164 GEOGRAPHY. 



rotation. The monsoons, between the Himmaleh Mountains and 

 Mountains of the Moon, blow from the north-east in summer, and 

 from the south-west in winter ; always from the colder to the warmer 

 region. The hurricanes of the West Indies, and the typhoons of 

 the East Indies, are also produced chiefly by the action of heat ; and 

 the simoom or samiel of the eastern deserts, owes its deleterious 

 effects to its hotness, and dryness, and the sand which it bears along. 

 When this blast is felt in Italy, it is called the sirocco ; but on the 

 western coast of Africa, it is named harmattan. The farther causes 

 of clouds, rains, and storms, must be reserved for the study of Me- 

 teorology; and the action of the elements upon the land", will be 

 alluded to in the branch of Geology. 



To Physical Geography belongs a description of the different races 

 of men ; of which there are five principal : the European, or white ; 

 the Asiatic, or yellow ; the American, or red ; the Malay, or brown ; 

 and the African, or black ; all of which are here arranged according 

 to their degree of civilization. By the degree of civilization, is 

 meant the progress of any race or people in arts and refinement. Of 

 these degrees, we may reckon five; the enlightened, civilized, half 

 civilized, barbarous, and savage ; of which we have no room here to 

 speak farther. The European or Caucasian race is characterised by 

 a lighter complexion ; a more oval face ; and generally by a greater 

 degree of intelligence and refinement, than the other races possess. 

 The Asiatic or Tartar race, has a more yellow complexion ; a face 

 nearly square, with dark and straight hair, full cheeks, and small 

 eyes ; and this race ranks second in intellectual power and improve- 

 ment. The Malay race, much resembles the Asiatic ; but has a 

 brown or tawny complexion ; and is generally inferior to the Asiatic 

 race, in the mental scale. The American or Indian race, is charac- 

 terised by a copper-colored complexion; straight, black hair; low 

 forehead, and very prominent cheek bones ; and this race is gene- 

 rally found in a half civilized or barbarous state. The African, or 

 Negro race, is distinguished by a black or dark complexion, short 

 curly hair, receding forehead, and prominent cheeks ; and it holds 

 the lowest place in the scale of improvement. 



We shall close this introduction with a glance over General Topo- 

 graphical Geography, or the natural features of the earth. More 

 than two-thirds of the earth's surface is covered with water ; the 

 largest bodies of which are called oceans ; five in number. The 

 Arctic Ocean surrounds the north pole ; and the Austral or Antarctic 

 Ocean, surrounds the south pole ; this name being usually applied to 

 that portion of the continuous waters, which lies beyond the 50th 

 degree of south latitude. The Pacific Ocean is about 11,000 miles 

 wide ; and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans are each about 3000 

 miles wide, at their widest part. A sea is a large body of water, 

 next in size to an ocean ; and a gulf or bay, is usually a smaller 

 body of water, also partly enclosed by land : but the terms sea, gulf, 

 and bay, have been applied in many cases without discrimination. 

 A strait, is a narrow passage, and a channel, a wider passage of 

 water, between two larger portions : and a shallow passage is called 

 * sound. A harbor, is a small bay, where ships are sheltered by 



