Maury, Matthew Fontaine

Matthew Fontaine (1806-1873), an American geographer. He was a native of Virginia. He entered the United States navy in 1825. On a trip around the world in the United States frigate Vincennes he wrote the greater part of a textbook on navigation still in use. In 1839 he was lamed by an accident and was detailed to the hydrographical office at Washington, with the rank of lieutenant. In matters pertaining to the ocean he was the foremost student of the day. He wrote a Physical Geography of the Sea, special treatises on the Gulf Stream, ocean currents, great circle sailing, a series of geographical textbooks for common schools, and a series of sailing charts for mariners. He was instrumental in calling a maritime conference at Brussels. At the outbreak of the Civil War he sacrificed the advantage of his position, joined the Confederates, and drifted finally into the service of the ill-fated Maximilian of Mexico. His later days were passed at Virginia Military Institute as professor of physics. See Geography