45 



Very inauy names of places which have been discovered 

 since the middle ages, are identical with others which existed 

 previously ; and sometimes new names have been given in 

 colonies and dependencies, with needless and injurious fre- 

 (juency. The Spaniards seem to have commemorated St. lago, 

 not only in every colony which they founded, but also in 

 several places which they only visited. Our own countrymen 

 have not fallen far short of them in their respect for home ; 

 for we find *' 23 Dovers, 18 Richmonds, 19 Yorks, 8 Bris- 

 tols, 6 Baths, 17 Plymouths, 11 Portsmouths,''* &c. These 

 names are given, in some instances, from a real or fancied re- 

 semblance ; thus New South Wales is somewhat mountainous, 

 and the district of Northumberland in it contains coal. Some- 

 times they are given from position, as when Cook had named 

 a group of islands New Hebrides, he called a large one in their 

 neighbourhood New Caledonia. In general, however, they 

 are simply commemorative; as New England, New France 

 (Canada), New Spain (Mexico), Nova Scotia, &c. The very 

 name of home has a charm in it, when men are far removed 

 from it. They find, too, that one name from the old locality 

 suggests another, till they have produced a miniature of the 

 whole, 



" Ami girint; England's names to diHtunt yceutw, 

 Forget that earth's (extension intervenes " 



It is important to understand two points in geographical 

 research; — the People and their Language. 



The points respecting a people which are most likely to be 

 interwoven in their names of places, are their history and 

 mythology ; facts connoc'ed with war and peace, with the pur- 

 suits of ordinary life or the arts ; the names of their deities, 

 idols, or heroes ; the details of their worship, residence, 

 actions, &c. Some of these principles require no exemplifi- 

 cation ; the following refer to such as are least known. 



In eastern names, for example, we often meet with the term 



• From Proposal respecting 6cogni]<liy and Hydroj?rapIij, 1»t Com. Mangle*, R.N. 



