Stanford's Compendium of Geography and Travel—Europe

Abstract

THIS many-authored and much-edited volume is the last of the series of Stanford's well-known “Compendium,” the first volume of which was issued some six years ago. That first volume dealt with Africa, and was edited, it may be remembered, by Mr. Keith Johnston, who shortly after publication lost his life attempting to explore the continent which he had so well described. There have been subsequent editions of that volume edited by Mr. E. G. Ravenstein. The succeeding volumes were South America, by Mr. H. W. Bates; Australasia, by Mr. A. R. Wallace; Asia, by Prof. Keane and Sir Richard Temple; and North America, by Drs. Hayden and Selwyn. It will thus be seen that Mr. Stanford has been fortunate in his choice of editors for the several volumes. The Compendium professes to be based on Hellwald's German work, but it may throughout be regarded as virtually original. The various editors have put so much of their own into their several volumes, and given to the whole an orientation so essentially English, that it would be difficult to tell which is Hellwald and which the “editors.” In the present volume the editors and authors (or one of them, for the title-page is awkward) have wisely retained what Hellwald says concerning the English people.

Stanford's Compendium of Geography and Travel—Europe.

By F. W. Rudler G. W. Chisholm Edited by Sir Andrew C. Ramsay, LL.D., F.R.S. With Ethnological Appendix by A. H. Keane, M.A.I. (London: Stanford, 1885.)