the Atlantic O. Its chief river is the Surinam; and the capital, Paramaribo, stands on the river Surinam near which is Amsterdam.

FRENCH GUIANA is separated from Brazil or the E. by the R. Oyapok. It is a penal settlement, of which the capital is Cayenne (on the island of Cayenne). to which prisoners from France have been deported since the great revolution.

The coast-line of the whole of Guiana is low and unwholesome, but exceedingly fruitful: the interio rises towards the S. The productions of all the three districts are the same.

ECUADOR.

BOUNDARIES.-On the N., by Granada.

On the E.,

by Brazil. On the S., by Peru. On the W., by the Pacific O. The area is 290,000 sq. miles. The popu lation about one million, of whom half are Indians. MOUNTAINS.-The E. portion is part of the upper valley of the Amazon. The Andes are situated to the W., rising in the volcanic peak of Cotopaxi to 18,00 ft., in Chimborazo to 21,500 ft., and in Pichinca to 16,000 ft.

RIVERS. These include the feeders of the Amazon, the Pastasa, Napo, Putumayo, and Japura.

TOWNS.-Quito, under the Equator, on the E. side of Pichinca, 9,500 ft. above the sea; Loxa and Cuenca, from which Peruvian (Cinchona) bark is exported: Riobamba, near Mt. Chimborazo; Guayaquil is a seaport; Ibarra is in the interior.

GENERAL REMARKS.—The Galapagos Isles, 650 miles to the W. of the coast, belong to Ecuador, and are of volcanic origin.

VENEZUELA.

BOUNDARIES.-On the N., by the Caribbean S. On the E., by Guiana (British). On the S., by Brazil. On the W., by Granada. The whole comprises an area of 420,000 sq. miles, occupied by a population of 1 millions.

MOUNTAINS.-In the S. are the Sa. Parime.

The N.

is occupied by the Llanos of the Orinoco, which are extensive plains covered with grass after the wet season, and abounding in wild cattle.

RIVERS.—The drainage of the country is effected by the R. Orinoco and its tributaries (Guaviare, Meta, Arauca, Guanaparo, &c.)

TOWNS.-The capital is Caraccas, nearly destroyed by an earthquake in 1812. Besides are,-Maracaibo, Cumana, Barcelona, Guayra, on the coast; and Truxillo, Merida, and St. Thomas, in the interior.

GENERAL REMARKS.-The climate is tropical, and the productions include cocoa, coffee, tobacco, indigo, cotton, hides, tallow, fustic (dye).

NEW GRANADA.

BOUNDARIES. -On the N., by the Caribbean S. On the E., by Venezuela. On the S., by Ecuador. On the W., by the Pacific O. The whole comprises an area of 520,000 sq. miles.

MOUNTAINS. These include the Andes, on the W., with their famous desert table-lands or paramos. In the S.E. are the Llanos.

RIVERS.-The rivers between the Andes and the Pacific are short and rapid. In the N. are the Magdalena, with its tributary the Cauca; and the Atrate, flowing into the G. of Darien. The E. is drained by the feeders of the Orinoco and Amazon, viz.,-the Umadea, Guaviare, Japura, and Putumayo.

TOWNS.-Bogota, the capital and seat of a University, on a plain 9,000 ft. above the sea level; Popayan and Antioquia, with gold fields; Santa Marta, Cartagena, Portobello, Sabanilla, and Hondo, on the coast.

GENERAL REMARKS.-The population is about 2 millions. The productions vary according to the vertical elevation from the tropical at the sea level to those of cold temperate at great elevations, and include maize, yams, plaintain, cocoa, coffee, tobacco, &c. The principal exports are cocoa, coffee, sugar, indigo.

P

tobacco, hides, and cotton. The minerals include gold, precious stones, coal, &c.

PERU.

BOUNDARIES.-On the N., by Ecuador.

On the E.,

by Brazil and Bolivia. On the S., by Chili. On the W., by the Pacific O. The country is 1,160 miles long, but of very narrow width in the S., occupying an area of 520,000 sq. miles, inhabited by 2 million souls.

MOUNTAINS. These occupy one-half of the surface, in the E. and W. Andes; the table-land between the Andes is one of the highest in the world. On the E. and W. are plains, the former covered with the forests of the Amazon, (selvas) the latter are mostly desert.

RIVERS.-There are no rivers on the W., those on the E. being the feeders of the Amazon (Ucayali, Apurimac, and Marano).

TOWNS.-Lima, the capital, with Callao for its port; Arequipa, near Arequipa Volcano; Arica, giving its name to the G. of the same name, whence the metals are mostly exported; Cuzco is on the table-land, 11,500 ft. high; Pasco, famous for its mines; and Huancabelica, famous for its quicksilver; Truxillo, a seaport; and Caxamarca, 9,000 ft. high.

GENERAL REMARKS.- Rain seldom falls W. of the Andes, as those mountains condense all the moisture out of the Trades. The productions depend upon the elevation, and include maize, cotton, sugar, dye-woods, and cinchona bark; the minerals are very important, especially the metals-gold, silver, and mercury. Off the coast are the Isles of Chinca and Lobos, whence guano is exported. The exports are silver, copper, saltpetre, guano, Peruvian bark, wool, chinchilla furs, &c.; most goods being embarked and disembarked by means of rafts, as the shore is dangerous to shipping.

CHILI OR CHILE.

BOUNDARIES.-This is a long (1,200 miles) narrow

On

(100-200 miles) slip of country bounded on the E., by the S. Andes. On the W., by the Pacific. the N., by Bolivia. On the S., by Patagonia. The area is 180,000 sq. miles, and the population 1,600,000. Off the coast are the islands of Chiloe and Juan Fernandez.

MOUNTAINS. These are the S. Andes, containing the most elevated peak in S. America, Aconcagua, 24,000 ft. high; there are but four passes over these, and they exceed 10,000 ft. in elevation.

RIVERS.-There are no rivers in Chili, owing to the narrowness of the country and want of rain.

TOWNS.-Capital-Santiago, with Valparaiso for its port; Concepcion, with Talcahuano for its port; and Copiapo, with Caldera for its port; Coquimbo.

GENERAL REMARKS.-Chili forms one of the Rainless districts of the globe in the N. and middle part (Desert of Atacama). The productions include maize and other cereals; fruits (olives, grapes, figs, &c.); potatoes, and flax. The minerals include gold, silver, and copper, worked in the N. The exports are the metals dug, cereals, hides, tallow, and guano.

PATAGONIA.

BOUNDARIES.-On the N. it is separated from La Plata by the R. Negro. On the E. is the S. Atlantic, and on the W. the S. Pacific. The islands of Tierra del Fuego and Staten Isle are separated from the mainland by the St. of Magellan and St. Le Maire. On the E. coast are the G. of San Matias, and G. of St. George; on the W., the G. of Penas and Wellington I. The total area is 360,000 sq. miles, inhabited by nomad Indian hunters.

MOUNTAINS.-These are the S. Andes, which rise precipitously out of the sea at C. Horn, increasing in elevation (3,000-8,000 ft.) towards the N., and containing many volcanic peaks.

RIVERS. None of any size or importance.

TOWNS.-There are no towns as the inhabitants

subsist by hunting the wild cattle, horses, and American ostriches.

The

GENERAL REMARKS.-Whale and seal fishing are <argely carried on along the S. and W. coasts. E. part of the country is sandy desert, but the W. very moist, owing to the condensation of the moisture of the winds blowing over the Pacific by the Andes. C. Horn is a bold precipice 600 ft. high, in Hermit Isle, the most southerly part of America.

LA PLATA, OR THE ARGENTINE CONFEDERATION. BOUNDARIES. On the N., by Bolivia. On the F., by Brazil, Paraguay (separated by the R. Paraguay), Brazil and Uruguay (separated by the R. Uruguay), and the S. Atlantic. On the S., by the R. Negro. On the W., by the S. Andes. The total area is 900,000 sq. miles, inhabited by 1,200,000 souls. Most of the country is occupied by the treeless, grass covered plains of the Pampas with thistleries in many parts, swept by the Pamperos hurricanes.

MOUNTAINS.-The S. Andes, to the W.

RIVERS.-These are, the Negro and Colorado, on the S., besides the Parana and Paraguay, and their tributaries (the Dulce, Salado, Vermejo, and Pilcomayo).

TOWNS.-Buenos Ayres, the capital, at the head of the estuary of the Rio de la Plata. On the Parana R. are,-Rosario, Parana, and Corrientes. Besides are,- Catamarca and Tucuman, in the N.W.; Salta, in the N.; Cordova, in the centre; San Juan and Mendoza, on the Mts.

GENERAL REMARKS.-The government is a Federal Republic of 14 States. The N. part forms the desert of Gran Chaco; the S. and E. are pasture, from which are exported bones, horse hair, hides, tallow, wool, cattle rearing being the most important industry. W. of the R. Dulce is the Salt Desert of Los Salinas, and on the Andes is the Table-land of Desplobado.

The lasso hunters of the Pampas are known as the