Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-04-23
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come convinced that IN treating geog-
raphy, simple explanations of foreign
geographical names would essential
ly aid the memories of pupils, light
en- their teachers tasks, and give a
more lively interest to the whole SUBJ
ject. Let me give an instance.
Lbelieve the most repellent Chin
csc geographical names may be made
Ineligible in the following manner:
The teacher first of all reminds his
pupils that English monosyllabic
words are frequently put together
without change, 1. g., northeast, south
east, Deerfeld, HARTFORD, Newton.
and so on. He then adds that the
Chinese have none but monosyllabic
words, and these are joined on the
same principle. He then writes on
the black board in line, from above
to below, the woEsis:
Pe-north,
Tong-east,
Nan-south,
Si-west.
And IN another line
King-Capital, or kings
household,
Hai-sea.
Now the pupils will find by them
selves that the northern capital is
called, by Chinese, Picking, and the
southern capital Marking. Now If
the teacher points on the map to the
sea that bounds China on the east, he
will find that his pupils will under
stand at once why it is called Tong
hal, and Nanhai must be the name Of
that sea, which washes the southern
shore of China. In the latter sea is
an island called Hainan, and the
children will readily catch the fact
that this means "sea of the SOUTH"
meaning the Chinese Sea. The
teacher writes now under 81, the
words: Chu-pearl,
Hoang-Yellow
And below Hal,
Kiang-stream,
Ho-river.
Attention is then called to the con-
fuence of the three rivers near the
city of Canton, flowing from the re-
spective cardinal points after which
they are named. The West river
Sikiang; the North river-Pekiang;
the East river TongkianR. These
three rivers JON and form the Chu-
kiang or the Pearl river. The yellow
river or Hoangho, cuts its bed through
yellow soil from which 1t gets its
color, Yellow Sea-Hoanghai, and so
on. Geographical lessons on the
other countries could be proceeded IN
similar manner. Thus, many ge-
ographIcal names which were before
nothing else but unmeaning sounds,
will now, through such explanations,
become instinct with life, and it can
not be doubted that a method like
this must facilitate and enliven the
study of geography.
AS the principal of explaining ge-
ographical names for facilitating the
study of geography, must always be
kept in view, it is necessary that at
first only such foreign names should
be given as can be easily understood.
Only now and then little more diff
cult explanations are given, or it is
stated in honor of what eminent per-
son or in consequence of what event
this or that geographical name has
been given. Names that admit Of
different explanations or the signif-
cations of which are not yet suficient-
ly decided, have been omitted.
The knowledge of our globe has Of
late years made extraordinary pro-
gress, and every day new matter is
added, and geographical knowledge
accumulates. If then a means has
been found easily to impress on the
memory, if not all, at least a great
many, hard and repellent foreign
names, one should think it would be
worthy the consideration of teachers
and of introduction into our system
of instruction GoLdtTtavdite's Geo
graphical Magazine.
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