Benguela, and is closely watched by British cruisers employed in keeping down the slave traffic. SOUDAN, or NIGRITIA, or the land of the Blacks, lies S. of the Sahara, N. of Guinea, and E. of Senegambia, having the Kong MOUNTAINS, and Cameroons in the S. The principal RIVER is the Quorra, or Niger, or Joliba, with its tributaries the Sirba, Rima, and Benue or Chadda. In the W. is L. Debo, in the E., L. Tchad; the latter (fed by the Kamgdugi, Yeou, and Shary), is 200 miles long by 140 broad, but varying in size according to the season. The largest centres of population are,- Sego, Timbuctoo (caravan centre), Sokoto, Kano, and Yacoba. The religions are Mahommetanism and Fetishism. ISLANDS OF AFRICA.-These are, Portuguese, (Madeira, Funchal, C. Verd Is., off the W. coast, and Principe and St. Thomas in the G. of Guinea). Spanish (the Canary Is. off the W. coast, and Annabon and Fernando Po in the G. of Guinea). French-(Bourbon, S.W. of the Mauritius, with its dependant islets; Sante Marie, near Madagascar, &c.) British (Ascension, St. Helena, in the Atlantic, Mauritius, Rodriguez, Seychelles, Amirante, and Chagos Is. E. of Madagascar, and Perim in the G. of Aden). Independent. Madagascar, separated from the mainland by the Mozambique Channel, 980 miles long from N. to S. or from C. Amber to C. St. Mary, with Tananarivo in the interior for its native capital, and Tamatave on the E. coast for its largest commercial town. The Continent of America is divided into North America; Central America; the West Indies; and South America, which are again arbitrarily divided into countries, states, &c. The whole continent is 9,800 miles long, and has an extreme breadth of 3,000 miles from E. to W., including an area of 151⁄2 million sq. miles. AMERICAN MOUNTAIN SYSTEMS. 1. The APPALACHIAN chains on the eastern side of the United States comprise the parallel ranges of the Blue Ridge, Shenandoah Ridge, and Alleghany Mountains, running N. and S.; besides the Green and Whits Mountains. The highest peak is Mount Washington, 6,600 ft. 2. The PACIFIC System includes the Rocky Mountains, Mexican Mountains, and Andes, running N. to S. for nearly 10,000 miles, and consisting of two or more principal mountain axes, with table-lands between them. The Rocky Mountains run for 3,000 miles in two parallel chains, and stretch from the Arctic Ocean in the N. to the Mexican table-land in the S., having two parallel chains in the W. The principal peaks are,Mt. Brown and Mt. Hooker, each about 16,000 ft. In the N. is Mt. St. Elias, 17,000 ft. -- The Andes of New Granada, Quito, Peru, Bolivia, Chili, and Patagonia, are marked in many places by Knots where different ranges converge, these being the centre of disturbance from which the subterranean forces have rent and upheaved the crust in various directions. 3. Besides are,-the Mountains of Brazil, including the chains of Acaray and Parimè. The following are some of the principal peaks in South America :Aconcagua, 23,000; Chimborazo, 21,400; Cotopaxi, 18,800; Antisana, 19,700; Cayembe, 19,600. AMERICAN VOLCANOES.-These form interrupted Volcanic Bands through the length of the western side of the continent, and include 1. Chilian Band, 700 miles long, with 20 volcanic peaks, of which the highest is Aconcagua. 2. After a break of 540 miles, we have the Peru and Bolivian Volcanic Band, 360 miles long, with 12 volcanic peaks, of which Mt. Viego is 20,000 feet in height. 3. After 800 miles we have the Quito Volcanic 1 Band, 2,000 long, containing Cotopaxi, 19,000 feet in height. 4. The Bands now divide into an eastern fork, connecting the Andes with the West Indies; and, 5. The Guatemala groups, 400 miles in length, and containing 38 volcanic peaks, of which Mt. Coseguina is the highest. 6. These are continued in the Mexican Band, with Popocatepetl, 18,000 feet high. This comprises British North America, the United States, Mexico, Russian America, and Greenland. BRITISH AMERICA.-MOUNTAINS. The principal are-the Rocky Mts., from which the land slopes off into Hudson's B., the N. Atlantic, and Arctic Oceans. On the N. border of Canada are,-Wotchish Hills, about 1,200 ft. high, ending in the Table-land of Labrador. There are also elevations of about 2,000 ft. in New Brunswick, the N. portion of which consists of a table-land. In British Columbia is the Cascade |