UAUli - TRAVELLER; OR, AN ENTERTAINING JOURNEY ROUND THK HABITABLE GLOBE. THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID Piiuud by S. k R Flee'.-scr The British Isles Great Britain London Wales ... - - Counties of England Scotland 46 Ireland - 50 France ... - - 53 The Netherlands - Kingdom of Hanover - - Denmark Sweden Norway - - Lapland - - - -88 The Empire of Russia Poland .-- - 96 Germany in general The Kingdom of Prussia - The Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Saxony - fl>- Page The Kingdom of Wurtemberg - - 100 Grand Duchy of Baden ib. The Empire of Austria - 101 Italy - - 104 The Kingdom of Naples - - 106 The Roman States - - - 112 The Kingdom of Venetian-Lombardy - 116 The King of Sardinia's States - 119 Switzerland - - - 124 Spain - - 127 Portugal - - 130 European Turkey - - 132 ASIA .... 137 Russian Tartary - - 139 The Country of the Samoyedes - 1 40 Independent Tartary - - - 145 Japan - - - - 147 China * ib. India .... 152 Persia ..... 156 Arabia .... 153 AFRICA - - - - - 162 EjTVPt .... 164 The States of Barbary 168 Zahara, or the Great Desert - - 170 Senegal - - - - - 171 Guinea - - - - 174 Congo - - - - 175 Caffraria .... ib. The Hottentots, and the Cape of Good Hope 176 The Eastern Coast of Africa - 1 78 AMERICA - - - - 181 Greenland, Labrador, and Canada 185 The United States - 188 South America ... 192 Islands of the Pacific Ocean - - 199 THE TRAVELLER ROUND THE WORLD. COME, Felix, and you also, my dear Felicia, come and sit down by rne. Now that you are grow- ing so very tall, it is proper that you should know something of the world. I wish to take you on a journey with me, a very long journey : what think you of travelling round the World ? But do not be frightened, I will not tire you ; for we shall sit all the time at this table, and merely examine these large engraved maps, which will shew you the course of rivers and the situation of different coun- tries. I am sure it will amuse you very much. You will learn that many different races of people inhabit the surface of the earth ; that some are white, others black, others copper and olive co- loured : you will know that some climates arc warmer than ours, and that others are so very cold that the ground is constantly covered with snoAv and 2 GOD, THE CREATOR OF THE WORLD. ice. But you will be still more astonished when I inform you that there are some countries where it is day-light for six months in succession, and where the night is equally long. You will learn all these curious things by studying geography. Geography, as you already know, is the science which makes us acquainted with the earth and its inhabitants : the word geography is formed from two Greek words, which, when joined together, signify description of tfte earth. But we shall not, at present, apply ourselves to a serious study of geography ; I merely wish to give you some notions which will render it easy to you hereafter. We sit down now to amuse ourselves; but at the same time we may try to turn our amusement to some useful purpose. GOD, THE CREATOR OF THE WORLD. BEFORE we proceed farther, my dear children, let us observe that the earth which we inhabit, the immense firmament above our heads, the sun, which sends forth his rays of light and fire, the numberless stars scattered throughout the heavens, in a word, the whole universe and all that it con- THE UNIVERSE. tains, is the work of God. All things come from Him, and all must return to Him. He gave us life, and to Him we must account for every moment of our existence. Therefore, my dear children, let us never gaze on the wonders of creation without sentiments of religious gratitude. THE UNIVERSE. THE world, which we think so large, is really but a small portion of the universe : in the vast ex- tent of which, if viewed from a neighbouring pla- net, it would appear only as a small star, like those which we nightly see in the heavens. You are as- tonished to hear this ; you can scarcely believe that the little stars which shine during the night, are as large as our world ; nay, the world is even small in comparison with most of them. You will be amazed when I tell you that the sun is upwards of one mil- lion three hundred and eighty-four thousand times larger than our world. Your imagination will not enable you to form an idea of this immense diffe- rence, and you will perhaps scarcely comprehend all I am now describing to you. The stars, the sun, the moon, and the earth, alto- gether, are called the universe. 4 THE SUN. I should like to explain to you the nature of faced stars and planets ,- but I think it will be bet- ter to defer that till another time : you are yet too young. However, we must say something about the sun. THE SUN. THE sun is a globe placed in the centre of the universe, shedding light and heat on every side. We ieel its salutary heat, which is necessary to our existence, and which animates all nature. It ->vas formerly supposed to be a globe of fire ; but this opinion is now justly rejected ; and it is believed to be surrounded by a luminous atmosphere, the rays of which have the property of exciting the latent heat contained in the bodies on which they fall. The sun, which may be called the king of the fir- mament, appears every morning on one side of the heavens, rises slowly, pursues its course to its meridian or noon-day height, and then declining, finally disappears on the side opposite to that on which it rose. You might therefore be led to sup- pose that it moved round the earth. But in this your eyes deceive you : the sun remains fixed, and THE SUN. THE MOON. 5 the earth turns round once in every twenty-four hours, to receive its light, as I shall presently explain to you. By means of telescopes spots have been dis- covered on the sun, and thus it has been ascer- tained that this brilliant body also turns upon its own axis. These spots, first observed on one extremity of the sun, advance till they reach the other extremity, and then disappear. After some time they are seen again ; and it has been disco- vered that from their first appearance, twenty- five days fourteen hours and eight minutes elapse before these spots appear again at the point from whence they originally moved ; therefore the sun takes so much time in turning completely round. But what distance do you imagine we are from the sun, which sheds forth such a brilliant light ? The distance is so considerable that we can scarcely form an idea of it ; for the sun is about 95,513,794 miles from the earth. THE MOON. WE must not proceed without noticing the Moon, which, during the night, diffuses a pale and serene light, well suited to the repose of man. But you B3 6 THE MOON. must not suppose that this light belongs to the moon ; on the contrary, the moon has no light of its own. It receives from the sun the light which it reflects to us, in the same manner as that wall, which is exposed to the south, reflects the light that shines on it. The moon appears to you to be almost as large as the sun, and much larger than any of the stars. But that is a mistake into which you are led, be- cause the moon is much nearer to us than the sun or the stars : on the contrary, every one of the stars is larger than the moon. You must recollect that the moon is forty-nine times smaller than the earth; and that the sun, as I before told you, is more than one million three hundred and eighty-four thousand times larger. The moon, however, is only 238,502 miles from the earth, and the sun is 95,513,794> miles distant. The moon does not, like the stars, move round the sun ; it follows the motion of the earth, and moves once round it in the space of twenty-seven days seven hours and forty-three minutes. Owing to this movement round the earth, we sometimes see the whole and sometimes the half of the moon, and at other times we see it in the form of a crescent. The moon, being round like a ball, and receiving its light from the sun, it happens that when it is be- THE MOON. 7 tween the sun and the earth, but a little to the side, we see it under the form of a crescent. And it takes this form, because we see only a part of the light side ; the part which is not lighted by the sun's rays being invisible to us. In proportion as the moon continues to move towards one side, its light part grows larger, and at length it becomes what we call a full moon. Then the earth is be- tween the moon and the sun, and we see the whole of that part of the moon which is lighted by the sun. These movements of the moon round the earth pro- duce what are called eclipses of the moon and sun. You know what is meant by an eclipse. You saw the moon undergo an eclipse the other evening : it became suddenly dim on one part, and this dimness encreased until it was entirely obscured. I will ex- plain to you how this happened : the earth was then between the moon and the sun, and it conse- quently prevented the sun's rays from reaching the moon. Thus, if I place my hand between the candle and Felix's face, the shadow of my hand will entirely hide his face ; and, during the eclipse, the shadow of the earth covered the moon in the same manner. But eclipses of the sun arise from the contrary cause. The moon then shades the sun's rays from us, because it is between the sun and the earth. I 8 THE EARTH. think you now sufficiently understand all this, there- fore we will proceed ; for I long to quit the hea- venly bodies, and descend to our own world. v THE EARTH. I HAVE already told you that the sun and moon are round ; but that cannot surprise you, for you see them every day. But you perhaps will be as- tonished, when I tell you that the earth is round also. I dare say, you always thought it was flat ; but it only appears so to us because we are very little in proportion to it. If, however, we travel to distant countries, we always see, even in the most extensive plains, the bounds of the horizon and the sky at a distance. Were we to continue travelling straight forward, we should in time go completely round the world, and return to the same spot whence we set out. If a man were to walk regularly twenty-seven miles a day, how long do you think he would take to go round the whole world ? Only two years and a half. And yet the world is amazingly large. It measures -25,000 miles round. That would be a terrible journey for little folks like you. THE EA11TH. 9 But you must not imagine that it is possible to walk round the world. Seas and rivers occupy the chief part of the surface of the globe, and therefore those who go round the world must travel more by water than by land. You will perhaps ask, how can the earth be as round as a ball, when so many high mountains and deep valleys appear on its surface ? But re- flect for one moment on its enormous size, and you will easily be convinced that these mountains and valleys are merely little inequalities, which cannot alter the figure of our globe. >c THE EARTH CONSIDERED AS A PLANET. BEFORE we view the earth as our habitation, it will be proper to know what rank it holds in the universe. The earth is a planet, that is to say, one of those stars which change their situations, and turn round the sun, which, with respect to the other planets, may be said to be fixed. But if the earth remained constantly in one posi- tion, it would only be lighted and warmed on one side, while the other side would be wrapped in continual darkness. How then does it happen that daylight shines by turns on every part of the 10 THE EARTH. earth? I will explain this in a very few words: the earth turns on itself, or, more properly speak- ing, on its own axis, and thus it is alternately light and dark on every point. The earth turns round every twenty-four hours, and this motion produces day and night. ' From this you will probably conclude that the inhabitants of the poles, that is to say, the points on which the earth turns, are in a state of conti- nual twilight ? But besides this movement every twenty-four hours, the earth also moves round the sun, once every year; and during this immense course its poles are inclined or lowered, so that the sun shines for six months on one pole, and six months on the other, and thus affords them gentle warmth and light. This annual movement of the earth round the sun produces the different seasons. It happens, therefore, that the countries near the poles have six months of daylight and six months of night. However, the twilights which precede day and night, shorten the darkness considerably, and reduce it to about two months duration ; but even that is a tolerably long night. These countries, being colder than the rest of the globe, are always covered with snow and ice ; but yet they are inhabited. On the other hand, as the sun's rays fall nearly perpendicularly over the MOUNTAINS AND WATERS. 1J equator, or central band of the globe, the heat there is almost insupportable, and the days and nights are nearly of equal length, somewhat more or less than twelve hours. During this annual re- volution, the different parts of the earth by turns approach the sun and recede from it, and thus are produced the four seasons, Spring, Summer, Au- tumn, and Winter*. MOUNTAINS AND WATERS. WE will now quit the heavens, and descend to the earth, which is our habitation. We ought to be intimately acquainted with it, that we may be the better able to enjoy the blessings it affords us during our short existence. * It is difficult, by words, to make a child comprehend these movements : it is therefore best to resort to practical demonstration. Place a candle on the table, and say, " there is the sun ;" hold a ball between your fingers, raise it to the height of the candle, and make the child understand that it is meant to represent the earth. Give the ball a rota- tory movement to point out the causes of day and night ; then move it in a circular direction round the candle, to re- present the annual revolution of the earth. Mark out the poles, and incline them alternately. By this means the child will perfectly understand the lesson, and it will remain engraven on his memory as long as he lives. 12 MOUNTAINS AND WATERS. The earth is round, as I have already informed you. You would perhaps wish it to be quite flat, and covered with beautiful meadows and gardens. But in that case it would be bereft of its greatest charms, namely, its magnificent prospects, and aljove all, its mountains, rivers, springs, and water- falls. Whatever God has created is disposed with the profoundest wisdom ; all that exists is intended for some useful purpose. Mountains are abso- lutely necessary in the order of nature ; through them we receive die waters that are spread over the surface of the globe. The summits of the highest mountains appear to open a passage into the clouds ; and these summits attract and absorb the humid vapours that float in the air. The hol- lows which separate the points of mountains are so many basins for receiving the thick fogs and clouds which fall down to the earth in showers of rain. Mountains may be compared to so many great reservoirs, from whence flow the rivers that water the earth, and which in their course are enlarged by the multitude of springs that descend from the hills. All waters, as you know, naturally flow downwards; they follow the declivity until they reach those immense basins called seas. But it is not from mountains alone that the earth derives water, which it stands so much in MOUNTAINS AND WATERS. 13 need of for nourishing plants and allaying the thirst of men and animals : rain also furnishes abundance of excellent water. The rain, as you see, falls from the heavens ; thick clouds, driven about by the winds, advance above our heads, and the rain falls from them in their passage. Should you like to know the nature of clouds ? I will inform you. Clouds are thick fogs and vapours of water as light as smoke. They are supported in the air, and float above our heads. You must not imagine they are so very high as they appear to be : when we ascend a high mountain, we frequently reach the clouds ; we pass through them as we might pass along a plain covered with fog : we can even rise above them, and see them beneath us, as from the top of a hill we see the fog in a valley. You understand all this wonderfully well ; but I dare say you will ask me, why all the clouds that float over our heads do not send down rains? Clouds, as I told you before, consist of particles of water so light that they might be mistaken for smoke : the air supports them as long as they re- main in this state. But whenever these particles come in contact, they become drops, which being heavier than the air that supported them, begin to fall : this is the cause of rain. AND WATERS. You now know how water runs from mountains and high places, and continues descending until it falls into the sea : you also know how it falls from the clouds ; but if the clouds should in course of time be exhausted, and the water should always continue to run into low places, there would be no more clouds above, and the mountains and plains being dried up, we should have no water except what the sea affords : in that case what would be- come of us ? men and animals, every living thing, would perish of thirst, and the earth, for want of water, would produce nothing. But this can never happen. God has done no- thing imperfectly : when he ordained that water should fall from the heavens, he also disposed that it should rise up again. The heat of the sun daily works this wonder. You have observed that when M ater boils on the fire, a part, through the effect of the heat, is transformed into vapour or humid smoke, which rises and is lost in the air. The sun produces the same effect on the waters of the sea, -rivers, &c. Through the heat of the sun, vapours continually rise up, and unite together among the clouds ; but these vapours are so light that they are not visible. You may convince yourself of this by a very simple experiment : wet a cloth and stretch it out ; it will dry, and the water with DIVISION OF EARTH AND WATER. 15 which it was soaked evaporates and goes to aug- ment the clouds. Such is the mechanism by which the waters are made continually to flow : they rise by the action of the sun, and fall down again by their own weight. DIVISION OF THE EARTH AND WATERS. WATER occupies a greater portion of the surface of our globe than land, which you will observe by casting your eyes over this large engraved map of the world, roprosenting th> two Sides of tile globe. The earth is divided into two great parts : the Old World and the New. The old world is sub- divided into three parts : Europe (that part of the world which we inhabit), Asia, and Africa. The new world contains only America. We call it the New World because it has only been known to us during the three last centuries ; it was discovered in the year 1492 by Christopher Columbus. The word continent is used to describe a vast extent of land which contains several countries, not separated from each other by water. Thus Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, are continents. 16 DIVISION OF EARTH AND WATER. An island is an extent of land either large or small, entirely surrounded by water. A peninsula is a portion of land surrounded by water, except on one side, where it joins a con- tinent. An archipelago is a portion of the sea filled with islands. An isthmus is a neck of land confined between two seas which it separates one from the other. The coast is that part of the land which borders on the sea. A cape, or promontory, is an elevation of land projecting into the sea. A mountain is a great mass of earth or rock. rising very nlgn abuic the general surface. U is a small mountain. A valley is a space between two mountain;. The waters are divided as follows : The sea is that immense mass of water which surrounds con- tinents, and which covers two-thirds of the globe. A gulf is a great portion of water, or an arm ol the sea, advancing into land. A bay is a small uulf. A M nailer than a bay. A strait is a portion of the sea confined between two pieces of land. A hike is a tolerably large extent of water sur- WAKM AND COLD COUNTRIES. 17 rounded by land, which never dries up and has no current. A marsh differs from a lake because it may become dry ; a pond is a marsh for breeding fish. A river runs through a great extent of country, and at length falls into the sea. The conflux, or confluence, is that part where one river falls into another. To ascertain the situation of places, four princi- pal points have been fixed on ; namely, the East, where the sun rises; the South, where the sun appears at noon; the West, where the sun sets; and the North, or point opposite to the South, which the sun never visits. WARM AND COLD COUNTRIES. You know that there are countries much warmer than ours, and also that others are much colder. This is owing to the situation of the different parts of the earth with respect to the sun. I have ex- plained to you that the earth turns round every twenty-four hours, and this movement produces day and night. The equator, or central band of the globe, where the rays of the sun fall perpendi- cularly, must necessarily be much warmer than the 18 THE SEASONS. poles, or extremities of the earth, where the rays fall obliquely, that is to say, in a slanting direction. From the equator to the poles, the heat diminishes, and produces many climates: we live in a temperate climate, where neither the heat of summer nor the cold of winter are insupportable. As we advance to the north, the cold increases, and we at length reach those dismal regions where the earth is covered with snow and ice throughout the whole year. It is impossible to proceed beyond a certain point : the sea is filled with enormous masses of ice, like islands, of several miles in circumference. We cannot as- certain what may be the state of the country close to-the poles; because it is impossible to penetrate so far. THE SEASONS. IF. when the earth turns round, its poles uni- formly retained the same position, each climate would have but one season continually, and the vould neither be lengthened nor diminished. But, on the contrary, we have four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter ; and in winter our days are much shorter than in summer. This happens because the earth inclines or lowers its poles to the sun. When the north pole, which is THE SEASONS. 19 nearest to us, inclines to the sun, our days be- come longer ; and at noon, the sun being, with re- spect to us, higher than in winter, it affords us more heat ; . the earth continuing to incline its poles, places us still more completely under the sun, and we then have summer. After midsummer the pole rises, as it lowered before, and then our days begin to grow short, the heat diminishes, autumn arrives, and by degrees winter insensibly advances. You must observe that whilst the north pole rises, the south pole lowers, or removes from the sun : -they necessarily move in contrary direc- tions. Thus while it is winter with the one, it is summer with the other. Each pole is six months lowering and six months rising*. * To render this explanation sufficiently clear, it will be necessary to resort to the ball and the light, before recom- mended ; otherwise it cannot be rendered completely in- telligible to the capacity of youth. It is probable, the child may suppose we are nearer the SUR in summer than in winter; he will not imagine that, by the rays of the sun being received more or less obliquely, a greater or less de- gree of heat is produced. But it is easy to make him under- stand this: take a piece of board, and expose it obliquely to the sun's rays, by means of a burning-glass; it will not be- come warm ; but place it so that the rays may fall on it per- pendicularly, and it will soon catch fire : such are the causes of summer and winter. 20 DIFFERENT RACES OF MEN*. ALL the people who inhabit the earth are not of one colour ; some are white, some black, and or:, brown, olive, or copper-coloured. Neither are their features all alike. The different climates in which they live, have, in the course of time, produced various modifications in their complexions and jgnomy. The people of Europe are white; but this co- lour is clearer in the north than in the south. The jx>litans, Sicilians, Corsicans, Sardinians, and Spaniards, who inhabit the south of Europe, are more swarthy than the French, English, Germans, davians, Poles, Danes, and Swedes, who inhabit the north. In Asia, the Tartars of the north have broad faces, flat noses, high cheek-bones, large mouths, and thick lips. They are of short stature, squat, and thin. The Persians and Asiatics in the neighbour- hood of Greece are tall and well made. The In- dians are of a swarthy complexion, somewhat be- tween red and black. The Africans are entirely black, and are distin- guished by the general name of Negroes. DIFFERENT RACES OF MEN. 21 The people of America are copper and olive- coloured. The Patagonians, who inhabit the south- ern extremity of this part of the earth, are the tallest men in the world : the travellers who first visited those parts thought they were giants. But Nature, who rarely goes beyond her own bounds, has merely given them a taller and more robust stature than the generality of mankind EUROPE. "U E shall now set out on our great journey: we already know the form of the earth, its climates, and even its situation in the universe. I have told you that the earth is divided into four parts: Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. We will begin with Europe, which is the quarter in which we live. EUROPE, though less extensive than Asia and the other quarters of the world, is however far more interesting : here mankind are most civilized, and seem to have attained the highest point of per- fection of which human nature is susceptible. In . E the arts and sciences are cultivated. The temperature is in general mild and moderate: in the north it is cold, but not to such a degree as to injure population or the progress of civilization; and in the south, the heat is never so excessive as to be disagreeable. It produces every thing ne- v for man, and aUo every thing that consti- his riches. THE BRITISH ISLES. 23 The extent of Europe is about 3600 miles in length, and 2700 in breadth. The principal countries of EUROPE are Great Britain, France, Holland or the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, Rus- sia, Poland, Prussia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and European Turkey. THE BRITISH ISLES. LOOK at the map of Europe. That large island lying towards the north, on the west of the conti- nent, from which it is separated only by a narrow strait, is called GREAT BRITAIN. The southern part of this island, and that which is nearest the conti- nent, includes England and Wales. The northern part is Scotland. These countries formed an- ciently two separate kingdoms, but they have long been united under the same government. To the west of this great island is another of less extent, though still very considerable,. This is IRELAND. These two islands, with some smaller ones, form altogether the BRITISH ISLES, or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. GREAT BRITAIN. GREAT BRITAIN* is bounded on the north and east by the German Ocean, on the south by the English Channel, and on the west by St. George's Channel and the Irish Sea. It is 550 miles long, measuring from north to south, and about 90 miles broad, measuring from East to West. GREAT BKITAIN has long been the most im- portant nation in the world, distinguished above the rest of Europe as well for its freedom and excel- lent political institutions, as for its wealth and exten- sive trade. ENGLAND is the southern and most considerable part of Great Britain. The soil is ge- nerally very fertile, and in no country has so much attention been devoted to agriculture, which is car- ried to an astonishing state of improvement. The richest land lies in the middle and southern parts of the country. In the north, there are many bar- ren and mountainous tracts, and on the eastern coasts the ground is in many places sandy and marshv. The English sheep are remarkable for their fine wool, which .is manufactured into beau- tiful cloths, and exported to most parts of the world. The horned cattle are considered the finest in the world, and the horses are highly esteemed for i.ouuoii. ' V JUtarru > .Off ctour LONDON". 25 their strength, beauty, and swiftness : in the latter quality, the English horses surpass those of any other country. England possesses all sorts of do- mestic animals in abundance. The principal kinds of game now remaining are, deer, hares, rabbits, pheasants, partridges, &c. ENGLAND and WALES are divided into fifty two counties, or shires, which will come under consideration, after we have taken a view of London. LONDON. LONDON, the capital of England, is one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world. It is uiore extensive than Paris, and its population is estimated at a million of souls. LONDON, with the villages immediately adjoining it, is about seven miles long, from Mile-End in the east to Chelsea in the west ; and three broad, from Islington in the north to Kennington in the south. The magnifi- cence of the shops, added to the vast number of passengers in the streets, exhibits a scene of splen- dour and bustle, which is nowhere else to be met with. LONDON is situated on the banks of the river Thames, and includes three great divisions, namely, the City, properly so called, the city of Westminster, and the borough of Southwark, with D 26 LONDON. their respective suburbs. LONDON and WESTMIN- STER are situated on the north side of the Thames; SOITHWARK lies on the south of that river. The City is a corporation, governed by a lord mayor, a court of common council, and a court of aldermen. The lord mayor and court of common council (which consists of 236 members) are annually elected, the former by the livery, the latter by the free householders. The court of aldermen consists of 26 member?, who are elected for life. i of the streets of LONDON are broad and veil built ; some, however, are extremely narrow. They are all well paved, and have on each side a raised path for foot passengers. In the City, almost every house is a shop, the inhabitants of that part of the town being entirely occupied bv trade. The nobility and the higher ranks mostly reside in WESTMINSTER. LONDON contains many beautiful buildings, among which ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL occupies a guished place. It was built by Sir Chris- topher Wren, and was completed in the year 1707. It measures 2292 feet in circumference, and is 36-5 feet high. In beauty and magnificence, St. Paul's Cathedral is excelled only by St. Peter's at Rome. WESTMINSTER ABBEY is a spacious and noble Gothic building. It is supposed to have LONDON. 27 been founded by Sebert, one of the Saxon kings, in the year 610. It was afterwards destroyed by the Danes, and rebuilt by Edward the Confessor in 1066. In 1245 Henry III. pulled down the old Saxon edifice, and commenced the present struc- ture. The work advanced but slowly durino- the reigns of succeeding princes; and indeed it can hardly be said to have been finished till the time of Sir Christopher Wren, who built two towers at the western end. Bow CHURCH in Cheapside, and ST. STEPHEN'S Walbrook, are accounted to be among Sir Chris- topher Wren's master-pieces; and perhaps for elegance and purity of style they are the finest spe- cimens of architecture in the world. Near Westminster Abbey are the two HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT, and WESTMINSTER HALL. This hall is 270 feet long by 74 broad, and is the largest room in Europe. The GUILDHALL of London was built in 1451 ; the great hall is 153 feet long, 50 broad, and 58 high. The ROYAL PALACES are not remarkable either for splendour or beauty. St. James's Palace and Buckingham House are situated in St. James's Park; and Carlton House, the residence of his present Majesty King George the Fourth, is in Pall-Mali. 28 LONDOls. In the Strand, near St. Mary's Church, stands SOMERSET HOUSE, built on the site of Somerset Palace. It was erected by the Duke of Somer- set in the reign of Edward VI., and consists of a beautiful square of stone buildings, now chiefly occupied by public offices. The Royal Academy for promoting the study of the fine arts, is also esta- blished in Somerset H' At the eastern extremity of the City stands the TOWKH of London. Its external walls, which en- close several streets, measure about a mile in cir- cumference, and are surrounded bv a deep ditch. It was the palace of the monarchs of England for the 500 years preceding the time of queen Elizabeth ; but is now chiefly occupied by public offices. The BRITISH MUSEUM, to which the public have free access, is situated in Great Russell-street. Bloomsbury. It was founded in 175f3, when Par- liament purchased the collection of natural and ar- tificial curiosities, books, &c. of the late Sir Hans Sloane, for twenty thousand pounds ; Sir Hans Sloane having in his will directed his executors to offer the collection to the British Parliament for that sum. Montague House, an extensive building which now forms the Museum, was at the same time purchased to receive this rare and valuable col- LONDON. 29 lection. About this period the MSS. collected by Edward Harley were added to the contents of the Museum. George II. presented to this excellent national establishment the libraries of the Kings of England from the time of Henry VII. ; and the late king, George III. furnished it with an interest- ing collection of tracts published in the reigns of Charles I. and II. A few years ago, the Eng- lish Parliament purchased from Lord Elgin a num- ber of valuable marbles, including some of the finest specimens of antique sculpture, which his lordship had brought from Greece, and which are highly esteemed by artists. Indeed, ever since its establishment, the British Museum has been re- ceiving the most extensive and valuable additions. The HORSE-GUARDS, in St. James's Park, ap- propriated to the transaction of all business con- nected with the army, is a very elegant building. The BANK OF ENGLAND, a very grand and extensive structure, is situated in Threadnecdle- street. The ROYAL EXCHANGE is close to the Bank, and is the daily resort of the stockholders and merchants of the City of London. The Ex- change, originally built in 1567 by Sir Thomas- Gresham, was destroyed by the great fire of Lon- don in 1666, and was rebuilt at the expense of . J 80,000 : the tower on the south side, constructed. D3 30 LOXDOS. of wood, has been lately taken down, and rebuilt with stone. A beautiful new CUSTOM HOUSE ha> lately been built in Thames-street, the old one having been burnt down in 1814. The MONU- MENT, on Fish-street-hill, is a grand fluted Doric column, 202 feet high, erected in commemoration of the fire of London in 1666, which raged for three days, and destroyed upwards of 13,000 houses. NEWGATE prison, in the Old Bailey, is a large and massive structure. The other principal public buildings are : the Mansion-house, in Cornhill, which is the residence of the Lord Mayor ; the East-India House, in Leadenhall-street ; the South-Sea House, in Threadneedle-street ; the New Mint., on Tower- Hill ; Christ's Hospital ; St. Luke's Hospital for lunatic--; St. Thomas's Hospital, the Middlesex Hospital, Bartholomew Hospital, the London Hos- pital, St George's Hospital ; the Foundling ; and the New Bethlem, which is a commodious and tx- e hospital for lunatics. There are many squares in different parts of the English metropolis : the most beautiful are, Russell, Bedford, Bloomsbury, Hanover, and Grosvenor squares, and Lincoln's Inn Fields, which is the largest of all. The bridges across the Thames are among the COUNTIES OF ENGLAND. 31 finest ornaments of London, and are six in number, namely : London, Westminster, Black friars, Water- loo, Southwark, and Vauxhall. The two latter are built of cast iron, and are remarkable for their lightness and elegance. The Strand, or Water- loo bridge, is built of Scottish granite, the hardest stone found in Great Britain ; and is considered by some as the finest bridge in the world. The roadway runs in a horizontal line, not rising nt the centre as in all the other bridge.-. The West end of London has lately undergone many improvements. A new street is now build- ing, which is to extend from Carl ton House in Pall- Mall to Portland Place. The end of this street in Pail-Mall is called Waterloo Place; the houses are built on a magnificent scale, and when com- pleted it will be one of the finest streets in the world. Almost every part of London is now lighted by gas. No city in the world is so plen- tifully supplied with water, \\hich is conveyed to all pails of the town by means of pi-pes, laid under the streets. Having now taken a view of the English capital, we will visit the principal parts of the country. EXGI.AXD and WALES, as before observed, are divided into 52 counties, or shires. Of these, 40 are ENGLISH, \\'/.: Northumberland, Cumber- 32 WALES. land, Durham, Yorkshire, Westmoreland, and Lan- cashire, which lie to the north ; Kent, Surrey, Sus- sex, Hampshire, Dorsetshire, Wiltshire, and Berk- shire, on the south ; Middlesex, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Lincoln, to the east ; Cornwall, De- vonshire, and Somersetshire, to the south-west ; Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leices- tershire, Rutland, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdon- shire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Shropshire, Monmouthshire, Cheshire, Buckinghamshire, Ox- fordshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, He- refordshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire, are midland counties. WALES, which forms an integral part of Eng- land, is situated on the western coast of Great Britain, and is divided into North and South Wales, comprising 12 counties, viz. Flintshire, Denbighshire, Caernarvonshire, the Isle of Angle- ^y, Merionethshire, Montgomeryshire, Radnor- shire, Cardiganshire, Pembrokeshire, Caermarthen- shire, Brecknockshire, and Glamorganshire. Wale? is a mountainous country, and the inhabitants speak a language which they consider to be the an- cient British, and which is very different from the English. The air is clear and sharp, and the cattle small ; goats are very numerous. The coun- try is watered by many rivers, the latv< COUNTIES OF ENGLAND. 33 which are, the Severn, the Clwyd, the Dee, the Menai, and the Towy. I have given you this short description of Wales, in order that we may devote our attention exclusively to England pro- perly so called. We are now in MIDDLESEX, which is one of the smallest but at the same time one of the richest and most populous of the English coun- ties. Tt is about 23 miles in length, and 14 in breadth. Its principal towns, besides London, are Brentford and Uxbridge. Leaving Middlesex by the north road, we enter the county of Hertford. HERTFORDSHIRE is 27 miles long from N. to S. and 35 broad from E. to W. Hertford, the county town, is pleasantly situated on the river Lea. The principal towns in Hertfordshire are Barnet, Hitchin, and Royston. We will now pass through the south-eastern part of CAMBRIDGESHIRE. This county is about 44 miles long, and 26 broad. Cambridge, the county town, is seated on the river Cam, 51 miles from London; and contains a celebrated Univer- sity. Newmarket, 14 miles N. E. of Cambridge, is celebrated for the horse-races which are held on a plain near the town, and are considered the best in the kingdom. We next enter the county of HUNTINGDON, 34 COUNTIES OF ENGLAND. which is 30 miles long, and 24 broad. Hunting- don, the county-town, is seated on the Ouse, 59 miles from London; and 12 miles from Hunting- don is Ramsey, formerly celebrated for its wealthy Abbey ; it was called Ramsey the Rich. It will perhaps be more convenient, if we re- linquish our northern course for a short time, and turn to visit the counties of Bedford and Bucking- ham, which lie to the S. E. of Huntingdonshire ; we will then return to the latter county, and resume our former route. The county of BEDFOUD is 35 miles in length, and 20 in breadth. Bedford, the county town, is seated on the Ouse, 50 miles from London. Woburn, 12 miles S. by W. of Bedford, formerly possessed a famous abbey. BUCKINGHAMSHIRE is 46 miles in length, and 25 in breadth. Buckingham, the county town, which is 56 miles from London, is seated on the Ouse. The other principal towns are, Winslow, Aylesbury, and Eton. The latter contains an excellent college, founded by Henrv IV. in 1 440. Let us now return to Huntingdonshire. Pursu- ing our course to the north, we cross the N. E. part of NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, which is of an irre- gular shape, 68 miles long, and 24 broad. North- ampton, the county town, is seated on the river Nen, 65 miles distant from London. COUNTIES OF ENGLAND. 35 We next enter the county of RUTLAND by the way of Stamford, in Lincolnshire, a large and populous town situated on the river Welland. Rutland is the smallest county in England, being only 19 miles in length and 18 in breadth. It is supposed to have derived its name from the red colour of the soil, which stains the fleeces of the sheep that are fed on it. Okeham, the county town, is seated in a vale, 96 miles from London. Leaving Rutland, we enter the county of Leicester. LEICESTERSHIRE extends about 35 miles from N. to S. and 30 from E. to W. in its broadest part. It is celebrated for the excellence of its horned cattle and sheep, and for its breed of large dray-horses, which are sent in great numbers to London. Leicester, the county town, is seated on the river Soar, 98 miles from London. The principal towns are Melton- Mowbray and Ashby- de-la-Zouch. NOTTINGHAMSHIRE, which bounds Leicester- shire on the north, is 48 miles long, and about 25 broad. Nottingham, the county town, is populous and handsomely built : it is seated on the Trent, 125 miles from London, and is one of the principal scats of the stocking-manufacture. The town of Gainsborough, by which we enter the county of LINCOLN, is a place of considerable 36 'NT FES OF ENGLAND. trade. 17 miles N. W. of tlie city of Lincoln. LIKCOLXSHIKE is about 77 miles long, and 48 broad. The city of Lincoln, the capital of the county, is seated on the Witham, 133 miles from London. It contains many handsome modern buildings ; but the cathedral, which is a magnificent Gothic structure, is the greatest ornament of the city. The Humber, which we shall cross to enter Yorkshire, is a large river, formed by the junction of the Trent, the Ouse, the Derwent, and several other streams; it empties itself into the German oceans YORKSHIRE, the largest county in England, ex- tends 90 miles from N. to S. and 130 from E. to W. It is divided into three parts, called Hidings, the North, the East, and the West. The ancient city of York, the capital of Yorkshire, is seated on the Ouse, 195 miles distant from London. York ranks as the second city in the kingdom, though it is exceeded in wealth and population by many of the more modern manufacturing towns. The Minster is one of the finest Gothic buildings in England. Leeds, 22 miles W. S. W. of York, is celebrated for its cloth manufactures. The other principal towns are Sheffield and Huddersfield. The county palatine of DCRHAM is 40 miles in length, and 35 in breadth. Durham, the capital of COUNTIES OF ENGLAND. 37 the county, is an ancient city, built on seven hills, on the banks of the river Wear, 260 miles distant from London. The other principal towns are Sunder- land and South Shields. Crossing the Tyne, we enter NOUTI-I u MBERLAN D, which is the most northern county in England. It is about 64 miles long, and 50 broad ; and is boun- ded on the N. and N. W. by Scotland. Almvick, the ancient county town, is seated on the little river Aln, or Ayln, 311 miles from London ; but Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 277 miles from London, is now the county town. The other principal towns are, Morpeth, Hexham, and Bellingham. Having now reached the northern extremity of England, we will return to the South ; but instead of confining ourselves to any particular course, we will enter the different counties that lie to the right and left ; thus we shall leave none behind us unvisited. The first county we arrive at is CUMBEKLANU, which is about 58 miles in length, and 54 in breadth. Cumberland, as well as the adjoining county of Westmoreland, is celebrated for the beauty of the scenery which adorns the banks of its fine lakes. It is also distinguished for its mines of black-lead, which are sufficiently productive to supply the whole of Europe. Carlisle, the county 33 C( UNTIES OF ENGLAND. town, is seated near the confluence of the rivers Eden, Peterel, and Cauda, 301 miles distant from London. The principal towns are Whitehaven and Cockermouth. The county of WESTMORELAND extends about 40 miles in length, and about 33 in breath. Appleby, the county town, is seated on the river Eden, 270 miles from London. It was formerly a Roman station, called Aballaba ; and from the old English chronicles it appears that parliaments were held there. The principal towns are, Kendal, Kirkby-Lonsdale, &c. LANCASHIRE, which we next enter, is about 74 miles in its greatest length, and 44 miles in breadth. It may be considered one of the first commercial and manufacturing counties in Eng- land. Lancaster, the county town, is seated on the river Lune, 238 miles from London. Manchester, seated at the confluence of the Irwell and the Irk, 186 miles from London, is an extremely large, populous, and opulent town, and the great mart of the manufactures of this county. Liverpool, situated near the mouth of the river Mersey, 206 miles from London, is a large and flourishing town, and the second sea-port in the kingdom. Preston and Bolton are the other principal towns. The county which now lies before us, to the COUNTIES OF ENGLAND. 39 south, is CHESHIRE. The N. W. part is a penin- sula, 13 miles in length, and 6 in breadth, formed by the mouths of the Mersey and the Dee. Ex- clusive of this peninsula, the county palatine of Chester 'extends about 30 miles from N. to S. and 45 miles from E. to W. Immense quantities of cheese are made in this county, and exported to all parts of Great Britain, as well as to "foreign coun- tries. Chester, the capital of the county, is a large, ancient, and populous city, seated on the Dee, 181 miles distant from London. The county of STAFFORD is 51 miles in length, and from 18 to 35 miles in breadth. Staffordshire is celebrated for its potteries, its in- land navigation, and its iron- works. Stafford, the county town, is seated on the Sou, 135 miles from London. The city of Lichfield, 14 miles S. E. of Stafford, contains a very beautiful cathedral. The other principal towns are New- castle-under-line and Wolverhampton. DERBYSHIRE, which lies on our left, is about 55 miles long, and 34 broad. Derby, the county town, is seated on the Derwent, 125 miles from London. The other principal towns are Ches- terfield and Dronfield. We next cross Staffordshire, and enter the eastern part of SHROPSHIRE, or county of SALOP. CC UNTIES OF ENGLAND. Shropsl.ire is upwards of 40 miles in length, and about 38 in breadth. Shrewsbury, the county town, is seated on the Severn, 15-5 miles from London. It is a flourishing town, and the chief mart for all the productions of North Wales. Shrewsbury is famous for its excellent brawn. The other prin- cipal towns are Ludlow and Dray ton . WORCESTERSHIRE is about 84 miles in length. O and 28 in breadth. Worcester, a large and hand- some city, the capital of this county, is seated on the Severn, 120 miles from London. The prin- cipal towns are, Kidderminster, celebrated for its manufacture of carpets, Upton, and Evesham. The county now on our right is Herefordshire, and that on our left Warwickshire. We will riot take a glance at the former. HEREFORD- SHIRE extends about 46 miles from N. to S. and 40 from E. to W. Hereford, the capital of this county, is an ancient but decayed city, seated on the Wye, 135 miles distant from London. The principal towns are Ross and Leominster. Quitting Herefordshire, we will cross Worces- tershire ; but instead of proceeding directly into the county of Warwick, we will first pay a short visit to Gloucestershire, by entering that part of it which forms the S. E. boundary of the county ( ,f Worcester. COUNTIES OF ENGLAND. 41 GLOUCESTERSHIRE is about 63 miles long, and 47 broad. The city of Gloucester, the capital of the county, is seated on the Severn, 101 miles from London. Bristol, which is 34 miles S. by W. of Gloucester, is deemed the second city in Eng land, and is the emporium for South Wales : it is an ancient and considerable sea-port, and though mostly situate on the Gloucestershire side of the Avon, is reckoned among the cities of Somerset. The other chief towns of Gloucestershire are, Stow, Cheltenham, famous for its mineral waters, Tewks- bury, and Stroud. MONMOUTHSHIRE, which forms the western boundary of Gloucestershire, is about 28 miles long, and 20 in breadth. Monmouth, the county town, is seated at the confluence of the rivers Wye, Munnow, and Trothy, 129 miles from London. The other principal towns are, Chepstow, Newport, and Abergavcnny. There is nothing that calls for more particular observation in this county, and we will therefore cross Gloucester- shire, and enter the county of Warwick. WARWICKSHIRE, the most centrical county in England, is about 50 miles in length, and 32 in breadth. Warwick, the county town, is seated on the Avon, 92 miles distant from Lon- don. The ancient city of Coventry is famous for E3 42 COUNTIES OF ENGLAND. its ribband manufactures. Birmingham, 17 miles N. W. of Coventry, is an extensive and popu- lous town, remarkable for its manufactures of hardware. Stratford-upon-Avon, 8 miles S. W. of Warwick, is celebrated for having been the birth-place of Shakspeare. We will now visit OXFORDSHIRE, which is about 48 miles long and 36 broad. The city of Oxford, situated at the confluence of the Thames and the Cherwell, 55 miles from London, is the capital of the county, and is celebrated for its university. The principal towns arc Banbury and Deddington. BERKSHIRE, which joins Oxfordshire on the south, measures about 40 miles in length, and 29 in breadth. Reading, the county town, is seated on the river Kennet, 39 miles from London. The town of Windsor is remarkable for its magnifi- cent castle, which was built by William the Con- queror. The other principal towns are Farring- don and Abingdon. We now enter the eastern part of WILTSHIRE. This county is 54 miles long and 34 broad. Salisbury, or New Sarum, an ancient city, seated, on the Avon, 80 miles from London, is the capital; and contains a beautiful cathedral, which is considered the most regular and elegant Gothic COUNTIES OF ENGLAND. 43 structure in the kingdom. The other principal towns of Wiltshire are Marlborough and Chippen- ham ; the latter was the seat of the government of Alfred the Great, and other West Saxon kings. * O The county of SOMERSET is about 08 miles long, and 47 broad. The county town is Somer- ton, 126 miles from London ; but this having fallen to decay, the city of Wells is now deemed the ca- pital of the county, and is situated 121 miles from London. Bath, a very beautiful city, 19 miles N. E. of Wells, has been celebrated even from the time of the Romans for its hot springs. Bristol, as we observed in going over Gloucestershire, is ge- nerally reckoned among the cities of Somerset : it is, however, a county within itself. DEVONSHIRE is a very large county, extending about 70 miles from N. to S. and nearly as many from E. to W. Exeter, seated on the Exe, 173 miles from London, is the capital of this county. Plymouth, which is situated between the mouths of the rivers Plym and Tamar, is a large and flourishing sea-port. The harbour is capable of containing 1000 vessels. Dartmouth and Totness are the other principal towns. We now enter the county of CORNWALL, which forms the S. W. extremity of Great Britain. Its length is 75 miles, and its breadth about 45. 44 COUNTIES OF ENGLAND. The tin and copper mines which abound in this county were known to the ancients several cen- turies before the Christian aera, and have continued to be worked from that period down to the present day. Launceston, the county town, is seated on the Tamar, 214- miles distant from London. The other principal towns are, Falmouth, Truro, and Penzance. Let us now take a view of the counties which form the south coast of Great Britain. Leaving Cornwall, and passing through Devon- shire, we enter the west part of DOHSETSHIBE. This county is 58 miles in length, and 36 in breadth. Dorchester, the county town, is seated on the Frome, 119 miles from London. The other chief towns are Weymouth and Poole. HAMPSHIRE, otherwise HANTS, or SOUTHAMP- TON*, is the next county we enter. It is 42 miles in length, and about as many in breadth. Winches- ter, the capital, is a very ancient city, seated on the Itchin, G3 miles from London, and has a grand cathedral. The principal towns are Southampton and Portsmouth. A very beautiful island, called the Isle of Wight, lies on the south coast of this county; and is 21 miles in length, and 13 in breadth. ~EX, the county next in order, is upwards of 70 miles long, and about 28 broad. ( COUNTIES OF ENGLAND. 45 the county town, is seated on the Lavant, 62 miles distant from London. The other principal towns are, Brighton, Hastings, and Lewes. The county of SURREY, which we now enter by the south, is about 39 miles in length, and 26 in its greatest breadth. Guildford, the county town, is seated on the Wey, 30 miles from Lon- don. The other chief towns are, Croydon, Rye- gate, and Kingston-upon-Thames. We have now only four more counties to visit, to complete our survey of England. These counties, namely, Kent, Essex, Suffolk, and Nor- folk, form the most easterly part of the kingdom. Quitting Surrey, we enter the west part of Kent. KENT is about Co miles long, and 37 broad. The ancient city of Canterbury, seated on the Stour, 56 miles from London, is the capital of this county, and is celebrated for its magnificent cathedral. The principal towns are, Rochester, Dover, Maid- stone, and Woolwich. We will now cross the Thames, which forms the northern boundary of this county, and enter Essex. ESSEX is about 46 miles long, and 42 broad. Chelmsford, the county town, is seated at the con- fluence of the Chclmer and the Cam, 28 miles from London. Colchester and Rochford are the other principal towns. 46 COUNTIES OF ENGLAND. The next county we visit is SUFFOLK. It is about 5-5 miles long, and 35 broad. Ipswich, the county town, is seated on the Orwell, 68 miles dis- tant from London. The other principal towns are Bury St. Edmund's and Aldborough. We now arrive at NORFOLK, which is the onlv county that we have not A isited. It is about 70 miles long, and 46 broad. The city of Norwich. the capital of the county, is seated on the Yare, 111 miles distant from London. The principal towns are Yarmouth, celebrated for its herring- fishery, and Holt. Having now seen every part of England, we will direct our course northward to Scotland. We must therefore leave Norfolk, and travel through the counties we have already visited, until we reach the most northern part of Northumberland, from whence we enter the county of Roxburgh, in Scotland* SCOTLAND. SCOTLAND, which forms the northern part of Great Britain, extends about 278 miles from N. to S. and 180 miles from E. to W. in its broadest parts, but in others only 30. SCOTLAND is natu- rally divided into two parts, N. and S. which con- SCOTLAND. 47 tain 33 counties, namely, Shetland or Orkney, Bute, Caithness, Sutherland, Ross, Cromarty, Nairne, In- verness, Elgin or Murray, Banff, Aberdeen, Kin- cardine, Forfar or Angus, Perth, Fife, Kinross, Clackmannan, Stirling, Dumbarton, Argyle, Ren- frew, Ayr, Wigton or Upper Galloway, Kirkcud- bright or Lower Galloway, Dumfries, Roxburgh, Selkirk, Peebles, Lanerk, Linlithgow or West Lo- thian, Edinburgh or Mid Lothian, Hadclington or East Lothian, and Berwick or Merse. The nor- thern part of Scotland, or the HIGHLANDS, chiefly consists of vast, dreary, and mountainous tracts of country. The inhabitants still preserve many of their national customs, and speak a dialect of the ancient Celtic, called Erse or Gaelic. In the southern part of the country, called the LOW- LANDS, the manners of the people more resem- ble those of the English. The climate is colder than that of England, particularly towards the north, but it is very healthy. The soil, upon the whole, is not so fertile as in the southern parts of Great Britain : it produces a variety of grain, but oats are more abundant than wheat. The rivers of Scotland are remarkable for the force and rapidity of their currents. The principal are the Spey, ' the Don, the Tay, the Tweed, the Clyde, the Forth, the Annan, and the North and South Dee. The 48 EDINBURGH. lochs, or lakes, also are large and numerous. The cattle and sheep are of small size, but their flesh is extremely delicate. The other products of Scot- land, besides grain, are flax, oak, and fir, coal, lead, iron, limestone, beautiful marble, fine rock crys- tals, pearls, &c. Among the animals are, the roe, the stag, the fox, the badger, the capercailzie, or cock of the wood, the e?gle, the falcon, the par- tridge, the quail, the snipe, the plover, black game, and grouse. The fisheries, which are very exten- >ivc, are a source of great national advantage. N^ After this general description of the country, I do not think it necessary to visit each county sepa- rately; for, in general, the towns of Scotland are much Jess considerable than those of England, and present little that calls for particular remark. We will therefore content ourselves with viewing Edin- burgh and some other places of importance in Scot- land. Leaving Roxburgh, we enter Mid Lothian or Edinburghshire, and arrive at the city of Edin- burgh- EDIXBUKGH is built upon three hills, 394 miles W. by N. of London. It may be properly divided into the Old and New Towns. The situation of the Old Town is singular ; it stands on the centre of a hill, which is narrow and steep, and terminated abruptly on the N. W. side by the castle, which is a fortress of great strength. The high street, which BERWICK, GLASGOW. 49 is a mile in length, and about 90 feet in breadth, ex- tends from the castle to Holy rood-house, the an- cient residence of the Scottish monarchs. The New Town is situated on the north side of the Old Town. The houses are built of fine white stone, and on an elegant plan. Edinburgh contains many handsome squares and public buildings ; the streets, which run in straight lines, are very long and wide. The principal public buildings are, the Royal Ex- change, the Register Office, the Physicians 1 Hall, the Tolbooth, Heriofs Hospital, Watson's Ilospi tal, and the Royal Infirmary. We now leave Edinburghshire, and, entering Berwickshire, reach the town of Berwick. BERWICK, which is seated on the Tweed, 52 miles S. E. of Edinburgh, is a large and populous sea-port town. It has a considerable trade, and exports timber, wool, and vast quantities of eggs ; but is chiefly famous for its pickled salmon. Again crossing through Edinburghshire, we en- ter Lanerkshire, and proceed to GLASGOW. This may justly be considered as one of the principal cities in Great Britain, for its extent and the beau- ty and regularity of its buildings. Glasgow possesses some magnificent public edifices, and several cha- ritable institutions. The University enjoys a high reputation. The manufactures, which are immense, 50 IRELAND. consist of woollen cloths, shalloons, cottons, muslins, lawns, gauzes, nails, and earthenware. We will now proceed to Ireland. For this pur- pose we must cross the Irish Sea, which separates Ireland from Great Britain, properly so called. We will embark at Port Patrick, in Wigtonshire, from whence the coast of Ireland may be easily dis- cerned, and after a short voyage, we shall reach the county of Antrim at the N. E. extremity of the island. IRELAND. IBELAUD is one of the British Islands, lying to the west of Great Britain. It is about 287 miles long, and 115 broad, and is divided into four provinces, viz. Ulster on the north, Munster on the south, Leinster on the east, and Connaught on the west. These are subdivided into 32 counties, viz. : Car- low, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, King's County, Longford, Lowth, Meath, Queen's County, West- meath, Wexford, and Wicklow, in the province of Leinster. Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tip- perary, and Waterford, in the province of Mun- ster. Gal way, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, and Sligo, in the province of Connaught. Antrim, Ar- magh, Cavan, Down, Donegal, Fermanagh, Lon- donderry, Monaghan, and Tyrone, in the province i'aris. IRELAND. 51 of Ulster. The air of Ireland is mild and tempe- rate. In general, it is a fruitful country, well wa- tered with lakes and rivers, and produces corn >emp, and flax, in great abundance. The princi' U commodities of Ireland are, wool, butter, cheese, bacon, salt, hemp, and more especially fine linen cloth, the manufacture of which has been brought :o great perfection. Ireland is exceedingly well si- tuated for foreign trade, and has many secure and commodious harbours, bays, and creeks. The prin cipal rivers are, the Shannon, the Boyne, the Bar- row, the Li % , the Noir, and the Suir: the most remarkable lakes are, Lough Lean, Lough Erne, Lough Neagh, and Lough Coribb. English is spoken m the towns, but the bulk of the peasantry adhere to the language of their ancestors, which re- Mes that spoken by the Scottish Highlanders. With regard to Ireland, it will be unnecessary to visit more than the capital and the most consfde- able towns We are now in Antrim, and in order to reach Dublin we must pass through the counties Armagh and Lowth, and part of Meath - * c,ty of DUBLIN, the capital of Ireland is seated on the Li % . It is a 4e and handle U | bay of Dublin and the surrounding "try, when viewed from the sea, presents a grand nth ; Ieft - Chills and mountains W 1C klow, and on the right the gently rising 52 IV BLiy, CORK, LIMERICK. . shorts of Clontarf ; the city stands on an acclivity at the extremity of the bay. From the light-house, called the Cassoon, there is a firm wall or pier reach- ing to Ringsend, to which the city at present nearly extends. On the north side of the wall is the har- bour, where vessels lie safe at anchor, with an open sea to the north. On the same side of the wall, near the town, are wharf?, principally used for bathing ; and between these and the opposite shore is an extensive and smooth strand, which is dry at low water. From Ringsend upwards the river is lined with quays on both sides. The trade of Dub- lin is very extensive. CORK, which is situated on the Lee, 124- miles S. W. of Dublin, is considered the second city in Ire- land. It is well built, and has improved sur- prisingly of late years. The trade of Cork is very extensive, and vast numbers of cattle are killed and cured for exportation. LIMERICK, seated on the Shannon, 50 miles N. 4 ^ PARIS possesses a vast number of beautiful pub- lic buildings. It contains six palaces, the most re- markable of which is the Tuilleries, the residence of the Kings of France. It is connected with the palace of the Louvre by a long gallery. The Louvre is a spacious square building, forming, as it were, the principal entrance to the royal palace. Along its front runs a colonnade, which is univer- sally admired, as it combines all that is noble and elegant in architecture. The Place du Carousel commands a majestic view of the palace of the Tuilleries. After passing the vestibule of the pa- lace, another spectacle not less magnificent, and 56 PARIS. still more smiling, strikes the eye ; this is a beau- tiful parterre, terminated by a plantation of chesnut trees, which, opening in the middle, presents, from the rising alley of the Champs-El vsees, a perspec- tive well worihy of the many beautiful objects of the surrounding scene. The Luxembourg Palace should be visited after the Tuilleries : its garden is one of the finest pro- menades of the French capital. The Jardin du Roi, at the extremity of Fauxbourg Saint Marceau, on the left bank of the Seine, is also worthy of ex- amination. It contains a collection of almost every plant the world produces ; and the cabinet of na- tural history includes all that is useful and curious in the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms. The Jardin dts Plantes is a promenade well suited to the studious; but those who wish to enjoy a more brilliant and animated scene, may resort to the Boulevards, between the Place de la Bastille and the Place Louis XV. This promenade con- sists of three alleys formed by four rows of elm- trees ; the middle alley is for carriages and horses, and those on either side for foot-passengers. Here are exhibited shows of every description, and at all prices; the promenade is surrounded by magnifi- cent hotels, shops adorned with every article of taste and luxury, and brilliant coffee-houses, to some of which beautiful gardens are attached : the PARIS. 57 place appears to present a continual festival. This is the Northern Boulevard ; there is another at the southern extremity of Paris, but it is not so beau- tiful, and consequently not so much frequented by company. We must not forget the garden of the Palais- Royal, which, though agreeable, would be nothing without the buildings which surround three of its sides. These uniform buildings are adorned with festoons, bas-reliefs, and pilasters, and sur- mounted by a balustrade, on the pedestals of which vases are placed at equal intervals. Above the ground-floor of the houses, a covered gallery projects, forming a piazza, which is lighted by one hundred and eighty porticos, open on the side of the garden. Beneath this gallery is a range of shops, each vying with the other in magnificence and brilliancy. Besides these resorts of pleasure, Paris contains asylums, erected by religion and humanity, for the benefit of the poor, who are always numerous in great cities. Among the hospitals, the Hotel-Dieii is the most considerable ; it has existed for several centuries, and contains about three thousand pa- tients : the most magnificent is the Hotel des In- valides, which Louis XIV. founded for wounded or superannuated soldiers. Next are the hospital of the Quatre-Vingts, for the benefit of three hundred 58 PARIS. blind persons; the military hospital of Val-de- Grace; and the Salpetriere, for the support of orphans, mad persons, and aged women. Though there are several fine churches in Paris, vet in this respect it must yield to many cities of Europe, and even to 'some of France. The cathe- dral of Notre-Dame is a spacious and lofty Gothic building, with two high and massy towers. The church of St. Eustache is a model of the bold and light style of Gothic architecture. The churches of St. Roch and St. Sulpice are large and tasteful; they were built about the middle of the 18th cen- tury. That of St. Genevieve is about the same age ; it is a superb structure of Greek architecture, adorned with many fine statues. The arts and sciences have also their temples in Paris. The fine gallery of the Louvre is devoted to master-pieces of painting ; and the halls adjoining it contain some of the finest statues of antiquity. We have already spoken of the Cabinet of Na- tural History, an immense collection, which has scarcely its equal in the world. The Royal Li- brary, in the Rue de Richelieu, is also an inva- luable treasure. ai^ The population of Paris is estimated at between seven and eight hundred thousand souls. Next to Paris, the principal cities in France are Lyons, Marseilles, Rouen, Nantes, Bourdeaux, and Rouen Jir ROUEN- 59 Lille. We will now set out to pay a rapid visit to each of these towns and the surrounding countries. We will first proceed to ROUEN. The journey will not be very long, for Rouen is only 90 miles from Paris. As we approach, we see" the city en- closed, as it were, in a deep circular valley : let us fancy ourselves stationed on one of the heights which surround it, and thus we may view it at our ease. Rouen contains about eighty-seven thousand souls : the Seine, which runs through the town, is much broader here than in Paris, and is a source of industry and abundance to the inhabitants. Rouen is one of the first trading cities in France ; for the mouth of the Seine, that is to say, the part where it falls into the sea, is not far from Rouen. When the sea swells by the effect of the tide, which hap- pens twice every day, the water runs forcibly into the river, and stops the downward current, and the flood-tide ascends beyond Rouen. Consequently, the Seine is, at this part, a wide and deep river, affording an entrance to merchant-vessels ; and thus Rouen has all the advantages of a maritime town. The productions of the most remote countries ar- rive into the very heart of Rouen : and they are afterwards sent up the Seine to Paris, and thence distributed through the neighbouring provinces. C-'O ROUEN. Rouen presents the same facility for collecting French productions, shipping them, and sending them by sea to the most distant parts of the world. Thus the Seine renders Rouen one of the most flourishing commercial cities in France. The in- habitants are highly laborious and industrious, and the town is celebrated for various kinds of manu- factt- ROUEN was the capital of the old province of Normandy. This province extends along the sea- coast, and presents the appearance of a country equally favoured bv nature and man. It has ex- cellent pasture grounds, on which vast herds of cattle are fed ; and the Norman horses are highly valued, on account of their strength. The vine does not flourish in Normandy, but nature has supplied its place by an abundance of apples and pears, which produce such excellent cider that it may well serve as a substitute for wine. Corn and grain of various kinds also grow in great abundance in Normandy. The Normans are laborious and active, as the cul- tivated state of the country sufficiently indicates. The men are tall and well-made. The inhabitants of Caux, a district not far from Rouen, are a re- markably fine race of people : the women, in par- ticular, for brilliancy of complexion, elegance of form, and regularity of features, may dispute the BRIT ANY. 61 palm of beauty with any nation in Europe They wear a peculiar kind of head-dress, which consists of a very high cap, with lappets flying, and across the forehead appears a band of silver, which lias a very pretty effect. The women of Caux are re- markable for the neatness of their dress*, Pursuing our course along the sea-coast, we enter BRITANY. This part of France is very different from Normandy. It is so thickly clustered with trees, that, to the spectator who views it from an ele- vated point, it has somewhat the appearance of a vast forest. The fields are enclosed by hedges and ditches. However, the general dreariness of the scene is here and there enlivened by detached farms. The villages have by no means a picturesque ap- pearance ; but this is owing to the poverty of the inhabitants, rather than their want of taste. Bri- tany does not produce much corn; but buck-wheat is cultivated, and forms the chief subsistence of the poorer class of people. Of this buck-wheat they make a kind of bread, which is extremely black, and not very agreeable to the palate. The peasan- try also make it into a kind of cake, called gulette, which they eat at every meal, and of which they are very fond. Every house is furnished with a little wooden mill, fixed to the wall. A quantity of the buck-wheat is put into this mill, and when it is G 62 RENNES, NANTES. ground and sifted, it is mixed with water in an earthen pan. Meanwhile a large round iron plate is placed on the fire ; when it becomes warm, it is rubbed with a little butter, and a few spoonfuls of the buck-wheat paste are spread over it. It quickly bakes, being extremely thin, and when one side is sufficiently done, it is turned on the other. This is what is called galcttc in Britany. In some parts, chesnut-trees grow in such abundance, that they form a considerable source of subsistence : the com- mon people live on chesnuts for five or six month? at a time. There is also excellent pasturage in Britany, and the numerous herds of cattle furnish an abundance of good butter. The principal towns of Britany are Rennes, Nantes, and Brest. RENNES is watered by the Vilaine, a little river which runs through it. It is a tolerably large town ; but it does not carry on any considerable trade, and consequently is far from presenting the appearance of bustle and acti- vity observable in Nantes and other commercial cities. NANTES is situated on the Loire, a beau- tiful river, which flows through a considerable por- tion of France, and falls into the sea about 21 miles from Nantes. This city has all the advantages of a sea-port : its streets are crowded with multitudes of passengers ; its quays covered with sailors and BREST, LOWER Bit IT ANY. 63 workmen constantly in motion, and vessels are con- tinually arriving or departing. Nantes contains about seventy-seven thousand inhabitants. BKKST is a real sea-port town, that is to say, it is situated on the sea-coast ; yet it is by no means a place of such considerable trade as Nantes. Its port is one of the most considerable in France; but not being exclusively devoted to trade, it is chiefly a port for the national navy of France. Five hundred sail of the line may lie in the roads. The population of Brest is estimated at twenty-four thousand. BUITAXY was formerly divided into Upper and Lower. llennes was the capital of the former, and Nantes of the latter. We must stop for a few moments in LOWER B HIT ANY, in the vicinity of Brest. This part of France is very curious on account of its inhabitants, who are called Bas-Bretons. The country people (for the inhabitants of cities are everywhere alike) differ from those of every other part of France, forming, as it were, a distinct race : and they may even be styled a half-savage race. The first thing which strikes the eye of a stranger, is the peculiarity of their dress. They suffer their hair to grow to a considerable length, and it hangs over their shoulders in disorder : they wear a little woollen cap, or hat, and a jacket similar to those 64 LOWER BR1TANY. worn by hussars. In winter, they put on a kind of great-coat of goat-skin, Avith the hair outside. With this dress, which is not unlike that of the savages of America, they have preserved a language, which is not spoken in any other part of France. This language is said to be derived from the ancient Celtic; and few of the countrv-people in Lower Britany understand a word of French. They are extremely ignorant and dirty. If you enter the cottage, or rather the hut, of a Bas-Breton, you will find the family and the cattle all crowded to- gether under one roof: nothing but a little wooden bar separates the hogs and the cows from the table ;:t \\hich the family take their meals. On each side of the fire-place are two large chests, which contain the beds : thev are divided horizontally ; the father and mother sleep in the lower division, and the children above. These chests have doors at the side, in which holes are bored to admit a sufficient portion of air, to prevent those who are shut up in them from dying of suffocation. Let us advance a little in the direction of Paris. Quitting Nantes, we pass through AXCEKS, which is also a considerable tov.n, but, as it presents nothing to excite curiosity, we will pro- ceed to TOL-RS. This is a delightful country, and the inhabitants have turned to the best advan- TOURS. 65 tage the blessings afforded by nature. Touraine is justly styled the garden of France. This beau- tiful garden is watered by several rivers, of which the Loire is the most remarkable. The Loire is a broad and majestic river, over which a multitude of small islands are scattered : it slowly pursues its course between banks which are everywhere culti- vated and inhabited. From Tours to Arnboise, that is to say, along an extent of nearly 18 miles, the banks of the Loire, but particularly the right bank, present one continued village, and a village not of the ordinary kind. I will endeavour to give you an idea of it. Suppose you were travelling from Tours to Amboise, the Loire would then be on your right ; you would proceed along a beau- tiful road which borders the river ; on the left ap- pear houses, little meadows, and gardens : at the distance of about thirty or forty paces is a perpen- dicular hill, which extends along the bank of the river, and here the inhabitants have built their houses, which contain windows, chimneys, several apartments, and sometimes several stories. In some places, where the hill is very high, it is cut in two horizontal parts ; and then above the ground-floor a broad terrace extends, fronting the windows of the first story. These terraces are, for t resisted? The industrious and patient inhabitants have constructed dykes to keep out the sea, and constantly maintain these dykes for the proi*. of their dwellings. Were they to neglect this la- bour, the sea would soon resume iis dominion, and a part of Holland would disappear. The kingdom of the NETHEK LANDS, wlncL only existed since 181 4-, is composed of HOLLAND HOLLAND, BELGIUM. 81 and BELGIUM. The ktter country formed for more than twenty years a part of France. Though the Dutch and the Belgians speak almost the same lan- guage, their character and manners are very differ- ent. The Dutch are cold, sober, calculating, and eager in the pursuit of gain ; the Belgians are lively, gay, and more given to expense than their neigh- bours. The Dutch are Calvinists, but tolerant, that is to say, they give equal protection to other religions : the Belgians are, on the contrary, into- O lerant and superstitious, particularly the lower classes ; their habits are, however, much the same. Both the Dutch and the Belgians are great smokers. They are remarkably clean and neat : their houses are daily washed and scrubbed with the greatest care, and this practice is alike common to rich and poor. The Dutch long formed one of the most commer- cial nations of Europe. Their ships navigated every sea, and carried from one port to another the productions of the whole earth: this industry brought to their country the riches which Nature had denied it. They possessed in abundance what- ever could be collected from abroad; and their town's were the marts whence Europe received all the va- luable productions of the globe. This trade, how- ever, is not now so considerable. Belgium may be 82 HANOVER. considered as rivalling Holland in industr country was formerly celebrated for arts and manu- factures. Agriculture still forms its principal wealth ; and its plains, covered with abundant bar- Tests, soon repair the losses which war or other scourges inflict. It is difficult to find a c .ore populous in proportion to its extent, than Holland. The chief town, AMSTERDAM, contains more than 900.000 inhabitants, and its pott is capable of con- taining more than 1000 ships. The HAGUE i, for its extent, one of the finest towns of Europe. The ihcr remarkable in-wr.* are. Lc-vd.n. R :tt.-ri:.~.n;. Groningen, Bois-le-Duc, Nimeguen, Arnhfim, Breda, and Bergen-op-Zoom. The capital of Belgium is Bxussixs, a large and handsome city; GHEXT is next in importance; and the other considerable towns are, Antwerp, B. Tpres, Courtraj, and Ostend. KINGDOM OF HANOVER. WE will now leave this part of the Continent, and proceed to the mouth of the Elbe, to take a glance at the kingdom of Hanover. It belongs to the King of England. Remember, I say to the ^ and not to England ; for that sovereign in- I St oeklioliii. DENMARK. 83 herits Hanover from his ancestors, and governs it by laws different from those which secure the liber- ties of Englishmen. This country, which was for- merly an electorate, obtained the dignity of a kingdom on the arrangements made by the great powers in 1814. Hanover forms part of that great country, which, though divided into different states, still preserves the name of Germany. Its capital is HANOVER, which' has only 20,000 inhabitants. The Hanoverians speak German, and in their manners resemble the people of the other German states.-- DENMARK. .PROCEEDING towards the north, we enter the Danish dominions. DENMARK is composed of a long peninsula and several islands. The capital, called COPENHAGEN, is situated in Zealand, the largest of these islands. This city, seated on a small promontory on the east side of the island, is one of the best built in the north of Europe. The eye is not shocked with the contrast of misery and magnificence, as at Petersburgh and some other great cities. The harbour is good, and is frequented by a great number of vessels from every country. The streets are intersected by several large canals, 84 COPENHAGEN. by which the merchandize is brought to the ware- houses which line the quays. Copenhagen contains about 83,000 inhabitants. The Danes very much resemble the Germans and Swedes. They are industrious, and cultivate literature and the arts with success. The nobles and the citizens participate in the advantages which civilization procures to the first nations of Europe ; but the peasants are still in a state approaching to servitude. In proportion as we advance towards the north, we find this valuable class the most useful, since those who compose it procure for society the first necessaries of life ; but we find the valuable class of the peasantry despised and sub- jected. As the port of Copenhagen is very convenient, we will embark there on our way to Sweden. Were we to land at the nearest point of that kingdom, our voyage would be very short : we should only have to cross the strait, called the Sound, which separates Sweden from Denmark. But we will take a longer course : enter the Baltic, and land at the superb port of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. 85 SWEDEN. WE are now in the cold regions of the north of Europe. In SWEDEN, the winter continues nine months ; but the summer, which suddenly succeeds, is almost insupportable, for the heat is more sensibly felt on account of the immediate transition from the cold of winter. That gentle gradation from the season of frost to that of fruit and flowers, which we enjoy, is unknown in Sweden : Nature hastens to put forth all her beauties at once- The air, however, is very wholesome and healthy ; and it is not unusual to meet with persons who have lived to be a century old. The soil is fertile ; but the mountains, lakes, and forests, with which it is intersected, cover one half of the face of the country. The sheep are very numerous, but of a small species. Sweden abounds in foxes, elks, ermines, and many other animals, whose skins are manufactured into beautiful furs. The chief articles of Swedish trade are its copper, which is the best in the world) iron, ship masts, pitch, resin, and furs. It produces but little corn. STOCKHOLM is the capital of Sweden ; it is situ- ated near the mouth of Lake Meier, in the Baltic. i 86 SWEDEN. NORWAY. Like Venice, it appears to rise from the bosom of the waves, and is built on six islands. These islands are connected by wooden bridges, and this i.s supposed to have given rise to the name of the city, Stock signifying a piece of wood. It is a l>eautiful, rich, and mercantile city, and its popu- lation amounts to about eighty thousand souls. Its greatest ornament is the port, which is safe and convenient, and so spacious that it is said to be capable of containing a thousand sail of ships. Its entrance, however, is very difficult. The Swedes are well made, robust, and inured to labour : they are good soldiers. The nobles and citizens are well educated, and, in general, very refined. The Lutheran is the established religion ; but the Galvinists, Catholics, and those professing the doctrines of the Church of England, enjoy full freedom of worship. NORWAY. NORWAY was long a dependency of Denmark ; it is now subject to the King of Sweden. On looking at the map, you will see that it ap- pears more naturally connected with Sweden than with Denmark, from which it is separated NORWAY. by the sea. It constitutes almost one half of the great peninsula, of- which Sweden forms the other part. A range of mountains running through the middle of the peninsula, separates the two countries, which are now united under one sovereign. The climate of Norway is very cold ; the winter is long, but the heat of the summer, which is often excessive, ripens the crops in the space of two months, and even Jess. The agricultural produce of Norway is not considerable; the Norwegians even import vegetables from foreign countries. The chief riches of Norway consist in timber, cattle, game, elks, rein-deer, fish, iron, copper, and other minerals. The coasts are everywhere studded with rocks, through which the sea penetrates and forms numerous gulfs. The various rivers which rise in the mountains, and flow towards the sea, are often interrupted in their course by curious cataracts. A cataract, you know, is a water-fall, occasioned by some impediment which obstructs the current of the water. The Norwegians are generally strong and robust men, and good sailors ; they pride themselves on having always enjoyed a certain degree of liberty, whilst their neighbours have been almost in a state of slavery. 88 LAPLAND. Norway is not very populous in proportion to its extent; it contains few towns. CHRISTIANA, which is the capital, has only ten thousand inhabitants ; BEBGEN contains seven thousand, and DBONTHEIM nine thousand. Leaving Norway and advancing towards the north, we enter Lapland, a country which merits some attention, on account of its climate and inha- bitants. LAPLAND. THE dismal country, called LAPLAND, is situated at the northern extremity of Europe ; it is the re- gion of snow and ice. In the most northern part of Lapland, there are three months of day and three months of night : the days and nights are propor- tionately long in other parts of the country, accord- ing as they are more or less northerly, that is to say, more or less distant from the pole. The summer may be said to be merely of momentary duration : the grass grows up instantly, the flowers at once bloom and wither, and fruit also ripens rapidly. Nature fearfully hastens the growth of her trea- sures, and then abandons the earth to snow and ice. The soil is sterile, poor, and flinty, and encumbered with rocks and hills. It is damp, and even moveahle LAPLAND. 89 in many parts, on account of the number of marshes, lakes, rivers, and streamlets, with which it is inter- sected, and which scarcely leave sufficient land for the purposes of husbandry. Thus the Laplanders are absolutely ignorant of agriculture. There is, however, plenty of pasture and nutritive roots. -The most common trees are the pine, the fir, the birch, and the willow. The rein-deer is the prin- cipal quadruped in Lapland. This animal is very like the stag, but larger and stronger ; its habits are well suited to the climate. It is well able to endure the cold, and lives on the herbs which it gathers from beneath the snow. The rein-deer is an invaluable treasure to the inhabitants of Lapland : it answers the purpose of a horse, and is able to draw a sledge ; the female furnishes excellent milk, of which cheese is made. The flesh of this animal is very good, and its skin is useful to its master for the purposes of clothing and bed-covering, making boots, whips, &c. It were vain to look for a city in Lapland : it has scarcely two villages, and even these are inha- bited by foreigners. The Laplanders are remark- able for their short stature ; they are the smallest nation in the world, being little more than four feet and a half high. They are not entirely barbarous, neither can they be said to be civilized. They live i 3 90 LAPLAND. ill huts, whi'-h they erect wherever their fancy or convenience may suggest: these are raised upon four poles, and terminate in a cone, covered with thick woollen stuffs, overlaid with branches and turf. The fire, which is never allowed to be extinguished, is placed in the middle of the cabin and surrounded with stones. The Laplanders sleep upon beds of leaves, covered with rein-deer skins. On the outside of their huts are large cup- boards, resting on the trunks of trees, in which they keep their provisions. The inhabitants of the mountains live upon milk, cheese, the flesh of the rein-deer, and the animals they kill in the chase, particularly the bear. Those who live near the rivers and lakes, or on the sea-coast, catch quan- tities of fish, which they dry and store up for pro- vision. Formerly, the Laplanders ate their food quite raw, they now cook it a little: as to that which is dried by the cold, they eat it without any preparation. Their clothing formerly con- sisted of skins with the hair left on them; to this ancient dress they now add thick woollen stuffs. 91 THE EMPIRE OF RUSSIA, IF you were asked which was the largest empire in the world, you would naturally answer RUSSIA. It extends from the sea of Japan to the Baltic, and from the Arctic Pole to the Black Sea; a space twice as large as all the rest of Europe, and occu- pying, as you may see on the map, the ninth part of the habitable globe. The Roman empire, which you have so often heard mentioned, was less than Russia. But the population of Russia is by no means proportionate to its immense extent ; and this population, limited as it is, is in a state of slavery and brutal ignorance, which recals to mind the most barbarous periods of the history of the rest of Europe. You must remember, that I allude to Russia, properly so called. Were I to describe the miserable tribes that wander in the north of Asia, you would immediately declare that they are savages, and so in fact they are, in almost every respect. We will notice them when we come to Asia. Peter the Great who reigned about a century ago, was the first who endeavoured to rescue his country from barbarism. He created a navy, and raised a well-disciplined army ; he encouraged 92 RUSSIA. trade, established manufactures, and built towns : but he could only succeed in civilizing the nobles and the richer classes of his subjects. The com- mon people still preserved their former barbarism. The population is divided into four classes; 1. The nobility; 2. The clergy; 3. The merchants, citi- zens, and other free persons; 4. The peasantry. The nobility, according to the ancient spirit of feudal despotism, formerly enjoyed the exclusive right of possessing landed property ; but this privi- lege is now common to all free men. The pea- sants are slaves, and cannot dispose of their per- sons ; they belong to their lords, that is to say, to the possessors of the land on which they were born ; they are, like ploughs and cattle, property that may be bought and sold. Thus the value of an es- tate is estimated, not by the number of acres, but by the number of peasants which it contains. Of course, the fate of these wretched people depends on the disposition of their masters. The lord may exact from his peasants what money he pleases, and employ them as he thinks fit, without the control of any law : he is the absolute master of their time and labour. He can flog them, or doom them to a lingering death by ill-treatment ; and yet no autho- rity dare interpose to protect the unfortunate vic- tims. It is true that, for some years past, the lord >lo s o ovr. l*e t ex* s l>i ir gli . ST. PETERSBURGH, MOSCOW. 93 has been deprived of the power of putting his slaves to death ; but if he be a ferocious tyrant, he can find ample means to wreak his vengeance on them. I see, my dear children, that this account makes you tremble. You cannot conceive that man can treat man, his fellow-creature and his brother, as he would his horse or his dog. We are born in a free country, where the poorest citizen is on a level with the richest, and where not even the King himself lias the power to punish those whom the law has not condemned. The laws are our masters, and they determine our duties. Let us thank heaven, that we live in a country where man enjoys his na- tural rights and dignity. But though the Russian peasantry are so little advanced in civilization, the nobility and the ci- tizens are now as polite and well informed as the English, or any people in Europe. ST. PETERSBURGH and Moscow, the two princi- pal cities in the Russian Empire, are, like London and Paris, the seats of wealth and industry. St. Petersburgh is situated at the junction of the Neva and the lake of Ladoga, at the extremity of the Gulf of Finland. Its extent is about six miles in length and breadth ; and it contains public buildings of every description, whether for orna- ment, or th? cultivation and promotion of the arts, sciences, and trade. It is the residence of the Emperor and the seat of the government. Mos- cow is larger than St. Petersburgh, but not so fine a city ; it was foruierjy the capital of the Russian Empire. The climate of Russia is so extremely cold, that it is difficult for an inhabitant of this part of Eu- rope to form any notion of its seventy. When a person goes out in the winter-season, the cold draws tears from his eyes, and they immediately freeze and hang in strings of ice from his eye- lashes. As the peasantry allow their beards to grow, it is no uncommon thing to see long icicles hanging from their chins. This custom of wearing the beard is a great protection to the glands of the throat ; for every part of the face that is unco- vered, is in danger of being frozen. It is some- what singular that those whose flesh is frost-bitten are not themselves aware of it until they are told. They then rub their faces with snow and flannel, which is considered the only remedy ; but if they are so imprudent as to approach the fire, or to plunge the part affected into warm water, it is sure to mortify and prove fatal. The clothing of the Russians, as may well be supposed, is extremely warm. The common people, who preserve the an- RUSSIA. 95 cient national costume, take particular care to ex- clude the cold from the extremities of their body, by keeping their legs, hands, and heads, covered with fur. Their upper garment is of sheep-skin, with the woolly side inwards, arid it is confined round the Waist by a girdle ; but the throat is bare, and the breast covered only by a wretched kind of shirt. The throat, however, as I have before ob- served, is in some measure protected by the beard, which, on that account, is extremely useful. The nobility and people of fortune wear the same kind of dress that we wear in England, adopting such precautions as the severity of the climate renders necessary. The extent of the forests in this part of the world, and the abundance of wood they produce, have induced the Russians to build their houses of wood, even in the cities. The peasantry have square huts, formed of the trunks of trees piled one upon the other, and joined at the angles with mor- tices and rafters ; the crevices between the trees are filled vip with moss. In the inside they are chopped smooth with the hatchet, and resemble a wainscoat pannelling ; and on the outside they are left in their natural state, with the bark on them. The roof, which slopes down on both sides, is usually of bark, or planks of wood covered with clay or turf. The 96 POLAND. windows are merely little apertures of a few inches square, and are closed by a shutter, which slips into a groove ; and the doors are so low that a man of ordinary height cannot enter them without .- looping. Beds are almost unknown among the poorer class of people in Russia: the peasantry never on them. They generally stretch themselves on benches, on the ground, or along their fire-place, which is a kind of brick oven, flat at the top, and occupying about one fourth of the apartment. POLAND. POLAND, which was formerly an independent state and enjoyed the privilege of choosing its kings, is now under die dominion of the emperor o* Russia; it, however, forms a separate state, and has its own distinct laws. It is situated be- tween the Russian empire, the kingdom of Prussia, and the emperor of Austria's states. Poland is full of forests, and contains vast uninhabited tracts of country : its population amounts to about eight millions of souls. The principal cities of Poland, are Warsaw, Cracow, and Wilna. The inhabitants, as in Russia, may be divided into four classes ; the nobles, the ecclesiastics, the Warsaw. GERMANY. 97 citizens, and the peasantry. Formerly the nobility were absolute masters of the country, and even of the people, for the poor peasantry were their slaves and their property. The citizens were free, but under certain restrictions : they could not pos- sess landed property, except in the vicinity of the towns. They were devoted to commercial pur- suits. The nobility, as in other countries, WCMV exempt from labour, and employed themselves in hunting and in war. At present their power is far more limited : they have not the right of choosing their own kings; but the people are beginning to enjoy more freedom, and are better treated. There is therefore reason to hope that in Poland, as in other countries, mankind will in course of time re- gain their rights. p g GERMANY IN GENERAL. QUITTING Poland, and returning in some measure by the way we went, we enter Germany. The word GERMANY might lead you to suppose that it was the name of a single state, like England or France ; but this would be a mistake. Ger- many comprises a vast extent of country, bounded on the north by the Baltic Sea, Denmark, and the German Ocean ; on the west by the Kingdom of 93 KOXIGSBERG, BERLIN. the Netherlands and the Rhine ; on the south by Switzerland and Italy; and on the east by Hun- gary and Poland. It is divided into several king- doms and states ; namely, Prussia, or to speak more correctly, that country which constitutes the chief portion of the king of Prussia's dominions ; the kingdom of Hanover, of which we have alreadv spoken; the kingdoms of Bavaria, Saxony, and Wurtemburg; the Grand Duchies of Baden, Hesse, and Saxe-Weimar ; some other small states, and the empire of Austria. Though governed by different princes and dis- tinct laws, the various countries of Germany speak the same language ; and their manners are so simi- lar, that they appear to form one individual nation. In general the Germans are frank, sensible, labo- rious, and brave in war ; they possess the most es- timable qualities, and may be ranked among the most amiable people in Europe. We will now cast a glance on each of the states into which Germany is divided. THE KINGDOM OF PRUSSIA. KOMGSBEBG, which is the capital of Prussia, properly so called, is situated at the mouth of the Pregel, in the Baltic Sea ; but BEKLIN is the resi- Dresden. Bud a . BAVARIA, SAXONY. 99 clence of the king of Prussia. The latter is a. much larger and finer city than Konigsberg, and contains about two hundred and forty thousand inhabitants. The Prussians are good soldiers, and have long been celebrated for their military disci- pline; they also cultivate literature and science. They are almost all Lutherans or Calvinists ; but in Prussia every sect of Christianity may be freely followed ; religious tolerance is one of the funda- mental principles of the government THE KINGDOM OF BAVARIA. BAVARIA was formerly a duchy; but in 1806 Napoleon made it a kingdom. Its capital is JMu- xi CH, a large and beautiful city, on the river Iser. THE KINGDOM OF SAXONY. THE kingdom of SAXON v is also indebted to France for its title and its enlargement ; formerly it was merely a duchy. Its capital is DRESDEN-, si- tuated on the Elbe. The other remarkable towns are Meissen, Wittenberg, Frederickstal, Leipsick, Naumberg, Jena, &c. Saxony is the best part of Germany ; there the national language is spoken in its greatest purity, 100 UURTEMBERG, B.\DEX. and literature is most highly cultivated. The little town of WEIMAR has been the birth-place of many distinguished writers, who have thrown a lustre over German literature ; consequently, Weimar has been called the German Athens. THE KINGDOM OF WURTEMBERG. WDKTEMBK&G, like Saxony and Bavaria, also owes its title of Kingdom to the French. Its capital is STUTTGAUD. GRAND DUCHY OF BADEN. CARLSRITHE, a pretty city on the Rhine, is the capital of the Grand Duchy of Baden. Next to Carlsruhe, the most remarkable towns are Baden and Manheim. We shall not stop to observe the smaller states of Germany ; these details are suited to a minute study of geography. At present our object is to l>ecome acquainted with the surface of the earth. We must not, however, neglect to notice the Austrian Empire, which is the most powerful state in Germany. Vie mi a. L Berlin. 101 THE EMPIRE OF AUSTRIA. GEHMANY formerly had a chief, who received the title of Emperor of Germany. He was chosen by the most powerful princes of Germany. But from this title he derived little authority : he had merely to carry into execution the decisions of the diet. The diet was the assembly, in which the sovereigns of Germany discussed and arranged their affairs. The French overthrew this order of things : by the force of arms they destroyed the empire, extended the power of the principal sovereigns, and invested them with the royal dignity. As a com- pensation for the loss of the title of Emperor of Germany, the archduke of, Austria assumed that of Emperor of Austria. The Austrian empire includes the archduchy of Austria, the kingdoms of Bohemia, Hungary, Ve- netian-Lombardy, Illyria, Eastern-Gallicia, Tyrol, the duchy of Saltzburgh, &c. The Austrian empire is one of the most powerful states in Europe. The capital of the archduchy of Austria is VIENNA, which is situated on a branch of the Da- nube. Vienna is a fortified city ; but. in case of a siege, the distance of the suburbs would afford a great 102 AUSTRIA. advantage to the enemy. This distance is so consider- able, that Vienna, standing alone in the centre, with its dismal ramparts, seems to be surrounded by a se- cond town. The suburbs are much more pleasant than the city itself. Vienna scarcely contains eight buildings that are at all remarkable. The emperor's palace is a dark gloomy structure, without either beauty or dignity. It is built of stone, and is seven stories high, so that it is capable of containing a very numerous household. The city and suburbs of Vienna contain between three and four thousand souls. The archduchy of Austria is an abundant corn country. It also produces excellent fruits, wine, and game ; and contains some good pasture grounds and salt pits. The country people appear to be a happy race, but they are ignorant and superstitious. They are not to be compared to the Saxons for intelligence and information. In general the Austrians are not remarkable for their intellectual qualities : Austria has produced none of those great writers who have shed glory over the German language. But per- haps this may be the fault of the government, which instead of encouraging genius, is hostile to its efforts. The Austrians are tall and well made: fond of war, and well trained to military discipline. BOHEMIA, HUNGARY. 103 THE KINGDOM or BOHEMIA is a beautiful country, fertile in grain and fruit, arid producing all that is necessary for the support of man. Its capital is PIIAGUE, which contains about seventy thousand inhabitants. The Bohemians are a robust and handsome race of men, and the women are beautiful and lively. Indeed vivacity is the charac- teristic of the Bohemians, and it perhaps helps them to endure their sad condition; for the peasant, in this fertile country, possesses nothing but what his master condescends to allow him : he is the slave of the nobility and the monks; and these enjoy, in indo- lence, the fruits of his toil. THE KINGDOM or HUNGARY is, in all respects, the richest and most valuable part of the Austrian empire. It produces abundance of fruits, grain, and excellent wine ; it also contains gold, silver, copper, and iron mines. Its population amounts to about eight millions of souls. Hungary produces the finest men, and the bravest soldiers, in the Austrian empire. It has its particular laws; and a kind of liberty is enjoyed, at least by the nobility ; for here, as in Bohemia, the people are nearly serfs, or slaves. The emperor of Austria, as king of Hungary, is bound to respect the laws, and has not the power either of changing or setting them aside. PRESBURGH is now the capital of 104 HUNGARY, ITALY. Hungary ; but BUDA, which is also called was formerly its capital. Among die excellent wines of Hungary, the Tokay is celebrated through- out all Europe. The dress of the Hungarians is nearlv similar to that of our Hussars ; or, to speak more properly, tlie Hungarian dress has been adopted in our light cavalry regiments. The word Hussar is itself H un- garian, and signifies if nth, because every ii-r. houses are obliged to support a cavalry soldier. We shall not notice the other states which the Austrian empire includes; and we shall visit the kingdom of Yenetian-Lombardy, in the course of our journey through Italy. ITALY. WE now come to one of the finest and most cele- brated countries of Europe. From the bosom of ITALY arose the people of Rome, who, by degrees possessed themselves of nearly all that part of the earth known to the ancients. Though Home is no longer mistress of the world by the supremacy of htrr arms, she still retains her pre-eminence by reli- gion. In this city resides the head of the Christian Catholic church; and hence, in former times, her spiritual power emanated, and spread over nearly ITALY. 105 the whole of Europe and a part of America. Italy, which anciently received science and civilization from the Greeks, has diffused the benefit of her acquirements over all the nations of Europe. From Italy we have obtained our knowledge of the fine arts, of painting, sculpture, architecture, and music. Italy has been crowned with glory of every kind ; and we should be grateful to her for the benefits we have derived from her success. Emulating her glory, we at first studied to imitate her, and \ve have at length, in many respects, surpassed her. Italy is no longer sovereign of the world, but it is less the fault of the people than of the governments, who are incapable of fanning the sparks of that sacred fire which still burns within her bosom. ITALY, properly so called, that is to say, the extent of country through which the Italian lan- guage is spoken, lies between France, Switzerland, Germany, the Adriatic Sea, and the Mediterranean. This extensive territory is, to its misfortune, di- vided, like Germany, into several distinct states: of these the most remarkable are, the kingdom of Sardinia, the Lombardo- Venetian kingdom, the Roman or Papal States, and the kingdom of Naples. 106 KINGDOM OF NAPLES. ONE portion of Italy forms a long peninsula, which bears a rude resemblance to the form of a boot Nearly the half of this peninsula is occupied, at the extremity, by the kingdom of NAPLES, which is called also the kingdom of the Two SICI- LIES, because the Island of SICILV, in its neigh- bourhood, constitutes a part of it. That portion of Italy which forms the king- dom of Naples is most favoured by Nature. The heat of the climate is tempered by breezes from the sea on either side. The soil, with very little labour, yields the fanner a plentiful har- vest ; its abundant vegetation and fertility are remarkable everywhere. But perhaps this very profuseness of Nature is the cause of the indolence, and, we may add, of the wretchedness of the in- habitants. The Neapolitans are content with a very little, and seem to be willing to labour only to satisfy the most absolute necessities of life. You will have an opportunity, my dear children, of remarking, in proportion as your knowledge in- creases, that those people who gather too easily the fruits of the earth, and who enjoy a climate more than common Iv favourable, are generally the least Naples*. Koiue . NAPLES. 107 industrious; they naturally degenerate into indo- lence, and know no luxury superior to repose. The kingdom of Naples contains several tolerably populous cities ; but the only one to which we can at present direct our attention is the capital, NAPLES, which gives its name to the whole kingdom. It is one of the largest and handsomest cities in Europe, and contains 500,000 inhabitants. Being built on the sea-coast in the form of an amphitheatre, it pro- duces an admirable effect when viewed from a vessel sailing into the port. Its extent, in its greatest breadth, is at least three miles, and its circum- ference is about nine. The city is built in a very irregular style. Its finest street is that of To- ledo, which is about a thousand feet in length. The houses are high, of an uniform structure, and have nearly all flat roofs. The Neapolitans, though in general not very rich, are fond of luxury and show; they are the most ostentatious of the Italians. They are fond of extravagant dress, and will content themselves with a wretched dinner, that they may gratify their vanity. The superb city of Naples exhibits the two extremes of splendour and wretchedness : noblemen drive through the streets in magnificent equipages, preceded by couriers, and attended by numerous retinues of servants ; while, at the same 108 NAPLES. moment, the miserable Lazzaroni, half naked, half starved, and destitute of shelter, are seen in every direction. These Lazzaioni, the most wretched rabble in Europe, consist of porters, labourers, vagabonds, and beggars. They live, like dogs, in the streets, and along the quays of this magnificent citv ; and subsist on its offal. They sleep in the open air, in the public streets, beneath porticos, and on the steps of doors; the mild temperature of the climate enables them thus to pass their lives without care or anxiety for the future. Hunger alone rouses them from their indolence; then they begin to work, and endeavour to gain in one day, enough to enable them to live in idleness for eight Their dress usually consists of a pair of loose trowsers, and a large canvass frock, to which, in the winter, they add a kind of cowl, made of thick brown wool, plushed inside, and covering them from the top of the head to the waist. This dress gives them the appearance of banditti. The Lazzaroni amount to about 40,000, being nearly a tenth part of the in- habitants. About twelve miles from the city of Naples ap- pears Mount Vesuvius, which is one of the most celebrated volcanos in the world. You know, mr dear children, what a volcano is. A volcano is a MOUNT VESUVIUS. 109 mountain containing an immense furnace within its bosom, and which, from its summit, throws up burning substances, boiling metals, flames, and smoke.^-' MOUNT VESUVIUS rises on the coast to a height of about 3,800 feet above the level of the sea. Smoke is constantly emitted from its crater, (for thus the mouth of a volcano is denominated,) and flames are sometimes mingled with the smoke. But at certain times the mountain sends forth dread- ful noises as loud as thunder, shakes the earth to a great distance round, and throws up burning stones and cinders, while the red hot lava pours down its sides in streams of melted minerals and me- tals. These are called eruptions. In 1 694-, one of these eruptions continued for nearly a month : the burning substances were ejected with such violence, that some of them fell at the distance of thirty miles from the mountain; an immense quantity of melted minerals, mixed with other matters, ran for the space of three miles, overwhelming every thing in its way. During another eruption, in 1707, a mixture of cinders and scoria, (small pieces of cal- cined metals) rose in such a mass, as to render it as dark as night at mid-day in Naples. Sixty years afterwards, there was so violent an eruption that the streets and 'houses of Naples were as thickly covered L 110 HEKCULAXEUM. a in.-, as our fields are in winter with snow; and vessels out at sea, sixty miles off, were com- pletely covered with cinders, to the great astonish- ment of the sailors. This terrible volcano, in ancient times, over- whelmed and totally destroyed towns and villages in its neighbourhood. During the reign of the emperor Titus (about seventeen centuries and a half ago) the little city of HERCULANEUM was inundated by a stream of lava which issued from the mouth of the volcano. Tlifl^ftteing lava covered the streets and houses in some^Iaces to the height of 58 feet above the roofs, and in others to the height of 116 feet. This lava has become as hard as a rock, and the city is buried beneath the mass. About a century ago, a peasant, while digging a well, discovered the buried city of Herculgneum ; he beheld with asto- nishment the capitals of columns standing erect, and at last a whole temple was exposed to view, en- crusted, as it were, in the bosom of the earth. The king of Naples, on being informed of the discovery, ordered searches to be made; the streets were cleared, and in the houses were found, statues, paintings, furniture, vases, manuscripts, and even eggs, corn, and bread : bread which had been made nearly two thousand years before ! All these curiosities have been carefully collected and deposited in the POMPEIA. Ill palace of Portici, which is built nearly on the site of Herculaneiun, and is probably doomed, one day or other, to share the fate of that unfortunate city. At some distance from Herculaneum another little city, called POMPEIA, was also found. This was not covered by hard and petrified lava, but by an immense quantity of cinders, which had doubt- less been driven there by the wind; it was there- fore more easily cleared. A street and several houses have been entirely laid open, and the habitations of the ancient Romans may be seen as perfect as though they had left them only yesterday. The beauty and fertility of the plains of Naples were celebrated by the ancients, who gave them the ap- pellation of happy : the} are now called Terra de Labor I?, to designate the richness of the soil. The ancient Romans adorned the country with a multi- tude of pleasure-houses, the ruins of which are every where to be seen. The remains of ancient cities, which formerly enjoyed celebrity, and con- tained numerous inhabitants, have also been found. Italy in general is covered with the wrecks of an- cient grandeur; it is scarcely possible to walk a step without encountering some stone or fragment by which we are reminded that the most powerful nation in the world once flourished on this spot. 112 THE ROMAN STATES. RETURNING from Naples, we enter the ROMAN- STATES, that is to say, the territory subject to the Pope. These States consist of twelve little provinces. But we must first direct our attention to ROME. which was once the mo.it celebrated citv in the world. Rome formerly governed the universe by her power, and dazzled it by her splendour ; she now maintains her fame only by ancient recol- lections, and derives her greatest glory from her ruins. In ancient times, when Rome was the capital of the world, its environs, to a great distance, were ornamented with magnificent pleasure-houses, and covered with a numerous and active population. Now silence reigns over the half-deserted plains, and we arrive at the once famous Rome, almost without being aware of it. ROME is about twelve miles in circumference, but the population is far from corresponding with this extent; only one-third of the city is well peopled, the rest is occupied by vineyards, gardens, pleasure-houses, and ruins. It contains about four thousand inhabitants. The ruins which are scat- tered over the city, are the first objects to attract the HOME. 113 attention and curiosity of the learned traveller. Many ancient monuments still exist. The Pantheon, now called the Rotunda, is situated near the square of Navona. The Romans dedicated the Pantheon to all the Gods, and the Popes have dedicated it to- all the Saints. The peristyle is magnificent, and consists of eight elegant columns, on which the pe- diment of the edifice rests ; a vast cupola majesti- cally surmounts the whole. But if the Pantheon be the most beautiful monument of Roman genius, the Colisseum is certainly the most incontrovertible proof of the power of the Roman people under its emperors. The Colisaeum was an immense amphitheatre, capable of containing a hundred thousand individuals to witness the games which were exhibited to the people. It was of an oval form, five hundred and eighty feet long, by four hundred and eighty broad. The seats were gra- dually raised one above another, so that the spec- tators might see the performance in any situation. A part of this vast monument still exists ; the Ita- lians have destroyed the rest, and applied the mate- rials to the building of their modern edifices. The Trajan column, erected on Mount Palatine, is also worthy of admiration. It rises majestically, and the sculpture with which it is adorned re- presents the whole military life of the emperor L 3 114 ROME. whose name it bears. Perhaps a thousand figures are introduced. It was formerly surmounted by the statue of Trajan ; it now supports that of St. Peter. There is scarcely another public monument in the world that can be compared with it. Modern Rome, although not so extensive a* ancient Rome, exhibits to the astonished traveller edifices perhaps more beautiful than those whose ruins have so long excited admiration. Rome, even in the plenitude of her power and splendour, pos- sessed no building that could be compared with the church cf St. Peter, which is undoubtedly the most magnificent monument of modern architecture. An immense court-yard forms a circle before the portico of this superb temple. In the cen tre of this court-yard, which is encircled by four hundred columns, sur- mounted by statues, a prodigious obelisk rises be- tween two superb basins, ornamented with bronze figures spouting water. This obelisk was brought by the ancient Romans from Egypt to Rome, and Pope Sextus V. had it dug up from the ruins under which it was buried. But this magnificent entrance is even less astonishing than the building to which it leads. It would be difficult to give you a just idea of it. You shall read detailed descriptions of it when you are able to understand them ; and in the mean while it is sufficient to kno\\\ . * HOME. 115 Peter's at Rome is the most beautiful church in the world. The modern Romans bear little resemblance to those people who made themselves masters of that rt of the world, and whose history you have read h so much pleasure. They possess none of those sentiments of liberty and patriotism, which consti- tuted the glory of their ancestors. They are a very common-place sort of people, devoted to pleasure and luxury, more demonstrative than susceptible and they make many gestures to express few ideas In the observance of their religious duties, they are ore ceremonious than sincerely pious; they make signs of the cross and kneel before all the saints, yet ieir manners are far from p ure . The heat of the dunate renders them sober: they eat but little butcher's meat, and prefer herbs, fruit, and fish, hey seldom make more than one meal a day : after t is usual to sleep till six in the evening ie delicious coolness of the evenings invites the inhabitant* to walk; and they usually continue without doors till near day-break. I have already told you, that the fine arts, poetry music, painting, and sculpture, are still highly cul- tivated in Italy. These arts have produced men who may rank among the brightest geniuses of M*. Among the most distinguished poets of 116 VHN'ETIANVLOMBARDY. Italy are. Tasso, the author t Jerusalem D. /; c >\d Ariosto, the author of Orlando Ftuioso, and Dante and Petrarch, -who flourished at a more remote period than the two former; Metastasio and Al- fieri are tragic poets of i-ecent times. The greatest Italian painters are, Raphael, Michael Angelo, Corregio, Giulio Romano, &c. : in this branch of the fine arts no other nation of Europe h. equalled Italy. j / KINGDOM OF VENETIAX-LOMBARDY. THE name of this new kingdom sufficiently indi- cates that it includes ancient Loinbardy, and the Venetian States. The two principal cities are Milan and Venice. VENICE is one of the most beautiful and singular cities in Europe. It rises at the extremity of the Gulf of Venice, and is built upon seventy-two litdc islands. Owing to the marshy and unsteady state of the ground, the houses are built on piles. Aii the islands communicate with each other, by means of a multitude of bridges. The bridge of the Rialto is remarkable for its size, and its bold stvle of architecture ; it has only one arch. Eittle gondolas, or covered boats, beautiful "Ve ni c c . Mantra, a, . VENICE. ceed at all times of the day from one quarter of the aty to another, and supply the place of the hack ley-coaches of London. The public buildings, particularly the treasury and the arsenal, are ex remely magnificent. The churches are numerous and beautiful; but the church of St. Mark, as U as the square in which it stands, is chiefly ad- mired. The front of this church is ornamented with four beautiful bronze horses, which the French car- I to Pans, and placed in front of the Tuilleries but they were restored in 1815. The church of St' has five brass gates, and is entirely covered h marble on the inside. The roof, which is lined tfa a very beautiful piece of Mosaic work, is sup- >rted by thirty-six columns of black marble The -consists of jasper, porphyry, and many other Is of marble, which are inlaid in various compart- *s. The spire of this superb church, which is square and built of free-stone, is three hundred and xteenfeethigh; itisgilut the top, and surmounted by the figure of an angel, which is also gilt, and serves for a weathercock. Venice was formerly a republic, or rather, it bore name of one. The nobles alone governed, and mad like tyrants, spreading distrust and terror mon, their subjects. They elected annually a 118 MIL AX. doge, or duke, who acted as the superintendent of public affairs. The people had no share in the government. Notwithstanding its small size, Venice has been celebrated among nations : its power consisted in its riches, and its riches arose from its trade, which was immense. It had a powerful navy, and the Venetian ships sailed to every quarter of die known world. Venice is now famous only from the recol- lection of her former splendour, but her wealth and power no longer exist : the population is esti- mated at a hundred and sixty thousand souls. MILAX, in the new kingdom, promises soon to be a more important city than Venice; it will one day be the capital and the abode of fortune and the arts. It already possesses a great advantage over its rival, and its inhabitants are more active and better informed than those of any other city in Italy. The industry and trade of Milan are considerable ; and the Mi- lanese deserve to be distinguished from the rest of the Italians, as they have more energy and less baseness than the generality of their countrymen. The city is large and handsome, and its public monuments are worthy of admiration. Next to >:. Peter's, at Rome, the cathedral of Milan is the largest church in Europe. The population is almost equal to that of Venice. Genoa. Bern. 119 THE KING OF SARDINIA'S STATES. THESE states include the island of Sardinia, Pied- mont, Genoa, and Savoy. SARDINIA is an island situate near Corsica. I hough containing little more than five hundred thousand inhabitants, it has received the pompous le of a kingdom. CACLIARI is its capital. PIEDMONT derives its name from being situated at the foot of mountains, which surround it on all Its principal city is TURIN, which contains a population of seventy-seven thousand souls. Turin s a very beautiful city, a league in circumference : the streets are broad, and for the most part run in right lines. The inhabitants of Piedmont are proud their city, and usually imagine that foreigners not praise it sufficiently: they chieflv boast of their beautiful street of the P6. GENOA borders on Piedmont: it extends to the south on the coast of the Mediterranean, alono- a space of about one hundred and twenty miles. Ge- noa, like Venice, was once a republic, governed by es, who elected every year a chief, called a doge, or duke. Trade also constituted the power and wealth of this republic. Genoa is a superb city, built in the form of an amphitheatre, on the decli- 120 GENOA, SAVOY. vity of a hill at the sea side. It contains about eighty thousand inhabitants. The Strado Novo is perhaps one of the rnost beautiful streets in Europe. It is built on a foundation of lava, and is lined on either side by a long line of palaces which vie with each other in splendour and elegance, and exhibit magnificent porticos and brilliant peristyles of varie- gated marble and stucco. No street, either in London or Paris, can be compared to the Strado Novo of Genoa : the rest of the city is not so mag- nificent. The houses are in general lofty, and the streets being very narrow, the rays of the sun seldom penetrate into them. SAVOY presents nothing remarkable to the eye of the traveller except its mountains, which seem to rise to the clouds, and its glaciers which never melt. CHAMBERY. the principal town, is poor, and moderately large. The streets are narrow and dirty: the houses are built on piles, and jut out into the street, so that the foot passenger walks be- neath their shelter. ANXECY, the second town of Savoy, is as poor as Chambery ; but it is pleasantly situated on the borders of the Lake of Geneva, and presents a cheerful and majestic appearance. The Savoyards are in general poor, and not very indus- trious. Placed between Italy and France, they emigrate in great numbers into both kingdoms on SAVOY, MONT BLANC. 121 every return of summer : at least one member of every family invariably quits his native country. Children of seven or eight years old frequently leave their native mountains, and travel to Paris. There they endeavour to gain a livelihood by ex- hibiting monkeys, which they have taught to dance, singing little songs in the streets, and running with messages. Many of them follow the trade of chimney-sweepers ; and little Savoyard children may be heard in all quarters of Paris calling for employment in this way. Their life is very wretched, for they scarcely gain any thing; but they are abstemious, and live almost entirely on bread. Their chief object is to carry back a little money to their native country. The Savoyards, in ge- neral, are stout, and of the middle size. We must not quit Savoy without admirincr i ts mountains. The highest, or to speak more properly the highest point of the ALPS, is called MOOT BLANC. It is nearly three miles above the level of the sea. A learned naturalist endeavoured to ascend its summit, but found it impracticable. The cold became insupportable: however, another more powerful cause prevented his farther progress; he was seized with an inclination to sleep, which he felt it next to impossible to overcome. This is al- ways experienced on ascending high mountains. If a 122 MONT BLAXC. person were to yield to this sensation of drowsiness, he would soon be numbed by the cold, and would perish amidst the snow and ice. In such cases it is prudent to keep as much in motion as possible. The inclination to sleep ceases on descending to a certain point, where the air is thicker, and better suited to our existence ; for you must know that this drowsiness, and the difficulty of breathing which accompanies it, proceed from the air being lighter, and less fit for respiration, at a great eleva- tion from the earth, than it is lower down. The denser air, so necessary to our existence, extends only to a certain height above the earth ; beyond that limit the air becomes too subtile for the human organs, and, if long breathed, would occasion suf- focation, indicated by drowsiness ending in death. From what I have already said, you will guess that Mont Blanc is covered with snow ; all high mountains are in the same state in summer as well as in winter. Sometimes a mass of this snow, de- tached from the great body, and augmented by what it collects in falling down the slope of the mountain, descends with a dreadful crash, breaking the trees, and overwhelming the habitations that happen to stand in its way ; nor does its de- structive course end till it reaches the bottom of GLACIERS. 123 the mountain. These dreadful masses of snow are called avalanches* There are among the Alps immense collections of ice, which are called glaciers. These GLACIERS appear in hollows at elevated parts of the mountains : the water and snow which have collected there are transformed into ice ; which has, perhaps, ex- isted from the commencement of the world. Do not imagine that these glaciers are clear and smooth like the ice that you see on our rivers and ponds ; on the contrary, they are rugged and porous, and appear like impending waves : one might al- most be tempted to believe that these great frozen Jakes have been suddenly condensed by the cold at the moment when they were agitated by a violent storm. Mountains attract and absorb the aqueous va- pours of the clouds, and in consequence become reservoirs whence the waters flow that form rivers. The melting of the snow and ice increases these waters, which, uniting together, form torrents. Among the Alps some of these torrents are truly wonderful : suddenly the course of a stream is ob- structed by some broken ground, forming a precipice, down which the water falls with a dreadful noise. Such scenes amidst the solitudes of the Alps pro- 124 SWITZERLAND. duce a powerful impression on the traveller who is capable of admiring the beauties of nature. I have now given you a slight idea of the moun- tains of Savoy, because we shall find in Switzerland precipices, glaciers, torrents, and every object which characterizes mountainous countries: I will not therefore enter into any farther description of them. When you are a few years older you shall read the accounts of travellers, which is the best way to obtain an accurate knowledge of the diffe- rent parts of the world. SWITZERLAND. SWITZERLAND is one of the old free countries of Europe. It is a federal republic ; that is to say, it is formed by a number of confederated cantons, or cantons united to insure their independence. Each canton has its particular laws, its council, and its magistrates : one canton has no control over an- other ; but each sends deputies to the general Diet, which regulates the affairs of the republic. Every year a chief is elected, who bears the title of Lan- damman ; he presides at the Diet, and is the keeper of the great seal of the confederation. There were formerly thirteen cantons in Switzer- land ; there are now twenty-two. SWITZERLAND. 125 The most remarkable cities are, BERN, which contains some beautiful public buildings, an arsenal, an academy, several manufactories, and twenty- three thousand inhabitants ; BASLE, which contains fifteen thousand inhabitants, and carries on a flou- rishing commerce ; ZURICH, in which the arts and sciences are cultivated, and which has ten thousand inhabitants. In the above cities the German lan- guage is spoken. French is spoken at Geneva and Lausanne. GENEVA, which was formerly a separate republic, and only allied to Switzerland, is now nothing more than a canton ; but it is still governed by its old laws. Though containing a population of only twenty-six thousand inhabitants, this city is among the most celebrated of Europe : it owes its glory to its industry, and still more to the number of dis- tinguished men it has produced. Geneva is equally remarkable for the civilization of its inhabitants, and their mental cultivation. Its principal trade consists of clocks, jewellery, and silks. LAUSANXE contains little more than ten thousand inhabitants : the people of Lausanne emulate those of Geneva in their love of literature and science. Switzerland, which is bounded on the west by France, on the east by Germany, and on the south M f3 126 SWITZEllLAND. by Italy, is the most mountainous country in Eu- rope; and it is remarked, that the greatest rivers of this part of the world, which are the Rhine, the Rhone, and the Danube, have their sources here or hereabouts. Few countries contain so many lakes. The largest are those of Geneva, Constance, Zu- rich, Lucerne, and Neufchatel. The population of Switzerland may be estimated at eighteen thousand inhabitants. The people are brave, courageous, and generally honest. They are devotedly attached to their country and their liberties. They are good soldiers, but the govern- ment wisely avoids war. The military spirit is. however, kept up among the youth of Switzerland ; for the government lends out the chief part of its army to neighbouring powers : thus Switzerland, without ever going to war, has a disciplined and well-trained army to oppose the enemy who should dare to attack her. There are but few cities in Switzerland, and they are for the most part small ; there are, however, many towns and villages. There are also detached houses on all sides, which are generally built of pine, n'r, or birch. The external wails consist of square beams, firmly joined together : the ground-floor is but lit- tle inhabited, on account of the depth of the snow. SPAIN. 127 and the inundations occasioned by it. Stores of provisions are generally kept there, and the family occupy the first floor, which is entered by an outside staircase leading to a gallery which often runs round a part of the house. The inside is wainscotted. The roofs, which are made to slope very much to throw off the snow, are covered with fir-laths, and these are covered with stories to pre- vent the wind from carrying them away. These houses, though very cold and comfortless, contain united, tranquil, and happy families. Hitherto, my children, we have chiefly proceeded from country to country, always passing from the one to the other : now we must, as it were, take a jump: we shall go to Spain, and we must cross over the southern provinces of France, with which we are already acquainted. We shall travel ra- pidly, and arrive at the Pyrenees, a chain of moun- tains so called, which are so lofty as to serve as a barrier between France and Spain. ./ SPAIN. THE vast Peninsula which extends beyond the Pyrenees, includes two kingdoms ; SPAIN, which occupies more than three-fourths of it, and POR- TUGAL. 128 SPAIN. SPAIN* contains about nine millions of inhabit- ants. The soil, though intersected by chains of mountains, is fertile, and easily affords sufficient nourishment for a very abstemious people. It would produce much more than it does, were it better cul- tivated ; but the Spaniards are indolent. They have not much trade, and they trust to foreigners to supply them with many articles which they stand in need of. They are not, however, deficient in genius for the arts ; but the imbecility of their go- vernment contributes to keep them in that shame- ful state of degradation which they have long suf- fered. The Spaniards evinced great courage when they took up arms, some years ago, for the expulsion of the French, who invaded Spain. Had the go- vernment seconded the energy which then animated its subjects, they might have risen into another race of people ; but they have been allowed to fall again into their former degenerate state. Some fa- vourable changes have, indeed, been lately effected in their favour ; and the enlightened portion of the nation daily endeavour to diffuse among their fellow-citizens, ideas conducive to their -welfare and liberty : the recent suppression of the Inqui- sition may be deemed an important result of their labours. SPAIN. 1 29 You are, undoubtedly, about to ask me what is meant by the Inquisition ? We know nothing of this scourge except from the accounts we have re- ceived of it. The Inquisition was a tribunal estab- lished for ascertaining the religious sentiments of the citizens, and punishing those who were not con- sidered good Catholics. Formerly the unhappy vic- tims were burned in great pomp, before the eyes of the clergy, arrayed in their canonical habits. The Inquisition also opposed all knowledge that came from foreign countries ; and every book which con- demned its principles, but which might neverthe- less be very useful to the public, was carefully sup- pressed, and heavy fines were levied on those who presumed to read it. The Spaniards are, in general, extremely de- vout ; but they are superstitious and unenlightened. There are vast numbers of priests and monks in Spain, and no religion is tolerated except the Roman Catholic. The Spaniards have olive-coloured and tanned complexions, are of middling stature, and have rather a fine cast of features. They are generally thin in habit; reserve and gravity are the principal expres- sions of their countenance ; they speak with strong emphasis ; but in spite of this grave and reserved 130 SPAIN, PORTUGAL. exterior, they are generally witty, and occasionally lively. The most comic book that ever was written is the production of a Spaniard, it is called Don Quixote, and the name of its author is Cervantes. The Spaniards once cultivated literature success- fully ; but their glory in this respect is nearly at an end. The principal cities of Spain are MADRID, its capital, which contains many fine public buildings, a splendid palace, and about one hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants ; TOLEDO, which has only thirty thousand ; BURGOS, which has ten thousand ; SALAMANCA, celebrated for its university; COR- DOVA, which contains thirty-five thousand inhabit- ants ; and VALENCIA, surnamed the beautiful, which has a population of nearly five hundred thousand souls. In general, the country towns of Spain are not equal to the beauty of the cities: there are comparatively few villages, and they pre- sent a gloomy and miserable appearance. PORTUGAL. THE manners of the Portuguese are nearly similar to those of the Spaniards ; and the language of the two countries is not very different. The kingdom of M clvicl . Q\ PORTUGAL. Portugal contains a population of about five million inhabitants. Its capital is LISBON-, which is one of the finest cities in Europe. The population of Lisbon amounts to three hundred and fifty thou- sand; it is very agreeably situated on the Tajo or Tagus, and enjoys the advantages of a fine harbour The inhabitants are devoted to trade, and the harbour of Lisbon is the staple for merchandize 'btamed from other parts of the world. Next to Lisbon, the most important city is OPORTO at the mouth of the DOURO, where it has an excellent harbour; it produces an abundance of fine wines which are sent to all parts of the world, but principally to England. The wine brought frour Oporto is called Port Wine. Portugal has now no resident king. When the French approached Lisbon during the late wars, the king embarked and proceeded to BRAZIL, in SOUTH AMERICA, six thousand miles from Lisbon, where he established his throne and the seat of the Portu- guese government. We have now visited every country in Europe, except one, the inhabitants of which bear but little resemblance to other Europeans; these are the Turks. 132 EUROPEAN TURKEY. In manners, religion, and dress, the Turks differ entirely from us. We are Christians, and they are Mohammedans ; we cultivate literature and the fine arts, whilst they are, generally speaking, extremely ignorant ; our women are free, their 1 s are in a state of captivity and slavery ; we wear a short dress, and they wear a long one ; we are fond of conversa- tion, they are silent and reserved ; our ideas and sen- timents are favourable to liberty, they regard des- potism as the best form of government. The Turks may be said to be a race of barbarians who disgrace one quarter of Europe. Let us now enter TURKEY. EUROPEAN TURKEY. THE dismal, gloomy empire of the Turks is un- fortunately one of the largest in the world. It extends into Europe, Asia and Africa. European Turkey is bounded on the north by the empires of Russia and Austria; on the west by Dalmatia, and the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas; on the east by the Archipe- lago, the Black Sea, and Russian Bessarabia. These regions would be the finest in Europe, if the inha- bitants were more industrious and civilized. In this country, where the Turk lingers on in indo- lent existence, the Greeks, the most ingenious and enlightened people of ancient times, formerly lived and flourished. airtmopl J ViiJil . JbUiftsJ tv JJffrriti-St* tfrmr ffSffmtf Ar'jv-itx: EUROPEAN TURKEY. 133 The principal city of the Turkish Empire is CONSTANTINOPLE; which the Turks u&Stamlool Nothing can be finer than the external appearance of this city ; but one must live in the very heart of Constantinople to know its defects : men only are to be met with here ; the women, who are every where else permitted to appear in public, are here cruelly The population, including the suburbs, is estimated at nearly a million of inhabitants. Con' stantinople is built on seven hills, between the sea of Marmora and the Black Sea. It has a spacious harbour, strongly fortified, and contains nearly six hundred mosques; forso the Mohammedan churches are denominated. The government is despotic, that is to say th- ereign has scarcely any law but his own free will - i when dissatisfied with any of his ministers, he not unfrequently orders them to be put to death This sovereign is called the Grand Signer, the Grand Turk, or the Sultan. His ministers are called V^rs. The Grand Vizir is the first and most powerful, and acts as Lieutenant to the Em peror The title of Patkan is ^ to th ] new of provinces, and those who JM high office > under the government. There are different rfnk a-ng the Pashaws: the external characteristic of 134 EUROPEAN TURKEY. these ranks is a sort of banner formed of one or more horses" tails, coloured red, fixed to a pike, and surmounted by a gilt copper ball and a crescent. The Pashaw, who has a banner carried before him with two horses" tails, is higher in dignity than he who can display only one tail. The Grand Signor banner with seven horses' tails carried before him. The court of the sovereign is called the Otto- man Pvrte, or the Sublime Porte. The council of is called the Divan. The Turks follow the religion of Mohammed, or Mahomet, who lived in the year 600, and is regarded as a great prophet by his followers. The Mohamme- dan religion principally consists in the belief of one God ; but this belief is accompanied by many ab- surd doctrines and ridiculous superstitions. The precepts of Mohammedism, and the ceremonies of the worship, are contained in a sacred book supposed to be written by the Prophet, and called Al Cor tin or The L'oran. To be a good Musulman, or one of the V/, the five following articles must be fulfill- ed : first, the person must be kept perfectly clean ar^d neat : secondly, prayers must be repeated five- times every day ; thirdly, the observance of the or Ramadan, which is a month's fasting, similar to the Christian Lent ; fourthly, to distri- bute alms ; and fifthly, to go in pilgrimage to the EUROPEAN TURKEY. 135 tomb of Mohammed, at Mecca ; but, above all things, a good Musulman must believe that there is only one God, and that Mohammed is his prophet* In general, the Turks are very religious, but at the same time they are fanatics ; they despise and hate all who are not of their own religion. In Turkey, and in almost every country through- out the east, the men are every thing, and the women nothing. As I have before told you, the women are kept confined in the most remote parts of the houses. A Turk is permitted to marry four lawful wives, and he may have as many female slaves as he can buy. The latter are bought at the bazaar, or market. The costume of the Turks, and other Oriental na- tions, is not, as among us, subject to fashion : their present dress is such as was worn several centuries ago. There is but little difference between the dress of the men and the women. The turban is the characteristic of the men. The pelisse of the women is the same as that of the men. And they also wear the same kind of under-garment, open from the top to the bottom like a cassock ; both sexes likewise wear a kind of loose shirt above the trowsers, which descends to the heels. Both men and women wear the same kind of shoes and stock 136 EUROPEAN TURKEY. ings. The women go barefooted in the house ; but this is not extraordinary, when it is considered that the poor as well as the rich, walk only on carpets or mats. When they walk out, they put on wooden sandals, and stockings of red velvet or cloth. The men's slippers are of red morocco leather. 137 ASIA. THE Turks are an Asiatic people, who have es- tablished themselves in a corner of Europe. They passed the Bosphorus, a strait which may be crossed like a river, and took possession of Constantinople, which has become the residence of their sovereigns. We will take an opposite course : quitting Constan- tinople, we will cross the strait, and land in front of the latter city, on the opposite coast, at SCUTAKJ, which is considered as a suburb of the Turkish ca- pital ; we shall then be in ASIA, where we find a climate and people very different from those we have hitherto visited. ASIA was peopled before any other part of the world; it may be called the cradle of the human race ; and here science and civilization first be^an O to exhibit their happy influence. Viewing it on the map, you will observe that, with the exception of America, it is the largest of the four quarters of the world. From MALACCA, which is the most southern point, to its northern extremity, Asia measures four thousand five hundred miles; and nearly six thousand nine hundred from the 138 ASIA. strait of the Dardanelles on the west, to the most eastern point of Kamtschatka. From the vast extent of Asia it may naturally be supposed that it presents a great variety of climates : in the north the cold is excessive, and towards the south, on the contrary, the heat is insupportable. The inhabitants exhibit the effects of this variety of climate, the people of the south being almost black, while those of the north are very white. Those countries near the equator, where the heat prevails most, are infested with the largest and fiercest quadrupeds, such as the wild elephant, the rhinoceros, the lion, the tiger, &c. In these regions grow the cocoa-nut-tree, the palm-tree, and a va- riety of other beautiful productions unknown in our climates. That we may observe some kind of order in our journey, we will now take a view of the whole of A sia. Towards the north lie the dismal regions of frost and snow; here we find the country of the Sa- moyedes, Asiatic Russia, Russian Tartary, and Kamtschatka. Proceeding to the east we enter a more beautiful region, Chinese Tartary, a vast country, thinly peo- pled ; and China, which contains a numerous popu- lation, and is highly cultivated. RUSSIAN TARTARY. 139 Finally, in the south we find the rich and fertile territories of Asiatic Turkey, India, celebrated for its riches, Persia, and Arabia. I shall not say any thing of the centre of Asia ; it is a very extensive country, three parts of which are either desert wastes, or overrun by hordes of half-savage Tartars, a race of people who drive their horses and flocks into any part which may afford them pasture, where they erect their tents and remain as long as it will afford them sustenance, and then they set out in quest of some new place of abode. I have described the costume of the Turks : the dress of a portion of the Asiatics is much the same. We will first pass rapidly through the north of Asia. RUSSIAN TARTARY. UNDER the name of TARTARY is included nearly the half of Asia: it is inhabited by an infinite num- ber of tribes, who have nothing in common, except their general name. Tartary is divided into three great portions ; Russian Tartary, Independent Tar- tary, and Chinese Tartary. Russian Tartary is divided into four govern- ments, namely : Siberia, of which the principal towns are Tobolski, Yeneseick, and Yakutsk ; the 140 COUNTRY OF THE SAMOYEDES. government of Kasan, the capita] of which is a town of the same name, near the Volga ; the go- vernment of Astracan, whose capital bears the same name, and is situated at the mouth of the Volga ; and finally the government of Orenburgh. As the manners of the Russians who inhabit this country, particularly the cities, resemble those we have already observed in Russia, properly so called, I need not say any thing more of them. I will se- lect from among the numerous miserable tribes who live under the rude climate of northern Asia, the three principal, in order to afford you an idea of the wretched state of these ancient inhabitants of the country. THE COUNTRY OF THE SAMOYEDES. PLACED beneath the polar circle, in a frozen cli- mate, and living amidst snow during eight months of the year, the Samoyedes are not certainly the favour- ites of nature; they, however, enjoy happiness even in their smoky huts. Hitherto it has been found impossible to induce them to settle in towns. The Russians, who have rendered them tributary, have been obliged themselves to inhabit the little town they had built for the Samoyedes. They do not appear much disposed to live too near each other, COUNTRY OF THE SAMOYEDES. 141 even among themselves: when a neighbour ap- proaches too closely, they remove their abode with- out ceremony and go to live at a greater distance. This is very easily effected ; their habitations are formed of rods, stuck in the ground, and bent at top into a circular form, and covered with pieces of bark sewed together : a hole is left for the escape of the smoke, and through this chimney the inhabitants go in and out during the winter, when the hut is buried beneath the snow. Fishing and hunting are their only means of support; and when they obtain their food, whether fish or flesh, they eat it without any cooking ; they consider it a very great luxury to drink the blood of the rein-deer while warm. They sometimes cook small game and birds. There is no fixed hour for meals ; every one eats when he is hungry. The Samoyedes are short and squat, like the Lap- landers. Their complexion is yellow, and their cast of features not very agreeable. Their eyes are small and almost closed ; their nose is flat, and their soft grey hair falls down from the head and covers a part of the body. The husband considers himself as a being far superior to his wife : the latter may be said to be in the situation of his principal domes- tic animal ; he buys her, and when he has con- cluded his bargain, she is tied in a sledge and driven home to her husband, or rather her master. KAMTSCHATKA. The dres.- of the Samoyedes is sailed to their climate ; it consists of reindeer skins, with the hairy side outward. In winter, a sort of waistcoat with a hood, also made of fur, is worn over the ordinary dress. The costume of the women is the same, but is distinguished by a bordering made of pieces of cloth of different colours. The young women some- times take pains to arrange their hair into two or three tresses, which hang from the back part of their heads. KA.MTSCHATKA. We will now leave the Frozen Ocean, and proceed to the South Sea, without, how- ever, departing too far from the polar circle. Kamts- chatka is that long peninsula which extends towards Japan, and whose extremity is bounded by the Ku- rile Islands. The climate is less rigorous in Kamts- chatka than in the country of the Samoyedes; but the poverty of the people is the same : without agricul- ture or flocks, a Kamtschatdale has no resource but fishing and hunting, no riches save his dogs, and no pleasure except his tobacco and an intoxicating liquor, which he extracts from a sort of mushroom. You will ask me why he thinks himself rich in the possession of dogs? Because those excellent animals, which we regard as our friends and guardians, among the Kamtschatdales supply the place of horses and oxen; they drag their master in hi. KAMTSCHATKA. 143 sledge, hunt for him, guard his boat, amuse him during their life, and when they die leave him their flesh to support him, and their skin to secure him from the cold. The Kamtschatdale has two habitations, one for the winter and another for the summer. In winter he digs a hole six feet deep, and over it erects a sort of frame, composed of rods, which he covers with straw and turf; an opening in the roof serves at once for chimney, window, and door. From this hole the inhabitants ascend and descend by means of a plank, notched at certain distances. This winter habitation is called an ioortl: the sum- mer abode, on the contrary, is raised on pillars, and is called a balagam. The Kamtschatdales eat game and fish either cooked or raw ; bruised and pounded fish supplies the place of bread. They are very fond of the fat of the whale, and swallow it in large pieces. They are great gluttons, and disgustingly filthy. The practice of eating fish impregnates their bodies with so strong a smell, that strangers can hardly endure it ; and when near them one might imagine one's self amidst a troop of water-dogs. Their clothing consists of skins, and is in shape similar to that of the Russians. The other races of people inhabiting the tract of 144 GEORGIA. country called Siberia, all resemble, more or less, the Kamtschatdales or the Samoyedes. We must leave them in their regions of snow and ice, and return to the temperate zone. We will stop for a moment in the government of ASTRACAN. Here GEORGIA is situated, a countrv celebrated for its beautiful women. Georgia is greatly favoured by nature : a mild and agreeable climate, a fertile soil, excellent wines, fruits, game in abundance, fish, birds, a superior race of men ; but all these blessings of nature are destroyed by the villainy and avarice of the people. Here sla- very exists in its fullest extent. The nobles possess the power of making their vassals labour as much as they please, without affording them either shel- ter or support. They take their children, and sell or keep them as slaves; and even parents select such of their children as they do not wish to keep, and exchange them for clothes, or any other arti- cles. Every year thousands of these unfortunate creatures, of either sex, are carried out of the coun- try, and purchased by the Turks and Persians. And what religion do you suppose these abomi- nable people profess? They call themselves Chris- tians of the Greek church ; but their practice shews them to be wholly unacquainted with the truth and spirit of Christianity. INDEPENDENT TARTARY. 145 The women of this country, as I have before said, are the most beautiful in the world. It is impossible, travellers say, to imagine features more regular, forms more elegant, or a deportment more graceful, than is to be seen in the Georgian women. Their dress is the same as that of the Persian fe- males, which very nearly resembles that worn by the women of Turkey. We find women as beautiful, and who are treated with as much inhumanity, in the two neighbouring countries, Mingrelia and Circassia. - INDEPENDENT TARTARY. INDEPENDENT Tartary comprises the country of the Kalmucks, Thibet, Turkestan, the country of the Usbecks or Great Bukharia, Daghestan, and Circassia, which I have before mentioned. This vast extent of country contains many nations, but the principal is that of the Tartars, or Tatars. The Tartars are, in general, a nomade people, that is to say, they have no fixed abode. Each horde, consisting of a number of families, wanders about with its horses, flocks, and baggage, and pitches its tents (for they live only in tents) in the vicinity of pasture-grounds, or some spot favourable for the chase. When travelling, they place their 146 INDEPENDENT TARTARY. wives, children, and tents, on a rude kind of car- riage ; the men always ride on horseback. The horse is their favourite animal ; and they drink the milk of the niare. They hunt wild horses for the sake of their flesh, which they eat quite raw, or only after having pressed it for some time beneath their sad- dles. They know nothing of the preparation of bread. The Tartars are an indolent people : they frequently sit down in parties in the middle of a field, and pass a great part of the day in discoursing one with another. There are some little towns or villages in Tar- . but they are not much inhabited, except by the khans, or princes, and the people of other na- tions: the Tartars love liberty too dearly to confine themselves within the walls of a town. They follow the Mohammedan religion. We will pass rapidly through Chinese Tartary, where the manners of the inhabitants are nearly simi- lar to those of the rest of the Tartars, except, per- haps, in that part bordering on China; and proceed on our journey as far as Japan, where we will stop lor a short time. 147 JAPAN. THE empire of JAPAN consists of a group of islands, clustered very nearly together, and lying to the east of Chinese Tartary. The Japanese, in many respects, resemble their neighbours the Chi- nese; but they pretend to be their superiors m civilization, and mental cultivation in general ; they even appear to be more advanced in the arts and sciences. They have printing-presses, universities, and academies. The Japanese have carried agri- culture to a very high degree of perfection ; and they have beautiful manufactures of silk and cotton : their porcelaine is highly esteemed, as are also their iron, brass, gold, and silver works. The three principal islands are Niphon, Ximo, and Xicoco. The Japanese empire is governed despotically by a secular sovereign, called Kuba- Sama, and by an ecclesiastical chief, called Dairo- Sama. CHINA. CHIN* A is the most powerful and ancient empire in Asia, the most ancient in the whole world : it is also the most populous, and is said to contain a hun- dred and fifty million inhabitants. Considering the 148 CHINA, extent of the Chinese territory, this number is very extraordinary ; but it must be observed, that the Chinese have carried agriculture to such a degree of perfection, that China produces all that the earth can yield. The Chinese arc fond of living close together : twenty Chinese will be perfectly at their ease in a space where MX Europeans would feel themselves incommoded. The necessity of an abundant subsist- ence for so great a population, has doubtless induced the Chinese to devote so much attention to agricul- ture. To confer the greater honour on this valu- able science, the emperor himself takes the plough in the spring of each year. He labours in the field 1'or an hour, accompanied by peasants, singing hymns in honour of rural labour. The grandees of the court imitate the sovereign, and also take delight in agricultural labours. In China, the towns are as populous as every other part of the countrv. PEKIX, the capital of the empire, and the residence of the emperor, con- tains two millions of inhabitants. It is said to be three times as large as Paris or London. Though the houses are low, they do not contain the fewer occupants on that account Besides, the chief part of the tradespeople and the poor do not live in Pekin ; but occupy boats, with which the river is covered, and which form a subordinate floating city, NAXKIN. 149 almost as populous as the capital itself. An im- mense crowd is continually in motion in the streets of Pekin ; and the bustle is much augmented by the number of barbers, tailors, carpenters, and mechanics of various kinds, who, instead of waiting at home for business, run through the streets in quest of work, carrying with them all the implements of their professions. We may complete the picture, by imagining an infinite number of horses, chariots, and coaches, which are seen driving about on every side. The chariots are driven by a man who leads the horses by the bridle, and they do not proceed faster than the foot passengers. Fortunately, the streets are very broad : some are from a hundred to a hundred and twenty feet in breadth ; and they are all built in right lines. Splendid shops line the streets on both sides, and have a very pleasing effect. These shops are painted, and beautifully or- namented, gilt, &c. Before the doors horn lanterns are suspended, covered with muslin, silk, paper, &c. of such diversified forms and colours, that one 1 might almost imagine the Chinese had exhausted all their ingenuity in the invention of transpa- rencies^ NAXKIN is even larger than Pekin; it is fifteen leagues in circumference. The Chinese are generally of middling stature ; 150 CHINA. have short noses, black hair, broad faces, small eyes, and olive-coloured complexions. The women are little and very pretty ; but in the opinion of the Chinese, the greatest mark of beauty they can possess consists in the smallness of their feet. In order, therefore, to procure this advantage, their feet are crippled in their infancy, so that they never walk with freedom during the remainder of their live?. The Chinese consider themselves the most en- lightened people in the world. They have indeed enjoyed the advantages of civilization from time immemorial. But they have made little advance- ment from a very remote period. They were acquainted with the art of painting, the use of gunpowder, and the compass, long before we were ; but they are far from having brought these discoveries to the degree of perfection which they have attained in Europe. The Chinese are celebrated for filial piety ; reli- gion and the laws unite to render sacred that first sentiment of nature. A son wears mourning for his father three years. But it will appear an ex- traordinary contrast to the laudable exaltation of this sentiment, that in China a father possesses the right of exposing or killing such of his children as he cannot support. CHINA. 151 The dress of the men consists of a loose robe, with long and full sleeves. It folds over the breast, and is fastened at the throat by two or three buttons of gold or silver. The head-dress is a cotton cap in the form of a cone, covered with satin and lined with taffety, from the top of Avhich hangs a tuft of hair or red silk. The women's dress is almost the same as the men's, only they admit a greatei- degree of elegance to their toilette; they adorn themselves with flowers, gold and silver, and their robes are longer than those of the men. The fashions of China, like those of the rest of Asia, never change ; those of the present day have, it is said, continued for four thousand years. On the frontiers of China, bordering on Tartary, there is a Wall which is celebrated throughout the world, and which may be placed in the list of won- ders. It has existed for more than a thousand years. It is one thousand five hundred miles in length; between thirty and forty feet high, and twenty-five feet thick. This immense work was undertaken with the intention of stopping the incur- sions of the Tartars ; but it did not, however, pre- vent them from possessing themselves of China. The emperor, who now reigns, is a descendant of the khan, or prince, who conquered the country. 152 INDIA. UXDER the general name of INDIA is included an immense country, situated at the southern ex- tremity of Asia, and divided into two great penin- sulas. It contains many states, the principal of which are Hindoostan, Visiapoor, Golconda, Bisna- gar, Ava, Pegu, Aracan, Siani, Cambay, Tonquin, and Cochin-China. We will direct our attention to Hindoostan, which is the most remarkable. HINDOOSTAX is a beautiful country, fertile in all sorts of useful and agreeable productions. The air is wholesome ; and the power of the sun is tem- pered by periodical winds, and by rains which fail frequently during the hot season. The mountains, bv intercepting the vapours which these winds bring from the sea, produce, moreover, a peculiar phenomenon of seasons, completely opposite in the two parts of die peninsula, although they are >i- tuated in the same latitude ; thus, whilst the coa:-t of Coromandel is inundated with rain, the coast ui Malabar enjoys a clear and serene atmosphere. The principal productions of Hindoostan are, rice, corn, sugar, saffron, pepper, indigo (which fur- nishes a beautiful blue colour), cotton, cochineal, HINDOOSTAN. 153 and all sorts of fruits, as pine-apples, cocoa-nuts, lemons, &c. India produces also valuable gems, silks, camphor, perfumes, iron, brass, gold, and, in particular, precious stones: it is the country of dia- monds. These brilliant jewels, so rare and expen- sive, are found in a red earth, which must be diluted with water and passed through sieves, before the diamonds can be discovered. Do not imagine that when they are found they are as bright and dazzling as those which our ladies wear for orna- ments. When taken from the earth, they are covered with a very hard crust of earth, which makes them appear like the common stones that are to be met with every where. India produces a great number of animals, among which are a very beautiful species of oxen, horses, camels, elephants, antelopes, and civet-cats ; the latter exhale a very agreeable odour. The woods abound with parrots and peacocks ; but they also contain animals of a more dangerous kind, namely, tigers of enormous size, leopards, lions, and jackalls. The rivers are infested by crocodiles, and the grass conceals serpents that possess the power of inflicting instant death. This is the greatest disadvantage attending warm climates. The population, which is numerous, owing to the fertility of the soil, consists of Hindoos, who are HIKDOOSTAN. aborigines, fhat is to say, a people who derive their origin from the first inhabitants of the country in which they live ; Perses or Guebres, perhaps more ancient than the Hindoos, and who are worship- pers of fire ; Affghans, who come from the north : Arabs, who inhabit the coast ; Moguls and Tartars, who have conquered the country ; and Europeans, who have been induced to establish themselves there for the sake of trade. The Hindoos are the most numerous, and the real inhabitants of the country. They are a mild and peaceable race, who have borne patiently all the usurpations to which their country has been subjected. Their manners are primitive and unchanging. The nation is di- vided into four chief classes ; 1. The Brahmins, in- cluding the priests, learned men, legislators, and public functionaries ; 2. The Khatries, consisting of the military subjects and of artists ; 3. The Banians. which is doubtless the most useful, since it includes the merchants and agriculturists ; 4. The Sooders, or tradespeople. These four great classes are again subdivided into many others, to mark the different ranks to which every individual be- longs. A person of inferior rank can never hope to rise; custom and pride equally oppose his eleva- tion ; he must journey on through the same course which his father trod before him ; he is even HINDOOSTAN. 155 obliged to follow the same profession, and has no right to embark in a new one. This despotism of the superior over the inferior classes, has main- tained manners and civilization for many thousand years in the state in which they now exist ; there is no retrogression, but at the same time there is no advancement. It is difficult to form an idea of the misery and opprobrium to which the lower classes, namely, the Puliahs and the Farias, are subjected. These wretched people are treated worse than brutes, for they are not permitted to approach their fellow creatures, they are considered unclean, and their touch would be thought pollution. The religion of the Hindoos is very ancient. The priests, or Brahmins, eat nothing that has lived, that is to say, neither flesh, fish, nor fowl of any kind ; they subsist entirely on vegetables. There are some fanatics, called Fahkirs, who inflict all sorts of torments on themselves, to please their gods, as they imagine, and to excite the pity of passen- gers, who give them alms. These wretched crea- tures bore nails into their flesh, hold their arms continually erect, or place themselves in some in convenient posture during a certain period. The Hindoos are of a very swarthy complexion ; but they have regular and beautiful features, and long hair. 156 PERSIA. PERSIA is bounded on the north by Independent Tartary. on the west by Asiatic Turkey and the Persian Gulf, which separates it from Arabia; on the south by the Indian Ocean, and on the east by India. This empire is celebrated from the remo- test antiquity : you may read in ancient history, the dissensions between the Persian monarch s and the Greeks, and how Persia was conquered by Alexander the Great. ISPAHAN is the capital of Persia : it may be about twelve miles in circumference ; but the houses are only one story high, and almost all have large gardens, which produce fruit and flowers in every season. The principal streets are broad, and lined with trees, almost as high and erect as our fir-trees. This multitude of trees, together with the lowness of the houses, prevent a person ap- proaching the city, from discovering any habitation ; and he might suppose himself advancing to a forest rather than the capital of an empire. The roofs of the houses are generally flat, and the inhabitants are accustomed to assemble on them to pass the summer evenings, which in these climates are very agreeable. The greatest luxury to be found in the Is pail an, Me oca. ISPAHAN. 157 houses of the rich, is a basin walled round with marble or porphyry, which is built in a richly fur- nished apartment. This basin is filled with clear water, which is continually renewed, and on its edge the slothful Persian loves to repose ; and there he always passes part of the day, seated, cross-legged, on soft cushions. The Persians are generally stout and well made. Their complexion is rather swarthy. They are good-humoured and witty. Although Mohammed- ans, like the Turks, they are not averse to fo- reigners and foreign learning. They possess some good poets, and they know how to value them. They are polite and affable, and very fond of plea- sure. Like all the inhabitants of the south of Asia, the Persians readily degenerate into effeminacy and indolence. The men shave their heads, but allow their beards to grow ; they wear a turban. Their dress is almost the same as that of the Turks : a coarse muslin shirt is worn next the skin, covered by a loose dress that reaches below the knee, and is drawn round the waist by a girdle ; an open robe surmounts the whole. They wear a kind of loose boots or slippers, and always carry a poniard in their girdles. The dress of the women is nearly si- milar to the above, with the exception of the turban, p 158 ARABIA. ARABIA is a great peninsula, washed on the east by the Persian Gulf; on the south by the Indian Ocean ; and on the west by the Arabic Gulf, or Red Sea. Situated partly within the Torrid Zone, that is to say, on that line of the earth where the rays of the sun fall almost perpendicularly, Arabia is one of those countries where the heat is excessive. Thus s>ome parts of the earth present nothing but im- mense plains of sand, which, when agitated by the winds, rise in clouds like the waves of a tempestu- ous sea, and sometimes gathering into mountains, overwhelm whole caravans. You doubtless know that the name Caravan is given to a company of travellers, who unite together for mutual defence, when passing through deserts and places frequented by robbers, or a sort of half-savage people. The coast, the parts watered by rivers, and espe- cially that part which is called Arabia FJix, are very fertile. Arabia possesses the most beautiful race of horses in the world : with the aid of these animals, which are extremely swift and robust, the Arab crosses the deserts, and even inhabits them. The Arab also derives assistance from another animal, which is ARABIA. 159 highly useful in this sterile country : I allude to the camel, which carries heavy burdens, subsists on u very scanty portion of food, and can live many days without water. Arabia is the country whence the ass was originally brought. In Arabia the ass is larger and more beautiful than in any other part of the world. The other remarkable animals are the gazelle, which is beautiful in form, gentle in dispo- sition, aiid swift in its movements ( somewhat re- sembling the roe-buck) ; and the ostrich, the largest of all birds, which runs as swiftly as a horse, but cannot fly. The principal productions of the earth are coffee, of that excellent kind, called Moka* which is the name of the port from whence it is shipped ; aloes, perfumes of various kinds, balm, spices, senna, dates, and many other fruits, which flourish in southern countries. But with all these blessings of nature, Arabia contains tigers, jack- alls, locusts, lions, and serpents whose bite is mortal. The Arabs are particularly remarkable both for their good and their bad qualities. They possess none of the dull taciturnity of the Turks; none of that effeminacy which degrades most of the Asiatic nations. They are strong in mind, active in body, and very courageous. They would be a superior race of men, if their religion did not brutalize them, 160 ARABIA. and if they directed their courage to any other object than robbery. The Arabs are generally stout in constitution, and of a swarthy complexion. There is a great difference between those who live in towns, and those who roam through the deserts, without any fixed habitation. The latter are called Bedouins. They live in camps like soldiers, and are subject to chiefs, called Emirs. These chiefs have subaltern officers, called SJieiks. They keep their camps in one place as long as it affords a sufficient supply of water, pasture, or any other advantage ; and when they think they can be better accommo- dated elsewhere, they remove. The common Arabs have little furniture in their tents, except a few mats, which serve both for their seats and beds, together with some wretched kind of covering, a few pots, two or three wooden bowls, a little hand-mill, some pitchers, and some sacks made of goats' 1 hair, which thev keep for lining their clothes. The Emirs have always several tents for themselves, their wives, and attendants; they have mattresses, carpets, and very beau'iful coverings, consisting of stuffs worked with flowers of gold and silver, excellent cushions, and other furniture, indicative of luxury and refine- ment The Arabs who have only one tent, divide it, and form an apartment for the women, which no man, except the master, ever enters. The Bedouins ARABIA. 1 61 have no occupation but attending to their animals and robbing travellers. In summer they encamp on hills, from whence they can view the country to a considerable distance. They occasionally form armies for the purpose of attacking the rich cara- van which proceeds every year on a pilgrimage to Mecca. It is very extraordinary, that with these piratical habits, the Arabs are hospitable ; they re- ceive with humanity the travellers who solicit their assistance, and defend, at the peril of their own lives, those who claim their protection. Arabia is the holy land of the Mohammedans; Mo- hammed was born at Mecca, and his tomb is at Me- dina. All good Mussulmcn, or, as they style them- selves, the Faithful, must, at least once in their live.-, perform the pilgrimage to Mecca ; it being a duty prescribed by the Koran. Mecca, therefore, is the holy city ; religion draws thither a multitude of persons, who come principally to visit the Caaba, or House of Abraham, a little building thirty feet high, fifteen long, and twelve broad. The devo- tees kiss a black stone, deposited in the interior of the Caaba., and then their important duty is ful- filled. Mecca is a large and beautiful city, situated MI the middle of a desert, thirty miles from the port of Djedda, on the Red Sea. 162 AFRICA. Now, my dear Felix and Felicia, we will pursue our journey, and proceed over AFRICA. On what side shall we enter it? Look at the map, and you will perceive that it is surrounded by water on almost every side; it is not, however, an island. Examine the map, for without it the study of geo- graphy is lost labour. Ah ! Felix has placed his finger on the little piece of land that leads from Asia to Africa. This passage, which is bounded on one side by the Mediterranean, and on the other by the Red Sea, or Arabian Gulf, is called the Isthmus of Suez, and is only sixty miles broad. Thus it would appear that Africa is a peninsula, and the largest in the world. It is almost in the form of a triangle. Its greatest length measures five thou- sand four hundred miles, and its greatest breadth five thousand two hundred and fifty. This quarter of the world bears little resemblance to that in which we live, Africa is extremely hot The rays of the sun fall perpendicularly over the Ann ra JEttvi*tinn,t. /'<>,>/>/ AFRICA. 163 greater part of this immense country; and there the heat is almost insupportable to Europeans. In consequence of the excessive heat, Africa is interspersed with vast tracts of land, called de- serts, which present to the eye nothing but burning sand, without a river to assuage the thirst of the traveller, or a tree to shade him from the sun. But in those parts which are watered by rivers and streams, the fertility is wonderful ; vegetation flou- rishes, and the fruits are delicious. Africa is inhabited by many races of men. In Egypt, and along the coasts of the Mediterranean, the natives are only a few shades darker than Europeans. A little farther in the interior we find the Moors, who delight to wander in the deserts ; they are a well-made race of people, but their skin has the appearance of having been daubed with soot. Proceeding still farther in-land, we arrive at the country of the negroes, or those who are entirely black. Their skin is soft, their hair curly, and matted like the wool of sheep, their noses are flat, and their lips very thick and protuberant. We next come to the Caffrees, who are negroes of a less pure black ; their skin is of a dark copper colour. Finally, at the extremity of Africa, in the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope, we find men of an olive colour, or yellowish black ; 164 AFRICA. these are the Hottentots. They have small heads, short and pointed chins, high cheek-bones, and thick lips ; and they bear a strong resemblance to the negroes. These are the principal races of men which Africa contains. This part of the world produces all sorts of valu- able or dangerous animals ; lions, tigers, leopards, and monstrous serpent?; the elephant, the rhinoce- ros, and the hippopotamus, an enormous quadru- j>ed, which lives in the beds of great rivers, but feeds and sleeps on their banks. As yet we know little of Africa, except the patrta near the sea ; the wild state of the inha- bitants has hitherto prevented European travel- lers from penetrating into the interior. The only civilized people are those who inhabit Egypt and the coasts of the Mediterranean : the rest of the country is occupied by barbarians, who live almost in a state of nudity, and only know how to provide for the first wants of life. Egypt is the first country we come to on entering Africa by the Isthmus of Suez. EGYPT. THIS corner of the world has been long cele- brated. You have read in history, that even in the Cairo, Cape of OoocL Hope EGYPT. 165 time of Jacob, the Egyptians were a civilized, great, and powerful people. The beautiful ruins which appear in many parts of the country bear sufficient proof of its great splendour and remote antiquity : but Egypt is now a wretched country, inhabited by a poor and ignorant people, who, in their degraded state, regard the wonderful monuments erected by their ancestors with the same indifference as the sa- vage views his native mountains. You have also read, that in ancient times the fertility of Egypt was much spoken of, and nature has not deprived it of this blessing : it is still one of the most fertile countries in Africa. But it must be observed, that this fertility exists only on the banks of the Nile, a river which waters the whole extent of Egypt. Every year, in the month of June, the Nile swells by the abundant rains, overflows its banks, and inundates the country to a considerable distance. This inundation renders the soil slimy, and thus promotes and improves vegetation. The principal productions of Egypt are rice, corn, and delicious fruits. Those parts which are not fertilized by the salutary inundations of the Nile, consist merely of plains and barren sands. The principal city of Egypt is called CAIRO ; it is very large, and devoted to trade. 166 EGYPT. About nine miles from Cairo are the famous Pyramids, which have been ranked among the seven wonders of the world. You know that these pyra- mids are immense square monuments of stone, in- clining inwards towards the top, which is flat. The four sides are furnished with steps, like a staircase, and thus any person may ascend to the summit. The largest pyramid is upwards of five hundred feet high, measured perpendicularly. There are four larger than the rest. These huge monuments WLTL- erected for sepulchres. Some have been ex- amined, and have been found to contain large vas*^ of porphyry, which were doubtless destined to re- ceive the mortal remains of some powerful kings. It is supposed that these pyramids have existed for four thousand years. Their preservation is owing to the firmness of their structure, as well as to the dryness of the climate ; for it seldom rains in this part of EL In general, the surface of this country is covered with ruins which astonish the traveller. In Upper Egypt there is an immense city, which has been abandoned for more than two thousand years; this is the famous TIIKBES with the hundred gates. Here may be seen the remains of buildings, asto- nishing for their magnitude and solidity. Colossal statues still exist in the same state as when they EGYPT. 167 were erected, and seem to preside over the extraor- dinary ruins that surround them. The ruins of Egypt testify that a numerous and powerful nation once inhabited the country : now it contains a wretched and half-barbarous people, who have not even sufficient understanding to ad- mire the works of their ancestors. The population of Egypt is estimated at three millions. The ab- origines, or descendants of the primitive inhabitants, are called Copts, and are Christians of the Greek church. In the large towns there are many Turks and Greeks ; tribes of Arabs wander in the deserts, in the vicinity of the towns : the Mamelukes are the most powerful tribe. These Mamelukes were originally slaves of various nations; adventurers, who have become soldiers, and are subject to the orders of the Beys, their chiefs; they follow the Mohammedan religion. Egypt forms part of the Ottoman Empire; but the authority of the Pashaw is almost always contested by the Mamelukes, who are the real masters of the country. Under thes* capricious tyrants, who are divided among them- selves, the people must be expected to suffer ; and they do suffer severely. 168 STATES OF BARBARY. QCITTIKG Egypt, we will pass along the coast to the other side of the Straits of Gibraltar ; this ex- tent of country is called BARBARY, or the STATES OF BARBARY. It contains the desert of Barca, the regencies of Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers, and the empire of Morocco. All this long coast, opposite to Europe, is, in general, fertile ; it produces rice, wheat and other grain, citrons, oranges, dates, figs, olives, &c. It also possesses excellent horses, sheep with large tails, which furnish excellent wool, and various other animals, both useful and destructive. The heat, though great, is not insupportable. The population consists of Turks, Moors, who reside in the towns, Bedouin Arabs, who live in tents, and Berebers, the ancient inhabitants, who have retired to the mountains. The Turks are the predominant race, and occupy all public offices. The manners of the Turks generally prevail, as well as their religion, with all its fanaticism and barbarity. In the spirit of this religion, the people of Bar- bary regard themselves as the inherent enemies of Christians ; they therefore carry on continual war against them, and have always corsairs at sea, Tripoli. TRIPOLI, TUNIS, ALGIERS, MOROCCO. 169 which attack and pillage the European merchant vessels, and reduce their crews to the vilest slavery, y The regencies of TUIPOLI, TUNIS, and ALGIERS, are each governed by a sort of senate, under the protection of the Grand Signor. The president of the senate is called a Bey at Tripoli and Tunis, and a Dey at Algiers. These chiefs are usually barbarous petty despots, who exert their power in all sorts of cruelties; the senate, or divan, having scarcely any authority over them. The empire of MOROCCO includes the kingdoms of Fez to the north, on the Straits of Gibraltar; of Morocco and Suz on the Atlantic ; and in the in- terior, the provinces of Tremecen, Tafiletz, and Segilmessa. The sovereign of this empire is an absolute despot, who can dispose of the lives of his subjects at pleasure. Beyond the Barbary States, on a long slip of land parallel with these States, is B/LEDPLGI-.RID, or the Country of Dates, so named on account of the great number of dates it produces. This tract of country is inhabited by independent Moors, who live in tents, though they do not neglect agricul- ture like the vagabond Moors and Bedouin Arabs. These people are Mohammedans like their neigh- bours. o. 170 ZAHARA, OR THE GREAT DESERT BEVOND Bfledjtlgerid, from the coast of the Atlantic to Egypt, an extent of three thousand miles, is one of those barren tracts called Deserts, covered with burning sand. For the sake of dis- tinction, ZAHARA is called the GREAT DESERT ; and is in fact the largest in the world. Picture to yourself this immense space, covered with flint-stones and sand; imagine a traveller to have penetrated into the middle of this desert ; he journeys whole days without having his eyes refresh- ed by a single spot of verdure ; only at long in- tervals he perceives what is called an oasis, that is, a place where a little productive soil and water seem to restore life to drooping nature. These wretch- ed thickets consist of a few withered dates, briars, and thorns, which, however, appear delicious amidst a desert. At these spots the caravans halt, and obtain a necessary supply of water, previous to their crossing new plains of sand. Here also the fierce lion and the savage tiger resort, to allay their burning thirst. These oases in the desert are like islands in the ocean. However dreadful these deserts may appear, you must not imagine that they are entirely uninhabited. Even here, tribes of Moors find means to support SENEGAL. 171 life, and to enjoy happiness. The Moors, who are naturally of a swarthy complexion, which is ren- dered still darker by the heat of the sun, assemble together in any spot which affords water, and there erect their tents of goats' and camels' skins : there they also collect flocks of camels, goats, and sheep, and having remained till they have consumed all the produce of the place, are then obliged to seek another encampment. These people are half barbarians, and treat with great severity the unfor- tunate strangers who happen to fall into their power. They wander chiefly on the outskirts of the desert. *$ SENEGAL. THIS great desert separates the Barbary States, or country of the Whites, or rather tawneys, from Nigritia, or that of the Negroes. Crossing the river Senegal, we enter the country of the latter. Here we meet with men whose skin is en- tirely black; they have thick lips, flat noses, and hair short and curly like wool. These people are poor, and live in miserable huts, covered with straw ; nor are the palaces of their kings constructed with more care or expense. There are many Negro nations between SENEGAL and GAMBIA, but they differ little in physiognomy 172 SENEGAL. or manners. Those who border on the desert are Mo- hammedans ; farther in the interior, other religions prevail, of which we have little knowledge. In general, the most absolute slavery exists among the Negroes : these barbarians imagine they have the same control over their fellow-creatures that we have over beasts of burden. A person may become a slave in various ways : namely, by being made prisoner in battle ; being seized by a creditor, whose claims he is unable to satisfy ; or by selling himself for his support. The latter order of slaves are best treated ; they are considered as a class of workmen, who must not be sold out of the country. The others may be treated as the master pleases. Slaves have been for a long time sold to Europeans by that abominable traffic, called the Slave Trade, which the European nations, at the instance of Great Britain, have agreed finally to abolish. There are many Negro nations where the king has the power of selling his subjects, and where the father possesses the same right over his children, and even over his wives. The country beyond Senegal is as picturesque and animated, as it is gloomy and unfertile on this side. The soil affords a vast quantity of fine pro- ductions, such as the palm-tree, the cocoa-tree, the mimosas, from which the gum-arabic is obtained, SENEGAL. 173 the butter-tree, citrons, oranges, tamarinds, &c. Like all countries situated between the tropics, Senegal has but two seasons, summer and winter : the summer is excessively hot, and the winter is only a season of rain ; so that the earth is alternately hot and parched, cool and productive. Rice, to- bacco, and cotton, are the principal productions of the country. You must observe, that in the coun- tries situated between the tropics, the seasons occur at periods contrary to those when they visit us : thus the summer commences in the month of September, and ends in March ; the winter then sets in, and also continues six months. The useful animals of Senegal are camels, horses, oxen, buffaloes, and elephants; but the forests contain lions, tigers, panthers, hyaenas, monkeys, and enormous serpents ; the rivers are infested by the crocodile and the hip- popotamus. The latter, next to the elephant and rhinoceros, is the largest of quadrupeds : it lives in water and on land alternately. In this country, the English possess Fort St. James, and the French the establishment of Goree, Fort St. Louis, at the entrance of Senegal, and Fort Michael. We will pass rapidly over these dismal coasts, where we find every where the same manners and the same wretchedness. 174 GUINEA. THE climate and productions of GUIXF.A are the same as those of Senegambia. A very considerable trade was formerly carried on along its coasts. The chief article of commerce was gold, which the Ne- groes collected in the rivers. Thus a portion of the coast of Guinea received the name of the Gold Coast ; and it was owing to the abundance of this precious metal in Guinea that our gold coins re- ceived the name of guineas. The coast of Mala- guetta, which is also part of Guinea, produces a vast quantity of pepper, known among the natives bv the name of emanaguctta. The Tooth, or Ivory Coast, was the rendezvous of the Europeans, who came to purchase elephants' teeth. The Slave Coast was the principal scene of that odious traffic of black men, which was also carried on throughout the western coast of Africa. The kingdom of BEXIX, situated in Guinea, is perhaps the most powerful of the Negro States. The sovereign is a despot, who disposes at pleasure of the lives of his subjects. Travellers relate, that one of these barbarous kings had his hut inlaid with the skulls of the Negroes whom he had assassinated, by way of amusement, during his festivities. 175 CONGO. To arrive at COXGO we must cross the equinoxial line, or that part of the earth where the rays of the sun fall perpendicularly over our heads. Congo contains many kingdoms, the chief of which are, Loango, Congo, Angola, and Benguela. The Portuguese, who have long had settlements on these coasts, have communicated to the Negroes iu their vicinity, something of European manners. But this only serves to render them the more barba- rous. They have adopted the titles of marquess and count, and they place before their names the mark of distinction Don, like the Spanish and Por- tuguese nobles. They have even introduced some of the ceremonies of the Christian religion into their superstitious worship. CAFFRARIA. UNDER the vague name of CAFFRARIA is desio- nated the immense tract of country which forms the southern extremity of Africa; it is bounded on the north by Abyssinia and Nigritia, on the west by the Atlantic and Guinea, on the south by the At- lantic, and on the east by the Indian Ocean. The 176 CAFFRARIA. name of Caffraria was given to this country by the Arabs, who settled on the eastern coast of Africa ; it is derived from an Arabian word, signifying in- jidel; a title which the followers of Mohammed inva- riably give to nations who profess any other faith than their own. Caffraria includes many states, of which we scarcely know even the names. In gene- ral, the miserable tribes who wander among these sandy deserts, associating with wild beasts, are as savage and uncivilized as they can possibly be. Their religion is barbarous idolatry, and they think only of satisfying the first wants of nature. They are all black, or extremely dark-coloured, having flat noses and short curly hair like wool. They go nearly naked, for their clothing merely consists of a piece of cloth fastened round the loins. THE HOTTENTOTS, AND THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. PROCEEDING towards the African Cape, we meet with a nation little more advanced in civilization than the other barbarians of this part of the world ; this is the country of the HOTTEXTOTS. The Hot- tentots are of -a. yellowish colour, which gives their skin the appearance of being covered with olive oil. CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 177 In other respects, they bear some resemblance to the negroes, owing to their broad faces, flat noses, and curled woolly hair. Their dress consists of a calf's or sheep's skin, thrown over the shoulders like a mantle, while another square piece of skin is worn as an apron. The women, who have the same dress, are fond of ornamental finery, and load themselves with glass bracelets, girdles, and collars. The Hottentots live together in large villages, called kraals. Their huts are of a semicircular form, and resemble half globes : they are from eight to nine feet in diameter, and are covered with mats. There is only one en- trance, which is so narrow and low, that it is im- possible to pass through without stooping. The whole presents the appearance of an oven. The fire is placed in the middle of the hut, and the fa- mily repose upon mats and sheep-skins. The Hot- tentots have no other property than their flocks, and the animals they kill in the chase. The Hottentots formerly extended to the extreme point of Africa, called the CAPE OF GOOD HOPE ; but in 1650, the Dutck purchased from one of the native chiefs a square league of ground, on which they built a little wooden fort, and afterwards a more considerable one in stone ; next a village, then a town, and at present, the Cape of Good Hope is the most important European establishment in 178 EASTERN COAST OF AFRICA. Africa. It is now in the possession of the English, and affords a convenient harbour for vessels on their passage to the vast British possessions in India. THE EASTERN COAST OF AFRICA. WE will pursue our journey along the coasts of Africa. The eastern coast is much more frequented by Europeans than the other coasts. After dou- bling the Cape of Good Hope, the first remarkable people we meet with are those of NATAL. These are uncivilized, but less so than their neighbours the Hottentots ; they are also more active and less filthy than the latter. The inhabitants of Natal are di- vided into tribes or villages, each of which is sub- ject to a chief. They cultivate some tracts of land, which they enclose in order to secure them from the ravages of wild beasts. Continuing our course, we come to MONOMOTAPA, which includes many little kingdoms, subject to a supreme chief, whom we should call, according to our notions, an emperor. The inhabitants are black, and of middling stature ; they are a warlike race, and can run with great swiftness. They de- vote themselves to agriculture with more or less diligence, according as their necessities prompt them, and they possess numerous flocks. The prin- EASTERN COAST OF AFRICA. 179 cipal articles of their trade with the Portuguese (the only Europeans who have establishments among them) are geld and silver ; slaves are also an article of trade, for the traffic in human victims dishonours all Africa. The emperor is a despot, whose subjects can only address him on their knees. Leaving Monomotapa we arrive at a vast extent of coast, known by the name of ZANGUEBAR. The principal kingdoms of this coast are, from south to north, Mosambique, Mauruca, Mongallo, Quiloa, Mombaza, and Melinda. The people of these diffe- rent states are, for the most part, black, and have nothing barbarous in their disposition. There are many Mohammedans among them, and there are also some Christians in the Portuguese settlements. V^ The coast of A JAN is an unfertile region ; the soil is sandy, and it is inhabited by a few Arabs subject to particular chiefs. At the extremity of this coast we arrive at the entrance of the Bed Sea, which is called the STRAIT OF BAB-EL-MANDEB. If we con- tinue our course along this coast, we shall arrive at a great kingdom called ABYSSINIA, the capital of which is GONDAR. But little is known of this king- dom. The sovereign receives the title of the Grand Negus. The people are black, but more resem- bling the colour of the Moors than of the Negroes : they are professed Christians, but their worship is 180 EASTERN COAST OF AFRICA. barbarous, and full of superstitious ceremonies. Leaving Abyssinia we enter NUBIA, a country but little known. The inhabitants, who are partly Mohammedans, are decidedly Negroes, having thick lips and flat noses. The Nile, on its way to Egypt, crosses Nubia, and, as in other places, its overflowings fertilize the soil near its banks. At last we have returned to Egypt, after having made the tour of Africa. And why, you will say, have we not penetrated into the interior ? Because the interior of Africa is yet unknown to Europeans. The deserts, and the barbarism of the natives, have hitherto prevented travellers from visiting the great nations which doubtless exist in these extensive re- gions. If we may judge of the inhabitants of these countries, by the people who live on the coasts, they must be in a perfectly savage state. All these nations are black, and thus the vague name of Nigritia i< given to the chief part of the interior of Africa. 1 181 AMERICA. WE have travelled over Europe, Asia, and Afn ca, without quitting terra jirma; but, to visit America, it is absolutely necessary to embark on the ocean. We will proceed to Portsmouth or Ply- mouth, and there we shall doubtless find some ship ready to sail for the Caribbee Islands, which lie be- tween North and South America. On our way, we may touch at the Azore Islands, nine in number, which belong to the Portuguese. With a good wind, we may perform our voyage in six or seven weeks. What, does it take so short a time to go to Ame- rica; and did this immense portion of the world remain unknown to ancient nations, to the Greeks and the Romans ? It is little more than three cen- turies since America was known to us. This asto- nishes you . The ancients could not be acquainted with America, because they would not trust themselves in the open sea; they always sailed along the coasts. When at sea, they had no guide but the sun by day, and the stars by night; so that, 182 AMERICA. in cloudy weather, they must soon have wandered from their right course, had they not kept in sight of land. The moderns have discovered the compass ; and this instrument, which, by means of a magnetic- needle, always points to the north, has enabled men to cross the seas in any direction. AMERICA was discovered in 1492, by Christo- pher Colon, better known by the name of Colum- bus, a native of Genoa. He effected this disco- very, accompanied by three small ships, which the king and queen of Spain, after repeated solici- tations, confided to his command. Columbus landed first at Guanahani, one of the Bahama Islands, and afterwards at Hayti, to which he- gave the name of Hispaniola; but this illustri- ous navigator had not the satisfaction of giving his name to the new world which he discovered. A Florentine adventurer, who sailed thither five year>. after Columbus, and landed on the continent, ob- tained that glory, which he certainly did not merit. This adventurer published an account of his voyage, under the title of ' Tlie Xarrative of Americu* Vetpvt'ius? (for such was his name) and it excited the strongest curiosity. The narrative of Americus was every where spoken of, and by degrees the name of the traveller was applied to the country which he had attempted to describe. The Spaniards immedi- ate! v thronged to form settlements in the New World, AMERICA. 183 which contained immense riches, especially mines of gold and silver. Tt was easy to conquer countries inhabited only by half-naked people, possessing no warlike arms but arrows and clubs, and who were ignorant of the terrrible effects of gunpowder. The other nations of Europe, allured by the advantages which had attracted the attention of the Spaniards, soon proceeded to establish colonies in America. These colonies have prospered; and, having become populous in their turn, have spread themselves through the New World, and may be said to have driven the old masters of these beautiful regions from their own possessions. These ancient inhabi- tants are, at present, far less numerous than the Europeans, and have made no progress towards civilization : they are perfectly barbarous, and are divided into tribes, who wander through vast un- cultivated tracts of country. Their number is al- ways diminishing ; and at some future period, Ame- rica will be inhabited only by the descendants of Europeans. ~^ I have told you, that at first Europeans consi- dered the wealth of America to consist in its gold and silver ; but the real riches which it has con- ferred on the Old World, consist of many useful productions which were unknown to our ancestors ; such as the potatoe, which now forms a principal article of food ; the Peruvian bark, one of the best 184 AMERICA. remedies for fever; tobacco, vanilla, cochineal, and the turkey ; a bird which at present forms one of the most delicious dishes of our tables. The pro- ductions of other parts of the world, find in America a climate analogous to their nature, and thrive there perfectly well. America produces almost all the sugar and coffee that is consumed in Europe. America is of vast extent ; but the population is not considerable, except along some of the coasts. The interior presents immense forests, frequented only by wandering and savage tribes. The conti- nent, as you may see on the map, is divided natu- rally into two great portions, which are named, ac- cording to their positions, NORTH and SOUTH AMERICA. These two parts are united by the Isthmus of Darien, or Panama. In the great gulf, bounded by this point of union, are many islands, of which HISPAXIOLA, more commonly called ST. DOMINGO, is the most remarkable. This island for some time belonged partly to Spain and partly to France, and presented one of the finest European establishments in the New World. During the French revolution, it was proposed to free the nu- merous black slaves, who had been brought over from Africa to work on the plantations ; but, owing to some ill-concerted measures, the Negroes were irritated, and rose against the Whites, the greater AMERICA. 185 part of whom they massacred. The Negroes are now masters of the country, in which they had been long kept in slavery, and have formed govern- ments under black sovereigns and governors. With its rulers, the island has undergone a change of name ; or rather, its original name of HAYTI has been restored. CUBA, which is near St. Domingo, is the largest of the Bahama Islands. Here, the Spaniards, who have invariably marked their conquests by blood, have exterminated the original inhabitants. They have built on the island two beautiful towns, namely, HAVANNAH, which is the capital, and ST. JAGO ; both have good ports. We will quit these islands, and begin our visit to America with the most northern countries. Look at the map : we will depart for Greenland. GREENLAND, LABRADOR, AND CANADA. GREENLAND is a dreary country ; the abode of perpetual ice and snow. Though nearly as ex- tensive as Europe, it presents little else than soli- tude. The wretched inhabitants unite in tribes, who are to be met with only at great intervals. They settle on the sea-coast to obtain their subsist- ence by fishing, for they have nothing to expect R3 186 GREENLAND. from the earth. The brute race here is confined to white bears, rein-deer, foxes, and a species of hare. The ground, when cleared of snow and ice during a short spring, presents nothing but brambles, bushes, and a short thin kind of grass and moss : it would be vain to look for a tree in Greenland. The Danes have, however, succeeded in forming settle- ments on these inhospitable shores, where they trade for whale-oil, fox-skins, and sea-cows. You already know that the nights and days grow longer as we approach the poles. In spring, the Greenlanders have no night; the sun is always visible in the horizon, but its light is not so strong in the evening as at noon. The longest winter night continues nearly six weeks. In the Bay of Disco, the sun is not seen from the 30th of November till the 12th of January. The seas that wash the shores of Greenland are, almost all the year, covered with ice ; not united in one sheet, as in our lakes and rivers, but collected in enormous masses, resembling islands, or long ridges of rocks. These masses are driven to and fro by the winds, and agitated and broken to pieces by the storms. It is no unusual thing to see float- ing mountains of ice, which rise to the height of more than six hundred feet above the surface of the water. Notwithstanding the danger experienced LABRADOR, CANADA. 187 in sailing amongst these enormous blocks, which might crush a ship as easily as we break the shell of a nut, the navigators of Europe visit them every year, to obtain whales and sea-cows. If we cross Davis's Strait we shall arrive at LA- BRADOR, a country almost as wretched as Green- land. The poor inhabitants are by the Europeans called Esquimaux. The Esquimaux are of small stature, but very robust ; they have a swarthy complexion, large heads, round and flat faces. They clothe themselves with the skins of the sea- cow or deer. They live by fishing and hunting. The vast and dismal country surrounding Hudson's Bay, has received the very ill-chosen name of NEW BRITAIN ; and the English, who have some settle- ments there, are masters of the country. With more truth, the English may be called masters of CANADA, which formerly belonged to the French. Canada, in no respect, resembles the mise- rable countries we have just visited. The winter in Canada is cold, but the summer is warm and agree- able ; and the soil is fertile. The interior of the country is intersected by large rivers and lakes. The first European settlements formed in Canada, were founded by the French : they built its three principal towns, namely Quebec, Trois-rivieres, and Montreal. These towns are still partly inha- 188 UNITED STATES. bitcd by French, who speak the language of their mother country. The Europeans who have possessed themselves of the coasts, have, in some measure, driven into the interior the old inhabitants of the country, among whom are the tribes called the Algonquins, the Hurons, the Illinois, and the Iroquois. They are still in what may be called a savage state ; but they are brave and high-spirited, and possess many ex- cellent qualities. /- THE UNITED STATES. TRACE the coast of the Atlantic Ocean from New Brunswick, situated at a little distance from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to the extremity of Florida; turn and trace in the same manner, the coast from the Gulf of Mexico to New Orleans, and you have the whole extent of the United States. The majo- rity of these States were formerly colonies founded by the English ; but, finding themselves oppressed by the mother country, they declared themselves independent. A war was the consequence : it com- menced in 1775, and was terminated in 1783, by- England acknowledging the independence of its late colonies. Since that time several new States hare been formed, and foreign colonies have been incor- ."! .5 Wa shington WASHINGTON. 189 porated ; for instance, Louisiana, which belonged to France, was purchased in 1803 ; and it is probable that the Floridas, which are subject to Spain, will soon form part of the United States. These vast countries were already very populous when the first shouts of liberty resounded through them; but since that period the population has in- creased fourfold. The principal cities are PHILA- DELPHIA, which contains nearly a hundred thou- sand inhabitants; BOSTON, which contains thirty thousand ; BALTIMORE, which contains thirty-five thousand ; CHARLESTOWN, which contains twenty- five thousand ; and NEW ORLEANS, which contains fifteen thousand inhabitants. WASHINGTON, the capital of all the States, is a new city, which yet only contains about five or six thousand inhabit- ants : it was built with a view of making it the seat of the Congress, or General Assembly, of the States, and the abode of the President, or head of the government. This city was named after General Washington, the first general and presi- dent of the Americans; a man equally illustrious for his virtues and talents. He commanded the triumphant arms of the republic, was placed at the head of its government, and, submissive to its laws, willingly retired again into the common class of citizens. 190 XORTH AMERICA. I need not describe to you the manners of the inhabitants of the United States ; they are the same as those of the Europeans from whom they derive their origin ; but the English manners and lan- guage predominate, because, as I told you, most of the States were founded by England. There is no nobility among these republicans; men are equal, not only in the eye of the law, but also in so- ciety. The authority which governs, together with fortune and talent, alone create distinctions between man and man. All religions are on a footing of equality. Trade and agriculture are encouraged, as the two grand bases of national prosperity. Behind this long and fcroad line of coast, there are immense forests, inhabited by some remnants of the old population; these *^ople subsist by fishing and hunting; they trade a little with the Euro- peans, but never enter into any intimate connexion with them. It is worthy of remark, that these old inhabitants always retire to a distance from the new comers, and allow them to occupy their settlements. They prefer their own manners to ours, and will not consent to receive from us any thing but arms, with which they destroy each other, and strong li- quors, which they drink till they kill themselves. The eastern part of America, as you have seen on the map, is washed by the Atlantic; the oppo- CALIFORNIA, MEXICO. 191 site coast on the South Sea, or Pacific Ocean, is far from presenting so agreeable a spectacle. From Beering' ) s Strait to the Gulf of Mexico, the coast and interior are occupied only by savage tribes, who exist by hunting and fishing. The Spaniards have, indeed, some settlements at CALIFORNIA, a long peninsula celebrated for its pearl fisheries; but the old inhabitants live almost like brutes, sleeping under trees during the summer, and dig- ging themselves holes for the winter. It is not till we arrive at MEXICO, that we again meet with men living in society. This vast coun- try is divided into two parts, called Old and New Mexico. NEW MEXICO is bounded on the east by Louisiana, one of the United States, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The population chiefly consists of Spaniards, who oppress the natives un- der their dominion, or drive them into the moun- tains and deserts. OLD MEXICO, which is also called NEW SPAIN, is enclosed between two seas, and marks the separation of North and South Ame- rica. This country is rich in corn, rice, maize, su- gar, wine, cotton, valuable dying woods, cochineal, and particularly cocoa, of which chocolate is made ; it also abounds in gold and silver mines. The capital bears the name of Mexico, which it received from the old inhabitants. It is one of the finest and 192 SOUTH AMERICA. wealthiest cities in the world ; and contains about one hundred thousand inhabitants. The manners of the people are completely Spanish. At the extremity of New Mexico is a narrow slip of land, which separates two seas. This is the Isthmus of Panama, and is the only way by which we can enter South America by land. SOUTH AMERICA. WE first meet with TERRA FIRMA, a country to which Columbus gave this name when he landed after his third voyage, because on his two preced- ing voyages he had discovered only islands. Ter- ra Firma is subject to Spain, as are also New Gra- nada and the province of Quito. These fine coun- tries, which are wealthy, notwithstanding the apa- thy of the Spaniards, are at present struggling to gain their independence, after the example of the United States. We now come to PERU, so celebrated for its gold mines. It extends along the coasts of the South Sea. This country, which is equally rich in the production of its soil as in the precious mine- rals enclosed in the bosom of the earth, exhibits Spanish civilization joined to a degree of luxury even greater than exists in Spain. LIMA, built at PEHU, BRAZIL. 193 about six miles from the sea, is the capital, and one of the most beautiful cities in the New World. The productions peculiar to this climate are the (jidnquina, or Peruvian bark, which is a powerful antidote to fever, Peruvian balm, cocoa, a species of sheep called vicunas, and another quadruped called the lama. When the cruel and barbarous Spaniards first proceeded to conquer and lay waste America, Peru was the only civilized nation existing in that part of the world. But the Peruvians were a peaceful and gentle people, and wanted the necessary arms to re- sist the brigands who came to pillage and massacre them. The descendants of these ancient people are now a M'eak and ignorant race, who support their slavery with a sort of listless apathy. Behind Peru, occupying an immense space, ex- tend BRAZIL and Portuguese GUYANA, which form the American possessions of the king of Portugal. But this tract of country is far from being so popu- lous as it might be ; the coasts alone present any thing like active population; the interior contains only some hamlets and villages belonging to the na- tives. It is probable that this immense desert will become more populous, now that the king of Por- tugal has quitted Europe to reside at the Brazils. 194 SOUTH AMERICA. He has established his court at Rio JANEIRO, a city containing sixty thousand inhabitants, which is now the capital. The title of capital was formerly given to BAHAIA, or SAX SALVADOR, which con- tains only twenty thousand souls. Brazil, a coun- try favoured by nature, wants only an active and numerous population to become extremely wealthy. It abounds in valuable woods for dying, ebony and Brazil wood, cocoa, sugar, balm, tobacco, indigo, vanilla, ginger, and cotton. It possesses mines of diamonds and other stones, which almost rival those of the East. The forests contain considerable num- bers of wild bulls, which are killed by thousands. merely for the sake of their skins and tongues. These wild bulls are not originally natives of Ame- rica ; the Europeans first transported them thither, and they have multiplied amazingly. The states of the king of Portugal contain the largest river in the world ; namely, the river Ama- zon. It springs from a lake in Peru, and falls into the Atlantic directly below the equator. The length of its course, with its windings, has been calculated at three thousand miles. It is stocked with turtle, crocodiles, sea-cows, and a great number of fish with which we are unacquainted. Its shores are almost barren, and are encumbered with thick BUENOS AY11ES. 195 forests. At certain intervals, tribes of natives are to be found. From the Brazils we pass to an immense extent of country which belongs to the Spaniards. It is bounded on the west by Peru ; on the south by Patagonia; on the East by the Atlantic and the Brazils. The traveller who arrives here by sea, penetrates into the interior by sailing up the river Plata. This river, next to the Amazon river, is the largest in South America, being one hundred and eighty miles broad at its mouth ; from thence to the city of BUENOS AYRES it re- tains the name of Plata, and afterwards takes that of Parana. After a considerable course, it is aug- mented by the waters of the Paraguay and the Uruguay. The distance between the confluence of the Paraguay and the Parana is nearly six hundred miles. Buenos Ayres, situated at about one hun dred and eighty miles from the mouth of the river, is one of the most important and beautiful cities in South America, containing about forty thousand inhabitants. Its situation is worthy of remark; on the north side flows the Plata, whose width ex- tends farther than the eye can reach; on the other side it is encompassed by vast plains, always ver- dant, which afford pasture for such numbers of cat- 196 SOUTH AMERICA. tie, that in no city in the world is meat so cheap and good as in Buenos Ayres. The skin of an ox is almost the only part that is paid for. We will proceed up the Plata, and afterwards up the Parana, to arrive at the point where the Paraguay falls into the latter river. The country which is wash- ed by the Paraguay, whose name it also bears, form- erly exhibited a singular spectacle. The Jesuits, al- ter having converted and civilized the natives, estab- lished a government, which effected for a most un- tractable people all that could be accomplished by united mildness, prudent foresight, and religion. The Jesuits converted the inhabitants into such Christians as might be compared to those of the pri- mitive ages. They were simple beings, who merely laboured to procure the first necessaries of life, and who willingly conformed to the regulations imposed on them by their religious rulers; but they have not made much advancement in civilization since that period. The only civilized people in this part of the world are the Europeans who have settled here. CHILI, as you ir rms a long line on the borders of the Pacific Ocean. This country is en- riched by the gifts of nature ; and not only possesses all the tropical fruits, (fruits peculiar to waini cli- CHILI, PATAGONIA. 197 mates,) but also every kind of grain, which multi- plies exceedingly. The hills are planted with vines affording excellent wine ; the plains contain a vast number of birds. They also contain an abund- ance of cattle, especially vicunas, or great sheep, whose wool is very valuable, and who serve for beasts of burden. The gold and silver mines are almost as rich as in Peru. Notwithstanding these advantages, the country is thinly peopled. The na- tives lead a wandering life, and elude as far as they are able, the yoke of the Spaniards. The Spani- ards themselves are not very numerous. Their principal towns are CONCEPTION, SANTIAGO, and BALDIVIA. Santiago contains about forty-five thousand inhabitants. Advancing onward to the extreme point of South America, we enter the country called Patagonia, or land of the Patagons. It is inhabited only by tribes of natives. Its name is derived from one of those tribes which excited the astonishment of the first Europeans who visited their country, and saw them running to and fro upon the coast. These savages, clad in the skins of the vicuna, or the goat, when seen at a distance and alone, appear like gi- ants. They are men of extraordinary tall stature ; the world does not contain another race that can be 198 SOUTH AMERICA. compared with them. They do not, however, pass the limits which nature has prescribed to the hu- man size. They are of very mild dispositions, and have given travellers no cause to complain of them they are called Patagons. At the extremity of Patagonia is the Strait of Magellan, which breaks the line of the continent ; beyond this Strait is Terr', del Fttego^ which sig- nifies the land of fire. ame will doubtless curiosity : hut the land of fire is like any other country. It received its name from Captain Magellan, who discovered it, and who, during the night, perceived seme flames occasioned either by a volcano, or by the fires of the natives- The cli- mate of this country is extremely cold, particularly in the rrountains. which seem condemned to a per- petur' The inhabitants harmonize, as one v.ild country. They are i ;i their appearance, fat, short, and ill-made ; they add to their natural ugliness by tattooing and painting even* part of their bodies. Some are print. :-i'd, others black, and some art striped like Zebras. The habitations indicate the povertv rod barbarity of those who con- structed them. A few branches of trees, fastened together, and covered with the skins of tL-- SOUTH AMERICA. 199 calf, form their dwellings. The furniture corre- sponds with the rest of the building ; the bladder of a fisfi contains their water, and their provisions are kept in a sort of basket. You have now attained a knowledge of the chief parts of the world ; which will prove of much assistance to you in the study of geography, and will enable you to profit by the lessons which your master may give you in this science. I am sure that what you already know has excited your cu- riosity, and inspired you with the desire of applying yourself, as soon as possible, to this study. When you are a few years older, I would advise you to read all the good accounts of travels which may be pointed out to you by well-informed people. This kind of reading has the two-fold advantage of being at once entertaining and instructive; by this means a person may easily acquire experience in a few hours. ISLANDS OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN. THE PACIFIC OCEAN, which is also called the South Sea, extends from America to Asia. Numbers ot islands are scattered over its surface ; the largest 200 NLW HOLLAND. are situated near Asia; and appear to be a prolonga- tion of that continent. The most extensive of these islands, and indeed, of any in die world, is NEW- HOLLAND. In size it may be compared to nearly the whole of Europe. In its vicinity are grouped, at different intervals, Borneo, Java, Celebes, Minda- nao, and Luconia, or Manilla, to the north-west : New Guinea, New Britain, and Ne\v Ireland, to the north; New Caledonia, and New Zealand, to the east ; and Van Diemen's Land to the south. New Holland, notwithstanding its great extent, contains but few inhabitants. Those navigators who have sailed near its coasts, have seen only wandering tribes ; nor is it known whether the interior is better peopled, as it has not hitherto been visited. Owing to the superabundance of European population, a new race of people is forming in this part of the world. The English have already formed an establishment in Botany Bay, or rather at Port Jackson, fifteen miles from Botany Bay. This establishment flou- rishes, and already contains about twenty thousand souls. Dependent upon this, there is another estab- lishment at Van Diemen's Island. The natives of the country are, as I have alreadv said, few in number. They are in a completely uncivilized NEW HOLLAND. 201 state, having no fixed abodes, and living in grottos on the sea-side, or in rudely formed huts, covered with bark ; while hunting and fishing are their only means of support. Before the arrival of the Europeans, they had scarcely any notion of the possibility of cultivating the soil. They are black, and have curly hair; but in other respects bear no resem- blance to the negroes. The soil of New Holland, at least that part near the coasts, previous to the establishment of the Europeans, did not produce any plant calculated for the support of man. Now, however, vegetation flourishes, more or less, in every season of the year. But the country does not exhibit the majesty of the old forests of Ame- rica, nor the variety and beauty of those of Asia, nor the freshness and life of those of Europe. Among the animals, there are dogs and wild cats ; but the most singular is the kangaroo, whose fore feet and head are extremely small, in proportion to the hind feet and body. We will notice only a few of the vast number of islands which lie between New Holland and Asia. Borneo first attracts our attention : next to New Holland, it is the largest of these islands; and is separated from Asia only by the Chinese Sea. Its coasts are inhabited by Malays, who are black, but 202 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. do not resemble the Negroes. The inhabitants of the interior are a different race : almost all are Mohammedans. The Dutch, English, and Chinese, have settlements and manufactories in this island. The island of Java is celebrated for the settle- ment which the Dutch have formed there, and for the city of Batavia, which contains one hundred and sixty thousand inhabitants, mostly Europeans. It is the centre of all the Dutch settlements in India, Under the name of the MOLI.UCCAS, or SPICG ISLANDS, are included all the islands situated be- tween Borneo and New Guinea : namely, Celebes or Macassar, Gilolo, Ceram, Auiboyna, Banda. Ti- mor, Ternate, Tydore, Mortir, Machian, and Ba- chian. The inhabitants of these islands are Mo- hammedans. The PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, to the east of Cochin- China, consist of ten large and ten small islands. They are inhabited by Indians of different races, and by Spaniards, to whom they in part belong. The principal Spanish settlement is at Manilla, in the island of Luconia, a city containing forty thou- sand inhabitants. The Spaniards also possess in these seas the Marian Islands, which lie to the east, NEW GUINEA, ADMIRALTY ISLES. 203 and almost parallel with, the Philippine group ; they have also some settlements in the Carolinas, situated to the south of the Marian Islands. But all these islands, from their position and the customs of the inhabitants, may be said properly to belong to Asia. New Holland stands alone, and seems to form the connecting link between the islands that lie nearest to America and those on the coast of Asia. New Guinea, which borders on, and almost touches, the Molluccas, is worthy of remark for its size, which almost equals that of the Island of Borneo. Its inhabitants, who are black, and have flat noses, thick lips, and woolly hair, are a race of Negroes. At a little distance, is the Archi- pelago of the ADMIRALTY ISLANDS, inhabited by people of a yellow colour, having black and woolly hair, but not flat noses. Generally speaking, the numerous islands of the Pacific Ocean have ob- tained their population from a course of different events ; the inhabitants do not derive their origin from a common source. As we proceed towards America we meet with different complexions and different manners. Here the inhabitants are cop- per-coloured, and bear so much resemblance to the American Indians, that it may be presumed they have descended from them. The light canoes of 204 CONCLUSION. the Indians inhabiting the American coasts have perhaps occasionally been dispersed and driven out to sea by storms ; and thus the islands situated near the coast of America may have been peopled. Here, my dear children, we must stop. Our journey has been sufficiently long, and it is now time to rest. If you wish to derive improvement from your travels, you must at some future time resume them. Take your maps, and again trace the course we have just pursued : this is the best method for fixing in your memory the situation of different countries. THE END. Printed by S. & R. BENTLEY, Dorset-street, Fleet-street, London. atorllcr.