COLTON'S COMMON SCHOOL GEOGRAPHY - Pt. 01 Product booklet — PDF Download

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PR,ET'ACE.

Tsn constant ancl pressing demancl for improved text-books on the subject of Geography has led to the preparation of this work.
It is desigled to afford all the infbrmation 'which the iimited time allottecl to this department of study in the Common Schools enables
the pupils to acquirel and it distributes this information so that every part of the science may receive a proportionate clegree of atten-
tion, the intelligence of the pupil be developed in the highest degree, and the best foundation laid fol fnrther acquisiLion. Every
topic is, therefore, briefly treated, so as not to burden the mind of tlre stndent 'witl'r rnnecessary details.
The general principles of Physical Geography are presenteil as the grountl-work of the whole ; the great natural features of each
grancl division are carefully but briefly sketcheil, and all local descriptions made to illustrate and exemplify these general statements.
The descriptive geography of the Unitetl States, 'which, as treated in most books, exhausts the time ancl patience of the student
with i3s almost endless repetitions, has been presented by sections insteacl of States, only the few saiient featur.es of the latter being
given.
Areds and populattons arc inf,roclucecl in the text, but are sLatecl in rouncl numbers, the object being, not to impart a knowleclge
of these facts with minute accuracy, but to give a just itlea of the comparative size of countries ancl cities, and thus prevent the
folmation of the absurd uotions often derivetl flom the study of those text-books that give no information of this kincl except in
statistical tablcs, which are rarely consultetl.
The nrups have been clrawn ancl engravetl specially for this wolk, and present the most authentic geographical information. They
are clear, attractive in appearance, and not encumbered 'with minute details, calculated only to embarrass the learner, except the refer-
ence maps, which are very full and cornplete.
The illustrations may challenge competition with those of any other work of this kincl publisherl; being artistic in rlesign ancl
execution, and rvell calcuiated to give the most expressive and accurate id"eas of the geographical features and localities which they are
intended to represent. The large vignette engravings insertecl at tlre heatl of the grand divisious were designed and executed by one
of the best artists of the country especially for this rvork.
Tlre ntalt questions, without being neecllessly minute, are copious a,nd exiraustive, anil are so construcfecl anil arrangeil as to be
immediately answered by an inspection of the map ; antl combinecl with them are exelcises carefully preparerl with the design to
facilitate review, and impress permaneltly upon the pupil's mind the names and situation of places.
No attempt has been made at diffuse explanations, such as fill the pages of so many of the recently-publisherl works on this sub-
ject, such matters being dec'med out of place in a, school manual, which is not clesignecl to take the place of the teacher, but to afford
him aicl in calrying on the work of instruction-a portion of which at least shoulcl emanate directly from himself.
Maps showing the chief routes of travel by railroad throughout the United States, with questions and exercises, and a complete
series of RnrnnnNcn l\[ees, emhracing different sections of this country, have been adcled.
LIST OF-' YTAPS.

scaleorNatnre. *,t3'#j'r$"'||' gcole orNatnrc. tf'#t T.t}|t
FllsrpnN 1,500 14. 1. Mpxrco 350 aND WESI lrvnrns. Tlnurspunnr.. .. . . ssoatoooo zooobooo (' L 15. 550 SourrrAMlnrc-q WnsrunN..... ..... e'ootoooo
o. NonrrrAunnrcl ....."-.'ootdooo 550 16. Eunopn...... . sloob-ooo 350
80 4. DolrrNroN or C.s.NA.na. ,. .. z;oolouu 120 1?. BnrrrsH Isi,qs. uooioou
a6 CENTRAL, axo Soursnnlr o. NnwpournLAND. " 18. 1\'rsrrnN, t( 4 6. Bnrrrsn 240 Oor,uMsrA.. -Eunopn ... rrooloooa
11 I 240 19. CnNrn,s.r, 120 Ifxrr-oo Surns. Eunopn. T5000000 zsotooo (( 8. SncTrolt No. 1.. . ... ___1___ 20. Asra . .. 3500000 DO '< aaooSooo
aa q .. ?00.. ?0 21. Alnrc,q. . ____1___4400000
36. 10. I 120 22. OcnaNrcA.... 7500060 .uoobooo 1,050
Pnvsrcur, aa. 23. 11. aa 3a 3a Mep or U. S. ... T4TeL6-roo
I2. aa ca (a 2+,25. Ra.rr,nolo Maps. Nos. 1 ancl 2.
13. c( (s (a 3t 2e,48. Rr:r'nRnrcn Mlps or rnl:'llnrrnn Surns.

Erteretl, accordinc to Act of Congress, ln tle year 1868, by J. E. CoLroN, in the Clerk'e Office of the DiBtrict Court of the Uniteil States for the Eastern District of New York

Entererl, accoraling to Act of CongresB, in the year 18?2, by Snrr,noN & Co,, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
Colgrightedo 1877, by Sheldon A Co.

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COM}ION SCIIOOL GIIOGITAI'IIY
the 'Iropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic 0ircie. The wiclth of LESSON VII.
each is 43".
tAND AND WATER. 5. Thc zones contairrccl within the polar circles are called. the
Trigid .Zones. 1. A littlc more than one fourth of the surfacc of tLe carth is
Irndl and the rernainder, lvater. 6. The North Frigirl Zone is within the Arctic Circle', and thc
Soutlr tr'rigicl Zone is within the Antarctic Circle. Each extends The lanrl surface is about, 54,000,000 square miles; the water surface about
23$o fi'orn the pole. 143,000,000 square rniles.
7. Ihere are, therefore, five zones : onc tor'- 2. The Eastern Hemisphere contains more than twice as much
rid, two temperate, and two frigid zones. land as the Western. Of the thlee great masses of land, the
Iargest antl the smallest are allnost or entirely included within it.
8. The Tolritl Zone is the ancl the
Frisid are the smallest zones.
9. fn the Torricl Zone, the heat is the great-
est, because the rays of the sun are more direct
there than at other parts; in the X'rigid Zones, the cold is the
greatest, because the sun's rays are there obliclue, or slanting.
Torrid nteans lrct; frigdd, coltl.
'What are zones? 2. Where is the Torrid Zone? g, 4. QursrroNs.-1.
Wherc are the Temperate Zones ? 5, 6. The Frigicl Zones ? What is the
width of each zone ? 7. Name the live zones, 8. 'Which is the larsest ?
The smallest? 9. W'hy is the heat greatest in the Torrid Zone? Wiy is
the colcl greatest in the Frigid Zones ? WISTERN EEMISPIIER,E. EASTERN

The meridian circle rvhich separates the Eastern from the Western Hemi-
sphere, passes through 20" west frorn Greenwich. This line was selected
because it was supposed to pass through the island of tr'erro, the most western -o$€>:€#o- land. known to the ancients.
I,ESSON VI. 3. The Northcrn Ffemisphcrc contains neatly thrcc tirnes as
much lancl as the Southern.
MAPS AND GtOBES. 4. Thc Northeru llemisphcr.e, formed by taking Lonclon as a
t, A J[ap is a represcnta,tion of the whole or a part of the center, contains nearly all the land I ancl the Southern, nearly all
ealth's surl'ace ou a plane. the water. The fotrner is callcd thc Continental, or Lanil Hemi-
sphere; and the latter, the Occanic, or \4rater }lemisphere.
z. .Morth, on a nap, is in the tlirection
of the rneridians, toward the top of the map;
Sout/t, is in the direction of the meridians
toward the bottom.
s. -gast, is in the direction of the paral-
lels, tou'ard the right hanrl I Zfest, is in the
direction <lf the parallels, toward the left.
4. Degrees of latituile are markecl at the
sidcs of maps I of longitucle, at the top and bottorn, or on the
etpa,tor.
5. The crlrth's surface is also rcpresenteil b]. nrcarts of tcrrestrial
globcs. .W'ATAR KEMISPIIERE. I,AND IIEMISPEEIiE.
6. Ilaps of large parts of the earthts surfa.ce ale not so exact as
globes, as they replesent some portions of th<: sulface too srnall or 5. The great body of u'ater on thc earthts strrfacc is norvbcre
too largc, irr ptoportion to othors. entirely scparated by land. It extenrls fronr pole to polcr, antl
entirely encompasses each of the large lnasses of lancl on the sur-
7. Thc Scale of a map shows the spacc l.Jrich definitc portions face of the earth. of the earth's surface occnpy upon it. It is usefirl in ascrertaining
thc tlistance fronr one plaoe to another, or the dirnensions of differ- Qunstrous.-1. IIow much of the earth's surfacc is land ? IIow much
ent countries. water ? 2. How rnuch more lanrl does thc Dastern Ilemisphere contain than
the W-cstern ? 'What mcriclian circlc separates the Eastern and Western
Qrinstrons.-1. What is a map ? 2. In what rlirection on {t map is north ? Hemispheres ? 3. IIow mnch mole land is containecl in the Northern than
South ? 3. East ? West ? 4. Where are deqrees of latitude rnarked ? Desrees in the Southern Hemisphcrc ? 4. How are lancl ancl watcr hcmispheres
I of longitude ? 5. By what other means is the Earth's surface represented. ? formecl ? 5. Is the great bocly of water on the earth's surface separated by
0. U'ly are globes more exactthan maps? 7. What is the scale of a map? the lancl ? What is its extent ?|r_

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12 CO}IMON SCFIOOL GEOGRAPITY.

Coral islanrls arc sometirnes sut'rotrttrlctl, nt t tlistance of two LESSON XIII. ?.
or three miles, by reefs of colll. Srrclr rt ciis a,rc calletl -Uncirclong
ISLANDS. free/s.
1. Islarrcls nle cithcr Continentu/ or ()certntlc ,' tlte I'<l'mcr 8. 'llhelc lr,r'c also lecf's t,f cor':rl lyirrg 1xlr'rtilt'l trt t'xtcttsil'e sltottrs
alc situatetl near llre t'orrtincrrts I thc lltttrr', a,t a, tlistalrce frorrr lrrrrl :rt a r(jor)si(ler:Ible distllnce ftottr tlrttttr. 'I'lrtse :rre calletl
thenr. 7]rtrrier -!free/s, bcclltrsc thcy otten obstmct ptlssltgos.
z. Cotttinental Isktlttls are gcncraliy long and nalrow, l,ntl (lraut Barriet' Iltcf, otl the ttortltcast corlst of -&nstrnlia, is alrotrt 1,000
lie irr chains parallel to the rreighboling coast, olten to rnourrtain nriles in length, antl its ry(flirgc tlistance ti'onr thc sltore .is lttrtwcett twenty
l'l.n.g(,s irr thc vicinity. antl thirty milcs.
The Japan ancl other Asiatic islantls r.rre exarnples. Qrrus'rroNs.-1. Of horv manl' kintls are islands ? 2. lVhat tre contiuental islands ? 3. Oceanic islands ? 4. Volcanic islnnds ? Give examples of
each. {. lYhat arc coral islantls ? What is coraf i 6. lY}rat is an atol, or
lngoon islurd ? ?. What are encirding rcctis? 8. Burrier rccfs ? Descrilic
Great Rarricr Reefl

L ESSON XI V.
MOUNTAINS.
l. 'Ihe lentl surfacc of the errrth is divelsificcl by mountains, hills,
valleys, table-lands, ancl plains.
2. The longest mountain system is found in the \\restcrn part of
S'f. IIEI,I'NI. America, consisting of the Andes anrl the Rocky llountains, rvith
the chairrs parallel to the latter.
3. Oceonic fsfunds occur in the ocean singly or in circuler
gl'oups I such as St. Ileleua, Ascension, and the numerous grollps
of the Pacific Occan.
4. Tolca;nic Islands arc such as are raisecl fi'om the bottom
of the occan by volcanic fotces. 'Ihey are usually high anrl rocky I
have boltl, steep shores I ancl ale markccl by lofty rnount:rin peaks.
Such are the Canary fslancls, Cape Yelcle Islancls, and other islands near
thc northwest coast of Africa; also nrost of the islantls ncar Asil.
s. Coral Islands are those that consist of coral, a substrncc
lblmecl by small marine animals.
Coral consists of the stony skeletons of these little animals, which remain
in huge masses after their bodies have perished.. These masses, raised one
upon another and covered lvith sand, seaweed, etc., fomr the coral islands.
Very marry cf the islarrds of the Pacific are of coral formation.

MOUNT ARAN.\T.
3. The most extensive mountain system of thc Eastern Continent
is that which cornlncnces at the southwestern patt of Eutope, arld
extencls eastwalcl to thc Pacific Ocean, inclutling the Alps ancl tlrt:
I{imalayas.
The extent of the Amcrican systetn is abont 10,000 rniles; that of tha
Eastern, about 8,000 rnilcs. The culrniuating, or ltighcst point of thc former
is about 22,500 feet high; that of the lntter, 29,000 fect ltigh.
4. The gleat mountain systerns, it rvill bc seen, cxtcncl in the
ilirection ofthe greatcst length ofthe continents.
5. These tnountain chains clo not consist of a long line of narro\v
elevations, but of langcs, parallel to each other ancl, iu some places,
of very considerable rvidth.
The Andes }lountains hrlvc an aver:Ige rvidth of 250 miles; the greatest
wirlth of thc chain being trbout 400 miles. Thc rvitlth of the Himalayas is
ahorrl, 200 mik,s.
6. The gre'at mortntain systems ate remote fronr the central
C0III\T1 IIEF]F. rc:gious of thc continents. In America, they extencl nlong the
6. An,Ato//, or La.qoon Islnn,d, troltsists of a narrow belt, westcrn borilels; in the Eastern Continertt, they ale neat the
or ring of coral, inclosing a shallorv la,ke or lagoon. sotrtheln antl eastern co:rsts.

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l'L-,\INS AND PLATEAUS.-Sl'RINGS, ltIYHliS, r\ND L,\lillS.

7. The nuutbel of volcanoes is estimatetl at about four hunth'etl I 6. The grcat plains of tlrc earth tre situatcd in the central antl
of thesc, about tu'o thilds arc upoll islancls, gencrally in the Eastertr eastenr parts of thcr Nclr. Worltl, arrd thc rrot'thct'u palts of the
Flemisjrliere. Lcss thau trvo tliilds o1' thc whole are, at pl'esent, Old. The fonner is peculially the region of plaius, arrd the latter,
actiye voloauoes. o1'platcaus.
7. Plains arc gencrally rvell rvatcrertl, bcinq intctscctetl by large
and navigable rivets ; thcy htvc a fertile soil, alrtl alc thr: chosott
abodes of rirau.
Thc Plrrin of Chinl, cstirnatctl to contain 210,000 stlulle milcs, strpports a
popula,tion of 170,000,000, antl. procluces tu inrureuse quautitJ' o1' n'hctt, rice,
silk, tca, cotton, etc.
8. Plateaus are generally noted. for a want of fertility, but are
cool and. healthful, ancl are, therefore, sometimes the resorts of
mankind d.uring the oppressiye heats of summer.
9. The principal platcaus are in thc $'estern pnrts of the \Yestern
Continent, and. in the southern portions of the Eastern. The loftiest
plateaus are in southern Asia. Nearly the whole of Alrica south
of the latibude of Cape Guardafui, is an extensive plateau.
YOI,CANo OF ORIZAR.L Qunstroxs.-1. \Yhat cloes the land surface comprise? 2. What are high- lrnds ? What clo they incluclc'i 3. What rlo lnwlrrncls include ? 4. 1\'hich
8. Ilost of the active volcanoes of the \Yestern ffemisl'rhere are are the most extensive lo'wlancl plains ? 5. Holv much of each continent tlo
6. In what palt of the continents are they siturtcd ?on the rnairrlllnd. 'I'hey alc scncr&llv nerr tlrc ocearr or soue ilt- lowland plaius incluile ? 7. Whnt is thc general character of plains'? Givc an cxrulplt'. 8. 'lYhat islantl bocly of rvatcr. the character of platoaus ? 9. lVLere at'r: the prircipal plateuus'( Sincc it is f<rulrl that the hcrt increases very rapitily as we clcscend below
the surfirce of the earth, it is supposcd that its interior consists of a nass of
melted mattcr. lVtter coming iu contact with this heated matter, antl being
convertecl into steam, the force thus proclucctl causes a clisturbance of this
vast subtcrranea,n sc& cruptions liquid fire, ancl thus gives rise to volcanic of - --"ci*#,a: '- Jot)a.anrl Thc mcltecl matter throrvn out by is callecl volcanoes crrthquakes.
Some volcanoes cmit large quantities of boiling rvatcr.
9. Volcanocs are most numerons in the Torricl Zonc, but some
arc found irr all other latitudes. Jan }Iaycn, in the Atlantic, ?1o N.,is thc most northcln volcano, anrl }-[ount Erobus, in South \rictolil,, LESSON XVI.
the most southern. SPRINGS, RIVERS, AND LAKES.
Quosrroxs.--1. IIow is thc lancl surfirce of tirc earth c'liversifictl ? 2. \Yhcrc
is the longcst rnountain syste.m'? 3. Wherc is the nost extensive mountaiu 7. Sltt'ings are folurcrcl by rvatcr sinking iuto the ground till it
systelD of the Dastern Continent ? State the altitutle ancl extent of cach. Iirrcls some hollory placc, by n'hich it is contairred as in a leservoir,
4. Ilorv clo these morurtuin s)'steDs extencl ? 5. Of what clo these mountain anil fi'om which it issues at a lolcr level, 'I'hey ale supplied bychains consist ? State the rvitith of the Ancles ancl the Himalayas. 6. In rains arrd rneltiug snory aud ice.what part of cach continent are its grcat urountain systens ? 7. Ilorv mall'
volcanocs. are thcrc'? Ilolv mri,lry of these are activc ? 8. IYhere are the
active volcanoes of cach contincnt situatcd ? Explain the causc of volcanoes.
lYha,t is ltvt'/ 0. In 'lvhat zolre are volcanoes ruost uurnerous'i lYhiclt is
the urost northeln volcano'/ The nost southcrn ?

LESSON X\T.
PLAINS AND PLATEAUS.
1. TIie lancl surfacc of tlie earth compises f{ig/tlands ard.
Zoylands.
z. Eighlands ttt'c thosc parts rrJriclr have an elevation of about
2,000 feet ancl uprvur'.I, above thc scu-level. Thcy inclutle nouut-
ains ancl plateaus.
g. Zorllanl.1 inclucle lorvllntl plarns and vallcl's.
4. The urost extensive lorvlantl plains arc thc Grcat Ccnttal I'lain
of North America, thc Oentral I'la,in of South Arnclica, antl the A RIVF]II ITUNNING INTO T]II' OCEAN.
Great Noltheru Plain of the OId \\rolld.
5. The plains of the Western Contincnt emln'ace about trvo 2. friyers commonly take their rise from sprinqs, lakes, or the
thirils of its 'w'hole surfaco I those of thc liastenr Continent, lcss meltetl snon' and ice of mountains. The llrgest rivers have their
than one thiltl. sources in the snorv-clail rnountains of tablelancls.

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COM}ION SCIIOOL GI]OGITAPIIY.

3. The magnitude, or yolume, of rirers depends not only upon QunstroNs.-1. How are springs formetl ? IIow supplied ? 2. Frorn
cloes the vohnue, or rnagnitude, the extent of their basins, but also upon the amount of rain that what do rivers take thcir rise ? 3. On what clo the Amazon ancl Nile illustrrte this ? 4. On falls and. the evaporation that takes place during their course. of rivers depend ? How whnt tloes the velocity of rivcrs rlepend ? 5. Into r.hn,t chsses are rivers
Thus the volume of the Amazon is five tirnes as greftt as that of the Nile, divitletl? 6. lVhat ale occnnic rivers? ?. Continentrl rivcls'? 8. Horv arc
although its basin is less than twice as great, because the former flows through deltas formed ? 9. \Yhat is a n'atershecl ? 10. lVhat is a rrver system ?
a regicn abouncling in moisture; nhereas the latter is subjected to a rapi<l 11. W-here do lakes abouncl ? 12. Why are there f'elv perrnanent lalie s in the
evapolation fronr the dry and heatccl atmosphcre, ancl also loses its .watcrs Torritl Zone ? 13. IMhich are tire loftiest lakes ? 14. \Ylierc do salt lakes
by inflltration-sinking into the grountl. occur? 15. lY'hy are thcy salt ?

_-.t-€#€#*{-
LE SSON XYII.
THE OCEAN.
1. Tlrc Ocean, rvith its tributary soas, compl'ises au alcr of
about 142,570,000 stpralc ntiles.
2. The lyetel's of thc occan al'c salt, for tlrc same lceson tlrlrt
lakes rvhich have no outlcts axr salt.
3. The color of the occan is gcnerally a tlccp blue I lmt, torv:u'rl
the coast, it tulns to bluish glr:cn. Dill'elcut parts are of lreculirlr'
colors.
4. 'l'lrc ?acific Ocean has the greatest area: it extcnrls bctl'ct'n
tlrc .r\rrtarotic Oirole antl ljehlinq Stlait, about 9,000 tnilcs, antl
FAI,T,S OF ST. ANTEONY. bettveen the Isthrnus of l'auama anrl eastern .Asia, 11,500 rnilcs.
It is less stormy than the other ocearrs.
4. The velocif,y of rivers depencls upon their slope antl the 5. This occan is conceivecl to be seprrateil from thc Inclian smoothness ancl directness of their channels. A clescent of one foot
irasses thr.ough the southern poirrt of in t'lvo hunclrecl feet, unless the channel is winding, renders a riyer Ocean by the meridian rvhich
Cape unnar.igable I a greatcr fall produces mpids, a cascade, or waterfall. Horn.Tasmania I and from ttre Atlautic by that lyhich clividcs
.n'iclc. and 5. Rivers arc clividetl into tlvo classes : Oceanic rstcl Con- 6. Tlre ;4tlantic Ocenn is from 900 to 5.000 milcstinental. extctttls 9,000 rniles f'r'oru nolth to south. It is clistiuguishecl by
6. Oceattic friyers alc those tlrat dilcctlr. or irrdin'<,tlv florv tlte nunrbcr of its scas, gulfb, antl bays, antl by the rruurerous vast
into thc ocoan. livers n'hich flow into it. It is also uoted for stor.rns.
1, Cotztinental friyel't rrLr thosc tlrat tlisr:halgc thcir w:rtcls The rivers tributary to the Atlrntic have the most extensive b:rsins, atrtl
into inlarrcl lakes, sn'arn1rs, etc. ltour forth tlrc greatest vnlume of water. Thc plrnc\tal are the llississippi,
8. Oe/tas are forrnctl at tlic rnoutlrs of largc rivels by deposits St. Lawrence, Amazon, La Plata, Danube, Nile, and Niger.
of rnutl rva,shecl dorvn from the soil.
9. A 7l?tterslted is thc riilge of hnil that scparates one river
basin fi'otn another.
10. r\ llir-cr Systern incluiles a river and all its tributarics.
ll. Zol;es abouncl in lox,lands havinq lrut little slope, lnrl
thcreiblc a slow atrcl imperfect draintge. Iftrrrcc they ar.e nulner-
ous in the northern parts ofboth continerrts.
I2. In the Tollicl Zonc there alc but fcw permanent llkcs, since
most of the smaller shcets of tvatcr :rrc clrietl up bv the suu.
13. Lakes occur at yery great elevations. Lake Sir'ikol, near the
Tvesteln borcler of the Chinese Hmpire, is about 15,000 feet above
the level of the sea I and Lake Titicaca, in South America, is oler
12,000 feet. 'Ihese are the lof'tiest lakes in the world.
t+. Sa/t Zafues occur in inlancl basins, scnelally in plateeus, SCENE IN TIIE ATI,ANTIC OCEAN.
ryhele the rairrs alc light, ancl thc surplus watcl is car.riccl off by 7. The Atlantic is conceivecl to be separatetl from the fndirn
er'"rporation. Thcy havc no outlets. Ocean by tlie melidian rvhich divitles Cape Agulhas.
15. Their saltness is caused by the accurnulntion of saline metters 8. The Indian Ocean extencls 6,000 miles frorn north to
I'ashed clorvn from the soil, ancl carried into tlicrrr by the rivers sourh, ancl 5,000 miles from east to west. ft is particularly subject,
arr,l slrI'ings to hurncanes ancl violent storms.

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