Contributions to the Physical History of the British Isles: With a Dissertation on the Origin of Western Europe, and of the Atlantic Ocean (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Excerpt from Contributions to the Physical History of the British Isles: With a Dissertation on the Origin of Western Europe, and of the Atlantic Ocean

I had intended giving the title of palaeo-physio graphy of the British Islands to this volume; but certain friends in whose judgment I have the most implicit confidence assured me that no one would have the slightest conception from such a title of the contents of my book, and consequently that it would be useful only to adorn the shelves of my publishers, or of such of my private friends as I might feel disposed to present with a copy. I was aware that the term Physiography had been invented by an eminent naturalist, and I supposed that, having been popularised through the instrumentality of his pen, the reading public would have had no difficulty in discovering that palaeo-physiography meant the physiography of past geological times. But I was assured that none but a few of the most profound Greek scholars would be able to elucidate the meaning of such a terribly long word and as I was aware that, in the first place, one-half of the reading public never learn Greek at all, and that of the other half only about one per cent. Retain anything of their knowledge after leaving the halls of alma mater, I waived my predi lections in favour of the name at first proposed, and adopted the more commonplace designation which will be found on the title-page.

The volume itself, indeed, would never have seen the light had it not been for a fortunate concourse of circumstances which may be, in confidence, revealed to the inquiring public.

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Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Contributions to the Physical History of the British Isles: With a Dissertation on the Origin of Western Europe, and of the Atlantic Ocean

The volume itself, indeed, would never have seen the light had it not been for a fortunate concourse of circumstances which may be, in confidence, revealed to the inquiring public.

For some years past I had contemplated the preparation of a series of maps of the British Isles for the purpose of illustrating, as far as our knowledge and data would allow, the physical geography of successive geological periods; thus showing the changes of form through which our little isles have passed from their first genesis down to the period in which we have the happiness to live. I was deterred, however, by the view of the cost of publication. To carry out my intentions as I desired would require a series of chromo-lithographic plates, which would prove so heavy an expense at the outset that I feared no publisher would be sufficiently courageous to undertake the cost of publication. But what I despaired of having done through the ordinary channels I was enabled to accomplish with the aid of the Royal Dublin Society, in whose Transactions these little maps have already made their appearance. A fresh edition has been struck off for these pages, and it will give the reader some idea of the labour and cost of engraving when I state that no fewer than sixty-two lithographic stones have been used in their preparation.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.