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valley of the Nile, which are the only parts that are of much value, is uncommonly fertile, consisting of black unctuous mould, deposited from time to time by the river.

Produce, &c.-The vegetable productions of the country are extremely numerous. Some of the principal are rice, wheat, barley, doura, tobacco, flax, sugar-cane, indigo, and cotton, with various kinds of fruit. Besides the common domestic animals, there are crocodiles and hippopotamuses. These, however, are now confined almost entirely to Upper Egypt.

Population. The amount of the population is uncertain; but it is supposed to be about two millions and a half. Of these, about a quarter of a million are Kopts, who are descended from the ancient inhabitants; and the rest are principally of Arabian origin, with some Turks, Jews, and Greeks.

Government.-Egypt is governed by a pasha, appointed by the Grand Seignior.*

Commerce. The greater part of the trade of Egypt is carried on by caravans, which travel to Abyssinia, Barbary, Syria, and other places. The present pasha has been endeavouring to increase the commerce with Europe, and has latterly been export ing considerable quantities of cotton.

Learning, &c.-This country was greatly celebrated, in ancient times, for the progress of its inhabitants in the arts and sciences.

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The flocks overspreading the plain, add animation to the landscape. Egypt now forms one delightful garden, though somewhat monotonous in its character. On all hands, it presents nothing but a plain, bounded by whitish mountains, and diversified here and there with clumps of palms. In the opposite season, this same country exhibits nothing but a brown soil, either miry, or dry, hard, and dusty; im mense fields laid under water, and vast spaces unoccupied and void of culture; plains in which the only objects to be seen are date-trees; camels and buffaloes led by miserable peasants, naked and sunburnt, wrinkled and lean; a scorching sun, a cloudless sky, and constant winds varying in force. It is not, therefore, surprising that travel. lers have differed in their physical delineations of this country.'

After that

* The pasha had formerly only nominal power; the real authority
belonging to the Mameluke beys, who ruled the country as they
chose, and sometimes even dismissed the pasha. The Mamelukes,
who were originally military slaves, purchased by the caliphs to form
their body guards, and whose numbers were kept up by new pur
chases, suffered severely from the late French invasion.
event, a pasha of determined spirit was appointed, who treacherously
put most of the Mameluke chiefs to the sword. The rest of the body
fled to Nubia, and were driven from thence to Darfoor; and hence,
this body is for ever removed from Egypt. The government is now
like that of other Turkish provinces, the pasha usually paying a tribute
to the Grand Seignior, but in other respects yielding only a nominal
subjection.

› at present a kind of college in Cairo, in which instruce delivered on grammar and astrology, and on the docMohammedanism, which is the established religion. ntry, however, is destitute of any knowledge of real

ities.-Egypt displays numerous and striking remains of art and greatness. The principal of these are pyramids, os, sphinxes, obelisks, and the ruins of many beautiful and other buildings.*

e are numerous pyramids in different places; but the most le are those of Djizeh, near Cairo. These are composed of erected on square bases, and taper almost to a point. The ular height of the first is 477 feet, and each side of its base t. In the second, the like dimensions are 456 and 684 feet. e first of these vast masses covers the space of nearly twelve the second nearly ten acres and three quarters. From late ons of their interior, it seems to be fully established that erected as sepulchres for the early kings. They contain em large apartments, one of which has been found to be 66 and 27 wide. It is remarkable, that in six pyramids which opened, the principal passage is directed towards the aving an inclination of 26° to the horizon. It is also rethat their faces are turned with precision towards the north, t, and west points of the horizon; and hence it appears, very early period, the ancient Egyptians must have made gress in practical astronomy. Catacombs, or subterranean the dead, are found in several places; but the most reare those near the site of Thebes, in Upper Egypt. Some are thought to have been formed between three and four years before the present time. They consist of subterranean nd chambers, cut in the sides of the mountains, at different ove the adjacent plain. They exhibit numerous hierogly1 are adorned with many paintings, which often display ellence in their execution, and which still retain their coand good. Those intended for the remains of the Theban were peculiarly spacious and magnificent; and each of tained a sarcophagus or stone coffin, of great magnitude, ese coffins that has been examined, consists of a mass of xteen feet long, six broad, and eight high; and has a lid of lock of stone, adorned with the effigy of a king. The forthese catacombs, arose from an opinion entertained by the gyptians, that if the body were preserved from dissolution, again, after the lapse of five or six thousand years, be anithe soul. On this account, also, they embalmed the bodies ed in such a manner, that little change was made in the e and figure; and many of them remain, even at the present high state of preservation. These mummies, as they are e now procured with considerable difficulty, as the more

situated south of Nubia, between the seventh and ff. teenth degrees of north latitude; but its boundaries are very fluctuating and uncertain.

Towns. The chief towns are GONDAR,* Axum, Dixan, and Antalé.

Climate.-Abyssinia is in general an elevated country; and hence, except in low valleys, the heat is less than in Nubia and Egypt. The wet season continues from June till September, at which time the rains fall in torrents, and are often accom panied by thunder and dreadful hurricanes.

Produce. The principal produce is wheat, barley, maize, and various tropical fruits, with numerous perfumes.

Animals. Besides lions, panthers, and leopards, which are common over most of Africa; there are rhinoceroses, hyenas, hippopotamuses, and crocodiles, with great numbers of black cattle, and other domestic animals.

Government. The government is a despotic monarchy. Religion. The religion is nominally Christianity, but in most corrupted state; being mixed with many Jewish, Moham medan, and Pagan absurdities.

Character, &c.-The people are barbarous and depraved in their manners, and disgusting in all their habits.†

Historical Sketch.-One of the earliest events recorded by the Abyssinians in their annals, is the visit of their sovereign, the queen of Sheba or Ethiopia, to Solomon. By him she had son, from whom the Abyssinians say that their monarchs at the present time are descended. It was overrun by the Egyptians in the reign of Ptolemy Euergetes, and by the Romans in the reign of Augustus. Neither, however, made any permanent settlement in the country. Christianity was introduced from b Egypt, in the year 330. Since that time, there have been various wars with the Moors, the kingdom of Adel, and other adjoining states; and there have been many internal commotions and several revolutions. The history of these, however, is of little general importance.

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* Gondar, the capital, is said by Bruce to contain 10,000 families, and a hundred Christian churches.

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+ Bruce's statement, that they eat raw flesh just cut from the living animal, has been controverted. It is certain, however, that they often feed on raw flesh, with recent blood for sauce. In their punishments they are excessively severe; and prisoners taken in war are with the greatest barbarity.

BARBARY.

ation.-Barbary extends from Egypt to the Atand from the Mediterranean to Sahara.*

A large proportion of the country, particularly the arts and the seacoasts, has a fine, mild, salubrious cliIn the southern parts, however, and in Barca, the heat excessive.t

Much of the country is remarkably fertile: but some rticularly most of Barca, are barren deserts.

e-Some of the chief productions are wheat, barley, orn, rice, hemp, flax, cotton, tobacco, sugar-cane, and

s.-Barbary contains most of the animals found in xcept the rhinoceros, the hippopotamus, the zebra, the ■rd, and several kinds of monkeys.‡

country lies between 10° of west and 30° of east longitude,
een 28° and 37° of north latitude. Its length is about
s, and its breadth varies between a little more than 100 and
O miles.

nildness of the climate is produced partly by its vicinity to
nd partly by the refreshing breezes from the snowy summits
tlas mountains. In the southern provinces, a suffocating
ed the shoom or sioom, from Sahara, is often felt for one, two,
ree weeks, about the beginning of September. Such is the
his, that the ground is so heated as to render it almost im-
o walk upon it; and the people retire to subterranean apart-
ground stories, sprinkling the floors and walls with water and
nd eating nothing but fruits. Over all Barbary, from March
nber, scarcely a cloud is to be seen, and scarcely a shower
, during the rest of the year, there is rarely a day during
sun is not at least occasionally visible. The plague some-
duces dreadful effects in various parts of this country.
camels of Barbary are extremely useful.. Of these, the
camel of the desert, is far the most valuable; sometimes sell-

Population. The amount of the population is unknown; let it is so small, that the country could support four or five times the number. The inhabitants are composed chiefly of Turks, Moors, Arabs, Jews, Negroes, and Berebbers.*

Government, &c.In all the states of Barbary, the gover. ment is of the most despotic kind; justice is badly administered; and punishments are excessively severe.

Religion. The religion is Mohammedanism, of a less rigid character than in Turkey.

Character, &c.-The inhabitants of this country are repre sented by European writers as being treacherous, deceitful, and addicted to falsehood; and they are remarkable for their hatred and contempt of Christians, and others who differ from them i religion.

Historical Sketch.-One of the most remarkable events in the ancient history of this part of the world, was the overthrow of Carthage by the Romans, who thus made themselves master of a great part of the north of Africa, and held it till its inve sion by the Vandals in the fifth century. These barbarians succeeded in conquering all the Roman provinces in this coun

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ing for as much as two hundred common camels. An instance is recorded, in which one of these arrived in seven days at Senegal, from Mogadore, a distance, including the windings of the road, of 1000 1100 miles; thus travelling, for so long a period, at the rate of 150 miles a day: and, on another occasion, a Moor of Mogadore set out F in the morning for Morocco, at the distance of 100 miles, and returned Cons on the same animal in the evening of the same day. The following is the expressive description of the swiftness of this animal, given by the Arabs of Barbary: "When you meet a heirie, and say to the rider, Salem alik (peace be with you), he is out of sight before he can return the alik salem; for he flies like the wind."

* The Turks, who are the least numerous, are in general an abadoned race, a great part of them being pirates and fugitives from Turkey. At the same time, as they consider themselves masters of the country, they are haughty and overbearing to all others. The Moors and Jews are the descendants of those who were expelled from Spain. The towns and cultivated plains are chiefly occupied by the former. The Arabs are partly the descendants of those who over ran the country at the commencement of Mohammedanism, and partly recent settlers from Sahara; and those of both kinds lead a nomade or wandering life, moving from place to place with their tents and cattle. The Jews are subjected to the most severe treat. ment, though they practise various trades, are the most useful class of the people, and possess the greatest degree of information. They are tolerated in the exercise of their religion; but are not allowed to possess lands, to wear a sword, to ride a horse, or to leave the country without special permission.

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