New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-21
A LESSON IN GEOGRAPHY
Gazetteer of New Standard Dictionary
Draws Fire Of Correspondent.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The maps drawn by the early
photographers were wonderful efforts OF
imagination. Just as architecture has
been called frozen music" so might
these ancient maps be termed frozen
fiction" At their best they were based
on the authority Of travellers tales; at
their worst they were inspired by mis-
guided artistry and unbridled fancy. The
results were often grotesque and ludi-
crous. Geographic ignorance was never
better charted; geographic humor was
never so unconsciously real. And yet.
how the untraveled and unlettered
masses must have been impressed by
these imposing creations; how the very
size and pretentiousness of these unblush-
ing records" must have made. them stand
with open mouths and uncovered heads!
The Oldest rectangular map of the world
was one which accompanied the Chris
tian Topography" "a. d. $3.50 of Cosmos
Indicopleustes, an Alexandrian monk who
made voyage to India. He conceived
the world as a rectangle surrounded by
an ocean, and its outline broken by four
gulfs-the Roman, or Mediterranean; the
Arabian. Persian and Caspian seas. Ly-
ing beyond this ocean Is the terrestrial
paradise" drawn with equal care and
simplicity.
Another interesting map is that still to
be seen in Hereford Cathedral. England
made by Richard of Haldngham about
1880 The Orient centres round the Tower
OF Babel" and Paradise" lies off the
coast of India.
But the heights Of -turvydom are
reached I'm the fantastic map Of the Ara
blan geographer Idrisi. made in ll5i for
King Robert of Sicily. great patron OF
these creative geniuses In 1drisis map,
which is engraved on a silver plate, the
Mediterranean covers the greater part or
the Inhabited world, while Asia and Africa
are distorted and fancful in the extreme
The effect reminds one OF the convex and
concaye mirrors that add to the mirth OF
the side shows Ones sense of perspective
is for the time destroyed and ones sense
of the ridiculous is stimulated.
Some such effect is produced by pc
rusal of the gazetteer section OF the New
Standard Dictionary. We find prov
inces" that do not exist. cities that have
been dropped down hundreds OF miles out
of their true geographical position, "di-
visions" and districts that now live only
in the compllers imagination. The Orient
is no longer terra incognita; hence these
mythic creations cannot long survive, as
did those of the ancient "geometers.' To
illustrate the errors by few homely eX-
amples. imagine map Of North America
in which Chicago IS placed in Massachu-
sets. Buffalo in Virginia and Winnipeg
I'm Wisconsin: imagine Bucharest, the
capital city of Rumanla, recorded as
city In Turkey. and you will wonder
whether you are awake or whether you
are confronted with the work of some lit
erary aspirant OF Matteawan or It's Eng
lish counterpart. Coney Hatch.
To charge errors TO book fraught with
so much advertised labor is a bold thing
TO do: but as Rip Van Wrinkle Is evident
~ not wide awake, and perhaps viii be
none the worse for a lesson IN humility
We shall con amore draw attention 10 one
country as an example. Alb uno disco
omnes The choice of the world Is open
TO Is. but we will select India as glar.
ing example OF the delightful ignorance
or delightful humor according TO the
point OF View displayed throughout the
New Standard Dictionary. From our
long list OF errors. which is virtually
gazetteer In itself. We adduce dozen
specimens TO substantiate our criticism
and to do a kindness 10 the aforesaid
Rip. Surely the past can come no nearer
10 repeating itself.
Abbottabad is in the Northwest Frontier
Province, and not in "Punjab' as stated
in the New Standard Dictionary
Angul is in Bihar and Orissa Province
and not In Bengal"
Behar (Blhar is official spelling. Al
though the New Standard Dictionary
gives "Behar" as its preferred form, 1t
uses both forms indifferently). Bihar Is
not I'm bengal" but forms part OF the
Province of Rihar and Orissa.
Cachar Is in Assam. and not in Eastern
Bengal and Assam Province; there Is no
such province.
Chutia Nagpur is in Bihar and Orissa
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