described, belongs to Russia, and is included under one general name of Siberia. The North Eastern peninsular extremity is called Kamschatcka, and above it are the Coriacs and Tchutuskoi, between which and the North Western parts of North America is a straight called Bhering's Straights. Among the more remarkable places and cities in Asia, we may reckon, In Asia Minor, or Natolia In Persia Ispahan N. La. E. Lo. 32°35′ 52° 32′ The capital, which is 24 miles in circuit, and contains 600,000 inhabitants. Shiraz 29 37 52 40 Which is situated in a beautiful and fertile vale, and most delicious climate. The most important places in Hindoostan have been already described. In China* the principal cities are Pekin N. La. E. Lo. 39° 54′ 116° 27′ The population of which is estimated by the recent writers, who accompanied Lord Macartney in his Embassy, at 3,000,000 but this is perhaps an excessive calculation. *The Wall of China is one of the most wonderful achievements of human industry. It is conducted over the summits of mountains, some of which rise to the height of 5225 feet, across the deepest vales, over wide rivers, by means of arches, and in many parts is doubled and trebled to command important passes. At almost every 100 yards is a square tower, or bastion. Its length is 1500 miles, its height 25 feet, and its breadth at the top 15 feet. The towers are 48 feet high, and 40 feet wide. A much greater antiquity is given to this stupendous work than is probably consistent with fact; it being asserted by Sir G. Staunton to be about 2000 years old; but the best informed writers do not give it an antiquity of 600 years, and perhaps even less would be nearer the truth. It was built to prevent the incursions of the Mandshur Tartars into China; who, however, climbed over it about A. D. 1630, and conquered China, which they have kept possession of ever since, the reigning Monarch, and all the principal officers, being always of Tartar extraction. The principal rivers of Asia are the Euphrates, which rises in the Mountains of Armenia, and flows into the Persian Gulph; the Tigris, which rises 150 miles South of the Euphrates, and joining the Euphrates near its mouth, flows also into the Persian Gulph; the Sinde, or Indus, which rises in the Tibetian Mountains, and flows into the Arabian Sea; the Ganges, whose sources are unknown, but which, after a course of above 1400 miles, flows into the Bay of Bengal below Calcutta ; the Burram-pooter, whose sources are unknown, and which forms a junction with the Ganges, near its mouth, but for the last 60 miles of its course is from 4 to 5 miles wide; the rivers Hoang and Kiang, which rise near each other in the Mountains of Tartary, and after flowing each above 2000 miles in length, at a distance of above 1000 miles from each other, at last both empty themselves into the Yellow Sea; the Ob, which rises in Lat. 55°, and falls into the Sea of Ob, a Gulph of the Arctic Ocean. We must not omit some singular but immense bodies of water of these, the Caspian Sea is detached from all communication with other seas, and is about 700 miles in length, and from 100 to 200 miles in breadth. About 100 miles East of the Caspian is another smaller detached sea, called the Sea of Aral, about 200 miles long, and 70 broad, which is salt like the Caspian, and probably once joined it. At a great distance North East of the Sea of Aral, is the Sea or Lake of Baikal, in the South of Siberia, about 350 miles in length, and 35 in breadth, whose water is fresh. The most elevated mountains of Asia have not been explored, and our whole information on the subject is very imperfect. In Thibet, and the adjacent countries, they have been considered by some of the latest and most intelligent writers, to be most probably of prodigious altitude, beyond the European Alps, and perhaps the American Andes. * Among the others most * Dwawala-gin, or the White Mountain, one of the Himalayan chain, has been estimated lately by Colonel Kirkpatrick and Mr. Colebrooke at the amazing height of 26,862 feet above the level of the sea. celebrated are the Mountains of Taurus, in Natolia; of Caucasus, whose highest point, Mount Elborus, is equal to Mount Blanc; Mount Ararat is in Armenia; in Syria is Mount Libanus; on the coasts of the Archipelago are Mount Olympus and Mount Ida; in Siberia is the Altaic chain, which extends in length 5000 miles, whose highest summit is Bogdo Alim, or the Almighty Mountain; in Independent Tartary is Belen Tag, the Northern Imaus of the antients; and the Mountain of Himmala, among the Thibetian Mountains, is of immense, but of unknown altitude, still preserving the name of the Southern Imaus; in Arabia we must not omit Mount Sinai, which, however, is in itself of no remarkable height. The principal Asiatic Islands are the Island of Ceylon, lying to the South East of Cape Comorin, at the bottom of the Bay of Bengal. Off the Promontory of Malacca, South and South West of it, are the Sumatran or Sunda Isles, of which Sumatra is the largest, but the capital is Batavia, in Java. East of Sumatra, and above Java, is the large Island of Borneo. Above Borneo are the Philippines, belonging to Spain, called sometimes the Manillas, from Manilla, their capital. East of Borneo are the Celebezian Isles, of which Celebes is the chief. East of Celebes are the Banda or Spice Isles, and South of them the Moluccas. East of these is New Guinea, and below them all New Holland, an immense Island, which some geographers dignify with the appellation of another continent, under the title of Notasia.. It is hardly one-fourth less than Europe. Off the South coast of China lies the Island of Hainan. East of Canton |
