Memoir on the Megatherium, and Other Extinct Gigantic Quadrupeds of the Coast of Georgia: With Observations on Its Geologic Features (Classic Reprint)
(Excerpt from Memoir on the Megatherium, and Other Extinct...)
Excerpt from Memoir on the Megatherium, and Other Extinct Gigantic Quadrupeds of the Coast of Georgia: With Observations on Its Geologic Features
I had been honored by an invitation from the National Institute, established at Washington, to read a paper before that body, on some subject con nected with the progress of science. Having accept ed that invitation, I was placed in the position of the traveller who had requested an interview with Mohammed Ali, the Pacha of Egypt. The traveller, not having previously arranged a subject of conver sation to be held with His Highness, was at fault, during his audience. Say something! Was the Viceroy's indulgent suggestion. There was, how ever, a high administrative import in that suggestion.
The wonderful organic remains which crowd and underlie the recent formation of the coast of Geor gia, seemed to me a proper subject for this occasion, as one about which something might be said.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Notes On Northern Africa, the Sahara and Soudan: In Relation to the Ethnography, Languages, History, Political and Social Condition, of the Nations of Those Countries
(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work, maintaining the same format as the original work. While some publishers have opted to apply OCR (optical character recognition) technology to the process, we believe this leads to sub-optimal results (frequent typographical errors, strange characters and confusing formatting) and does not adequately preserve the historical character of the original artifact. We believe this work is culturally important in its original archival form. While we strive to adequately clean and digitally enhance the original work, there are occasionally instances where imperfections such as blurred or missing pages, poor pictures or errant marks may have been introduced due to either the quality of the original work or the scanning process itself. Despite these occasional imperfections, we have brought it back into print as part of our ongoing global book preservation commitment, providing customers with access to the best possible historical reprints. We appreciate your understanding of these occasional imperfections, and sincerely hope you enjoy seeing the book in a format as close as possible to that intended by the original publisher.
The Foulahs of Central Africa, and the African Slave Trade
(
This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
The Gospels, written in the Negro patois of English, with Arabic characters, by a Mandingo slave in Georgia
(Originally published in 1857. 16 pages. This volume is pr...)
Originally published in 1857. 16 pages. This volume is produced from digital images from the Cornell University Library Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery Collection
William Brown Hodgson was an American scholar and diplomat. He served as a U. S. Counsul in Algiers, and Curator of the Georgia Historical Society.
Background
William Brown Hodgson was born on September 1, 1801 in Georgetown, District of Columbia, United States. He was the eldest child of Joseph and Rebecca (Hersey) Hodgson. His father, born in Kent County, Delaware, was a fourth-generation descendant of Robert Hodgson, a Quaker preacher who landed in 1657 in New Amsterdam, later New York, where he was persecuted for his religious views and activities, was driven out, and settled in Rhode Island. Joseph Hodgson died while his son was very young, and his widow moved to Orange County, Virginia; hence early reference to William as "of Virginia. "
Education
Hodgson attended a school in Georgetown, District of Columbia, taught by James Carnahan. He apparently never went to college, but Princeton University gave him an honorary degree of Master of Arts in 1824, and later, in 1858, the degree of Doctor of Law.
Career
Henry Clay gave Hodgson a minor appointment in the State Department. From 1826 to 1829 he was first dragoman to the consulate in Algiers and later acting consul there. From 1829 to 1832 he was in the State Department in Washington; from 1832 to 1834 he was dragoman to the United States legation in Constantinople, whence he was transferred to Egypt in 1834. In 1836 he was in London, in 1837 in Washington; in 1841 he was appointed consul general in Tunis.
The wide range of his interests is suggested by his Memoir on the Megatherium and Other Extinct Gigantic Quadrupeds of the Coast of Georgia, with Observations on its Geologic Features (1846), and "A Sketch of the Creek Country, in the Years 1798 and 1799, by Col. Benjamin Hawkins with an Introduction and Historic Sketch of the Creek Confederacy. " He collected, and in 1857 presented to the Savannah Medical Society, an "extensive mineralogical cabinet".
But he made his mark chiefly in studies relating to the Berber languages, in which he probably may be called a world-pioneer. His earliest and most important publication was the "Grammatical Sketch and Specimens of the Berber Language: Preceded by Four Letters on Berber Etymologies, " written at Algiers, orally presented to the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia on October 2, 1829, and published in its Transactions. This monograph was published much earlier, however, for it was reviewed in the North American Review, together with Hodgson's Notes of a Journey into the Interior of North Africa by Hadji Ebn-ed-Din el-Eghwaati (London, 1830), a translation made by him from an Arabic travel-sketch written by a native at his instigation.
In the "Grammatical Sketch" Hodgson, with great learning and acumen, collected many North African geographical names recorded by Greek and Roman writers and compared them with modern Berber words. Many of his comparisons may still be called very plausible, or at least worthy of serious consideration. The most important is doubtless that of the mountain name Atlas with Berber adhrar, "mountain. " The identification was made later by others, and Hodgson had not received the credit he deserves as its first known proponent.
He caused parts of the Bible to be translated into a Berber dialect (Kabyle); twelve chapters of Luke were published by the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1833.
In 1837 he published in the London Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, of which society he was a foreign member, a translation of an Arabic translation of another narrative of travel, originally written at his instigation by a native speaker of a Berber dialect of Morocco. Both linguistic and ethnographic materials are contained in his Notes on Northern Africa, the Sahara and Soudan (New York, 1844). There is mention of other writings, some of which seem never to have been published.
Only an interest of curiosity attaches to his last publication, The Science of Language. A Lecture. Sanscrit and Hebrew, the Two Written, Primitive, Languages, Compared (1868). This brief pamphlet argues that "the doctrine of race is involved in that of language" and "claims for the races speaking the Aryan tongues all political, ethical and social supremacy. "
Achievements
Hodgson was a distinguished scholar anddiplomat who became a mainstay in the cultural and intellectual life of Savannah. He made his mark chiefly in studies relating to the Berber languages, in which he probably may be called a world-pioneer. His earliest and most important publication was the "Grammatical Sketch and Specimens of the Berber Language: Preceded by Four Letters on Berber Etymologies. "
After his death his widow gave to the Georgia Historical Society the building which became its home and is named Hodgson Hall in his honor.
Hodgson was a foundation member of the American Oriental Society, and a member of the American Philosophical Society and of the Société de Géographie of Paris. It has been publicly stated that he was an honorary member of both the British and the French Asiatic Societies; but a search of the membership lists during his entire lifetime has failed to confirm these statements.
Personality
Hodgson is reputed to have been "a quiet retiring gentleman of the old school, with rather stately manners. He was very studious in his habits, but also took an active interest in public affairs. "
Connections
On July 11, 1842, Hodgson married Margaret, the daughter of Governor Edward Telfair of Georgia. Hodgson left no descendants.
