﻿248 PICTORIAL MISCELLANY. 



George. Streams of water, running along the surface of the 

 earth, in natural channels. 



M. F. A very excellent definition. Rivers may be large or 

 small, according to the extent of country which they drain. A very 

 small stream is generally called a brook, but it is merely a small 

 river. Rivers, for the most part, rise in high lands, from springs OT 

 the melting of ice and snow. When the fall of water is gentle, it is 

 called a rivulet ; when violent, a torrent. As it courses along, other 

 small streams fall into it, and thus it keeps constantly increasing in 

 size until it falls into the sea or ocean. Every ridge of mountains 

 and high lands, running through a continent or country, gives rise to 

 numerous rivers. On each side, they pour forth streams of water, 

 which wind through the valleys, refreshing vegetation, propelling 

 machinery, and furnishing a sort of highway for boats ; and, having 

 performed their destiny, discharge themselves into the ocean. By 

 the process of evaporation the water is again raised as clouds, and 

 carried by the wind into the interior of the country, where it falls as 

 rain or snow ; and thus the mighty, curious, wonderful system goes 

 on for ages and ages, without danger of interruption ! Look over 

 your head. Those clouds, which you have so often seen, are but 

 buckets, if I may so speak, carrying water about, emptying it here 

 and there for your benefit. Now, did you ever really think of how 

 much importance they are ? Why, without them, the springs, rivers, 

 ponds, and lakes, would soon dry entirely away, the earth would be 

 parched, the trees and plants would dry up, the cattle and the beasts 

 of the forest would die, and the earth would be unfit to sustain life. 



Hejiry. There are some countries where there is but very little 

 rain, like Egypt. How do the inhabitants do without it ? 



M . F. By another very wonderful and interesting provision of 

 nature. The Nile, which runs through Egypt, from south to north, 

 is a very long river, and, once every year, it overflows its banks, and 

 waters the valleys on both sides profusely. This overflow happens 

 regularly, and is caused by long and heavy rains on the mountains 

 in the interior of Africa. It takes nearly two months, after the rainy 

 season begins, for the water to reach what is called the valley of the 

 Nile, in sufficient quantity to make this overflow. Without it the 

 banks of that river would be as barren as the deserts which surround it. 



