PREFACE.

NO national government holds out to its subjects so many alluring motives to obtain an accurate knowledge of their own country, and of its various interests, as that of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. By the freedom of our elections, public honors and public offices are not confined to any one class of men, but are offered to merit, in whatever rank it may be found. To discharge the duties of public office with honor and applause, the history, policy, commerce, productions, particular advantages and interests of the several states ought to be thoroughly understood. It is obviously wire and prudent, then, to initiate our youth into the knowledge of these things, and thus to form their minds upon correct principles, and prepare them for future usefulness and honor. There is no science better adapted to the capacities of youth, and more apt to captivate their attention than Geography An acquaintance with this science, more than with any other, satisfies that pertinent curiosity, which is the predominant feature of the youthful mind. This part. of education was long neglected in America. Our young men, for-merly, were much better acquainted with the Geography of Europe and Asia, than with that of their own state and country. want of suitable books was the cause of this defect in our education. Till the year 1789, when the first edition of the American Geography was published by the Author, the geography of this part of the world was unwritten and indeed but very imperfectly known tɔ any

one.

The

Previously to this period we seldom pretended to write, and hardly to think for ourselves. We humbly received from GreatBritain our laws, our manners, our books, and our modes of thinking; and our youth were educated rather as the subjects of the British king, than as the citizens of a free and independent nation. But the scene is now changed. The revolution has proved favor able to science in general; particularly to that of the geography of

our own country.

In the following pages, the Author has endeavored to bring this valuable branch of knowledge home to common schools, and to the cottage fire side, by comprising, in a small and cheap volume, the most entertaining and interesting part of his American Universal Geography. He has endeavored to accommodate it to the use of

schools, as a reading-book, that our youth of both sexes, at the same time that they are learning to read, might imbibe an acquaintance with their country, and an attachment to its interests ; and, in that forming period of their lives, begin to qualify themselves to act their, several parts in life, with reputation to themselves, and with usefulness to their country,

That the labors of the Author may be a benefit to the youth of that country which he loves, and which he has sedulously explored, is his most ardent wish.

Charlestown, November, 1814.

ADVERTISEMENT TO THE NINETEENTH EDITION.

His

To this and the two last Editions of this Work, the Author has annexed a series of Questions, such as he deemed suitable for the Instructer to ask, and for the Pupil to be prepared to answer. design in framing these questions was, to relieve the labor of the Instructer, and to direct the attention of the Pupil to the proper points of enquiry; and this in such manner, as to require the exer cise of the judgment of the Pupil in framing an answer.

An ATLAS, selected from Pinkerton's lurger Work, accompanies this Edition.

The Author contemplates preparing and publishing, hereafter, on a new plan, Atlasses of different sizes, suited to illustrate his various Geographical Works.

Sept. 1818.