HIS LAST YEARS IN VIRGINIA 223 



its presentation of geography in the character of a science 

 rather than an assemblage of disconnected facts. 

 Land and air and ocean were treated as parts of a grand 

 mechanism ; rivers were discussed not simply as 'divisions 

 of water' but as having definite 'offices' to perform; 

 mountains were not merely masses of a certain altitude, 

 but regulators of rainfall. It was also carefully pointed 

 out how the geographical position and climate of a 

 country determine its industries. Trade was shown to 

 be in a special manner under the influence of geographical 

 law". 



In a still later revision^ the publishers called attention 

 to the fact that Maury's text, wherever possible, was 

 retained because it was "so clear, simple, and attractive 

 that it has won for the book the uniform favor of the 

 teachers using it. The original text makes up so large 

 a part of the book that it is essentially Maury's work. 

 Maury's Geographies never belonged to the old school, 

 but rather to the new. Being devoted to the study of 

 physical geography, and father of the science of 'Physical 

 Geography of the Sea', he undertook the preparation of 

 his book originally with the intention and purpose 'to 

 redeem the most delightful of subjects from the bondage 

 of dry statistics on the one hand, and on the other, from 

 the drudgery of vague, general ideas' ". 



Maury's first book on physical geography was pub- 

 lished in London in 1864, while he was in England during 

 the Civil War. It bore the title, "Physical Geography 

 for Schools and General Readers", and was translated 

 into Dutch, French, and Russian. The book is said not 

 to have been very popular in England, because it pre- 



^ In 1912 it was revised as "Maury's New Complete Geography" and copy- 

 righted by the American Book Company, and is still on the market. 



