Thesaurus geographicus a new body of geography, or, A compleat description of the earth ... collected ... by several hands : with an alphabetical table of the names of places.

PREFACE:

IT is needless to make a long Discourse of the Excellency of Geography, and its usefulness in all the Arts and Professions to which Men can apply themselves in the World. It is abso∣lutely necessary to all Persons that would understand the Histories of Foreign Nations, or the Relations of Journeys and Voyages thither. For what Notion can a Man have of any History, when he hath no Idea of the Situation or Distances of the Places where the Actions are said to have been done? When he reads that Hannibal pass'd out of Spain into Italy with a numerous Army, he can Form no Judgment of the Length of the Way, nor of the Difficulties of it, without the Know∣ledge of Geography. This Argument is pursued at length in almost all the Treatises which have been writ∣ten on this Subject; and is so plainly True, that there needs but the reading of a Gazette to prove it.

It is no wonder therefore that this Science was as early studied as any. But the Ancients, who arriv'd to such Perfection in the other Parts of Learning, were very defective in this, as their Writings do sufficiently testifie. They knew Asia so far as the Rivers Indus and Ganges, by means of Alexander's Expedition a∣gainst Darius, but they knew nothing of China, or the Islands of the Indian Ocean, and very little of Tartary or Scythia, as they call'd it. The Romans, as appears from Caesar's Commentaries, were altogether ignorant of Muscovy, Sweden, Norway, Poland, Denmark, and the greatest part of Germany. They knew some of the Southern Parts of Britain that lye over against France, but had only dark and confus'd Notions of the rest of it before Caesar's Expedition hither. They knew the Coast of Africa from Egypt to Hercules Pillars, or the Streight of Gibraltar; but imagin'd that the Southern Parts, were altogether waste and uninhabited, being scorch't and burnt up with heat. Some few of them believ'd that the Land and Water made a Globular Body, but they could not conceive the Antipodes, that there were Men living Diametrically opposite with their feet to theirs. They made Maps of the Countries they had Conquer'd, and it made a principal part of their General's Pageantry when he entred the City in Triumph. We are also told, that there were many Geographical Tables expos'd to Publick View, in the Gallery of Lu∣cullus at Rome; but we know not what ways they took, or what Rules they follow'd in making them. In a word, their knowledge of the Earth reach't as far as their Conquests, but no farther; for their Na∣vigation and Traffick (which hath been the occasion of discovering the remotest Parts of the Earth,) was in a manner confin'd to the Mediterranean: and if they ventur'd out of the Streights Mouth, it was only to Coast the Shores of France and Spain; for, for want of the Mariner's Compass, they durst not venture out of sight of Land.

'Tis to the Discovery of this Virtue of the Loadstone that the Improvement of Navigation, and there∣by of Geography, is chiefly owing: without the help of this, America had still been unknown, and many other Parts of the Earth had probably never been visited hy Europeans; whereas in these two last Ages eve∣ry part of it, where extream Cold did not hinder, has been Traded to by Portuguese, Spanish, English and Dutch Merchants.

Geography and Navigation have also been much improv'd by the assistance that Astronomy has re∣ceiv'd from the Invention of Telescopes, by means whereof, in this last Age, several Stars and Pla∣nets have been observ'd that the Ancients knew nothing of, particularly the Satellites of Jupiter, whose Eclipses shew the Longitude of Places, but could not be observ'd before Telescopes were made: Besides that, these Glasses help us more exactly to observe those very Stars that we see with our naked Eyes, when from their Elevation we would know the Latitude of Places. Now this is of great consequence in Na∣vigation, since the Longitude and Latitude, or Situation of one Place with respect to another, cannot be known any other way.

Thus by the means of Commerce between Nation and Nation, the Observations of Learned and Ingenious Men, together with the Relations of those many Curious Travellers that have survey'd almost all the Earth, this Science of Geography is now arriv'd to a very great Perfection. Many of these Observations and Tra∣vels have been made of late years, and tho' they have been publish'd, it has been at several times, in seve∣ral Languages, and in several Volumes, which no body having before collected together, and digested into a proper Method, the Reader, we hope, will be pleased in finding it done in the following Work; a general Account whereof here follows.

The Design of Geography is not only to Describe the Earth in all its Parts, but to shew whatsoever is worthy to be known or useful in any Part of it. For the simple Division of the Earth into Countries and Pro∣vinces, without intermixing Accounts of what is valuable in each, is a very dry and insipid thing: and as it affords little pleasure, it brings scarce any profit; for the Name and Situation of a place is soon forgot

when we know nothing remarkable about it: But when a Story is related as acted in that place, when it produces any thing peculiar and proper to its self; such as being the Birth-place of a great Man, the Scene of a long War, or the Habitation of a Rich or Wise People: These fix and imprint it in our Minds; so that once knowing it by such a signal Mark, we can never forget it. Besides, as the Pleasure of the Study is heightned, the Attention of the Mind is Engaged, and an Account of the things that are chiefly remark∣able in every place, as we come to it in the Description, opens the Mind and makes it receive the Impressi∣on deep, which therefore must be lasting. 'Tis for this Reason that in this Work a short History of every considerable Place is annexed to the Description of it.

Geography hath Two Parts: One Considers the General or Universal Properties of the Earth, which are common to all its Parts: The Other is the Division of it into Countries and Provinces, and the Description of each particular Place.

The General Geography ought to contain, 1. An Account of the Situation, Motion, Figure and Big∣ness of the Parts of the Universe; for by this we know in what part of the Universe the Earth is, or how it is situated in respect of the rest; also what proportion it bears to the other parts in its Magnitude; and lastly, what different Appearances and Effects must happen, such as Day and Night, and the several Sea∣sons of the Year, according to the various Positions or Motions of these Bodies. Without a just apprehension of this, we can never have a right Idea of the Earth.

2. A more particular Enquiry into the Figure and Magnitude of the Earth, which we are oblig'd to consider more exactly, because it is the proper Object of this Science. Moreover, with this a Division of the Earth into its parts may be joyn'd, and an account given of what we know concerning the Nature and Properties of Land, Water, and Air. Very many Useful and Entertaining Truths may be said upon this Head.

3. Because the most necessary and beneficial Part of General Geography treateth of the Zones, Cli∣mates, Meridians, Parallels, Horizons, &c. which are Terms of Art belonging to the Doctrine of the Sphere; that Doctrine, with the use of the Globe, so far as is requisite for solving Geographical Pro∣blems, must by all means be explain'd. Nor is it improper to add to this the way of making Globes and Maps. This is the General Part of Geography, and we have given it in the following Introdu∣ction in the same Order that we have now mention'd. In this Part of it we see the Connexion that Geo∣graphy hath with several other Sciences, such as Geometry, Trigonometry and Astronomy, and the Principles and Succours that it borroweth from them, especially from Astronomy; tho' it looks like a Mi∣racle, that we must use our Knowledge or Observations of the Heavenly Bodies, which are at such an im∣mense distance from us, for attaining any tolerable Understanding of this Earth wherein we live.

In the other Part, after an Account is given of the Names, Situation, Extent, Soil, Climate, chief Ri∣vers and Mountains of every Country, the General History of it is related, the several Kings that have go∣vern'd it, the most considerable Revolutions it has suffer'd; together with an Account of the Temper, Man∣ners and Customs of the People, with something of their Civil Government. This is done in a Chapter by its self before the particular Description of every Region: Also a Table shewing the Division of every Country is premis'd, wherein the Reader, by seeing it at one view, conceives a better Idea of it than he could do by its being told him in any other manner, which the World hath been made sensible of in the Use of those publish'd by Sanson. In the Description of the Provinces of every Kingdom or State, an Account is given of their Name, Situation, Limits, Rivers, Soil and Productions, with their History: Also a Table of the Divisions of the Provinces, and the names of the chief Cities and Towns that are si∣tuated in them. Then follows a particular Description of these Cities and Towns, wherein, besides an Ac∣count of the Principal Buildings, of the Trade and Manufactures, the Foundation, Encrease and Extent of the Cities that have been any ways considerable: A short History is given of all the Sieges, or other remarkable Accidents that have befall'n them; and also their Situation and Distances from the neighbour∣ing places, which will much facilitate the finding them in the Map; where note that the Miles are reckon'd at 60, and the Leagues at 20 to a Degree.

The Maps are drawn according to those of Sanson, De Wit and Vischer; and tho' the size of them be small, they contain the Names of all the most considerable Places.

The Draughts of the Fortified Towns will give a better Idea of the Strength of the Places than the best Description in Words could do. They are mostly taken from those publish't at Paris by Monsieur du Fer the French King's Engineer, for the use of the Duke of Burgundy, which are generally esteemed the most exact.

Concerning the Performance, we can assure the Reader, that no Pains, Care nor Cost has been spared; the Best, Ancient and Modern Authors have been consulted, and the most Authentick Travels publish'd of late years, carefully inspected, in order to make the Work perfect.