naturally formed in children, by exercising their minds upon those objects of sense which interest them. But these feeble habits are usually destroyed or very much impaired by teachers, as soon as they begin the work of systematic education. For they make a sudden transition from exercises of the mind wholly upon objects or ideas of sense, to those upon ideas of memory or reflection; and seem to expect the same degree of continued attention to the latter, which has hitherto been paid only to the former. I once knew a little child taken from his toys and playthings in the nursery, and sent to school for the first time without a knowledge of his letters. His teacher, a gentleman of liberal education and of distinguished attainments as a scholar, marked off the seven first letters of the alphabet, and sent our little pupil to his seat to learn his lesson. Do you think it strange that the child found it difficult to confine his attention to his book?

This is unreasonable. The principal means of exciting an interest, and thereby keeping up the attention, has been suddenly withdrawn, viz. the sensations produced by the presence of interesting external objects. The transition should be more gradual. While the subjects, upon which the minds of children are employed, before what is called direct instruction begins, are almost exclusively those arising immediately from the objects of sense presented to them, those employed by teachers in their instruction are as exclusively abstract. The moment the child passes from the hand of his parent to that of a professed teacher, the requisitions upon his attention are greatly increased, while his facilities for yielding it are diminished. A disagreeable association is thus formed by the pupil with everything and everybody, which has been thus accessary to making him unhappy; and all the ordinary means of overcoming the association increase rather than weaken it, till that common consummation arrives-the proverbial irksomeness of study.

I have described the powers of sensation, perception, and attention, and discussed, in general terms, some of the means to

develope and improve them. I have been more copious, perhaps, than courtesy to your patience would have suggested; but certainly more brief than the interest and importance of the subjects demand. I could have wished time and strength to discuss in this connexion, also, the powers of memory, conception, and judgment, as among those early faculties of the mind, which I think the study of geography upon the correct principle is peculiarly adapted to develope. But the extent of the subject seems more suited to the purpose of a treatise than the compass of a lecture. And the length to which my more general remarks, and my imperfect analysis of these few powers of the mind, have carried me, warns me to presume no longer upon your patience, but to proceed to the consideration of the subject of geography, and the best method of teaching it.

In this part of my lecture, particularly, I shall endeavour to be plain and practical, even at the expense of every other consideration. I must here also necessarily adopt the ideas, and, perhaps, I shall in some instances use the same language, which I have before used and published, more than six years ago. If I should, and what I say have not the charm of novelty with all who hear me, I trust it will be a sufficient apology for me to state, that I have nothing better to say upon this subject now than I said then, and that it seems necessary something should be said upon the point, in this place.

Children are very early capable of describing the places, mountains, and rivers, which pass under their inspection. And they commonly do it with an enthusiasm, which shows how lively an interest they take in the subject, and how deep an impression the peculiarities of new places make upon them. 'Oh! father, we saw a great river three times as wide as our river.' This is the common language of little children, and when they have thus learned, by actual perception, a few of the features of the face of the earth, at a period a little later they are capable of feeling a similar interest in forming a conception of places, mountains, and rivers, from representation and description. Then may with propriety commence the

study of geography; because then they can understand it, if it is presented to their minds in its simplest forms.

This is an elementary study, which has been more neglected, till within a few years, than its importance deserves, whether we consider the value of the knowledge obtained, or whether we consider the adaptation of the study to the early developeIment of the mind. As commerce and letters multiply the mutual interests, relations, and dependences of distant places, and especially as the facilities of intercourse among them are increased, some knowledge of those places becomes almost indispensable to all professions and classes of society.

Till within a few years, however, there has been but little order in the arrangement of the books, which could be used as text-books. Facts and descriptions were selected with no very great care or attention to their importance, and with less, if possible, to their authenticity. These materials were thrown together upon some plan adopted from the caprice of the author, but with not the least reference to the learner. Consequently, the whole subject was almost totally neglected ;--so much depends upon the manner, in which knowledge is presented to the learner. But within a few years great improvements have been made in the elementary books upon this subject, which have brought it into notice. It is now very generally, though I am far from believing very successfully, taught in our schools. The manner of teaching it by question and answer, which is the manner adopted by the books most approved at present, is objectionable, although it enables the young learner to seem to have acquired great knowledge of the subject. The questions direct the learner to the most important facts, no doubt; but that is of little consequence to him, so long as he is unprepared to comprehend them. He connects the question and its answer by some artificial association, and will repeat a passage containing important information, with verbal accuracy. Tothe hearers, who have already acquired a knowledge of the subject, and who attach to the words a definite and correct meaning, the child seems to have an astonishing fund of knowledge. But

I apprehend, that many a child, who thus delights and astonishes his parents, and gains his books and instructer great renown, would make as sorry a figure, on more careful examination, as the child mentioned by Miss Hamilton. After answering to all his questions, and giving an accurate account of the statistics of Turkey, on being asked, 'Where is Turkey ?’— a question not in the book-he replied, 'In the yard with the poults.'

But, notwithstanding the strong objections to printed questions in our elementary books, when the alternative comes to be between questions well shaped by the author, and the marking-off and committing-to-memory system, which was formerly and is yet sometimes practised, there can be no doubt that the former is the lesser of the evils. If the instructer understand both the subject and his pupil's mind well enough to ask judicious questions, I should much prefer that printed questions were wholly omitted. They are an evil, and were better avoided, unless, by adopting them, we avoid a still greater evil.

The improvements in our school-books upon this subject, have consisted in greater attention and accuracy in the collection of authentic and important facts, and in a more consistent arrangement of them. But by far the most important improvement, made in the last twenty years in teaching geography,—and it has hardly been taught at all longer than that in our common schools,-is the introduction of maps. The principle of using maps deserves unqualified approbation. For when the object and meaning of a map are thoroughly understood by the pupil, it aids him to confine his attention, and form a conception of the relative magnitude of towns, countries, states, and continents, and also of the relative length and breadth of rivers, and the situation of places with regard to each other, much better than the most elaborate and minute descriptions, without such aid. But the plan, and especially the principle of arrangement, upon which almost all the most popular books upon this subject have been made, I must beg leave to object

to strongly, and decidedly. And while I hold my own opin. ions upon this subject, and claim the right to state, to explain and to vindicate them; if others hold different opinions, they have the same rights. Our difference of opinion in this age of free inquiry is not surprising, and implies no mutual disrespect.

The pupil, by some of the most approved systems, is presented in the onset with a map of the whole world, reduced to the size of a hat-crown. In connexion with this, he is directed to read a description of the largest rivers, mountains and seas; and also to learn some accounts of the character and manners of the principal nations. Perhaps he will now be required to learn the amount of exports and imports of the most commercial nations, to the accuracy of a farthing.

Some, not content with presenting the whole earth to the first and single glance of the young learner, and as if determined to push the absurdity of the plan to the utmost, have given the whole solar system to the child, for his first lesson in geography. This is called setting up landmarks, and getting a general knowledge of the subject; but so far from that, in my view, it is getting no knowledge at all. It is only a confusion of words, without any definite meaning attached to them whatever.

The subject is begun precisely at the wrong end. If it is addressed to the understanding of the young learner, this arrangement seems to presume that he will take a deeper interest in, and better comprehend the general features of the world, embracing the largest mountains and rivers, and the characters of nations, of whose existence he has perhaps never before heard, than the roads, hills, and rivers of his own neighbourhood, and the boundaries of his own town, county, or State. Besides, upon the strictest philosophical principles, it is perfectly demonstrable that he can get no adequate idea of the magnitude of the largest mountains and rivers of the world, except by comparing them with the mountains and rivers which he has seen, and of which he has formed some definite idea. 'A