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Island, one of the Bahamas. In subsequent voyages he explored the islands since called the West Indies, and visited the mainland of South America. Other voyagers discovered other regions, the most valuable of which have been colonised by Europeans, who have driven out or subdued the original inhabitants. America is so named from Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine, one of the early discoverers.

GENERAL FEATURES OF NORTH AMERICA.

246. The inland seas of North America are, the gulfs of Mexico, California, and St. Lawrence, with Hudson's Bay and Straits, Baffin's Bay, and Davis's Straits.

247. The lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, Ontario, Michigan, Winipeg, Athabasca, and the Slave Lake, are among the largest in the world, and may justly be called inland seas.

Obs. Lake Superior is more than 400 miles long, and has many large islands. The passage between the lakes Ontario and Erie is interrupted by a stupendous cataract, called the Falls of Niagara, 150 feet in height, in the form of a half moon. The noise of this fall is heard at the distance of 30 or 40 miles.

248. The rivers are also magnificent features in North America. The principal are the Missouri, the Mississippi, the St. Lawrence, the Ohio, the Hudson, the Chesapeake, the Delaware, and the Columbia.

249. The gulf of St. Lawrence is formed, on the east, by the island of Newfoundland. On the southeast of the latter is a great sand-bank, 500 miles in length, celebrated for the cod-fishery.

250. The mountains are, the Rocky or Stony, among which the Missouri and Columbia take their rise; and the Alleghany, which contain the source of the Ohio. On the north-west coast are several volcanic mountains; but North America is, for the most part, a flat and fertile country.

THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERICA. 251. The United States of America are distinguished for the vast extent of their territory, their rapid improvement, and their free constitution. The greater part of the inhabitants sprung from English settlers, though there are many descendants of Germans, Dutch, and Swiss. Including black slaves, they amount to nearly 13,000,000.

252. These states are in a very flourishing and improving condition, and promise to become, on the abolition of slavery, which they now tolerate, one of the most powerful and happy communities in the world. They export vast quantities of cotton, timber, tobacco, grain, rice, pitch, potash, and skins; their ships are to be found in every part of the world.

253. The Republic of the United States is governed by a President, chosen every four years, and is divided into the Northern, Middle, and Southern States, twenty-six in number.

254. The Northern States are, Maine, capital Portland; Vermont, Montpellier; New Hampshire, Concord; Massachusetts, Boston; Connecticut, Hartford and Newhaven; Rhode Island, Newport and Providence.

255. The Middle States are, New York, chief city New York; New Jersey, Trenton; Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; Delaware, Dover; Ohio, Cincinnati; Michigan, Detroit; Indiana, Indianopolis; Illinois, Vandalia; and Missouri, St. Louis.

256. The Southern States are, Maryland, Baltimore; Virginia, Richmond; Kentucky, Louisville; North Carolina, Charleston; South Carolina, Columbia; Georgia, Savannah; Tennessee, Nashville; Alabama, Mobile; Mississippi, Natchez; Arkansas, Little Rock; and Louisiana, New Orleans.

257. New York is the largest city in the United States, and in all America, having more than 200,000 inhabitants. Its commerce is supposed to

have

any

account, is spacious and magnificent. The present constitution of Mexico resembles that of the United States of North America, being a federative republic. from which rise Orizaba and other lofty volcanic 260. Mexico consists chiefly of a high table-land, peaks. It is fitted to produce the grain and fruits of the temperate climates; but its chief value consists in the silver mines, which, at the beginning of the present century yielded annually nearly 5,000,000l. sterling; but they were greatly injured during the revolution, and, notwithstanding the application of a large British capital, have not been fully restored.

255. The Middle States are, New York, chief city New York; New Jersey, Trenton; Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; Delaware, Dover; Ohio, Cincinnati; Michigan, Detroit; Indiana, Indianopolis; Illinois, Vandalia; and Missouri, St. Louis.

256. The Southern States are, Maryland, Baltimore; Virginia, Richmond; Kentucky, Louisville; North Carolina, Charleston; South Carolina, Columbia; Georgia, Savannah; Tennessee, Nashville; Alabama, Mobile; Mississippi, Natchez; Arkansas, Little Rock; and Louisiana, New Orleans.

257. New York is the largest city in the United States, and in all America, having more than 200,000 inhabitants. Its commerce is supposed to

exceed that of any city in the world, except London. The other chief cities and towns are, Washington the capital, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Charleston, and New Orleans.

258. The rivers of the United States are large and numerous. The Mississippi, Missouri, Chesapeake, Delaware, Hudson, and Ohio, are the most considerable. These rivers are united by magnificent canals, the principal of which is 360 miles long, uniting the Hudson river with Lake Erie.

Obs. 1. The Spanish government has ceded the whole of the Floridas to the United States. The peninsula extends from latitude 25° to latitude 31°. It is, therefore, more than 400 miles in length, and contains about 10,000 inhabitants. Its chief towns are St. Augustine and Pensacola.

2. The city of Washington, in the territory of Columbia, was established as the seat of government, after the year 1800. It stands at the junction of the rivers Potomak and the Eastern Branch, extending nearly four miles up each, and including a tract of territory not exceeded, in point of convenience, salubrity, and beauty, by any in America. It is not, however, a large city.

THE LATE SPANISH DOMINIONS IN NORTH AMERICA.

259. The Spanish colonies were, New and Old Mexico (called also New Spain); chief towns, Mexico, Puebla, Acapulco, and Vera Cruz. Mexico, the oldest city in America of which we have any account, is spacious and magnificent. The present constitution of Mexico resembles that of the United States of North America, being a federative republic.

260. Mexico consists chiefly of a high table-land, from which rise Orizaba and other lofty volcanic peaks. It is fitted to produce the grain and fruits of the temperate climates; but its chief value consists in the silver mines, which, at the beginning of the present century yielded annually nearly 5,000,000%. sterling; but they were greatly injured during the revolution, and, notwithstanding the application of a large British capital, have not been fully restored.