"The Physical Geography of the Sea" by M.F. Maury - T. Nelson, 1861 edition - 18 cm x 15 cm - condition: rebound in fine prize leather binding, bookplate to ffep, all maps and plates in rear major textbook of modern oceanography" - Horblit/Grolier 71. "Mathew Fontaine Maury, an American naval officer and hydrographer, laid the foundations of oceanography in 'The physical geography of the sea' (1855) which includes a general discussion about coastlines, tides currents, and other phases of the ocean and its life. In addition, Maury, with the help of three lines measured for the laying of the transatlantic cables, sketched the first section and the first map of the floor of the Atlantic Ocean."