618 



THE CENTURY BOOK OF FACTS. 



of the Hellespont, nearly opposite the city 

 Sestos, on the European coast. At a festival 

 of Venus and Adonis, held at Sestos, Hero and 

 Leander first saw each other, and were immedi- 

 ately inspired with a mutual passion ; but 

 Hero's office as a priestess and the opposition 

 of her parents stood in the way of their union. 

 Undaunted by these obstacles, Leander every 

 night swam across the Hellespont to visit his 

 beloved, who directed his course by holding a 

 burning torch from the top of a tower on the 

 seashore. After many meetings Leander was 

 drowned on a tempestuous night, and his body 

 was cast up at the foot of the tower where 

 Hero stood , expecting him. Heartbroken at 

 the sight, she flung herself from the tower 

 into the sea, and passed with her lover into the 

 immortality of art and song. 



Popular Names of Cities. The nick- 

 names given to the various prominent cities in 

 the United States are as follows : Brooklyn, 

 N. Y.,jCity of Churches; Boston, Hub of the 

 Universe; Baltimore, Monumental City ; Buf- 

 falo, Queen City of the Lakes ; Chicago, Gar- 

 den City; Cincinnati, Queen City; Cleveland, 

 Forest City ; Detroit, City of the Straits ; 

 Hannibal; Bluff City ; Indianapolis, Railroad 

 City ; Keokuk, Gate City ; Louisville, Falls 

 City ; Lowell, City of Spindles ; New York, 

 Gotham, Empire City ; New Orleans, Crescent 

 City ; Nashville, City of Rocks ; New Haven, 

 City of Elms ; Philadelphia, Quaker City, 

 City of Brotherly Love ; Pittsburg, Iron City ; 

 Portland, Me.", Forest City; Rochester, Flour 

 City ; St. Louis, Mound City ; Springfield, 111., 

 Flower City; Washington, D. C., City of 

 Magnificent Distances. 



Principal Exports of Various Coun- 

 tries. ARABIA. Coffee, aloes, myrrh, 

 frankincense, gum arabic. 



BELGIUM. Grain, flax, hops, woolens, lin- 

 ens, laces, various manufactures. 



BRAZIL Cotton, sugar, coffee, tobacco, 

 gold, diamonds, wheat, and dye-goods. 



CANADA, NOVA SCOTIA, AND NEW BRUNS- 

 WICK. Flour, furs, lumber, fish. 



CAPE COLONY. Brandy, wine, ostrich 

 feathers, hides, tallow. 



CENTRAL AMERICA. Logwood, mahogany, 

 indigo, cocoa. 



CHILE. Silver, gold, copper, wheat, hemp, 

 hides, sugar, cotton, fruits. 



CHINA. Tea, silks, nankeens, porcelain, 

 opium, articles of ivory and pearl. 



DENMARK. Grain, horses, cattle, beef, 

 pork, butter, cheese. 



EASTERN, WESTERN, AND SOUTHERN 

 AFRICA. Gold, ivory, ostrich feathers. 



EGYPT. Rice, grain, Unseed, fruits, in- 

 digo, cotton, sugar. 



ECUADOR AND COLOMBIA Coffee, cotton, 

 indigo, cocoa, fruits, sugar. 



FRANCE. Silks, woolens, linens, cotton, 

 wine, brandy, porcelain, toys. 



GERMANY Linen, grain, various manu- 

 factures of silver, copper, etc. 



GREAT BRITAIN. Woolens, cottons, lim-n.s, 

 hardware, porcelain, etc. 



GREENLAND. Whale oil, whalebone, seal 

 skins. 



HINDOOSTAN Cotton, silks, rice, sugar, 

 coffee, opium, indigo. 



HOLLAND. Fine linens, woolens, butter, 

 cheese, various manufactures. 



ITALY. Silks, wine, oil, grain, fruits. 



IRELAND. Linens, beef, butter, tallow, 

 hides, potatoes, barley. 



JAPAN Silk and cotton goods, japamvare, 

 porcelain. 



MEXICO - Gold, silver, logwood, cochineal, 

 fruits. 



PERSIA. Carpets, shawls, wine, silk, cot- 

 ton, rice, rhubarb, guns, swords, etc. 



PERU. Silver, gold, Peruvian bark, mer- 

 cury, sugar, cotton, fruits. 



RUSSIA Hemp, iron, linen, grain, timber, 

 furs, tallow, platina. 



SPAIN AND PORTUGAL Silks, wool, wine, 

 oil, fruits, salt. 



SWEDEN AND NORWAY Iron, steel, cop- 

 per, timber, fish. 



SWITZERLAND. Watches, jewelry, paper, 

 laces, linen, cotton, and silk goods, etc. 



TURKEY. Grain, fruits, cotton, oil, wines, 

 carpets, muslin, swords. 



UNITED STATES : 



EASTERN STATES. Lumber, beef, pork, 



fish, cottons, woolens, etc. 



MIDDLE STATES. Flour, wheat, salt, coal, 



cottons, woolens. 



SOUTHERN STATES. Cotton, rice, to- 

 bacco, corn, lumber, pitch, fruits. 



WESTERN STATES. Corn, wheat, lead, 



coal, iron, salt, lime, beef, pork. 



VENEZUELA Sugar, coffee, cocoa, cotton, 

 indigo, fruits. 



WEST INDIES. Sugar, rum, molasses, cof- 

 fee, spice, cotton, indigo, fruits. 



What Dynamite is and How it is 

 Made. Few people know what dynamite is, 

 though the word is in common use. It is a 

 giant gunpowder; that is, an explosive mate- 

 rial, varying in strength and safety of han- 

 dling according to the percentage of nitro-glyc- 

 erine it contains. Nitro-glycerine, whence it 

 derives its strength, is composed of ordinary 

 glycerine and nitric acid, compounded together 

 in certain proportions and at a certain temper- 

 ature. Nitro-glycerine, though not the strong- 

 est explosive known, being exceeded in powei 



