I 
The INTRODUCTION. 11 
It lias been a Thing ufual in Books of this Nature, to take it for granted, that the 'Reader was aS well 
jkilled as the Writer in the Sciences requiiite to be known, in order to the true Comprehenfion of the 
Work; we chufe, however, to avoid that Suppofition, and to endeavour, within the Compafs Pf thitf 
Introduction, to lay down all the Principles upon which the following Structure is railed ; fo that 
there (hall be no Neceflity of having recourfe to any other Book, to come at the Meaning of this ; but 
the Terms being fufficiently explained here, we (hall be able to proceed, when we come to the Body 
of the Work, without any Danger of being mifunderftood. We do not indeed intend here to lay down 
Syftems of Geography, natural or civil Hiftory, or Politicks, but to explain each of thole Sciences 
as is expedient for the Ufe we have made of them in the Compolition of this Treatife. Cofmogra-* 
phy is that Science which defcribes this Globe, and the reft of the folar Syftem ; Geography 
teaches the Knowledge of the whole Earth, as Hydrography does of the Water. 
By Geography, we underftand the particular Defcription of a Kingdom, Province or Country* 
Topography defcends more minutely to defcribe fmaller Places, Cities, Towns, Caftles, &c. Thefe 
are all originally Greek Words, which for their Significancy have been made free of all Languages* 
and their Meaning, when once well known, can never be forgot. By the firft of them, we are 
taught to conceive, that the World, on which we live, is a terraqueous Sphere, or in plain Englijh , a 
Bali of Earth and Water ; through this Ball, if you fuppofe a Spindle to pafs, it will be what 
the learned call the Axis cf the Globe, and the Extremities of this Axis are its Poles, one of which 
is the arCtic, or north Pole, and the other the antarCtic, i. e. oppofite to the north, or fouth Pole. The 
Equator is an imaginary Circle, pafling round, or rather, over the Globe, at an equal Diftance 
from each Pole, and confequently dividing the World into two equal Parts, whence it has its Name* 
It is likewife called the Equino&ial, becaufe, when the Sun is in this Line, which is twice a Year* 
*oiz. in the Months of March and September , the Days and Nights are every where equal, and from 
the Angular Utility of this imaginary Circle, it is ftiled by Way of Eminence the Line . 
The Zodiac is another imaginary Circle, which paffes crofs the Equator, and is diftinguifhed, or 
divided into twelve Signs, fix of which, viz. Aries , Taurus, Gemini , Cancer , Leo , Virgo , are on the 
North of the Equator, and therefore called northern Signs; the other fix, viz. Libra , Scorpio , SagiU 
tarius , Capricorn , Aquarius , Pifces , are on the South of the Equator, and are therefore called fouthern 
Signs. Within the middle of the Zodiac runs a Line called the Ecliptic, which is the Path of the 
Sun, and from thence we derive the Word Eclipfe, or Failure of the Sun’s Light to the Earth; and 
when the Earth intercepts the Sun there, the Moon is eclipfed, or fails of reflecting to us that Light 
which it receives from the Sun. The Obliquity, or Digrefiion of this Circle from that of the Equa- 
tor, occafions the Diverfity of Seafons ; for the northern Part of the World has its Midfummer when 
the Sun is in Cancer , and the fouthern Part enjoys the fame Blefiing, when the Sun is in Capricorn . 
Hence it is, that two imaginary Circles are fuppofed parallel to the Equator, pafling through the 
Point in which the Sun advances fartheft North and South, and are ftiled the Tropics of Cancer and 
Capricorn , from the Greek Word Tropos , which fignifies Converfion, or turning back. The Meri- 
dian is another great Circle pafling through both Poles, and over any given Place on the Globe, and is 
called the Meridian, becaufe, when the Sun reaches this Circle, it is Mid-day, or Noon, to all who 
live under it. The Horizon is a great Circle, which cuts the Meridian, and divides the Globe in half* 
viz. into an upper and lower Hemifphere, and it being the Line which terminates the Sight, the Sun 
is faid to be fet, when he finks below it, and to rife, when he mounts above it. 
As but one brafs Meridian is reprefented on the Globe, tho’ there are various, the Sun making Mid- 
day earlier or later to different Parts, as they lie more Eaft or Weft, fo there is reprefented but one Ho- 
rizon, called the rational, or true one, tho’ the fenfible Horizon is various, as the Limits of the Sight 
vary at every Step. Thefe Definitions, tho’ they appear a little obfcure at firft, yet being twice or 
thrice read over, their Meaning will be fufficiently plain, or if the leaft Doubt remains, it will be ab- 
folutely taken away by the following Remarks, as to their Utility. 
The principal Thing in Geography, is to have a perfect Knowledge of the Relation which any 
Empire, Kingdom, Province, DiftriCt or City, hath to any other Place, or to the World in general : 
Now, it was impofiible, that this Knowledge fhould ever be acquired, if fome Method had not been 
found to mark every particular Point upon the Globe, fo that it might be found without Difficulty or 
Uncertainty. This is performed by knowing the Latitude and |the Longitude of Places, without a 
dear Com prehen fion, of which it is impofiible for the Reader to conceive perfectly the Defcription of 
any Country, yet fo it is, that among the numerous Books that have been written on the Science of 
Geography, there are very few that have made this Matter fo clear, as that a Perfon of an ordinary 
Underftand ing might be able fully to embrace it. As it concerns, however, my Undertaking in the 
higbeft Degree, that there fhould be no Miftake in this Matter, I fhall labour* to make it fo plain, 
w i*h refpeCt not only to finding the Latitude and Longitude on IMaps, but to the conceiving the Ufe 
of it fo clearly, as to be able from thence, to judge how all Parts of the World lie from their Latitude, 
and their Longitude being known, which is indeed the great Thing aimed at, and when once acquired 
the bare reading 01 this Book with Attention, will render a Man a perfect Geographer, without far- 
ther Study or Pains, ° 
We will begin with the Latitude of Places, and fhew what is meant by that, and how far it is of 
y fe in diftinguifhing any Place on the Globe. The Latitude of any City is its Diftance from the Equa- 
tor, which is reckoned .on the Meridian, and as every Circle is fuppofed to be divided into 360°, fo a 
fourth Part of the Meridian 90°, muft be always included between the Equator and either of the 
Poles. Hence arifes the DiftinCtion between North Latitude and South Latitude, that is to fay, the 
Number of Degrees counted on the Meridian from the Equator towards the arCtic Pole, is ftiled North 
Latitude, and thus London is faid to lie 51° 32' North; as on the other Hand, the Number of De- 
grees 
