AFRICAN. 



179 



doubted. The more southern coasts of Africa were first explored by 

 the Portuguese, led on by the Infante, Prince Henry, after their 

 successes in Barbary. Zarco discovered Madeira in 1419 ; Gilanez 

 doubled cape Bojador in 1433 ; Noel discovered the Cape Verde 

 islands in 1446; Escovar coasted Guinea, and discovered Prince's 

 Island in 1471 ; Diego Cam reached the river Zaire or Congo in 

 1484 : and Bartholomew Diaz reached the southern cape of Africa, 

 which he called the Cape of Storms, in 1486 ; but his sovereign, 

 John II., changed its name to Good Hope. Vasco de Gama first 

 sailed around that cape, coasted as far as Melinda, and thence obtain- 

 ing Arabian pilots, proceeded to Calicut, in Hindoostan, in 1498 ; thus 

 opening a southern passage to India. Madagascar was afterwards 

 discovered by the Portuguese in 1506 or 7. Central Africa has been 

 partially explored by the travels of Bruce in Abyssinia, in 1768 ; of 

 Mungo Park, in Bambara and Tiinbuctoo, in 1796 ; of Oudney and 

 Denham to Bornou, and Clapperton to Houssa, in 1823 ; and of 

 Richard and John Lander, who in 1830 traced the river Niger or 

 Quorra, to its mouth, in the Gulf of Guinea. There have been nume- 

 rous other travellers in Africa, whom we have no room here to mention. 

 The following table presents the nearest approximation which we 

 can make to an estimate of the extent and population of Africa. 



Countries. Sq. Miles. Inhabitants. 



Egypt 1 80,000 . 2,500,000 



Barbary 700,000. 14,000,000 



Sahara 2,500,000. 300,000 



Nubia 350,000 . 1 ,700,000 



Abyssinia 300,000 . 3,500,000 



Nigritia 1,600,000. 18,000,000 



Senegambia . . . 350,000.. 8,000,000 



Upper Guinea. 500,000.. 7,000,000 



Countries. Sq. Miles. 



Lower Guinea. 700,000. 



Ethiopia 2,000,000. 



South Africa . . . 600,000 . 



Mozambique . . . 400,000 . 



Zanguebar .... 500,000. 



African Islands 200,000. 



TOTAL. . 



Inhabitants. 

 6,000,00.0 



10,000,000 

 1,000,000 

 2,000,000 

 3,000,000 

 3,000,000 



..10,880,000 80,000,000 

 We proceed to treat of the divisions of Africa, in the order above 

 named. 



1. Northern Africa, including Sahara, is the only part which is 

 yet generally elevated above a savage state. It is a land of historic 

 fame, including the ancient states of Egypt, Carthage, and Numidia ; 

 but it is now inhabited chiefly by Arabs, mingled with Negroes ; 

 among most of whom the Mohamedan religion prevails. It is a very 

 hot region, owing partly to the deserts which it contains ; but the 

 northern parts are fertile in date palm trees, and other tropical pro- 

 ductions. 



Egypt retains its ancient name, and the ruins of its former great- 

 ness. 1 It was anciently divided into JEgyptus Inferior, in the north, 

 including the Delta between the mouths of the Nile ; Heptanomis, 

 or the middle part ; and T/iebais or JEgyptus Superior, in the south. 

 Among its cities were Alexandria, the new capital, in the north-west ; 

 Pelusimn, in the north-east ; Memphis, the old capital, near the 

 Pyramids ; and Ptolemais, and Thebse or Thebes, the most ancient 

 capital, in Upper Egypt. The chief modern cities are Cairo or Grand 

 Cairo, the present capital, near the ancient Memphis ; and Alexan- 

 dria and Damietta. Egypt is fertilized by the inundations of the 

 river Nile, beyond the borders of which it is mostly a desert. It is 

 ruled by a Pacha, with absolute power. The most interesting 



