Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1829-12-29

~ oiiuSe, anu Win hlttery
by two, one Of which cost S32, 900. A Ii
brary, called the Atheneum contains more
than 1000 volumes. The harbour is one
OF the most secure and commodius in the
United States, and is protected BY four
batteries. Distance from Boston GA miles !.
from Concord As, and from Portland SO.
Population in 1920 above 7OOO."
At the bottom Of each page are ques-
tons to be answered by the learner. AZ
ter going through with the Counties. he
gives general account of the State
Natural History, &c. We consider the
account Of trees, shrubs, birds, insects.
minerals, &C. as a very valuable part of
the present work. The learner cannot
commence too early with Natural History
as the inquisitive mind Of children is ever
curious to know something of shrubs.
stones, and insects that continually pre-
sent themselves in the field and by the
way-side. There are few cuts in the book
OF the most important natural curiosities
in New-Hampshire, and a map Of the State
presenting the form of each town and
county accurately drawn, thus giving the
child every facility to aid him in his study.
Credit is due to Mr.. Wallace for this
new method of rendering Geography easy
and interesting. The plan originated
with himself. He tells us in his preface
that it was projected some years since,
and we only regret he has not made it
known before. The sources from which
he has drawn his materials are BeIknap's
Hist. N. H. and Farmers Gazetteer. We
hope ne. or some one equally competent,
will treat the other States in the same
way he has treated New-Hampshire. As
the plan is projected, and as there can be
no doubt of its utility, the labour for
works of the kind cannot be immense. as
each State has Histories or Gazetteers
from which ample materials can be obtain.
ed, though the compiler, or whatever he
chooses to call himself. must be something
ofan adeptin the art of concentration. The
Mass. Hist. Collection and Spoford might
aid greatly towards making a Geography
OF Massachusetts upon the plan of Mr..
Wallace.
Mr.. Olney's work is upon the same
principle with the preceding, though no
particular account is given of each indi-
vidual town and county ; this the author
leaves for the learner to supply with the
aid of the teacher. The volume contains
questions similar to those in the preceding
book, which are to be varied according to
the discretion of the instructor, and the
study is commenced by drawing outlines
of towns, counties, &c. upon a slate or
black board. In other respects Mr.. On
ney's book contains about the same mat
ter with those in use at present, though
infinitely better arranged, as Astronomi-
cal and Political Geography come last in
the order of study. His use of initial let
tiers in some of his questions will, we think,
be of great use to the student in enabling
him to determine correct answers, and
make the study highly interesting, by
taxing his ingenuity little. For exam
pie" The initials of certain rivers in
the United States spell Hartford what
are their names and where do they emp
ty :" With such questions he is at once
pleased and interested, and he is eager to
run over the map for an answer.
We are glad to see such books multi
ply around US, and hope ere long to find
them taking the place of those which are
generally about as unintelligible to child
as a page Of Metaphysics would be. The
books that have been handed down from
father to son in our schools, excellent as
they are in the kind, seem to have been
compiled without an eye to the gradual
unfolding Of the young mind it cannot
be made to understand generals till it has
been led through particulars it must be
led on gently and delicately, and in the
very process of unfolding and expanding,
it becomes rapidly and unwarily matured.
The mind Of boy or girl, just springing
forward "to catch knowledge of objects"
is like finely tuned instrument; touch
it gently and cunningly, and it will give
elegant musick; handle it roughly and
IL I