Philip Henry Gosse

Reprint of the original, first published in 1865.

A Naturalist'S Sojourn In Jamaica has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature. This forms a part of the knowledge base for future generations. So that the book is never forgotten we have represented this book in a print format as the same form as it was originally first published. Hence any marks or annotations seen are left intentionally to preserve its true nature.

Reproduction of the original: Omphalos by Philip Henry Gosse

Reproduction of the original: A Year at the Shore by Philip Henry Gosse

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English zoologist Philip Henry Gosse (1810–88) spent several years studying the biodiversity of habitats in North America and the Caribbean. His Naturalist's Sojourn in Jamaica (1851) is reissued in this series. When he settled on the Devonshire coast, the area proved equally rich for research. In this 1859 publication, the deeply religious Gosse considers the 'Divine mechanics' of animal body parts and microorganisms seen through the lens of a microscope. He leads the reader through a selection of specimens ranging from a hog's bristle to the shoe-like protist Paramecium. Gosse's writing style, enlivened with anecdotes and literary references, earned him considerable appreciation among Victorian audiences. His entertaining text is complemented by more than 100 illustrations which showcase his draughtsmanship. While the work shares its year of publication with Darwin's groundbreaking Origin of Species, Gosse's religious views firmly shaped his interpretation of the specimens on show.

The English naturalist Philip Henry Gosse (1810–88) spent nine months in 1838–9 in a small town in Alabama where he was the teacher at the local school. His time there was unhappy because of the widespread abuse of slaves he witnessed, the support of the practice by his fellow Methodists being particularly distressing. However, he loved the beauty of his surroundings, and the abundant wildlife, and in 1859 he published this account in the form of nineteen letters. Gosse recounts in detail his voyage from Philadelphia to Mobile, Alabama, and the environment around his new home in the hills, with vivid descriptions of the plants, animals and insects he observed there. He rarely mentions slavery specifically, but the arrogance of the masters and the plight of their 'possessions' is a recurring theme in the work. Other books on natural history by Gosse are also reissued in this series.