NORTH AMERICA. 



colonies, which ended in the loss of that part of the 

 British empire, afteivthe expenditure of a vast deal 

 of the national wealth, and the sacrifice of multitudes 

 of lives. For this disastrous measure of subjugating 

 America, the premier appears to have been a sincere 

 advocate ; and, in defending his proceedings against 

 the attacks of Mr Fox and his party, in parliament, 

 he evinced a degree of political skill and resolution 

 which would have done honour to a better cause. 

 After his dismission from office, a league was formed 

 between his lordship and the Whigs which led to 

 the famous coalition ministry; but this heterogeneous 

 administration lasted only a few months, after which 

 lord North held no responsible station in the state. 

 He succeeded to the earldom of Guildford in 1790, 

 on the death of his father, and died in 1792. Lord 

 North was much esteemed in private life, and was 

 distinguished for urbanity of manners, and a turn for 

 repartee. He was afflicted with blindness several 

 years before his death, and his political antagonist, 

 colonel Barre, was subject to the same misfortune. 

 Replying to some observations of the colonel, in the 

 house of commons, lord North said, " Notwithstanding 

 the hostility which the honourable gentleman opposite 

 has shown towards me, yet I am certain that there 

 lire no two persons in the world who would be more 

 happy to see each other." 



NORTH AMERICA; that part of the continent 

 of America which lies north of lat. 8 40' N. The 

 whole of the northern coast has not yet been visited; 

 but from 108 W. Ion. to Beering's straits, the whole 

 of which space has been explored, with the exception 

 of 160 miles, the most northern point known is in 

 7 1 23' 39"; and there is little reason to doubt that the 

 portion of the coast to the east of 108 (about twenty 

 degrees of longitude), yet unexamined, preserves 

 nearly the same parallel. Exclusive, therefore, of 

 Greenland and the other islands belonging to Ame- 

 rica, in the Arctic ocean, and on the eastern and 

 western coasts, the main land of North America 

 extends from about 8 46' to 72 N. lat., and from 

 about 55 30' to 168 W. IOH. The greatest breadth 

 is in about lat. 52, where it is 74 of longitude, or 

 2500 geographical miles. Its greatest length from 

 north to south is probably in the meridian of 100, 

 and is about 3300 miles. We have already given an 

 account of the aborigines, the principal civil and 

 natural divisions, and of the progress of discovery, 

 under the heads America, Americus, Columbus, Cab- 

 ot, Louisiana, North Polar Expeditions, &c., Mexico, 

 Central America, Indians, Indian Languages, which 

 it is unnecessary to repeat here. See Murray's 

 North America (2 vols., 8vo, 1829), and the Memoir 

 of Sebastian Cabot (Philadelphia, 1831). From Hud- 

 son's straits the coasts tend south-easterly to cape 

 Charles (Labrador), without presenting any remark- 

 able indentation. From that point, they run south- 

 westerly, with numerous considerable gulfs, such as 

 Hie gulf of St Lawrence, the bay of Fundy, Massa- 

 chusetts, Delaware, and Chesapeake bays, and Pam- 

 lico sound, to the southern point of Florida ; whence, 

 winding round the gulf of Mexico, and passing the 

 peninsula of Yucatan, they border on the Caribbean 

 sea. Crossing the isthmus of Darien, we find the 

 western coast, lying on the Pacific, takes a general 

 north-westerly direction, forms the gulf of California, 

 and Nootka sound, and terminates at Beering's straits, 

 which separate Asia and North America. A great 

 mountainous chain covers the western part of North 

 America with its numerous ridges. It consists of 

 several ranges, running parallel with the coast, and 

 extends, without interruption, south-south-east, from 

 the northern coast to the west of Mackenzie's river, 

 in lat. 70, to the isthmus of Darien, where it joins 

 the Andes. The northern part bears the name of 



Rocky mountains ; the more southerly portion takes 

 that of the Mexican Cordilleras. The Alleghany 

 mountains, which run nearly parallel with the eastern 

 course, are the only other considerable chain. The 

 sources of the great rivers which rise in the central 

 part of the continent, and flow into the Arctic and 

 Atlantic oceans and the gulf of Mexico, do not ap- 

 pear to be separated by any mountainous country. 

 The Missouri and the Mackenzie, the St Lawrence 

 and the Mississippi, with the Saskashawan, which 

 empties through Jake Winnipeg into Hudson's bay, 

 all have their sources in the elevated region which 

 lies to the east of the Rocky mountains. The Colum- 

 bia is the only great river of North America, on their 

 western declivity. The region in which these great 

 streams rise is itself cold and sterile, forming, for 

 several hundred miles to the west of the Rocky 

 mountains, a sandy, barren, and uninhabitable desert. 

 The great lakes of the interior are connected with 

 the ocean by large rivers. Slave lake communicates 

 with the Arctic ocean by Mackenzie's river, lake 

 Winnipeg with Hudson's bay by the Nelson, and 

 lakes Superior, Michigan, ( Huron, Erie, and Ontario 

 with the Atlantic, through the St Lawrence. Too 

 little is known of the greater part of the continent 

 west of the meridian of 97 W., and north of 35, 

 and of the region north of the Canadas, to enable us 

 to give a complete view of the physical geography of 

 North America. 



It was formerly thought that North America was 

 less rich in precious metals than South America; 

 but Humboldt has shown that the quantity produced 

 in Mexico is superior to that of all the other Spanish 

 possessions. Gold is found in Mexico in alluvium, 

 and in primitive mountains, and in the United States. 

 The Mexican silver mines are inexhaustible. Iron 

 abounds in Russian America, Canada, and the United 

 States. There are mines of copper ; and that metal 

 is found native on the southern coast of lake Superior, 

 and in the northern parts of the continent, near the 

 Coppermine river. The Labrador feldspar is cele- 

 brated. Anthracite and bituminous coal are abun- 

 dant in the United States. Tin is produced in 

 Mexico, and lead in great quantities in the United 

 States. Salt is plenty in all parts of North America : 

 it is obtained on the surface of the ground, in springs 

 or in mines. Sulphur and all sorts of marble are 

 found in different places. 



The immense forests contain pines and fire of an 

 extraordinary height, oaks of various species, walnut 

 and chestnut trees, yew, ash, beech, birch, cypress, 

 elm, willow, poplar, alder, lime, and other trees 

 common to the other continent, but often of different 

 species. Among those which are peculiar to Ame- 

 rica are the magnolia, the tulip-tree, the acacia, and 

 many shrubs which bear beautiful flowers ; the sas- 

 safras, the red mulberry, the wax myrtle, &c. In 

 the forests of the warmer regions are the palms, 

 cacao, mahogany, cocoa, and cotton trees. Besides 

 these native productions, the orange and lemon trees, 

 the coffee shrub, the sugar-cane and the indigo plant 

 have been introduced by the Europeans. The ba- 

 nana, agave, potato, cactus or cochineal plant, &c., 

 are also cultivated, and the odoriferous pod of the 

 vanilla is gathered in the forests. All the fruits, 

 cerealia, and useful plants of the old world, have 

 been naturalized and cultivated with success, and 

 North America can now furnish Europe with apples 

 and flour. Maize and tobacco are natives. The north- 

 ern regions are almost destitute of vegetation. 



The vast prairies and savannas are peopled with 

 immense herds of bisons, elks, moose, deer, ante- 

 lopes, &c. Among the other animals are the beaver, 

 the ermine, the marten, the otter, musk-rat, squirrel, 

 &c. The porcupine is also found in North America. 



