On the completion of the 'Penny Cyclopædia,' at Christmas, 1843, the
following announcement was made:--"In the course of publication care has
been taken, in all the great departments, to bring up the information to
the most recent period, and also to make the later articles
supplementary to, as well as corrective of, the earlier. But omissions,
especially of new discoveries, improvements, and recent biographies,
cannot have been avoided. These will be supplied by the publication,
after a proper lapse of time, which will be at least a year, of a
Supplement. A full Index will be published at a future day, which will
not only materially increase the value of the Cyclopædia as a work of
reference, but will enable the reader to place the later articles in
proper connexion with the earlier, in the point of view just mentioned."
It is unnecessary, in any announcement, to point out the value of this
_Supplement to the Cyclopædia_. To the purchasers of the original work
it will be almost indispensable; for, ranging over the whole field of
knowledge, it was impossible, with every care, to avoid some material
omissions of matters which ought to have found a place. But to these,
and even to readers who may not desire to possess the complete Work, the
Supplement has the incalculable advantage of exhibiting the march of
PROGRESSIVE KNOWLEDGE. It is here that will be found _all the recent
discoveries in Geography_, such as are given in the first Part under the
heads of Abyssinia and Afghanistan,--countries that have become almost
known to us for the first time within a few years. It is here that the
rapid steps of _Scientific improvement_ will be laid open. It is here
that a record will be found of the more eminent deceased of the passing
day, whose _Biography_ belongs to the memorable things of our age. The
supplement will be conducted by the Editor of the original work, with
the assistance of many of the first Contributors. It will form two
volumes.
The Publication of the Supplement commenced on the 1st of February,
1845, in Parts, at Eighteenpence each.
* * * * *
_Uniform with the Weekly Volume_,