The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1817-03-10
PROPOSALS FOR FURNISHING
AN
UNIVERSAL GAZETTEER
AND
DICTIONARY OF GEOGRAPHY,
ANCIENT AND MODERN.
BY J. E. WORCESTER, A. M.
PROSPECTUS.

lity. The want of more complete Die
'ionary OF Geography than has yet been
publiihcd IN America, has been extenlively
felt by gentlemen of learning and intelli-
gence. Cruttwelrs Gazetteer, the mott
complete work of the kind ever publifhed
in Enslifh, is too voluminous and cxpenlive
to come into general ufe--and with reflect
to Els country, it is too incomplete and in
accurate to fatisfy an American. The Ga.
7etteersw which have been publihed in Anne
RIGA, how well foever they may be ADAPTED
10 aniwer the deGgn for which thcy we're
intended, yet, confidered as Usiveyjal Die
toaarics Of Geography, are exceedingly I'M
perfect. They are Compiled upon The prin
clPle OF noticing thofe articles that are of
comfortable importance, to the EXECUTION of
a valt majority OF iuch as are thought of lefs
coniequence. But the articles for which
one has very frequent location 10 conint
Gazetteer, are thofe of bHt little notoriety;
a work therefore, formed upon fuch princi
pies VIII, a: one time or other, be found al
together detective. 1t is indeed impofible
to determine what articles inGeoEraphy will
be NOT intereling, without knowing the fu-
rre htteryo the world. Places, not i'm
portant in themfelveS, are often rendered
highiy 10, by events connected with them.
Every ihteillSentman,upp rcadina the his
tory OF any memorable traniaGtion. feels de-
irous OF knowing the iituation of the place
where IL HAPPENED Dut IN the Gazetteers
in genera! ME, the towns of Albuhera. Aus
teriitz, Borodino, Hohealinden, Waoram,
Waterloo, and various others, rendered IN
nous during the late wars in EUROPE, are
not TO be found.
The Gazetteer now propoled will, 10 Far
as trefpeetS the moGtrn geography of the
ealfern continent, be founded upon The BATS
OF that of Cruttwell with additions and cor
reerions, On the iubiett OF aneiens oeogra-
phy, the work OF the ceiebr. ted D. Anvine,
VIII De mace the principal BATS. With re,
ipect 10 An'e;ica materials have been col-
iected from sat variety OF iources--and
the work will be found far more complete,
with regard to this continent, than any that
has yet been publilhed. twill compriie in
TWO large volumes, and in one alphabetical
terleS, more than four times rs many articles
OF geography as are contained in the Ga2et-
teerS which have been publ1hed in AIMEE
RIGA.
The compiler originally formed thedeign
OF FULFILLING in ore volume. a Dictionary
OF Geography under every article OF which
thoie particulars oplv, for which Gaze.
teer iH.'iiIally cnniiIltec, would be fpecificd
WIN TINS view he proceeded TO make his
preparations. But upon calculation, he
found that it would he ,mpofIible 70 reeuce
ms materials to the compass of Jingle vo
lume, without twelline it To an inconVcnient
hze He has therefore been induced 10 al
ter his deiign, and 10 adopt the plan of Civ
ing more extended account Of all the i'm
portaht matters, and of FULFILLING the work
IN two volumes, and he hopes that by omit
ing hiftory, and every thing not important
TO be retained in tuch a werk, and conden-
ing what IS valuable into the narrowef COM
pats, BY the Ife ofabbreviatioBs, which will
be made perfeelv ineligible kew, he
ihall be able to furnifh, in the fpace of two
volumes, more complete book of reference
on the fubjeee of Geography, than has vet,
IN the form of Gazetteer, been prefented
to the public. 1t viii readily be feen that
the deiign mutt require much labor and ex-
pence. The compiler respectfully fubnits
it to the public uner the impreRion that
luch work is much needed, and that, if
well executed, it Will be highly ufefui to
gentlemen OF every protection and EMPLOY
ment--and with the hope that he lliall re-
ceive iuch encouragement as TO enable him
to render it not altogether unworthy OF pa
tTonage.
S'C-'G's
YALE COLLEGE, Sept. z,IS.6.
Mr. Jofeph Emerfon Worceifer has pre-
tented TO me, for my INFECTION, propofals
for FULFILLING new work, entitled, An u
nverlal Gazetteer and Dictionary of Geo
graphy--to which is annexed d fpecinen of
the manner intended to be purified in the
execution of his defgn
The work pTopoied will, in my opinion,
be valuable addition to the exiting means
OF acquiring geographical information. No
publication, within my knowledge, includes
10 wide circuit Of geographical facts in the
fame compass, and mott libraries will fis-
pect be lcarched in vain for the materials
which it is Intended TO fupply. Every man
who reads a hitory, ancient or modern, a
book os travels, voyage, or even a news
paper, feels the importance of knowing the
feverai places in which the writer fations
him, and often finds it impO1ibe TO derive
the neceGary information from any fonrces
within his reach. This disadvantage, expe-
rIenced every where, MIR. Worcefter pro.
pofes to remove, and has adopted what Teens
the happief plan for this purpofe.
] am well plealed with the fpecImen given
Of the execution and from nay knowledge
Of the character Of MIR. Worcefer, feel nv
(cli warranted to allure the public, that full
confidence may be placed nhis Kill, fidelity
and accuracy. 7. DWIGHT.
coNDiTIoEs.
The work fhall be Handsomely printed in
vols. on fine paper, with new and beau
~liul type.