February 5, 1903] 



NA TURE 



enters rather fully into the main geological and topo- 

 graphic features, and if his account is somewhat 

 rambling, it has evidently been prepared with pains. 

 Thus we learn how the geological formations have in- 

 fluenced the physical features, the mineral wealth and 

 the soils, and have determined the development of 

 industries and of population. 



The reader, however, must be warned not to take 

 everything he reads as sound geological doctrine. Thus 

 (on p. 75), " It is estimated that in comparatively recent 

 (post- Miocene 1 times the higher peaks of Britain were 

 about 3000 feet higher than they are now above the 

 present sea-level, and as the sea-level of these times 

 relatively to this portion of the land was 3000 feet lower 

 than it is now, the absolute elevation of those higher 

 peaks must then have been about 9000- 10,000 feet." 

 There are probably few geologists who would support 

 this statement. 



Moreover (on p. 81), it is not right to say that in the 

 lake district "the ancient stratified rocks of 

 Cambrian or Silurian age" are extensively 

 covered with volcanic deposits, the fact being 

 that the Skiddaw slates are overlain by the 

 Volcanic series of Borrowdale, which is an 

 important member of the Lower Silurian or 

 Ordovician system. 



On. p. 98, we read that the chalk with flints 

 is for the most part " a lower zone than the 

 chalk without flints," whereas the reverse is 

 usually the case. The same remark applies 

 to a paragraph on p. 116, wherein it is stated 

 that "the difficulty of obtaining water re- 

 tarded the spread of London northwards over 

 the London Clay and Boulder-clay in the 

 direction of Islington, Highbury, &c, until 

 water was conveyed there by pipes, while 

 sands and gravels in the north-west allowed 

 of an early extension of the suburbs towards 

 Hampstead." 



As a matter of fact, Islington is on gravel, 

 and although the old village of Hampstead is 

 on Bagshot Sand, which locally yields springs, 

 the large area of London Clay north and 

 north-west of the Marylebone Road was long 

 thinly populated in the districts now known 

 as Camden Town, Kentish Town, St. John's 

 Wood and Kilburn. In Middlesex, the 

 Boulder-clay does not occur south of 

 Finchley. 



After the general geological account of 

 England and Wales, a chapter of twenty 

 pages is given to the volcanic phenomena 

 of the British Isles, based on Sir Archibald 

 Geikie's "Ancient Volcanoes of Great Britain," as duly 

 acknowledged. Interesting as this subject is, it appears 

 hardly to require separate treatment in a work intended 

 as a " Compendium of Geography and Travel." Curiously 

 enough, no mention is made of the Cuillin Hills of Skye, 

 the roughest mountain group in Britain, and one which 

 especially tempts the rock-climber. 



We pass on to chapters having special reference to 

 England and Wales, and dealing with the climate, rivers 

 and lakes, and the inhabitants from Palaeolithic times to 

 the present day. There is only a brief reference to 

 modern views on the origin of rivers, but we find much 

 interesting matter of all sorts, with statistics where 

 needful and references to authorities. 



English agriculture, with an account of the open field 

 system, mining and smelting, manufactures and commerce, 

 and the political situation from "Domesday to 1800" I 

 are dealt with in separate chapters. Consequently we j 

 are led back again to early English and Roman times 

 when reading of land customs and lead-mining ; while 



■NO. 1736, VOL. 67] 



coal-mining, dealt with briefly in earlier chapters, is also 

 touched on as regards its history, and again dealt with 

 from a statistical point of view in the subsequent chapter 

 on the nineteenth century. A certain amount of repeti- 

 tion can hardly be avoided. The sites of villages as 

 dependent on geological conditions, mainly on water- 

 supply, are discussed briefly in the geological chapters. 

 Later on, there is a chapter devoted to the chief towns, 

 their history and growth. Thence we pass on to local, 

 government, with which the account of England and 

 Wales terminates. In this last chapter, it is interesting 

 to read of the utilisation of Carrington Moss and Chat 

 Moss for the town refuse of Manchester, and we believe 

 that the value of the Carrington estate has been increased 

 to the extent of 35,000/. 



Scotland and Ireland are dealt with less fully, but the 

 same general subjects are discussed, including High- 

 landers and Lowlanders, mineral products (with a mention 

 of the many old bloomeries), Scottish agriculture, the 



Fig. 1. — Tintagel. (From Chisholm's " Europe. ) 



Frith, photo. 



growth of towns, Sec. With reference to Ireland, there is 

 a chapter on the Irish land question, the causes of 

 Ireland's decay, and possibilities for the future. It is 

 concluded that much may be done if hereditary sloth be 

 shaken off and industrial knowledge be acquired. 



British dependencies in Europe, including the Isle of 

 Man, the Channel Islands and Malta, are disposed of in 

 five pages. The Orkney and Shetland Isles, though not 

 mentioned in the index, are briefly referred to. St. Kilda 

 is not noted. The index is not all that could be desired. 

 Thus, no reference is given to coal, chalk, geology or Old 

 Red Sandstone, while Weybourn Crag and Wadhurst 

 Clay are indexed. 



Despite the few criticisms we have ventured to make, 

 we can commend the work as containing a very large 

 amount of useful and interesting information, pleasantly 

 written, on what may be termed the geographical history 

 of north-western Europe, and of the British Islands in 

 particular. 



It is well printed, and illustrated with two geological 



