all Countries of the World it may sufficiently appear in general That the Christian Religion is of a very small Extent if exactly compar'd with those many and vast Countries wholly overspread with gross Idolaters numerous Mahometans and many others who either know not or at least own not the Blessed Messias But more particularly this great and sad Truth may farther appear by the following Calculation ingeniously made by some who dividing the inhabited World into thirty Parts do find that Nineteen of them are possessed by Blind and gross Idolaters Six Jews Turks and Saracens Two Those of the Greek Church Three Those of the Church of Rome Protestant Communion Thus Christianity taken in its largest Latitude bears no greater Proportion to the other grosly false Religions than five to twenty five This melancholy Consideration doth force me to bewail that woful neglect of the best Part of the Christian Church for not being so diligent as others are in endeavouring to abolish Heathenish Idolatry and that most lamentable Ignorance which as yet overshadoweth so great a Part of the inhabited World It 's undoubtedly well known that the effectual performance of such a Work as this would require no inconsiderable Stock of Money it being now impracticable to make Solemn Missions or qualify Men for them without considerable Charges and yet a sufficient Fund might be so easily rais'd that none could reasonably complain of the burden should the following Proposals be so happily made as to meet with a due Reception Did every Freeholder of the Three Kingdoms advance only for one Year the Five hundredth part of his yearly Incomes Did those Merchants of this great City who are particularly concern'd in our Foreign Plantations and daily imploy great multitudes of Pagan Slaves in their Service allow the Two hundreth part of one years Gain And finally did the Clergy of the Three Kingdoms whose Zeal in such a Matter would probably transcend others appropriate to this pious Use One hundredth part of their yearly Revenues I say did Priest and People thus unanimously combine together in carrying on this most Christian Design what an easy matter were it in a short time to raise such a Fund of Money that the Annual Interest thereof might sufficiently serve to send Yearly some Pious and Able Divines into all Quarters of the World And since Rational Methods might be taken to have several Pagan Tongues taught in our own Island a considerable part of the aforesaid Money might be likewise imploy'd to Educate a competent number of young Students of Theology in these Foreign Languages which number being still continued would serve as a choice Nursery to afford a constant Supply of able Men who might yearly go abroad and be sufficiently qualified at their first arrival to undertake that great Work for which they were sent But since the latter Part of the foregoing Proposal which imports that Europeans might learn some of the present Indian Languages doth seem impracticable to several by reason of the prodigious multitude of those Pagan Tongues and their vast variety of quite different Dialects Then we may follow the Example of the Ancient Romans whose Custom and Interest it was to extend their own Language with their Conquests and so extinguish in process of time the very Dialect of the Conquered Did we this in all Parts of our Western Empire which without doubt might be fully accomplisht in a few Generations by duly encouraging some hundreds of Christians to endeavour in the most alluring manner to instruct the younger sort of the Natives in the English Tongue Then in the next or following Age might we Address our selves to those blind Gentiles in our own Language and so instilling in them by degrees the Principles of Christianity might thereby in a short time bring in many thousands of Souls to the Sheepfold of the Pastor and Bishop of our Souls I think it needless to express how commendable such a Design would be in it self and how desirable the Promotion thereof should be to all who stile themselves Christians of what Party or Profession soever they are And I humbly suppose it might be a Work if unanimously minded by Christians more becoming the Followers of the Prince of Peace than to be Abettors of the frequent Jars and Broils of Christendom Besides there 's certainly nothing that could prove more beneficial to the Publick Good of this Nation and Particular Interest of the Crown of England for did most or many of the Natives understand and speak our own Language then might we not thereby more exactly discover the Inland Parts of these Countries and with greater security improve them to the greatest Advantage Might we not thereby make multitudes of idle wandring Indians very useful to our English Colonies and then chiefly imploy Europeans for the Guard and Safety of the Country Yea did many of the Natives but tollerably understand and speak the English Tongue then might we not in all human appearance Civilize them intirely in a short time and so add many thousands of new English Subjects to the English Empire All which are morally impossible now to be done since the numerous Dialects of their barbarous Jargon together with their own Barbarity are as so many Bars against such Undertakings Great Sirs Pardon these Proposals here offer'd to the serious Consideration of those whom they chiefly concern and give me leave to declare unto you how infinitely it would tend to the Glory of God the Good of his Church and Honour of our Nation did we sincerely endeavour to extend the Limits of our Saviour's Kingdom with those of our new Dominions and to spread the true Reform'd Religion as far as the English Sails have done for Traffick With what Anxiety of Mind and Fatigue of Body do we pierce into the remotest Countries of the World And all to heap up a little White and Yellow Earth or to purchase some things call'd Precious by Man which abstracting Human Fancy do differ nothing from common Pibble Stones and yet what a supine neglect doth attend us in doing that which would bring more Honour to our Holy Religion and prove at last more profitable to our selves than the actual Possession of all the Treasures in the Universe What a lamentable thing is it That those very Indians who border upon the English Pale not to mention some thousands of Negroes who slave in our Service should still continue in most wretched Ignorance and in stead of Knowing and Worshipping the True God should as yet reverence not only Stocks and Stones but also adore the Devil himself Christians Shall we covet and thirst after their Talents of Gold and yet keep hid in a Napkin that Talent entrusted to us Shall we greedily bereave them of their Precious Pearls and not declare unto them the Knowledge of the Pearl of Price No! no! Let us not act as others have done in making Gold our God and Gain the sole design of our Trading But let us effectually
Geography Anatomiz'd Or The Compleat Geographical Grammar Being a Short and Exact ANALYSIS Of the whole Body of Modern Geography after a New and Curious Method COMPREHENDING I. A General View of the Terraqueous Globe Being a Compendious System of the true Fundamentals of Geography Digested into various Definitions Problems Theorems and Paradoxes With a Transient Survey of the whole Surface of the Earthly Ball as it consists of Land and Water II. A Particular View of the Terraqueous Globe Being a clear and pleasant Prospect of all remarkable Countries upon the Face of the whole Earth Shewing their Situation Extent Division Subdivision Cities Chief Towns Name Air Soil Commodities Rarities Archbishopricks Bishopricks Universities Manners Language Government Arms Religion Collected from the best Authors and Illustrated with divers Maps The Second Edition much Improv'd and Enlarg'd By PAT GORDON M. A. And Fellow of the Royal Society Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci. Hor. LONDON Printed for Robert Morden and Thomas Cockerill at the Atlas in Cornhill and in Amen-Corner 1699. THE Geographical Grammar IMPRIMATUR Liber cui Titulus Geography Anatomiz'd c. John Hoskyns V. P. R. S. TO The Right Honourable THOMAS Lord Viscount Deerhurst Eldest Son and Heir Apparent of The Right Honourable THOMAS Earl of COVENTRY THIS New Edition of the following Tract of MODERN GEOGRAPHY is with the profoundest Respect Dedicated by Your Lordship's Most Humbly Devoted Servant PAT GORDON THE PREFACE MY principal Design in publishing the following Treatise is to present the younger Sort of our Nobility and Gentry with a Compendious Pleasant and Methodical Tract of MODERN GEOGRAPHY that most useful Science which highly deserves their Regard in a peculiar manner If it be alledg'd That the World is already overstockt with Composures of this Nature I freely grant the Charge but withal I 'll be bold to say That there 's none as yet publisht which is not palpably faulty in one or more of these three respects Either they are too Voluminous and thereby fright the Young Student from so much as ever attempting that Study Or Secondly too Compendious and thereby give him only a bare Superficial Knowledge of Things Or finally Confus'd being writ without any due Order or Method and so confound him before he is aware But all these are carefully avoided in the following Treatise for in framing of it I 've industriously endeavour'd to make it observe a just Mean between the two Extreams of a large Volume and a narrow Compend And as to the Method in which it now appears the same is I presume so Plain and Natural that I may safely refer the tryal thereof to the Impartial Judgment of the Severest Critick To descend to Particulars The whole consists now of Two Parts whereof the first gives a General and the second a Particular View of the Terraqueous Globe Part I. In giving a General View of the said Globe I 've perform'd these five Things viz. 1. I 've illustrated by way either of a Definition Description or Derivation all those Terms that are any ways necessary for the right understanding of the aforesaid Globle as also the Analytical Tables of the following Treatise 2. I 've set down all those pleasant Problems performable by the Terrestrial Globe together with the manner of their performance 3. I 've subjoin'd divers plain Geographical Theorems or self-evident Truths clearly deducible from the foregoing Problems 4. I 've advanc'd some Paradoxical Positions in Matters of Geography which mainly depend on a thorough Knowledge of the Globe and are equally certain with the aforesaid Theorems though many of them may possibly appear to some as the greatest of Fables Lastly I 've taken a Transient Survey of the whole Surface of the Terraqueous Globe as it consists of Land and Water as its sole constituent Parts This is the Substance of the first Part and before I proceed to the Second I must here desire the Reader may be pleas'd to observe these two Things viz. 1. That in defining the various Geographical Terms mention'd Sect. I. I have not strictly ty'd my self to the Logical Rules of a Definition for if the Term propos'd be only explain'd that is all required here 2. In advancing those Geographical Paradoxes mention'd Sect. iv which will probably so startle the Reader at first being a meer Novelty in Tracts of this kind as that he can't readily comprehend either their Meaning or Design let him therefore be pleas'd to know that the main Drift of such an uncommon Essay is in short To whet the Appetite of our Geographical Student for a compleat Understanding of the Globe upon a thorough Knowledge of which these seeming Mysteries do mainly depend or more briefly 't is to set our young Student a thinking Although the Soul of Man is a cogitating Being and its Thoughts so nimble as to surround the Universe it self in a trice yet so unthoughtful and strangely immur'd in Sense is the generality of Persons that they need some startling Noise like a sudden Clap of Thunder to rouse and awake them Now as a strange and unheard-off Phenomenon suddenly appearing in the Natural World doth attract the Eyes of all Men and raiseth a Curiosity in some to enquire into the Reason of it even so is the Proposal of a Paradoxical Truth to the Intellectual for it immediately summons all the Powers of the Soul together and sets the Understanding a-work to search into and Scan the Matter To awaken the Mind of Man to its Natural Act of Thought and Consideration may be justly reckon'd no trivial Business if we consider that 't is to the want thereof or a stupid Inconsideration that we may chiefly impute all the Enormities of Mankind whether in Judgment or Practice If therefore those Paradoxes above-mention'd shall obtain the End propos'd the rousing of the Mind to think it matters the less if some of them upon strict enquiry should be found to consist of Equivocal Terms or perhaps prove little more than a Quibble at the Bottom Proceed we now to Part II. Giving a Particular View of the Terraqueous Globe By such a View I understand a clear and exact Prospect of all remarkable Countries and their Inhabitants on the Face of the whole Earth and that in these following Particulars viz. Their Situation Extent Division Subdivision Chief Towns Name Air Soil Commodities Rarities Archbishopricks Bishopricks Universities Manners Language Government Arms Religion What is said upon each of those Heads will best appear by the following Table Concerning Situation are briefly declar'd The Degr. of Long. between which any Country lies Latit Extent Its due Dimentions from E. to W. in English Miles S. to N. Division 2 Things viz. The general Parts or Classes to which any Country is reducible How those Parts or Classes are most readily found Subdivision 2 Things viz. The particular Provinces which any Country contains How those Provinces are most readily found Chief Towns 2 Things viz. The Modern Names
some Paradoxical Positions in Matters of Geography or a few infallible Truths in Masquerade which mainly depend upon a thorough Knowledge of the Globe and are equally certain with the aforesaid Theorems though many of them may possibly appear to some as the greatest of Fables Lastly We shall take a Transient Survey of the whole Surface of the Terraqueous Globe as it consists of Land and Water as its sole constituent Parts Of these five General Heads separately and in their order Therefore SECT I. Containing some necessary Geographical Definitions Def. 1. GEography a Science both pleasant and profitable doth mainly consist in giving a true Description of the exterior Part or Surface of the Earthly Globe as 't is compos'd of Land and Water especially the former That Geography doth merit the Title of Science in several Respects and that the knowledge thereof is attended both with Pleasure and Profit is so universally granted by all who make any considerable Progress therein that to enter upon a Probation of it would be every whit as superfluous as if one should go about to evince that the Sun is risen at Noon-day It derives its compound Name from the two Greek Primitives of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Terra and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scribo vel describo and differeth from Cosmography quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Mundi Descriptio as a part doth from the whole as also from Chorography and Topography quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Regionis ac Loci Descriptio as the Whole from its Parts By a true Description of the Exterior Part of the Globe of the Earth we understand purely an Account of the Situation Extent Divisions and Subdivisions of all remarkable Countries on the Surface of the said Globe together with the Names of their Cities and Chief Towns and that accordingly as those Countries are already projected to our Hands upon particular Geographical Maps and not an actual Survey or Mensuration of them which the Science of Geography presupposeth and which properly belongs to Geodaesia or the Art of Surveying Land In giving such a Description of Countries as aforesaid doth the Science of Geography properly consist as for other Narratives relating either to Countries themselves or their Inhabitants and which commonly swell up Geographical Tracts we reckon them though the more pleasant part of this Study rather the Fringes of Geography than its real or essential Parts In the foregoing Definition we intirely restrict the Science of Geography to the exterior Part or Surface of the Earthly Globe and that as it 's compos'd of Land and Water as its sole constituent Parts designing thereby to distinguish it from Natural Philosophy which in its curious and pleasant Enquiries reacheth not only the said Surface in all its constituent Parts but also the whole Globe of the Earth with the whole Body of the Atmosphere surrounding the same yea and even the outmost imaginable Expanse of the Firmament it self We again restrict that Science mainly to one Part of the aforesaid Surface viz. the Dry Land thereby to distinguish it from Hydrography which particularly treateth of the other namely Water The Object therefore of Geography in a large Sense is the whole Surface of the Ball of the Earth consisting of Land and Water as its sole constituent Parts or in a strict and more proper Sense only One of those Parts to wit the Firm Land For the more distinctly viewing of which Parts and the better comprehending of the Science of Modern Geography in the true Fundamentals thereof we shall begin with that Artificial Representation of the Earthly Ball commonly call'd the Terraqueous Globe Def. 2. The Terraqueous Globe is an Artificial Spherical Body on whose Convex Part is truly represented the whole Surface of the Ball of the Earth as it consists of Land and Water That this Globe is term'd Terraqueous from Terra and Aqua the two constituent Parts of its Surface or Terrestrial to distinguish it from the Coelestial or finally the Artificial Globe as a differencing Mark from the Natural or Real Globe of the Earth are all so notoriously known that the least Illustration were wholly superfluous We reckon it also superfluous to show that there is a true Resemblance in Figure between the Artificial and Natural Globe or that the Body of the Earth is truly Spherical This being now beyond all dispute and never at least very rarely call'd in question except it be only by Women and Children But here note That in the following Treatise we intirely restrict our selves to this Globe so that wheresoever the Name of Globe is indefinitely mention'd we are never to understand the Coelestial Note also that wheresoever we are upon the Surface of the Natural Globe that the Point in the Heavens exactly Vertical to us is term'd our Zenith and that Point diametrically opposite thereto is stil'd our Nadir which are two corrupted Arabian Terms in Astronomy importing what is here asserted of them The first observables that present themselves to our view in treating of the Globe are its Axis and Poles Def. 3. The Axis is an imaginary Line passing through the Center of the real Globe of the Earth upon which the whole Frame thereof is supposed to turn round It s term'd Axis from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod circa illam agatur Terra As this Axis in the Natural Globe is an imaginary Line so in Artificial Globes its a real one it being a streight piece of Iron or solid Wood passing through the middle of the Globe as the Axle-tree of a Wheel Def. 4. The Poles are the two Extremities of the Axis one whereof is term'd the North or Arctick and the other the South or Antarctick They are call'd Poles from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verto because upon them the whole Frame of the Globe turneth round The North is term'd Arctick from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying a Bear because the real North Pole in the Heavens is commonly taken for a certain noted Star in that Constellation which bears the Name of the Little Bear And the South is stil'd Antarctick from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contra and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ursa because of its Diametrical Opposition to the other The Terraqueous Globe being a Spherical Body as aforesaid turning round upon its own Axis For the better understanding of that Globe in all its exterior Parts and the various Operations perform'd by the same we are to conceive it not only as a bare Spherical Body but also as such a Body surrounded with many imaginary Circles the chief of which are Eight divided into Five Parallel viz. The Equator The two Tropicks The two Polar Circles Three not Parallel viz. The Horizon The Meridian The Zodiack Otherwise divided into Four Greater viz. The Horizon The Meridian The Equator The Zodiack Four Lesser viz. The two Tropicks The two Polar Circles Def. 5. The Horizon is that great Circle which
situated under the Equinoctial Line the Meridian Shadow of the Sun doth cast it self towards the North for one half of the Year and towards the South during the other Theor. 29. In all places lying under the Equinoctial Line there is no Meridian Shadow on those two Days of the Year that the Sun doth enter the Signs of Aries and Libra Theor. 30. The nearer that places are unto or the farther remov'd from the Equator the shorter or longer accordingly is the Meridian Shadow of a Style perpendicularly erected in such places Theor. 31. The farther that places are removed from the Equator yet not surpassing 66 Degrees of Latitude the greater is the Sun 's Amplitude or that Arch of the Horizon between the Points of due East and West and those in which the Sun riseth and setteth on the Days of the Summer and Winter Solstice Theor. 32. In all places lying under the same Semi Circle of the Meridian the Hours both of the Day and Night are always the same in one as in the other Theor. 33. In all places both of the North and Southern Hemispheres that lie under opposite Parallels of Latitude the Seasons of the Year are always the same in one as in the other Theor. 34. In all places situated in a Parallel Sphere the Circle of the Sun 's Diurnal Motion runs always Parallel or very near it to the respective Horizon of such places Theor. 35. In all places situated in a Right Sphere the Circle of the Sun 's Diurnal Motion is still perpendicular or very near it to the respective Horizon of such places Theor. 36. In all places situated in an Oblique Sphere the Circle of the Sun 's Diurnal Motion is always Oblique unto or cutteth the Horizon of such places at unequal Angles Theor. 37. If the difference of Longitude in two places be exactly 15 Degrees The People residing in the Eastmost of them will reckon the time of the Day sooner by one Hour than those in the other If the difference be 30 Degrees then they 'll reckon their Hours sooner by 2. If 45 Degrees by 3. and if 60 then by 4 c. Theor. 38. If People residing in two distinct places do differ exactly one Hour in reckoning their time it being only Noon to one when one Afternoon to the other the true distance between the respective Meridians of those places is exactly 15 Degrees upon the Equator If they differ 2 Hours the distance is 30 Degrees If 3 it s 45. and if 4 it s compleatly 60 c. Theor. 39. If a Ship set out from any Port and steering Eastward doth intirely surround the Globe of the Earth the People of the said Ship in reckoning their time will gain one Day compleatly at their return or count one more than those residing at the said Port. If Westward then they 'll lose one or reckon one less Theor. 40. If two Ships set out from the same Port at the same time and both surround the Globe of the Earth one steering East and the other Westward they 'll differ from one another in reckoning their time two Days compleatly at their return even suppose they happen to arrive on the same Day If they surround the Earth twice steering as aforesaid they 'll differ 4 Days if thrice then 6 c. Theor. 41. If several Ships set out from the same Port either at the same or different times and do all surround the Globe of the Earth some steering due South and others due North and arrive again at the same Port the respective People of those different Ships at their return will not differ from one another in reckoning their time nor from those who reside at the said Port. These are the chief Geographical Theorems or self-evident Truths clearly deduclble from the foregoing Problems and to these we might add a great many more but leaving such Truths we pass to some others in pursuance of our proposed Method and such as are equally certain with the aforesaid Theorems though not so apparent yet probably more diverting Therefore followeth SECT IV. Containing some amazing Geographical Paradoxes Par. 1. THERE are two remarkable Places on the Globe of the Earth in which there is only one Day and one Night throughout the whole Year Par. 2. There are also some Places on the Earth in which it is neither Day nor Night at a certain time of the Year for the space of twenty four Hours Par. 3. There is a certain Place of the Earth at which if two Men should chance to meet one would stand upright upon the Soles of the others Feet and neither of them should feel the others weight and yet both should retain their Natural Posture Par. 4. There is also a certain Place of the Earth where a Fire being made neither Flame nor Smoke would ascend but move circularly about the Fire Moreover if in that Place one should fix a smooth or plain Table without any Ledges whatsoever and pour thereon a large Quantity of Water not one Drop thereof could run over the said Table but would raise it self up in a large heap Par. 5. There is a certain Place on the Globe of a considerable Southern Latitude that hath both the greatest and least Degree of Longitude Par. 6. There are three remarkable Places on the Globe that differ both in Longitude and Latitude and yet all lie under one and the same Meridian Par. 7. There are three remarkable Places on the Continent of Europe that lie under three different Meridians and yet all agree both in Longitude and Latitude Par. 8. There is a certain Island in the Aegaean Sea upon which if two Children were brought forth at the same instant of time and living together for many Years should both expire on the same Day yea at the same Hour and Minute of that Day yet the Life of one would surpass the Life of the other by divers Months Par. 9. There are two observable Places belonging to Asia that lie under the same Meridian and of a small distance from one another and yet the respective Inhabitants of them in reckoning their time do differ an intire Natural Day every Week Par. 10. There is a particular Place of the Earth where the Winds though frequently veering round the Compass do always blow from the North Point Par. 11. There is a certain Hill in the South of Bohemia on whose Top if an Equinoctial Sun-Dial be duly erected a Man that is Stone-blind may know the Hour of the Day by the same if the Sun shines Par. 12. There is a considerable number of places lying within the Torrid Zone in any of which if a certain kind of Sun-Dial be duly erected the Shadow will go back several Degrees upon the same at a certain time of the Year and that twice every Day for the space of divers Weeks yet no ways derogating from that miraculous returning of the Shadow upon the Dial of Ahaz in the Days of King Hezekiah Par.