2. A great part of it consists of immense steppes or eievated sandy deserts; though it contains some very fertile districts.

3. The Caspian sea, which lies on the west, is upwards of 600 miles in length, and the sea or lake of Aral, 250. They have no communication with the ocean, and their waters are salt.

4. The two principal rivers are the Jihon and the Sir or Sihon.

5. The inhabitants consist of various tribes of Tartars, as the Us'becks, Kir'ghises, Cal'mucs, Turcomans, &c., who are Mahometans, and a great part of whom lead a wandering and pastoral life.

6. Bukharia or Bok'ara, styled by the Orientals the Sci entific, the capital city of Great Bukharia, is noted as a seat of Mahometan learning.

7. Samarcand', a city now almost in ruins, is famous in history, as the capital of the great conqueror Tamerlane or Timur Bec, whose tomb is still to be seen here

1. Persia formerly extended from the river Tigris on the west, to the Indus ou the east; but it is now much reduced in size, as large countries in the eastern part have been separated from it; and considerable districts in the northwest have been annexed to Russia.

2. It is generally an elevated and mountainous country, having few rivers, and much of it suffers for want of water. The middle and southern parts are almost entirely destitute of trees.

3. Nearly one third of the country has been computed to consist of deserts, salt lakes, and marshes, and another third of barren mountains.

2. What is said of the surface? 3 Seas or lakes? 4. Rivers? 5. Inhabitants? 6. What is said of Bukharia? 7. Samarcand?

PERSIA.-1. What is said of the extent of Persia ?

2. What is said of the country? 3. What proportion of it is covered with deserts and mountains?

See Map No. IX. and X.- How is Tartary bounded? What sea lies west of it?

Where is the sea or lake of Aral? What rivers flow into it'
What mountains are between Independent Tartary and Chinese
Tartary? How is Bukharia situated? Samarcand' Tash-
kund? What towns are on the Sihon? The Sir?

4. Several of the deserts are of great extent; and the Great Salt Desert, in the central part, is more than 300 miles in length.

5. The soil of the parts that are well watered is very fertile; and some of the plains, particularly those of Shiraz and Ispahan, are celebrated for their beauty and luxuriance. The country in the north is also very fertile.

6. The climate in the south is very hot; in the elevated and northern parts, cold.

7. Some of the principal productions and exports are corn, rice, tobacco, silk, cotton, carpets, pearls, drugs, delicious fruits

and wines.

8. The Persians are reputed the most polite and most learned of the Oriental nations; but are represented as greatly addicted to dissimulation and flattery, and as being exceedingly treacherous and avaricious.

9. The cities of Persia are generally surrounded by a mud wall; the streets very narrow and dirty; the houses mostly mean, of only one story, and without windows; those of the common people built of mud or clay; and those of the higher orders of brick. Most of the cities that were once celebrated for their size and splendor, are now in a state of decay.

10. TEHERAN', or 'TEH-RÂUN, the present capital, has a low situation and mean appearance, and contains no edifice of much importance, except the royal palace.

11. Ispahan', the late capital, and a celebrated city, was formerly one of the largest and most splendid in the east. Though greatly reduced, it has now extensive manufactures, and is the centre of the interior trade of Persia.

12. Shiraz is celebrated for its delicious wine, and for the tomb of the Persian poet Hafiz; Tab'ris or Tauris, for having once been the capital of Persia; Meschid, for the tomb of the caliph Haroun al Raschid, and as a place of pilgrimage; Yezd, as an emporium of trade; Hamadan,

4. What is said of the Great Salt Desert? 5. What is said of the soil? 6. Climate? 7. Productions and exports? 8. Persians? 9. Cities? 10. Teheran ? 11. Ispahan?

12. What other cities, and for what noted?

See Map No. X. How is Persia bounded? What sea lies on the north of it? What gulfs on the south? What rivers flow into the Caspian sea? Into the Persian gulf? What lakes, and where situated? Where is the Great Salt Desert? How is Teheran situated? Ispahan? Shiraz? Tabris? Hamadan? Yezd? Meschid? Casbin? Shuster ? What towns on the Persian gulf? On the Caspian sea?

for occupying the supposed site of the ancient Ecbat'ana; Sultania, as the summer residence of the king; Cas'bin and Cashan', as places of considerable manufactures and trade.

13. The two principal seaports are Bushire', and Gombroon'; but a considerable part of the foreign commerce of Persia is carried on through Basso'rah; the principal coinmercial intercourse with the country, however, is by cara

vans.

AFGHANISTAN OR CABULISTAN.

1. This is a modern division of Asia, formed of the eastern part of Persia, the western part of Hindostan, and the southern part of Tartary; and it is sometimes called Eastern Persia, or the kingdom of Candahar', or of Ca'bul.

2. It comprises countries which have been known by dif ferent names, and the inhabitants consist of various tribes or nations, the principal of which are Hindoos, Afghans, Parsees, Tartars, and Belooches.

3. The surface is greatly diversified by extensive sandy deserts, mountains, fertile valleys, and plains.

4. CA'BUL, the capital of Afghanistan and of a province of the same name, carries on an extensive trade; but the houses are meanly built of rough stones and clay or unburnt brick.

5. Cashmere, the capital of a country of the same name, is situated in an extensive and delightful valley, which has been styled the Terrestrial Paradise, and is famous for beautiful shawls.

6. La-hore' is noted for being now the capital of the Seiks and for having once been the capital of Hindostan ; Candahar, as the former capital of Afghanistan and for trade; Bamian', (styled the Thebes of the East,) for its apartments carved out of a rock, in the side of a mountain; Herať, cap

13. What are the principal ports?

AFGHANISTAN.-1. What is said of Afghanistan ?

2. What is said of the inhabitants? 3. Surface? 4. Cabul? 5 Cashmere? 6. What other cities, and for what noted?

See Map No. X.- How is Afghanistan bounded? Beloochistan ? What rivers water the eastern part of Afghanistan? What ones the western part? What ones in Beloochistan? Where is the great desert? How is Cabul situated? Candahar? Cashmere? Lahore? Moultan'? Peshä wur? Herat ? Balk? Kelat?

Bamian?

ital of a state, and styled the City of Roses, for commerce; Balk, for having anciently been the capital of the Persian empire.

BELOOCHISTAN.

7. Beloochistan' lies to the south of Afghanistan, with which it is connected, and of which it is often considered as forming a part.

8. The surface is diversified by mountains, plains, and ex tensive sandy deserts.-The chief town is Kelať.

1. Hindostan', or Hindoos'tan, comprises, in its most extensive sense, all the country south of the Himmaleh mountains, and east of the river Indus; and it consists, in great part, of a large peninsula, having the bay of Bengal' on the east, and the Arabian sea on the west.

2. It consists of four great divisions; 1st, Northern Hindostan, which comprises Cashmere and Lahore' on the west,

BELOOCHISTAN. -7. What is said of Beloochistan?

8. What is its surface and chief town?

HINDOSTAN. 1. What are the extent and limits of Hindostan ? 2. Of what four divisions does it consist?

and Bootan' and Nepaul' on the east, with the intermediate provinces; 2dly, Hindostan Proper, which extends as far south as the river Nerbuddah on the west side, and nearly to the town of Bala-sore' on the east; 3dly, the Dec'can, embracing the country between the Nerbuddah and the Kistna; 4thly, Southern Hindostan or the Peninsula, including the part south of the Kistna.

3. These limits embrace a number of independent states, which are governed by Hindoo chiefs; but the most of the country is in the possession of the British.

4. Hindostan is esteemed the richest and most beautiful country of Asia, and is, next to China, the most populous. It contains many large cities, and abounds in various important productions.

5. It is separated from Thibet on the north, by the Himmä'leh Mountains; and mountainous ranges, called Eastern and Western Ghauts, extend on both sides of the peninsula, towards the south.

6. The three great rivers are the Gan'ges, Brahmapoo'tra, and In'dus. Other considerable rivers are the Caure'ry, Kist'na, Godav'ery, Nerbuddah, Set'ledge, and the branches of the Ganges

7. The Ganges, the largest river of Hindostan, and one of the largest in Asia, rises in the Himmaleh mountains, aud, after a course of more than 2,000 miles, flows into the bay of Bengal by many mouths. The Delta of the river, or the country bordering on its mouths subject to inundation, is about 220 miles long, and 200 broad.

8. The Brahmapoo'tra, or Burrampoo'ter, rises near the source of the Ganges, flows on the other side of the mountains, and is about as long as the Ganges. These rivers, after having separated from each other to the distance of 1,200 miles, unite their waters, and flow together into the bay of Bengal.

9. The In'dus is the great river of the western part of India, and it is from this river that the name of India is derived.

10. The surface in the northern part bordering on the Himmaleh chain, is mountainous; but the rest of the country, with the exception of the mountainous ranges towards the south, is generally very level, or moderately uneven ; and the soil of a great proportion exceedingly fertile.

3. What is their political condition? 4. What is said of Hindostan? 5. What mountains? 6. Rivers? 7. What is said of the Ganges? 8. Brahmapootra? 9. Indus? 10. Sur face?