io8 /oiir/iai of Travel ami Natural History 



foundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, 

 with the land stretching northward towards the Pole, connected by 

 that vast tract of unknown land between, and thus reaching from the 

 Atlantic to the Pacific, when formed (as is intended) into one great 

 British North American Confederacy, dwarfing in superficial extent 

 the united kingdoms of Europe, will be our great principality of 

 the western hemisphere as India is of the eastern. 



Great geographical changes have taken place in the United 

 States, adding to their national flag year by year a star (indicative 

 of a State), as civilization travels west and those new States are 

 formed. By this advance, the geography of the country becomes 

 more known, and the contemplated railroads, to connect the 

 Atlantic with the Pacific, in these States, as well as also in our own 

 possessions, will, if constructed, also add much to that geographical 

 knowledge. Agitated as this colossal nation has lately been by 

 internal war, and even now in the throes consequent on exhausted 

 energies, the spirit and enterprise of its people in matters of science 

 have never flagged, but conjointly with ourselves they despatch mis- 

 sionaries and travellers through all the countries of the known 

 world, and strive, with honourable emulation, to excel in useful- 

 ness the mother country. 



In the unfortunate empire, or territory, of Mexico, and the 

 scarcely less unfortunate countries skirting the western shores of 

 South America, the proverb that " Where God does most, man 

 does least," may be said to be exemplified : with the greatest 

 opportunities that nature could bestow on them, it would be 

 difficult to point to a single item which they have contributed to 

 the general store of learning or science. 



Brazil, on the contrary, though still possessing her antient 

 boundary, and although in arts and sciences still behind the 

 nations of Europe, has made much progress of late years. The 

 liberal spirit of the Emperor, the establishment of railways, and 

 consequent development of her internal resources, the opening her 

 giant river Amazon to trade and commerce, and, not least, the 

 abolition of slavery, have greatly advanced her status as a nation, 

 as well as in science and art. 



Of those wonderful countries, not inaptly termed the fifth division 

 of the globe — Australia and Ne^ Zealand — could we, like Rip Van 

 Winkle, have had a geographical nap of but fifty years, what 

 marvellous changes would meet our view on waking ! Australia, 

 from being a country suited only to send our convicts to — what has 



