pendous magnitude, surpassing those of any other country. Many of the walls are entirely covered with sculptures, paintings, and hieroglyphics.

291. Egypt sunk into great degradation beneath Turkish dominion; but it is reviving under Mohammed Ali, its present ruler. He has made extraordinary efforts to restore agriculture and manufactures, has reopened the ancient canals, and studiously introduced the arts and civilisation of Europe. He has completely shaken off the yoke. of the Porte, and has even conquered Nubia, Palestine, Syria, and great part of Arabia; so that he is now at the head of a considerable empire.

292. Grand Cairo, the capital, is a large and splendid city. The ports are, Alexandria, Rosetta, and Damietta: but the principal ruins are at Thebes and Dendera, in Upper Egypt.

293. NUBIA is a long narrow range of territory extending upwards along the Nile, whose waters fertilise two or three miles on each side, beyond which are extensive deserts. Many of the rocks which rise on the banks are sculptured into spacious temples and pyramids, of which the chief are at Ibsambul and Merawe. The people are rude, lawless, and corrupted by the prevalence of the slave trade. Nubia is divided into a variety of states, of which the chief are Dongola, Merawe, Shendi, and Sennaar. The Pashá of Egypt lately conquered all these countries, but holds them by a somewhat precarious tenure. To the south-east of Nubia are Kordofan and Darfur, rude countries, inhabited by a barbarous people. South of Darfur is Donga, a mountainous territory, from which the Nile is said to take its rise.

291. Abyssinia is an extensive country to the south-east of Nubia. It is traversed by high mountains, between which are many fertile valleys. The Abyssinians are a barbarous people, delighting in

bloodshed, feeding on raw flesh, and sometimes cutting slices from the living animal. Great part of the country has been over-run by the Galla, a still more savage race, who ride on oxen, and adorn themselves with the entrails of those animals. They are masters of Gondar the capital, and of the finest central provinces; but there is still a native government in the northern province of Tigré, and another in the southern districts of Shoa and Efat.

295. Central Africa consists of an extensive region, separated from the countries on the coast by vast forests and deserts, but comprising now the most improved and cultivated tracts of that great continent. The continued range of the mountains of the Moon, under various names and aspects, crosses it from west to east, and gives rise to the Niger, with its tributaries, and to other great rivers which unite in forming the lake Tchad. The plains are thus well watered, and extremely fruitful, yielding in abundance grain, indigo, and cotton, which is skilfully woven into fine cloth. The inhabitants consist partly of negro nations, who are more industrious and intelligent than in other parts of Africa; partly of Moors and Fellatas, whose ancestors migrated from Egypt and Barbary.

296. This region is divided among many nations, which cannot be here fully described; but the following are the principal:

297. 1. Bornou is an extensive plain, immediately west of the lake Tchad, and watered by the river Yeou. It is fertile, but imperfectly cultivated, and the inhabitants are uncivilised. They are almost at constant war with the people of Beghermé, a large country to the north-east of the lake. Loggun, on the river Shary, which falls into the Tchad, is a wealthy and industrious country. Mandara is a fine plain at the foot of a vast range of mountains.

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These nations are negro, yet have been converted to the Mahometan religion, which they profess with bigoted zeal.

298. 2. Houssa is a fine and extensive region to the west of Bornou. The Fellatas, who inhabit it, are an industrious and intelligent, as well as warlike race; and the country, being well cultivated, yields in abundance wheat, fruits, vegetables, cotton, and indigo. The sultan of Soccatoo holds at present supreme sway over the states composing Houssa, which were conquered by his predecessor. They are chiefly Kashna, Kano, Zegzeg, Goober, and Zamfra. Soccatoo, and Zaria the capital of Zegzeg, are the largest cities; but Kano is the chief seat of the caravan trade. Numerous slaves, brought from the mountainous country in the south, are here sold to the Barbary merchants. Adamoua and Jacoba are situated beyond the mountains, on the great river Shary, but are little known.

299. The countries on the lower Niger, recently explored by Lander, being well watered, and in many places inundated by that river, are extremely fruitful; but, in approaching the sea, they become marshy and unhealthy. The Niger here rolls a magnificent stream several miles broad, and resembling an inland sea; and it receives the Tshadda, almost as large as itself, flowing from countries unknown. The people in this region are generally negro and pagan; but they have made a greater progress in the arts than the nations on the coast. Youri, with a large and strong capital of the same name, is very populous, yielding large harvests of rice. The people are brave; but the king has incurred just reproach by the attack which terminated in the death of Park, and by the extortion practised towards Lander. Boussa, Kiama, Wawa,

and Niki are also considerable states. Yarriba, having Eyeo for its capital, is a very large and populous kingdom; Nyffe, on the opposite, or eastern side of the Niger, is distinguished for manufacturing industry, its cloths and mats being superior to any other made in Africa. The chief towns are Rabba and Koolfu. Zagoshi, on an island in the Niger, is possessed of numerous barks, with which it carries on an extensive trade. Funda is a great city on the Tshadda: Kirree and Eboe, on the Delta of the Niger, though surrounded by forests and swamps, are enriched by their trade with the coast.

300. The countries on the upper Niger are also rich and industrious. Timbuctoo has been long celebrated as the seat of the caravan trade with Morocco for slaves and gold. Bambarra is a fine plain watered by the Niger; and Sego, its capital, is large and flourishing. Jenné, Sansanding, and Walet, are also great seats of inland trade. Almost all the streams which flow from the mountains in the south of this country contain gold, which is extracted by agitation of the cascalho or gravel in

water.

301. BARBARY extends along the Mediterranean, from the Atlantic to Egypt, and includes the Mahometan States of Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and the empire of Morocco. It forms a beautiful and fertile region, once flourishing, but long sunk under tyranny and oppression. The most atrocious piracies were carried on from the sea-ports; but these have been suppressed by Britain; and the French have now taken possession of Algiers, the chief seat of these outrages, and are endeavouring to colonise the territory.

302. On the WESTERN COAST of Africa are innumerable tribes of people, and various kingdoms, watered by the rivers Senegal and Gambia, on which

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are many European forts and settlements; but the climate is unfortunately extremely unhealthy and fatal to Europeans. The French settlements are on the Senegal, with a view to the gum trade.

303. Sierra Leone, which includes Freetown, is an English settlement in Guinea, formed for the civilisation of the interior of Africa.

Obs. This settlement was expected to produce the happiest effects among the natives, and in due time to afford powerful means for effecting the civilisation of Africa, and destroying the slave-trade; but the extreme unhealthiness of the climate has much impeded its success. On the adjoining coast, the Americans have founded the colony of Liberia on a smaller scale, but with favourable prospects.

304. Guinea is divided into the Grain, the Ivory, and the Gold coasts: it formerly supplied Europeans with slaves. Behind the Gold coast are the extensive kingdoms of Ashantee and Dahomey, which have made some progress in the arts; but they carry on war with dreadful ferocity, and celebrate the death of their kings with thousands of human_victims. Gold and ivory are the chief exports from

this coast.

305. Benin, Waree, Brass, Bonny, and Calabar are situated on a succession of great estuaries, which form the mouths of the Niger. The country is a dismal swamp, covered with forests; but great quantities of palm oil and many slaves are brought down from the interior. The great river Zaire, with the countries of Loango, Congo, Angola, and Benguela, present the most interesting objects on the more southern coast, and are all peopled with ill-civilised negroes. They contain the Portuguese settlements of Loanda and Benguela, whence numerous slaves are conveyed to Brazil.

306. Southern Africa contains the colony of the Cape of Good Hope, first founded by the Dutch, but now ceded to England. Cape Town contains 20,000