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ISLANDS BELONGING TO SOUTH AMERICA.

Juan Fernannez. THESE shall be traced from the west towards the east. The desert isles of Galapagos have already been mentioned in the account of Polynesia, or the islands in the Pacific; and that of St. Felix is of no consequence. The isle of Juan Fernandez, so called from the first discoverer, is only about four leagues in length, with an anchoring place on the northern coast, which is diversified with many beautiful kinds of trees. The southern part is precipitous and barren; but there are some hills of a red earth approaching to vermillion. Many antiscorbutic plants are found on Juan Fernandez, which is celebrated in the voyage of Anson.

There are two remarkable archipelagos towards the southern extremity of this continent. That styled the gulf of Chonos, or the archipelago of Guaytecas; and that called the gulf of the Holy Trinity, or the archipelago of Toledo.

Criloe. The most remarkable isle in the former is that of Chiloe, about 140 British miles in length by thirty in breadth, but al most divided in the middle by bays or creeks. The chief harbour is Chacao on the north, and at Calbuco there is a corrigidor, nominated by the president of Chili: there are also two monasteries and a church. The isle of Chiloe is said to be well peopled with Spaniards, mulattoes, and converted savages. In the second archipelago, which approaches the antarctic frosts, is the island of St. Martin, in which there seem to be some Spanish settlements or factories: and not far to the south begins that broken series of wintery islands, called the Terra del Fuego, from two or more volcanoes, which vomit flames amidst the dreury wastes of ice.

Terra Nel Fuego. In the map of La Cruz the Terra del Fuego is divided by narrow straits into eleven islands of considerable size. In their zeal for natural history, Sir Joseph Banks and Doctor Solander had nearly perished amidst the snows of this horrible land; but they found a considerable variety of plants. The natives are

Ullca, ii. 264.

of a middle stature, with broad flat faces, high cheeks, and fltt noses, and they are clothed in the skins of seals. The villages <oasiit of miserable huts in the form of a sugar loaf: and the only food seems to be shell fish. This dreary region is not however so completely oppressed by winter, as has by soine been imagined, the vales being often verdant, and enlivened with brooks, while a few trees adorn the sides of the hills. The isle called Statenland is divided from the Terra del Fuego by the strait of Le Maire. Here also Captain Cook observed wood and verdure. So much more severe is the cold in the antarctic region, that these countries only in lat. 55°, or that of the north of England, are more frozen than Lapland, in lat. 70°.

FALKLAND ISLE, Or MALOUINS. To the north-east are the islands called Falkland by the English, but by the French Malouins, from the people of St. Maloes whom they esteemthe first discoverers.* In 1763 the French having lost Canada, turned their attention towards these islands, as an American settlement in another quarter; and the account of Bougainville's voyage for that purpose, published by Pernety, contains ample details concerning these islands. There are two of considerable size, each about forty miles square. The soil and climate do not appear to be laudable, but there is a considerable variety of fowls and fish; and the plants seem somewhat to resemble those of Canada. The walruss, and other animals of the seal kind, frequent the shores. In 1764 Commodore Byron was sent to take possession of these islands, which were undoubtedly first discovered by the English; and a little establishment was made at a place called Port Egmont, but being found of little or no value they were in a few years ceded to Spain. The soil is marshy, and even in summer there are perpetual storms: and the Spaniards seem only to retain a small factory on the north.

Georgia. In this department may also be arranged, an island of considerable size to the south-east of the Falkland islands, discovered by La Roche in 1675, and afterwards named Georgia by Captain Cook, who explored it with some attention in 1775. It may be called a land of ice, presenting rocks and mountains of that substance, while the vales, destitute of trees or shrubs, are clothed with eternal snow; the only vegetables being a coarse species of grass- burntts, and lichens. The rocks are of blackish horizontal slate, perhaps approaching to hornblende. The lark, a hardy and universal bird, appears here as well as at Hudson's Bay, and there are numbers of large penguins and seals. Still further to the south-east are, if possible, more dreary lands, more properly styled the southern Thu'e, than the Sandwich islands, a name already bestowed on a very different country. These

The name of Falkland is said to have been given by Captain Srrahan in 1639, probably in honour of Viscount Falkland. From Peruety's account p. 226, there is little herbage except on the north-east and east, the southern antarctic winds being extremely cold. The rocks art of quartz, with some pyrites and marks of copper. Grey and reddish slate is common, with rtd and yellow ochres.

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islands may be styled the southern throne of winter, being a mass of black rocks covered with ice and snow.

Among the few islands to the east of South America, may be mentioned that of Ascension or Trinidada, and that of Ferdinando Noronha; that of Saremburg may also be regarded as an American isle, while Tristan da Cunha rather belongs to Africa.

AFRICA.

EXTENT. ORIGINAL INHABITANTS. PROGRESSIVE GEOGRAPHY. RELIGION.-CLIMATE.-RIVERS.-MOUNTAINS. DESERTS.

EXTENT. THIS continent is, after Asia and America, the third in size; but in political and ethical estimation is the last and meanest of the four great divisions of the earth. From the southern extremity to the Mediterranean are about seventy degrees of latitude of 4200 geographical miles. The breadth, from 18° west to 51° east, may be assumed on the equator at 414C geographical miles. The name is supposed to have spread by degrees from a small province, in the north, over the rest of the continent.

Original Population. In the central parts on the south the population appears to be indigenous and peculiar, these being the native regions of the negroes, whose colour, features, and hair, distinguish them from all the other races of mankind. In the northern parts there have been many successions of inhabitants, the Egyptians and Abyssinians being of Arabian extract; while further to the west the Carthaginians passed from Syria: and according to Sallust, who refers to Punic manuscripts, other maritime parts were peopled by the Medes, Persians, and Armenians. Yet his derivations seem rather fanciful; and there is little certainty except with regard to the Carthaginians. The original inhabitants of the northern parts appear to have been, in all ages, radically distinct from the ncgroe race, from whom they were divided by the great desert of Zaara; and in the eastern parts the latter were yet further repelled, by the Arabian colony which settled in Abyssinia.* These northern inhabitants sent

* Other ancient Arabian colonies seem to have penetrated far to the south, and are traced in Madagasgar and the opposite shores. The name Kafferi or Untelievert, is vague, and ought to be discontinued.

The actual population of Africa cannot excc«d thirty millions; or perhaps even twonty.

considerable colonies into Spain; and from the Roman historians if appears that they had made some little progress in the arts of life. Even Herodotus is no stranger to these two distinct races of mankind.

The Romans appear to have explored the north of Africa as far as the river Nigir; and they established flourishing colonies in many parts. Upon the fall of their empire the Vandals of Spain passed into Africa, A. D. 429, and established a kingdom which lasted till A. D. 535. In the following century the Mahometan Arabs subdued the north of Africa; and under the name of Moors constitute a great part of the present population. There have been recently discovered in the interior some nations or tribes of a copper colour, with lank hair; but the geography of this country is too imperfect to admit of precise illustration of these topics.

Progressive Geograpry. The progressive geography of this continent might supply topics for a long and interesting disser tation. Herodotus, whose African geography has been amply illustrated by Rennell, was no stranger to the northern parts, from Mount Atlas in the west to the Ethiopians above Egypt; and specially mentions the great central river or Nigir, as running towards the east. Concerning the voyage of Hanno the Carthaginian, the learned have not agreed; and far less concerning the voyage said to have been performed by the orders of Neeho king of Egypt. Suffice it here to observe, that Rennell supposes the ancient knowledge of the African shores to have extended to Sherboro Sound, to the south of Sierra Leone; while M. Gossellin restricts that knowledge to the cape and river of Nun, which he supposes to be the Nia of Ptolemy. Of the two opinions that of Rennell has certainly a greater claim to probability; but perhaps the truth may be in the middle, and the knowledge of Ptolemy may expire at Cape Blanco, or perhaps be extended to Cape Verd. D'Anville supposes that the mountains called the Chariot of the Cods were those of Sierra Leone; thus coinciding with Rennell.f

Recherches sur la Geographie des AncietH. Paris, 1798, 4to. These twp volumes only relate to the geography of Africa.

From Gossclin's Kecherches, i. 129, it may bo inferred that in Ptolemy's maps the rivers Subos, Salathos, and Chusarios, are repetitions of Subur, Sala, and Gusa, and the town Salathos of Sala. This seems incontrovertible; but there do not appear to be any other repetitions. The projection of Arsinariun, and its position with respect to the Canaries, indicate Cape Bojador. The three rivers that follow seem to be these of del Ouro, St. Cyprian, :md some smaller stream; and it is probable that the White (by some tailed Black) mountains are the Chariot of the Gods, while the ancients did not pass the bold promontory of Cape Blanco, within which the sea makes a rVces», as expressed by Ptolemv. Supposing Atlns Major to be near Cape Geor, where that great range really terminates, it will embrace about one third of the ancient knowledge (Ptolemy's map) which could not thus extend beyond Cape Blanco.

The ancient nautical observations of mountains, &c. were not restricted, as in modern times, to the mere coasts, but embraced lofty inland mountains, aud other striking objects within view. The Sailing Directions for the coast of Africa, 1799, mention, p. 15, a remarkable peak to the south of Cape Bojador; and the prodigious roaring of the sea, produced by the shooting of the streams against each other, and which begins (ib. p. 1C.) not far to the north

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