Viii EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. 



kingdom. It would be fufficient to apply the figns of them 

 to the forefts which are there reprefented ; for on feeing in 

 the Chart, for the fake of fuppofition, that of the reverbe- 

 rated perpendicular, expreflfed by an ear of corn, or a pro- 

 minent cone, we fhould inftantly diftinguifh in it the forefts 

 of the North, or thofe of cold and lofty mountains. Par- 

 ticular accents, fuperaddcd to this character of prominent 

 cone, would diftinguifh from each other the pine, the épi- 

 céa, the laryx, and the cedar ; and rays ifTuing from thefe 

 modified characters, would indicate the extent of the king- 

 doms of thofe different fpecies of trees. The thing is not 

 fo difficult as may be imagined. Geography eafily repre- 

 fents forefts upon maps ; all that would be farther requifite, 

 therefore, is to affix to them certain figns, in order to afcer- 

 tain their fpecies, and thefe figns might likewife charac- 

 terize, as we have feen, the latitude, or the elevation of the 

 foil. Befides, we fhould leave out of fuch botanical Charts 

 a multitude of political divifions, the names of which, in 

 large characters, ufelefsly fill up a great deal of room. We 

 fhould reprefent in them the domains of Nature only, and 

 not thofe of men. Thus, by means of thefe botanical figns, 

 we might diftinguifh, at a fingle glance, on a map, the 

 productions natural to each foil, the forefts, with their dif- 

 ferent fpecies of trees, nay, the meadows too, with the va- 

 rieties of their herbage. There might be farther conveyed 

 the humidity or the drynefs of the territory, by adding to 

 the figns of the flowers, the characters of the leaves and 

 feeds of vegetables. To thefe might afterwards be affixed, 

 on the cities and villages reprefented, ciphers expreffing the 

 number of Families who inhabit them, as I have feen in 

 Turkifh maps ; thus we fhould have Charts really geogra- 

 phic, prefenting at the firft glance, an image of the richnefs 



and 



