The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-20 00:00:00

THE

LITE RAT URE.

DICTIONARY OF GEOGRAPHY: Descrip-
tive, Physical, Statistical, and Historical. By
A. K. Johnston.
Henceforth "Johnston's Gazetteer" will rank
among thoie standard works of reference which are
to general literature what a grammar or dictionary
are to any particular language. For condensation of
knowledge the compiler of this extraordinary volume
competes, and competes successfully, with such men
as M'Cullagh or Macgregor. His present remark-
able work has about it the compactness of one of
"Maunder's Treasuries," and the completeness of a
voluminous encyclopedia. Already Me. Johnston
had revealed his powers, or we might say his
cultivated adroitness in this respect, that is
to say in regard to the close packing of information
into a compass which, while singularly portable as a
whole, was not in any way stunted or stinted in
detail. His wonderful physical Atlas of Natural
Phenomena, one of the most surprising books ever
printed for the scope and variety of its intelligence,
had above all demonstrated the skill with which he
could congregate together upon a single sheet of paper
a multitude of scattered particulars, and arrange
them into a systematical form, without marring in
the slightest degree their lucidity. In his present
herculean undertaking our geographer has had less
novelty of performance to accomplish, but, to our
thinking, a tougher work to get through, and a
larger variety of obstacles, impediments, and
difficulties to overcome. Many gazetteers already
existed, but filled to very repletion ith
blunders and mis-statements. To avoid the stereo-
typing of these errors, Mr. Johnston has had to
dispense with the assistance of all previous labourers.
Rather than drop into their fallacies through inadver-
tency, he has preferred to cling to the enormous task
enjoined to any one who can take courage upon
such a field of investigation to be strictly original.
Materials for a similar compilation had been already
collected together to a considerable extent, the
principal contributor being Mr. Brent, and the inten-
tion of the publishere, the Messrs. Longman, having
been several years ago directed to the publication of
a general gazetteer. It is true that some of these
materials have been judiciously incorporated in the
present dictionary, but an intimation in the preface
informs us, that " the author thinks it proper to
state that he alone is responsible for the contents of
the whole." By a simple but comprehensive system
of abbreviations (an explanatory table of which is
prefixed to the volume) a large amount of space is
economised that must otherwise have been squandered
upon needless repetitions. Not only are proper names
and designations shortened to mere initials (as Bpc.
for bishopric, G. for gulf, L. for lake, M. for miles
and so forth), but mere expressions anadjectives are
curtailed with equal propriety and usefulness; fur
example, circumf. stands for circumference, indep.
for independent, cr. for crossed, dom. for dominion,
and inf. fur inferior. Through this ingenious and
easily understood employment of signs for epithets,
the toil of description is sirgularly simplified.
As en illustration of the extent cf exertion
and research devolving upon Mr. Johnston from his
resolute determination to be original and accurate,
we may mention that he himself has in each case ex-
amined into the situation of the different spots of the
globe mentioned in his dictionary, weighing the real
value of foreign estimates and comparing his own
figures with those given in some accredited printed
statements. By this means alone has he been enabled
to secure his volume from the blemish hitherto ob•
servable in all books of a similar description, namely,
the blemish in this particular of grossly erroneous
calculations. The result is before us in 1,432
double - columned and closely printed octavo
pages—wonderfully clear and explicit, but re-
vealing in the very circumstance of their pre-
sent lucidity the enormous effort required for
their accumulation. The unexpected dimensions as-
sumed by the manuscript, even when reduced to the
miniature of letterpress, has prevented, we regret to
find from the preface, the insertion of a supp:e-
mental catalogue of the most important Drew geogra-
phical and statistical works which had been referred
to by the author, and which might be judiciously
consulted for further information. This catalogue,
having been actually prepared for insertion as a sort
of appendix, we trust may he ultimately published in
some shape for the sake of popular guidance. Oee
or two ;peculiarities in Mr. Johnston's gazetteer not
yet mentioned deserve to be especially particularised.
Among other things, it may be as well to observe, for
instance, as a circumstance entirely characteristic of
the compiler and of the compilation, that the proper
names as well as the corrupt English names of places
are given with laborious exactitude, such as Wien
and rienna, Aachen and Aix la Chapelle; whiie the
Eastern names are invariably spelt in accordance
with the system adopted by the Royal Geographical
Society. How carefully the whole of the informa-
tion in this astonishing Dictionary bas been brought
down to the present time, inclusive of some of the
most recent occurrences, may be recognized even by
a cursory glance through the production. Under
" Gaeta " we find it stated "Pope Pius IX. sought an
asylum here in 1849." Under " Naples" it is said
that that city was " the scene of n most disgraceful
outrage in May, 1848, when 1,500 lives were lost, and
it was plundered by the lazzeroni." Other para-
graphs scattered through the work testify to the
punctilious caution with which Mr. Johnston has
turned again and again to his MS. original for the
purpose of adding some new atom of information,
thereby rendering his labour more complete and esti-
mable. We may congratulate ourselves, in common
with the rest of the community, on the circumstance,
that from time to time men eminently qualified for
the task take upon themselves to collect and
collate large musses of knowledge of this elementary
and indispensable character—undeterred by the
effort requisite for the accomplishment and the app..
cation essential to success. Of all individuals in the
United Kingdom, capacitated by education, by skill,
and by experience, to compile a standard Gazetteer
—we should have pointed to the very man who has
here undertaken the task and carried it triumphantly
to a completion. Alexander Keith Johnston, by his
long practice as a geographer, by his familiarity
With the particular kinds of knowledge required in
the formation of a descriptive, physical, statistical,
and historical Geographical Dictionary, as well as
from " being possessed of an extensive and valuable
collection of books, maps, and notes, relating to
every portion of the globe, collected during
a period of more than fifteen years unre-
mittingly devoted to geographical pursuits," was
precisely of all men the man to adventure upon the
achievement of this literary exploit especially
seeing that with all the advantages just enumerated
he combined indomitable energy and unflinching
perseverance. Having carried his toils at length to a suc-
cessful issue, we can here most cordially, and as far as
our sense of usefulness is concerned, gratefully felici-
tate him on the close of his Wearisome undertaking.
Our congratulations, moreover, are due not merely
to the compiler, but also to the publisher of this
superb Gazetteer.