the use of the student and scientific reader. But Dictionaries are decidedly more convenient, and better fitted for public use. When arranged in alphabetical order they are easy of consultation; and, if properly compiled, the articles in them are not connected or mixed up with others, but are separately complete, supplying the inquirer with independent, and, at the same time, precise and well authenticated information. Such works seem, from the extreme diversity and interest of the subjects treated of, peculiarly fitted to "excite curiosity by their variety, to encourage diligence by their facility, and to reward application by their usefulness." We need not, therefore, wonder that they have generally, even when their execution has been very indifferent, enjoyed a large share of popularity.

But how interesting and important soever the matter, it is still true that the value of a Geographical Dictionary must depend principally on its authenticity and trustworthiness. And we believe it will be pretty generally admitted, that by far the greater number of those publications that have hitherto appeared in this country have not been of a kind to inspire confidence. Most of them, perhaps we might say all, have been very carelessly compiled, and evince little discernment or sound criticism; and what is worse, their authors have seldom referred to the sources whence their statements have been derived; so that the reader has nothing better to trust to than the authority of, perhaps, an anonymous compiler, at the same time that he is deprived of the means of readily verifying his facts, or of referring to the original authorities for further information. These works are mostly also either on too contracted or too extensive a plan; so that while, in the one case, the reader is frequently not supplied with important information, in the other, the book is at once too bulky, costly, and inconvenient. Another defect by which most Geographical Dictionaries published in Great Britain have been characterised, is the disproportioned size of the parts, or the preponderance given to minor articles and uninteresting topics, while those having reference to great countries, or important places or subjects, have often been reduced in a more than corresponding degree. It is difficult, indeed, to hinder the descriptions of towns in geographical works from extending beyond their due proportion; but still they may be confined within reasonable limits, and without displaying the glaring anomaly of an account of a capital city, for example, occupying a greater space than that of the country in which it is situated.

The researches connected with his Commercial Dictionary, having led the author of this work to refer to a good many Geographical Dictionaries, he became strongly impressed with a sense of their defects; and it occurred to him that he might perhaps be able to produce one that should be more generally accurate and useful. At first, we were inclined to think that we might probably be able to construct our work on the basis of the Edinburgh Gazetteer, the property of Messrs. Longman and Co.: but on a closer examination of the latter, we found its plan and execution so very defective, that we considered it expedient to lay it wholly aside, and to endeavour to produce an entirely new work. The improved state of geographical knowledge, and the increasing relations of this country with others, required, indeed, that a Geographical Dictionary, aspiring to the character of a book of reference, should be principally drawn up from original sources, and with as much care and discrimination as possible.

It is necessary, however, to observe, that we have not attempted to supply the reader with a complete Geographical, Statistical, and Historical Dictionary. We have proceeded on a principle of selection;

and, instead of noticing unimportant places and objects, have endeavoured to notice those only that might reasonably be expected to interest the reader. A work of this class on any other plan would necessarily extend to many volumes, and would embrace multitudinous details of no general importance. In illustration of what' has now been stated, we may mention that the Grand Dictionnaire Géographique, Historique, et Critique, by Bruzen de la Martinière, which aims at considerable completeness, occupies no fewer than 6 huge folio volumes*; and, gigantic as this may seem, it is far surpassed by the German edition of the same work, which extends to 13 similar volumes! Though on a compressed and far more judicious plan, the Dictionnaire Géographique Universel, Paris, 1823–1833, occupies 10 thick octavo volumes. It is needless to say that works of this size are quite unsuitable to the great majority of readers; and it has been our object, by excluding articles and statements of little interest, to keep our work within reasonable limits, and to allow, at the same time, sufficient space for treating the more important articles at adequate length. It is also necessary to bear in mind, that this being a work intended for the especial use of Englishmen, we have dwelt at greatest length on the articles and details, we presumed most likely to interest them. Hence we have appropriated a much larger space to the description of our Eastern possessions, and of our colonies in different parts of the world, than they may appear, on other grounds, properly entitled to. On the same principle, we have lengthened the accounts of those countries and places with which our countrymen have the greatest intercourse, or which have acquired celebrity by the historical associations connected with them, and have proportionally shortened the others.

Still it may, perhaps, be supposed, that, however condensed, nothing like a really useful Geographical Dictionary can be compressed within the compass of two octavo volumes. And such, no doubt, would be the case were these volumes of the ordinary dimensions. But so far from this being the case, the quantity of letter-press contained in them is fully equal to three and a half times the quantity contained in the last edition of Pinkerton's Geography, in two large volumes quarto ! The type, though remarkably clear and distinct, might, perhaps, have been justly objected to as too small, had the work been of a consecutive description; but, as it principally consists of rather short articles, the size of the type is of less consequence; and any inconvenience resulting from its smallness is more than countervailed by the advantage of having a great deal brought into a volume.

Without neglecting the physical geography of the different countries and places, we have directed our principal attention to what has been called their political geography, that is, their industry, institutions, and the condition of their inhabitants. Neither have we

* The first edition of this work was in 10 vols. folio.

attempted to confine ourselves within what might, perhaps, be called the limits of a strictly geographical and statistical work. Wherever the occasion seemed to justify it, we have not scrupled to commend and censure, as well as to describe; and have endeavoured to appreciate the influence of institutions and habits on national welfare. The historical notices are necessarily brief, and, unless in the more important articles, are mostly restricted to an enumeration of leading

events.

Our object being to supply a work of easy reference to the public at large, we have, in general, given our notices of countries and places under the names by which they are commonly known in England. This plan does not involve any want of scientific precision; though if it did, the defect would be much more than compensated by its being better adapted for public use. There are not very many readers who would think of looking for Leghorn under Livorno, or for Munich under München; and among the many thousands who might wish to acquire some information respecting the present state of the Dead Sea, there are not, perhaps, as many dozens who would seek for it under the head Bahr-el-Lout, the Arabic name for that famous sea.

It did not enter into our plan systematically to notice countries or places as they existed in antiquity. But, wherever it was supposed that such notices would be likely to interest the general reader, we have not hesitated to introduce them. Our object, in fact, was not so much to compile a dictionary on strictly scientific principles, and that should be perfectly homogeneous in its parts, as to produce one that might be relied on, that should omit few articles of importance, and that ordinary readers should find generally instructive and interesting.

None can be more fully satisfied than we are of the extreme difficulty of accomplishing even this much. In a work embracing so great a variety of statements, many of them relating to matters in regard to which it is frequently all but impossible to acquire correct But we can information, perfect accuracy need not be looked for. honestly say that we have spared no pains to make our work worthy of the reader's confidence; and would fain hope that its errors are not such as sensibly to detract from its utility.

The Maps which accompany the work have been carefully compiled from the latest and best authorities, and are entitled to rank with the first of that class of publications. Those of Asia, of the Inland Navigation, Railways, &c. of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the British Possessions in North America, will be found to be particularly valuable.

To prevent misapprehension, it may be as well to add, that the distances between one place and another are always, unless where the contrary is stated, direct. They have mostly been measured on the best maps, or deduced from other good authorities.