Major James Rennell and the Rise of Modern Geography. By
Clements R. Markham, C.B. (Cassell and Co.)—To Eden and Hakluyt, Mr. Markham gives the title of "Fathers of English Geography," but in his view James Rennell was the first great English geographer. He entered the Royal Navy in 1756, in the usual capacity of " Captain's servant," joining the ' Brilliant ' frigate, then commanded by Captain Hyde Parker. In 1760 he went to India; over there he began his great geographical work, having been appointed at a surprisingly early age, Surveyor- General of Bengal. The story of his labours, as told in this volume, is as interesting as it is instructive. Rennell's long life was full of labour, and was crowned with appropriate honours. He died in his eighty eighth year.
Two sets of books intended for purposes of primary education may be mentioned together. These are Macmillan's New Literary Readers (Macmillan and Co.), in nine volumes, beginning with The Infant Reader, and proceeding through First and Second Primer to the six books corresponding to the six standards. The publishers' position as owners of copyright gives them a con- siderable advantage in the preparation of such text-books. It will interest many readers to see examples of the mental food which is supplied to the most advanced scholars. Omitting ex- tracts from the older classics, we have, for instance, pieces from -" Alice in Wonderland," "Tom Brown's Fight," "What is -Greater Britain ? " " Livingstone's Encounter with a Lion," "The Last Fight in the Golisseum." — From the same publishers we have also six volumes of Science Readers, by Vincent T. Murche. Food, Mechanical Forces. Functions of the Body, Products—Vegetable, Animal, and Mineral—are among the subjects dealt with.
Previous page
