productive. It is distinguished, however, by mines of silver and mercury, which were the richest in the world, but have greatly declined in value. The chief silver mines are at Pasco in Lower and Potosí in Upper Peru; those of mercury, at Guancavelica. Upper Peru has been lately called Bolivia, from Bolivar, the Columbian president, who effected its liberation. Its mountain peaks of Sorata and Illimani are the loftiest in the New World. Peru may contain about two millions and a half of people. Lima, its capital, is the most splendid city in South America, and carries on a great trade by its port of Callao. Cusco is the ancient capital of the Incas.

279. Chile, to the south of Peru, consists of a long, narrow, but very fertile plain, between the Andes and the ocean. It contains mines of gold, and still more valuable ones of copper. Industry and cultivation are yet imperfect, but in a progressive state. Santiago is the capital; but the chief trade is from the ports of Valparaiso, Conception, and Valdivia.

280. La Plata consists of an immense plain, watered by the river of that name, and reaching nearly across the continent, from the Atlantic to the Andes. Great part of the surface consists of wide plains, called pampas, covered with luxuriant herbage, and on which vast herds of wild cattle have multiplied, whose hides form the chief object of trade. The territory is formed into a sort of federal republic, the constitution of which is not yet fully settled. Buenos Ayres, the capital, is at the mouth of the La Plata, and the chief interior towns are Cordova and Mendoza. Paraguay, on the upper part of the river, with its capital, Assumption, is despotically ruled by an individual named Dr. Francia. This district produces the maté, or herb of Paraguay, used as tea throughout all these countries. Monte Video,

with its territory south of the La Plata, forms now a separate republic.

281. Brazil occupies nearly the whole eastern coast between the La Plata and the Amazons, to an indefinite distance into the interior. It is a vast and fruitful plain, diversified by mountain ranges of moderate elevation, which, in this climate, do not obstruct culture: that of sugar and cotton has of late been greatly extended; too much, indeed, by means of the importation of negro slaves. Some parts of Brazil are also very rich in diamonds, and in gold. The country was long despotically ruled by Portugal, but is now separated from that kingdom, governed by a prince of the house of Braganza, but on a very free and constitutional basis. The population is nearly five millions. Rio de Janeiro, the capital, is a large city, beautifully situated, and the seat of a great trade. Bahia, or San Salvador, and Pernambuco are also flourishing sea-ports.

282. The coast of Guiana is divided among dif ferent European nations. The English have the flourishing colonies of Demerara and Berbice, rich in sugar and cotton; the Dutch have Surinam, also prosperous; and the French have Cayenne, famous for its pepper. The interior, watered by the Orinoco, is claimed by the Portuguese; but is chiefly in the possession of savage native tribes. The same may be said of the extensive tracts in the centre of the continent, called Amazonia, though claimed by the Portuguese as part of Brazil. Patagonia, in the southern extremity, is inhabited by a tall and vigorous race, who have been falsely represented as giants; but the island of Terra del Fuego, on which Cape Horn is situated, is occupied by a meagre and stunted race.

283. The islands adjacent to South America, exclusive of the West Indies, are the Malouinas, or

Falkland Islands, Terra del Fuego, Juan Fernandez, the Galapagos, and the Pearl Islands, near Panamá.

Obs. In the statements of population in the preceding summary are included the native tribes, the negro slaves, and the mixed races called mulattoes, people of colour, &c., who, according to Baron Von Humboldt, amount to above 21,500,000, of whom 8,610,000 are Indians, 6,433,000 negroes, and 6,428,000 mixed races. Of these, 7,500,000 Indians, and nearly 5,500,000 of the mixed races, belong to the former Spanish dominions in North and South America. On account of the mixture of races in the Antilles, we subjoin the following table of population from the same distinguished author:

284. AFRICA, to the south of Europe, forms a very large peninsula, joined to Asia by the isthmus of Suez. Its northern states were anciently very celebrated; Egypt and Ethiopia were considered the cradle of civilisation, and Carthage, founded by a Phoenician colony, was the greatest of the commercial states. They were even distinguished during the Saracen dynasty, but, under the bigoted and despotic yoke of the Turks, have sunk into brutality and barbarism.

285. In Africa, the principal rivers are, the Nile, the Niger, the Gambia, the Congo or Zahir, called also Zaïre, and the Senegal. The Niger, whose termination was long so mysterious, has been ascertained to fall, by numerous estuaries, into the Gulf of Benin. Lake Tchad, which bounds Bornou on the east, was first made known by Messrs. Denham and Clapperton; it is a magnificent piece of water,

200 miles long, and about 150 broad, and receives the Shary, a large river, from the south.

286. In consequence of the periodical rains, the rivers of Africa overflow their banks annually from June to September, by which means they fertilise the country, and leave behind them, in canals prepared for the purpose, a sufficient quantity of water for the rest of the year.

287. The Atlas mountains of Morocco have been long celebrated; and the Mountains of the Moon are a lofty range, south of Darfur and Central Africa.

288. Northern Africa is distinguished by immense deserts, extending over one third of the continent. Of these the sandy desert of Sahara is 1500 miles long, by 800 broad.

Obs. These deserts are like seas, the sands being moved by the winds like waters, and storms on them being more destructive to travellers than the sea to voyagers. They have Oases, or fertile spots, like islands, whose inhabitants are separated from the rest of the world; and caravans and merchants are enabled by these to traverse immense tracts. The kingdom of Fezzan is an oasis which separates the Libyan from the great Desert, and connects Tripoli with Kashna on the Niger.

289. Africa may be considered in the following order: Egypt; Nubia; Abyssinia; Central Africa; the Mahometan States in the north; the nations on the western coast; the colony of the Cape of Good Hope in the south; and the eastern kingdoms opposite Madagascar.

290. EGYPT consists of a narrow valley along the Nile, bounded on each side by ridges of rocky hills. It is divided into Upper, Middle, and Lower, which last is formed into a delta, by the lower branches of the Nile, and is exceedingly fertile. If not the parent, Egypt was, in early times, the nurse of arts and letters. Its temples, pyramids, and tombs, the monuments of its ancient grandeur, are of stu-,