the largest sea-bird known, sometimes weighing 28 pounds. The plumage is white, with the exception of some black bands on the back; it is seen in the stormy solitudes of the Southern Ocean, accompanying ships for whole days without ever resting on the waves. Notwithstanding their great strength, however, they never venture to attack other sea-birds; but are, on the contrary, attacked by the gulls. The penguins (Aptenodytes Magellanica), half bird and half fish, form long files along the beach like a procession of monks, and sit in great numbers upon the nests, 'so closely placed together as to form considerable towns, as they are called by the sailors. This bird has merely a sort of finny wings, which it uses as oars in the water, and is wholly unable to fly; it is so stupid and inactive as to suffer itself to be knocked down with a club, and its upright posture and grave air give it a most ludicrous aspect when ashore.

1. Boundaries, Extent, &c. This country is bounded N. by the Atlantic Ocean; E. by the Atlantic; S. by Brazil; and W. by Colombia and Brazil. It extends from the mouth of the Amazon to that of the Essequibo; and lies between 10 and 70 N. latitude, and 50° and 60° W. longitude. The name of Guiana was formerly given to the country extending from the Orinoco to the Amazon; but Spanish Guiana now forms a part of Colombia, and Portuguese Guiana is annexed to Brazil. The rest of the country belongs to the English, Dutch, and French.

2. Rivers. The country is watered by the tributary streams of the Orinoco and Amazon. The principal rivers which fall directly into the Atlantic, beginning in the north, are the Essequibo, the Demerara, the Berbice, the Corantine, the Surinam, the Marony, and Oyapoco. All these rise in the mountains, and are generally navigable for some distance into the interior. 3. Shores. The coast of Guiana is rendered almost inaccessible by dangerous banks, rocks, quicksands, and bogs. Along the seashore, the country presents the appearance of an extensive and uniform plain. It is covered with thick forests, even to the water's edge, and the coast is so low and flat, that nothing is seen at first but the trees, which appear to be growing out of the water.

4. Climate. The climate in the maritime parts is milder than that of most other districts

between the tropics. It receives the full benefit of the trade wind, which in these latitudes constantly blows from the east. A stream of cool air is, therefore, continually poured upon these shores, after having traversed the sea for thousands of miles. The country is subject to heavy and frequent rains, and, from the great prevalence of moisture and heat, is unhealthy.

5. Soil and Natural Productions. The soil is surprisingly fertile, and a most luxuriant vegetation almost everywhere overspreads the country, which abounds with the finest woods, fruits, and plants. Many of the trees grow to the height of 100 feet. Some are valuable for their peculiar hardness and durability; others are richly veined, capable of taking the finest polish, and well adapted for all sorts of ornamental furniture; while others yield valuable dyes, or exude balsamic and medicinal oils. The most delicious fruits are met with. The guava

and aviago pear are found in great abundance, and the pine apples and other fruits are of the finest quality.

6. Animals. Wild animals and beasts of prey are abundant, and are similar to those of the

Serpent of Guiana.

other South American territories. In the rivers are to be found the cayman, the tapir, the manati, the paca, and the pipa. Of the serpent tribe there are various species, from the large aboma snake, which grows to the length of 20 and 30 feet, to those of the smallest size. The woods of Guiana abound with every variety of the feathered species. The vampire bat is also found, and grows to an enormous size. Insects and reptiles of all sorts are produced in such abundance, that the annoyance from this source is inconceivable.

7. Face of the Country. The country is level and uniform, along the seashore. In the interior, it rises into mountains, which frequently contain a great variety of mineral substances. Rich and fertile valleys are interspersed throughout these mountainous

tracts.

8. Cayenne. French Guiana, or Cayenne, extends to a great distance inland, but the interior is occupied by independent Indians. The population of the portion actually inhabited by the French, does not exceed 25,000, of which 20,000 are slaves, 2,250 free colored persons, 1,300 whites, and the remainder Indians. The principal town and capital of the colony is Cayenne, situated on a small island, with a good harbor. Population, 3,000. Sinnamari is a small village, celebrated as the place to which many distinguished men were transported during the French revolution.

9. Surinam. Dutch Guiana, or Surinam, is the most flourishing of the colonies of Guiana. The part occupied by the Dutch lies along the coast, and the industry of that persevering people has drained the unhealthy marshes, and cut several navigable canals in this quarter. The population of the colony is about 60,000, mostly slaves. In the interior, beside the independent Indians, there are 3 independent establishments of Maroons, or runaway slaves, who were for a long time at war with the whites; but in 1809, the latter having concluded a treaty of peace with them, recognising their independence, they have since been on amicable terms with each other. Paramaribo, the capital, stands on the Surinam, about 25 miles from its mouth. It is well built and prettily laid out, with a good harbor and an extensive commerce. The streets are lined with orange, lemon, and tamarind trees, and the houses are generally neat and surrounded by gardens. Population, 20,000. One of its suburbs, Savanna, is entirely inhabited by Jews, who have a synagogue here.

10. Demerara and Berbice. English Guiana consists of the two colonies of Demerara with Essequibo, and Berbice. The former has a population of 74,922, including 71,916 free blacks. Georgetown, formerly Stabroek, the capital, is a flourishing place, with 10,000 inhabitants. Berbice comprises 21,580 inhabitants, of whom 21,010 are free blacks. New Amsterdam, the capital, is a small town.

11. Agriculture and Commerce. The cultivated tracts are covered with sugar, cotton, coffee, and indigo plantations, and the exports chiefly consist of those articles. In some places the soil is so exuberant, that 30 crops of rice may be raised in succession.

12. Inhabitants. This extensive country, being divided between the English, French, and

Dutch, contains more than the usual varieties of people. There are Indians and negroes. The savage tribes are indolent. The Dutch, with their usual perseverance, have converted a marsh infested with reptiles, into a fruitful and cheerful country. The common diseases are fevers; the climate is humid, and in expeditions against the Indians, the soldiers have sometimes been compelled to march in water to their breasts. There are several petty States of revolted negroes in the interior, and many savage tribes of Indians.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.

1. Boundaries and Extent. Brazil is bounded N. by New Granada, Venezuela, and Guiana; E. by the Atlantic Ocean; S. by the ocean, Uruguay, and Paraguay; and W. by Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, and The Equator. It extends from 4° N. lat. to 330 S. lat., and from

to 73 W. long., having an area of 3,000,000 square miles, and a population of 5,000,000. 2. Mountains. This extensive region is traversed by several distinct chains of mountains, chiefly in the eastern and northern provinces. The most easterly chain, called the Serra do Mar, or Maritime Range, stretches from 16° to 30° S. lat., in a direction parallel to the coast. The highest summits are Arasoiaba, near San Paulo, 4,160 feet high; and Tingua, near Rio Janeiro, 3,600 feet high. Further west, lies the Serra do Espinhaço, extending from the San Francisco in 10°, to the Uruguay in 28° S. lat., and separating the confluents of the former from the rivers which flow easterly into the Atlantic. Its loftiest summits are in the province of Minas Geraes, between 18° and 21° S. lat. ; among them are Mount Itacolumi, near Villa Rica, 6,175, and Serra do Frio, near Villa do Principe, 6,000 feet high. A third chain, the Serra dos Vertentes, separates the confluents of the Amazon, the Tocantin, and the Parnahiba,

from those of the San Francisco, the Paraguay, and the Parana. None of its summits reach to a great elevation.

3. Rivers. The Marañon, or Amazon, is the largest river in the world, both in regard to the length of its course, which is upwards of 4,000 miles, and its volume of water. It rises in the Andes of Bolivia, under the name of the Paro or Ucayali, and flowing northerly through Peru into Quito, receives the waters of the Tunguraguay, which descends from the Andes of Peru and Quito; thence it runs in an easterly direction across the continent, emptying the accumulated waters of its 200 tributaries into the ocean, under the equator, by a mouth 175 miles wide. The tide is perceptible at the distance of 600 miles from the sea, and the river is navigable several times that distance for large ships. The principal tributaries from the south, are the Javary, Jutay, Jurua, and Madeira, which rise in the lofty regions of Bolivia, and the Topayos and Xingu, which have their whole course in Brazil. From the north, it receives the Caqueta or Yapura, the Ica or Putumayo, and the Negro, the largest of its confluents. The Cassiquiare, a branch of the Negro, is an arm of the Orinoco, and presents the singular spectacle of one great river sending off a part of its waters into the basin of another. The Amazon drains an area of upwards of 2,000,000 of square miles.

The other principal rivers are the Para, formed by the junction of the two great streams, the Tocantin and the Araguaya; the San Francisco, and the Parnahiba, which flow into the Atlantic Ocean.

4. Plain. The whole central part of South America, comprised within the Andes of Bolivia, Peru, and New Grenada, the Parima Mountains in Venezuela, and the Serra dos Vertentes of Brazil, including nearly the whole of the latter country, the northern part of Bolivia, the eastern part of Peru, and the southeastern districts of New Grenada, forms a vast plain, whose area exceeds 3,000,000 of square miles. It is covered with a luxuriant and gigantic vegetation, to which the hot and humid climate gives an astonishing vigor. The immense and impenetrable forests and mighty streams of this great plain, swarm with animal life in all its forms; ferocious beasts of prey, huge serpents, alligators, troops of monkeys, flocks of gaudily colored and loquacious birds, and clouds of insects, are here yet undisturbed by the arts of man. 5. Islands. At the mouth of the Amazon, lies the Marajo or Joannes, belonging to Brazil; it is little more than a vast swamp, 150 miles in length, by 110 in breadth. About 70 leagues northeast of Cape St. Roque, is the barren island of Fernando de Noronha, which has become known from its being used as a place of confinement for transported convicts.

6. Lakes. Several lakes are found in various parts of Brazil, but none by any means commensurate with the magnitude of the country. The lake of Patos, situated towards the southern extremity, is the largest; it is 150 miles in length, and about 35 at its greatest breadth. Lake Mirim lies south of Patos, and like it runs parallel to the coast for about 90 miles, being 25 in extreme breadth.

7. Climate. In the vicinity of the Maranon, and in the northern parts, great tropical heats prevail; but these are considerably tempered by the excessive humidity of the atmosphere and the copious dews. In the southern parts, the climate is mild and temperate, and frequently cold. The west wind, passing over vast marshy forests, is found to be unhealthy in the interior parts. From March to August is the rainy season upon the coast. During the rest of the year, there is almost constant dry weather, the wind blowing from the north with little interruption.

8. Soil and Natural Productions. The soil is very fertile in a large portion of this country. The forests produce trees of a great variety, and of a remarkable size, suited for ship-building and other purposes. They are of a remarkably rapid growth. There are, besides, lighter species of wood, similar to fir, not to speak of logwood, mahogany, and an infinity of ornamental and dyeing woods. There are three kinds of Brazil-wood, which is an important article of export. Melons, bananas, lemons, guavas, and oranges, grow along the coast; and aromatic and medicinal plants are very abundant. The forests of Brazil are noted for the gigantic growth and great variety of the trees, the profusion and beauty of the flowering shrubs, hanging under a load of blossoms, the strange shapes and enormous strength and size of the creepers and parasitic plants, and the clouds of gayly-colored birds and splendid insects, that everywhere abound. The silk cotton tree (Bombax), armed with strong thorns, spreads its fingered leaves in light and airy masses; the luxuriant lecythis, with its singular fruit resembling a pitcher, shoots out numerous branches profusely covered with foliage; the jacaranda, so well known, and so exLensively employed as an ornamental material for furniture, under the name of rosewood, attracts

the eye by the lightness of its doubly-feathered leaves and its large golden-colored flowers; the lofty trumpet-tree (Cecropia peltata) rises with its smooth, gray stem, and spreads out at top into verticillate branches, bearing at their extremities large tufts of silvery-white leaves. Here and there the dark crown of the Brazilian pine (Araucaria imbricata), among the lighter green, appears as a stranger among the natives of the tropics; while the towering stems of the palms, with their waving crowns, are an incomparable ornament to the forests; the manicot palm and the charita, the cocoa palm (Cocos nucifera), from the cairo or outer part of whose fruit ropes of great strength are made; the piacaba palin (Attalea funiferea), whose leaves are an excellent substitute for hemp, are some of this latter family. The cacao (theobroma), or chocolate tree, from the kernel of which chocolate is made, seems to be an aboriginal native of Brazil, although it is extensively cultivated in other countries. The Brazil-wood of commerce (Casalpinia Brasiliensis); the soap trees, with their shining leaves; the slender Barbadoes cedar; the tapia, or garlic pear-tree; the Bertholletia excelsa, producing the delicious Brazil nut, from 15 to 20 kernels of which are enclosed in a thick, outer rind; the copaifera, yielding the balsam copaiva; the canncn-ball tree (Couroupita Guianensis), remarkable for the size and beauty of its crimson blossoms, and its enormous fruits, the husks of which so closely resemble a cannon-ball, that one might in agine a company of artillery had bivouaced under its shade, a resemblance heightened by the loud noise caused by their bursting; the cow tree (Galactodendron utile), yielding a wholesome and palatable vegetable milk; the arnotta (Bixa orellana), much used in this country, under the name of otter, for coloring cheese; are a few of the innumerable natives of the Brazilian forests. The capsicum annuum, yielding the cayenne pepper; the quassia amara, furnishing a valuable bitter drug; the pungent and odoriferous vanilla (V. aromatica); the bejuco, a powerful preservative from the effects attending the bites of poisonous reptiles; the ipecacuanha (Cephalis ipecacuanha), whose root is an invaluable drug; the Tonquin bean (Dipterix odorata), much prized for its delicate, aromatic seed; the Quinado Rio (Coutarea speciosa), and the carqueja (Baccharis genestelloides), valuable for their anti-febrile qualities; the sarsaparilla, noted for its various virtues, are among the economical plants. To complete this imperfect notice of a Brazilian wilderness, we may add, from the account of an eyewitness the following sketch of its animal life: "Among the branches, monkeys of every description gambol and spring from tree to tree by means of the bejuco, which has obtained from this circumstance, its Indian name of monkey's ladder. Parrots and macaws, with toucans and other birds of beautiful plumage, complete this splendid picture, and fill the air with discordant screams, to which the metallic note of the darra or bell-bird, responds at measured intervals, now sounding close to the ear, and now dying away in the distance. Large and small-winged butterflies sport above the waters. Up the small creeks, which are completely embowered by magnificent evergreens, are seen pelicans, spoon-bills, and garzons or gigantic cranes, all busily employed in fishing. When to this is added the occasional appearance of that tyrant of the stream, the alligator, floating in conscious superiority among the bulky manatis and the more agile toninos, which are incessantly rising and blowing in shoals, the scene may be somewhat imagined, but cannot be adequately described."

8. Minerals. Gold and diamonds have been the substances for which Brazil has been mostly famed. There are extensive gold mines in the country, which have not been worked. Considerable quantities of gold have been taken from the beds of rivers. It is generally found in small grains, which are mixed with pebbles and gravel. The gravel is taken up in bowls and washed by hand. A fifth part of the gold obtained is set aside as the emperor's due. The quantity obtained annually in Brazil, is estimated at about 5,000,000 dollars. The principal diamond district is that of Serro do Frio, or the cold mountains, which are situated on the highest ridge of that range, which runs nearly parallel to the coast of Brazil, and attains its greatest height about 300 miles distant from the shore.* The largest and most valuable diamond

The diamond-works are in the vicinity of Tejuco, a town containing 6,000 inhabitants, who are chiefly indebted to them for support. The principal establishment is situated on the river Jijitonhonha, a tributary of the Rio Grande. There are others situated on the river Velho, a branch of the Francisco, and on the Rio Pardo, as well as several other small streams belonging to this elevated tract. The Rio Pardo, though small and insignificant in its appearance, has produced as large a quantity of the - most precious gems as any river in the district. The Jijitonhonha, which is formed by the junction of several

streams, is about as broad as the Thames at Windsor, and is generally from 3 to 9 feet deep. At the time Mr. Mawe visited these works, they were working at a curve of the river, from which the stream was diverted by a canal cut across the tongue of land round which it winded, the former course of the river being stopped just below the head of the canal, by an embankment across its channel formed of several thousand bags of sand. The river being both wide and deep, and occasionally subject to overflow, the embankment must be made so strong as to resist the pressure of the water, admitting it to rise to the height of 4 or