2. These islands form the part of America that was first discovered by Columbus; and they were named by him the West Indies, because he supposed they were connected with India, in the southeast of Asia.

3. The West Indies comprise several groups of islands, namely, the Baha'mas, the Great Antilles and the Caribbean Islands. Of the Caribbees, Martinique, and all to the south of it, are called Windward Islands; and Dominî'ca and all that lie between it and Porto Rico are cal ed Leeward Islands; and a part of these lying to the east of Porto Rico, are also called Virgin Islands.

4. These islands, with the exception of Hay'ti which is independent, and Margari'ta which belongs to Venezuela, are owned by different European states, chiefly by Great Britain, Spain, and France.

5. The four Great Antilles, namely, Cuba, Hay'ti, Jamai'ca, and Porto Rico, are the largest and most important. Some of the most considerable of the Caribbee Isles, are Guadaloupe', Martinique', or Martini co, and Barba' does.

6. The Bahama Islands are numerous, but not very important. One of them, now called Cat Island, is noted for being the first land in America that was seen by Columbus.

7. The West Indies have been heretofore a great mart for that disgraceful traffic, the slave trade; and as many as four fifths of the inhabitants are blacks, who were, till recently, most of them slaves; but the slaves in the British islands, and in British Guiana, amounting to upwards of 800,000, have been recently liberated.

8. The surface of the West India Islands, in the interior, is generally mountainous; but there are numerous rich and beautiful valleys. The soil of most of them is very fertile.

9. These islands lie chiefly within the tropic of Cancer, and have a climate which is apt to prove fatal to northern constitutions. There are but two seasons, the wet and the dry; and in August and September, tremendous hurricanes

are common.

2. What of their discovery and name? 3. What groups of islands do they comprise? 4. What is their political condition? 5. What are some of the most important islands? 6. What is said of the Bahamas? 7. What is said of the inhabitants of the West India islands? 8. Surface and soil?

9. What is said of the Climate?

TABULAR VIEW. Which are the Bahama Islands? The An tilles? The Caribbean? To whom do the Bahamas belong? The Antilles? Which of the Caribbean islands belong to France? Great Britain, &c '

10. The exports are very valuable, and consist of 8.4 ur, rum, coffee, indigo, cotton, tobacco, and various other tropical productions.

11. CUBA, the largest and most important of the West India islands, has a fertile soil, and among its productions are tobacco, esteemed the best in America, also sugar and coffee.

12. Havan'nah or Havan'a, the capital of Cuba, is the largest and most commercial city in the West Indies, and is celebrated for its adinirable harbor.

13. HAYTI was formerly called Hispaniola and St. Domin'go, and was divided between France and Spain. It is a very fertile island, and next to Cuba in size. Here the first European colony in America was established by Columbus; and here also the first independent state formed by African slaves, has been founded.

14. The principal towns of Hayti are Port Republican, Cape Hay'tien, and St. Domingo.

15. Kingston, in Jamaica, is the largest and most commercial town in the British islands; as is St. Pierre (peer), in Martinique, of the French islands.

13

10. What is said of its exports? 11. Cuba? 12. Havannah? Hayti? 14. What are the principal towns? 15. What are the principal towns of the English and French islands?

See Map of North America.
The Caribbee islands?
Domingo? Porto Rico?

Where are the Bahama islands? Cuba? Jamaica? Hayti or St. Trinidad? Guadaloupe? Bar

What other towns

badoes? Martinique? How is Havannah situated? Kir.gs-
ton? Cape Haytien? Port au Prince?
on Hayti? What ones on Cuba?

1. South America may be regarded as a vast peninsula ; and it is a highly favored part of the globe, compared with the other great divisions, as it respects the salubrity of its climate, the fertility of its soil, and the value of its natural productions.

2. But little has been done to turn to good account its vast natural resources, as it is very thinly peopled, and the most of it uncultivated; and there is, in all parts, a great want of works of internal improvement, such as roads, bridges, and canals.

3. The western part consists chiefly of elevated table land, crowned by chains of majestic mountains; to the east of this high land, there is an expanse of country, two or three times as broad, composed of marshy and sandy plains; and still further east, there is another elevated region extending nearly to the Atlantic coast, but not so high as that in the west.

SOUTH AMERICA. 1. What is said of South America?

2. What is its state of improvement? 3. What is said of the surface?

4. The most striking natural features of South America consist in its mountains and rivers. It differs from the northern part of the continent, in being but little indented with inland seas and gulfs, and in having few large lakes.

5. The Andes are an immense chain of mountains running throughout South America, at a distance varying from 50 to 150 miles from the western coast; and they have been seen at sea at the distance of 180 miles from the shore. They are composed, in great part, of porphyry, and abound in precious metals.

6. They are the most elevated mountains on this continent, and have a considerable number of summits that are volcanic, and a great many that are always covered with snow. They abound in natural wonders, such as stupendous precipices, impetuous torrents, picturesque cataracts, and frightful chasms. The torrents and chasms are often crossed by rope bridges.

7. The highest summits have an aspect of unrivalled sublimity, their elevation carrying them above the region of the clouds; and below their snowy tops the storm is seen to burst; and the exploring traveller hears the thunder roll, and sees the lightning dart beneath his feet.

8. Between the different ridges there are extensive plains of great fertility and beauty, well cultivated and populous. 9. The three great rivers of South America are the Am'azon, La Plata, and Orino'co. These rivers, with their tributaries, water most of South America.

10. The Amazon, called also the Mar'anon and Orellä'na, is the largest river in the world; and some of its tributaries are equal in length and size to the largest rivers in Europe. It is upwards of 4,000 miles long, and 180 miles wide at its mouth; and the tide flows up more than 500 miles. It is navigable, to the junction of the Ucay'a-le with the Tungurä'gua, for vessels of 400 tons.

11. The La Plata, together with the Parana', its principal branch, is about 3,000 miles long, and 30 miles wide at Buenos Ayres, 200 miles above its entrance into the ocean; and it is navigable throughout the greater part of its course.

12. The Orinoco, which is much inferior to the other two, is about 1,800 miles long, and navigable 700. A water communication is formed between this river and the Amazon by the Cassiquiä'ri and the Negro.

4. What are the most striking features? 5. What is said of the Andes? 6. What is said of their elevation, &c.?

7. What of the highest suminits? 8. What is found between the different ridges? 9. What are the three great rivers? 10. What is said of the Amazon? 11. The La Plata? 12. The

Orinoco ?

13. Some of the principal islands are Terra del Fuê'go, the Falkland Islands, and the island of Chilo'e.

14. The climate in the south is cold; in other parts, ɔn the low plains, it is hot, and in many places unhealthy; on the elevated plains, it is salubrious and delightful, free from great heat in summer and from severe cold in winter.

15. Many parts of South America are extremely subject to earthquakes, and for the sake of greater security, the houses, in these parts, are commonly built with only one story.

16. South America abounds in valuable productions; some of those for which it is most celebrated are gold, silver, platina, mercury, diamonds, and cinchona or Peruvian bark.

17. The Andes are a great nursery of birds. Among these the condor is the most remarkable, and is reputed the largest bird that has the faculty of flying in the air. Its wings, when extended, measure from 12 to 16 feet; and it soars to the height of more than 20,000 feet

18. The inhabitants of South America consist of various races, as whites, civilized or subdued Indians, negroes, mestizoes, mulattoes, samboes, and independent Indians. The mestizoes are descendants of the whites and Indians; the samboes, of the Indians and negroes. The whites are mostly of Spanish and Portuguese descent, and of the Cutholic religion.

19. In all the countries in America that were colonized by the Spaniards, the white inhabitants are divided into two classes; the first, those born in Spain, who are called Chapetones; the second, those born in America, who are called Creoles.

20. The independent Indians inhabit Patagonia and the interior parts of the continent.

21. The most of South America was, till within a few years past, in the possession of Spain and Portugal; but all the countries which belonged to these two European states, have become independent; and all the Spanish provinces have established republican forms of government, but have suffered much by political contention and disorder. The only colonies now remaining are those in Guiana, belonging to the English, Dutch, and French.

13. What islands? 14. What is the climate?

15. What is said respecting earthquakes? 16. Productions? 17. What is said respecting birds? 18. Inhabitants?

19. How are the whites in Spanish America divided? 20. Where are the independent Indians? 21. What is said of the political condition of South America?