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PREFACE TO PART V.

IN preparing this book, I have followed a somewhat different plan from that adopted in Parts III. and IV. 'Countries,' as I said once before, ‘are a much more important division than counties. Each country is a complete political whole, and must be spoken of, on many points, by itself.' Teachers will find, however, in the four introductory chapters a general view of the physical features of Europe, which will enable them to place each country, as they come to it, in its proper place as a part of the great whole.

It will be seen that there is only one general Map. It is assumed that the older children, for whom this book is intended, will provide themselves with cheap Atlases.

I have done my best to combine the two ways of looking at a continent-the physical, which divides it into riverbasins, separated by mountain barriers; and the political, which regards it as made up of so many independent States. Each of these modes of division is broken into, once or twice. Holland and Belgium, for example, are interposed between different parts of France; and the Rhine is treated of piecemeal, in connection with Holland, with Switzerland, and with Germany. But, on the whole, I hope that I have paid due regard both to political and to physical unities.

Many details are omitted, which can be supplied orally or from text-books. Some names are introduced, for various reasons, which it may not be necessary for children to remember. These are matters for the discretion of teachers : in this, as in every book, I aim not at usurping the teacher's functions, but at providing the skilled and industrious workman with a sound and serviceable tool.

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