No advice of mine will be wanting, but advice will be all that I propose to contribute unless it should be thought worth while that I should write a preface, which if desired I will do and put my name to it. The terms which I am commissioned to offer are these:
'1. A guinea and half shall be paid for each sheet of the copy.
'2. The authour will receive a Guinea and half a week from the date of the Contract.
'3. As it is certain that many books will be necessary, the Authour will at the end of the work take the books furnished him in part of payment at prime Cost, which will be a considerable reduction of the price of the Copy; or if it seems as you thought yesterday no reduction, he will allow out of the last payment fifty pounds for the use of the Books and return them.
'4. In two months after his first demand of books shall be supplied, he purposes to write three Sheets a week and to continue the same quantity to the end of the work, unless he shall be hindered by want of Books. He does not however expect to be always able to write according to the order of the Alphabet but as his Books shall happen to supply him, and therefore cannot send any part to the press till the whole is nearly finished.
'5. He undertakes as usual the Correction.
'I am, Sir, Your most humble servant, 'SAM. JOHNSON.'
'March 22nd. 'To Mr. Strahan.'
'PROPOSAL.
'There is nothing more apparently wanting to the English Literature, than a Geographical Dictionary, which, though its use is almost every day necessary, not only to Men of Study, but of Trade or publick employment, yet has been hitherto, not only unperformed, but almost unattempted among us. Bohun's Dictionary, the only one which has any pretension to regard, owes that pretension only to its bulk; for it is in all parts contemptibly defective and is therefore deservedly forgotten. In Collier's Dictionary, what Geography there is, can scarcely be found among the crowd of other subjects, and when it is found, is of no great importance. The books of Eachard and Salmon, though useful for the ends proposed by them, are too small to be considered as anticipations of this work, which is intended to consist of two volumes of the same size and print with Harris's Dictionary, in which will be comprised the following particulars:
'The situation of every Country with its Provinces and dependencies according to its present state, and latest observation.
'The description of all remarkable Cities, Towns, Castles, Fortresses, and places observable for their situation, products or other particulars.
'An account of the considerable Rivers, their Springs, Branches, Course, Outlets, how far navigable, the Produce and Qualities of their waters.
'The course of Voyages, giving directions to sailors for navigating from one place of the World to another, with particular attention to the Traffic of these Kingdoms.
'An account of all the principal Ports and Harbours of the known World, in which will be laid down the Pilotage, Bearings, depth of water, danger from Sands or Rocks, firmness or uncertainty of Anchorage, and degree of safety from particular Winds.
'An exact account of the Commodities of each Country, both natural and artificial.
'A description of the remarkable Animals in every Country, whether Beasts, Birds or Fishes.
'An account of the Buildings, whether ancient or modern, and of Ruins or other remains of Antiquity.
'Remarks upon the soil, air, and waters of particular Places, their several qualities and effects, the accidents to which every Region is exposed, as Earthquakes and Hurricanes, and the diseases peculiar to the Inhabitants or incident to strangers at their arrival.
'The political State of the World, the Government of Countries, and the Magistracy of Cities, with their particular Laws, or Privileges.
'The most probable and authentic Calculations of the number of Inhabitants of each place.
'The military state of Countries, their Forces, manner of making War, Weapons, and naval Power.
'The Commercial State, extent of their Trade, Number and strength of their Colonies, quantity of Shipping.
'The pretensions of Princes with their Alliances, Relations and Genealogies.
'The customs of Nations with regard to Trade, and receptions of strangers, their domestic Customs, as Rites of Marriage and Burial. Their particular Laws. Their habits, recreations and amusements.
'The religious Opinions of all Nations.
'These and many other heads of observation will be collected, not merely from the Dictionaries now extant in many Languages, but from the best Surveys, Local Histories, Voyages, and particular accounts[1], among which care will be taken to select those of the best authority, as the basis of the Work, and to extract from them such observations as may best promote Knowledge and gratify Enquiry, so that it is to be hoped, there will be few remarkable places in the known World, of which the Politician, the Merchant, the Sailor, or the Man of Curiosity may not find a useful and pleasing account, of the credit of which the Reader may always judge, as the Authors from whom it is taken will be regularly quoted, a caution which if some, who have attempted such general works, had observed, their labours would have deserved, and found more favour from the Publick.'
[Footnote 1: That this is done will appear from the authours' names exactly quoted.]
This letter must have been written about the year 1753, for Bathurst is described as a physician of about eight years' standing.