EUROPEAN. 



171 



the Tungouses, in the centre ; and the Yakoutes, Koriaks, and 

 Kamtschatkans, in the east. The province of Georgia, between 

 the Black and Caspian seas, including the ancient Colchis, Iberia, 

 and Albania; and the province of Cir cassia farther north, including 

 part of the ancient Carmatia, are nominally a part of the Russian 

 empire ; but are at present struggling for independence. The chief 

 rivers of Siberia are the Obi, which unites with the Irtish in the 

 west ; and the Yenisei, and Lena, more central, all running north- 

 ward into the Arctic Ocean. On the north are the islands Kotelnoi 

 and New Siberia; and on the east the Aleutian or Fox Islands, 

 which belong rather to Russian America. Among the cities, are 

 Tobolsk, the capital, with Orenburg and Jlstracan, in the west, the 

 latter being farthest south ; Tomsk on the Obi ; Irkutsk, on Lake 

 Baikal ; Yakutsk, on the Lena ; and Okotsk (or Ochotsk) on the 

 sea of that name, in the extreme east. Siberia produces furs and 

 minerals ; but adds little to the strength of the Russian empire, to 

 which it belongs. It serves as a place of banishment for criminals, 

 particularly those condemned for political crimes ; whose lives are 

 often shortened by this severe punishment. 



CHAPTER II. 



EUROPEAN GEOGRAPHY. 



EUROPE, though the smallest grand division of the earth, has ex- 

 celled all the others in civilization ; and has made far the greater 

 number of discoveries and improvements, in literature, sciences and 

 arts. The southern and central parts of Europe, we have already 

 said, were known to the ancient civilized world; of which Italy 

 and Greece formed important portions. The papal missionaries in 

 northern and north-eastern Europe, acquired much information of 

 those parts ; (p. 148) ; but the earliest authentic account of northern 

 Europe was written by Alfred the Great of England; who, in 901, 

 sent Other to sail around the North Cape, to the White Sea, and 

 Wuhtan to explore the Gulf of Finland ; both of which objects 

 were attained. Iceland was discovered in 861, by Naddodr, a Nor- 

 wegian pirate; Spitzbergen or East Greenland, in 1553, by Sir 

 Hugh TVilloughby ; and Nova Zembla is said to have been dis- 

 covered by English navigators, in 1556. Of the numerous modern 

 travels in Europe, we have no room here to speak. 



The following statement is the most correct that we can offer of 

 some important statistics of the leading powers of Europe. 



