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Facts and Dates; Y^ (5 -vJ ' ELEM] 8vo, The * [order of playiug i the rt-Mi 7(>iuiu>' II the king THE ] DUSTRIAL, AND LUMMERCIAL. tween the same Author's ' Qntlinj kI hi. ' FJernents of Geography,' Crown {fvOw pix osr. nnNDRED AND NINTH THOUSAND, PEVISED To PRESENT TIMT. OUTLINES OF MODBBN GEOGBAPHT. ISmo, pp. 112. Is. ' These 'Outlines'—in many Tospeot<i nn epitome of the 'Elerii*- ts - are carefully prepared to iin<t the wiinis of beginners. I'i u ;iiranc:ement is the same as in the AailHirH ]:irgcr works. MimitH <U-t.'iiis u-.^ .i.voided, the br^.a'! (.uliiuH^ aro Krapliically i>reseiit«'<i. tfi," u'l-u; nation marked, ami the im-st recent changes in pohticai t/to' rai.hv oxbibitod SIXTY-NINTH TIlnrSAND. til'VISED TO TIME. FIRST STEPS IN OEOGRAP ISewed, 4d. In cloth^ 6d. GEOGRAPHY OP THE ' First Steps in Geography.' 8d, ELEMENTS OP PHYSIOGRAPH (.l,<i(,i; \('nV. llln^tv.tcl. Nii;t W. BLACKWOOD k SONS, EdinhS : f OLOGY F{ MHOOLS. )T NAT! ', for Beginners snptioiiK Zuolugicai Tv].. -.. IW HKNKY ALX.Vl ,D., IXSc, Si.A.. Pu.D., F.K.S.E., F. iiral History la tho University of St Am 8vo, with EuLTitv- EZOOLOGY, for iiigraviuj mts: Zoology, and ' and grout Iv f.n VVoud, 1 i^. ill England b. t, '— We$tminiiler tY: Being Luther's In tru- st's Manual of BIOLOGY. the Use Principles of rown 8vo, ISs. EARTH. LCT8 OF Pala;- dngs. lOa. Gd. md Physio- EKT BJiOWN, Illustrations. ic and Lilerary )lfDON. ——— — — — Third Edition, crown 8vo, pp. 336, price 3s. 6d, FACTS AND DATES; OR, THE LEADING EVENTS IN SACRED AND PROFANE HISTORY, AND THE PRINCIPAL FACTS IN THE VARIOUS PHYSICAL sciences: THE MEMORY BEING AIDED THROUGHOUT BY A SIMPLE AND NATURAL METHOD. For ScJiools and Private Reference. BY THE Rev. ALEX. MACKAY, LL.D., F.E.G.S., Author of ' A Manual of Modern Geography, Mathematical, Physical, and Political,' &c. &c. OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. " A most valuable book of reference, which will be of immense service to students of history. His -wide knowledge has directed the. author at once to the most trustworthy guides in the various departments of the almost illimit- able field he has traversed. Every date throughout is embodied in a mnemonic sentence, so happily and tersely illustrative of the event, as to leave us fairly astonished at the patience and ingenuity of the author." Papers for the Schoolmaster. ' •'This work is a wonderfully elaborate production. Facts and Dates,' which in some hands would furnish forth a cyclopsedia of tolerable dimensions, have their essence extracted, and here appear in the moderate compass of 317 Ijages. Great care has-been taken to bring the volume in all resj>ects to the point which the material and historical sciences have at jtresent reached, while deep reverence for the Bible breathes through the \olu.me." — London Weekly Review. " ' Facts and Dates ' is the name of a very neat and well-compiled collection of tables, not exclusively chronological, though all involving numbers. But the chief feature is an extremely simple system of mnemonics, by means of which a few appropriate v/ords attached to each fact or event are made to carry with them a string of figures. " Guardian. " Dr Mackny's book is planned with great ingenuity and skill. It is a text-book of physical science and universal chronology, adapted for scholastic purposes, on a principle of natural mneriionics, and gives evidence of much labour and research. " Nonconformist. " A valuable text-book of physical science and universal chronology. The plan is exceedingly ingenious, and at the same time eminently simple and natural. " London Scotsman. " There are certainly the elements of a very desirable auxiliary to students and general readers in this portion of Dr Mackay's volume, and we hope he will expand and elaborate the part alluded to in a future publication." Athenceum. " There is a most interesting chapter on Scripture chronology, written in an admirable spirit, and displaying much ingenuity and research. Our deliberate opinion is, that it is one of the finest books of the kind we have ever met with." Daily Review. — — — —— — —— — OPINIOXS OF THE PRESS-^Couimwed. "We can aver that this compendium of Facts and Dates contains a vast amount of accurate and well-digested information ; and we may add that in the hands of a competent schoohnaster it must prove a most effective instrument of teaching on the subjects to which it relates." EcUniurgh Courant. "The second division deals with historical facts ; iji other words, it gives the chronology of the leading facts of history, and is subaivided into two parts—^the one summarising sacred history in three chapters, and the other, profane history, in nine chapters. This division of the book is also of great value." Aberdeen Journal. " The research of historic data, and mastery of scientific facts and j)rinciples, with the careful manner in which they are tabulated, cannot fail to add yet fur- ther to the author's reputation." Aberdeen Free Press. "We have not the least doubt that the system can be introduced with much advantage into some of the younger classes in every school, while more advanced students will gladly welcome it as an aid to memory that will be of daily and hourly use." Banffsliire Journal. " A veiy valuable book for teachers, and still more so for students preparing for public examinations of anj^ kind." Ayr Advertiser. " The care and labour requisite for the production of such a work are out of all proportion to its size, and we must congratulate the author on the extreme accuracy and comprehensiveness of the scientific part of the work, which is scrupulously written up to the knowledge of the times, and includes the latest discoveries in each of the sciences." John o' Groat Journal. " The amount of industry, intelligence, and research it represents is something enormous, and the way in which a valuable comment on a fact is made to give up the date is most ingenious." Brighton Herald. "It is a work suited to almost all ages—not too far advanced or profound for the schoolroom, and, on the other hand, many engaged in literary pursuits, or preparing for public examination, will find it most useful as a work of refer- ence."—Dublin Mail. " It will be more than valuable to the student and teacher of history as a. sort of ^•ade mecum. In the division of ancient history it is particularly fuU, and- especially in all that relates to Egypt—the author having obtained for that de- partment of his labours the aid of the most advanced scholars in ' Egyptologj'. In this portion of the book there wiR be found a condensed and deeply interest- ing account of the discoveries and measurements of the Great Pj'ramid—that wonder of wonders come do-mi to us from hoary time." Montrose Review. " The volume is not a bare catalogue of statistics, for every department of the book is prefaced by a very able and interesting introduction, bringing out in a condensed form the prominent and latest discoveries and ^iews in connection with the respective subjects, and also the most reliable sources of information. The labour and research of the author must have been enormous, the fruit of which will be reaped by the reader with the smallest amount of trouble. The volume will be specially valuable as a text-book for advanced classes and stu- dents, and as a book of reference in the librarj^"—Press and St James's Chronicle. " Considerable ingenuity has been displayed in making the mnemonic senten- ces illustrate the character of the various facts ; and, mnemonics apart, the book, in an educational sense, is of unquestionable value." Weekly Dispatch. " No pains have been spared to select the facts most worthy of being remem- bered, and to determine the dates according to the most approved system of modern chronology. Each chapter is preceded by a longer or shorter discussion of the subject on hand, remarkable for its elaborate learning and great concise- ness. "—tr'Zasfj'oii; Journal. William Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh and London. FACTS AND DATES OR THE LEADING EVENTS IN SACRED AND PROFANE HISTORY AND THE PRINCIPAL FACTS IN THE VARIOUS PHYSICAL SCIENCES THE MEMOEY BEING AIDED THEOUGHOUT BY A SIMPLE AND NATURAL METHOD FOB SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE REFERENCE ^'/BT THE EEV. iLEx! 5MCKAY, LL.D. F.E.rT.S. AUTHOR OF A MAjnTAI, OF MODEEIT GBOORAPHT, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL,' AND POLITICAIi : ELEMENTS OF MODERir GEOGRAPHY/ ' PHYSIOGRAPHY AND PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY:' INTERMEDIATE GEOGRAPHY;' 'OUTLINES OF MODERN GEOGRAPHY:' FIRST STEPS IN GEOGRAPHY;' ETC. THIKD EDITION, REVISED TO DATE WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS EDINBUKGH AND LONDON MDCCCLXXIX 3222. P E E F A C E. A LIMITED acquaintance witli reading, writing, and arithmetic can no longer be regarded as sufficient for the great bulk of the community. It has become imperative that the youth of our land, whether rich or poor, shall acquire some knowledge of history and the physical sciences. Human life, however, is very short, and the struggle for existence on the part of the many seems to be daily becoming more arduous. Hence it follows that new branches of instruction, however necessary, are practically unattainable, unless they are simplified, condensed, and in every way rendered as attractive as possible. The man, therefore, who in our day pro- duces the best school-look on any elementary subject confers an immense boon on the community. The following pages consist of an earnest and elabo- rate attempt—prosecuted without intermission for a number of years—to popularise science and history, to enable our boys and girls to acquire and remember all the more important events in history, whether VI PEEFACE.
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