6 Gardiner G. Hubhard — South America. 



General Description. 



In Asia, the different countries have natural boundaries ; the 

 people, soil and climate of one country are unlike those of others. 

 In Europe there are few natural boundaries, though different 

 races inhabit the several states. 



In South America only one dominant race is found, and though 

 natural boundaries exist, yet they do not serve as boundaries to 

 the different states, other than Venezuela and Guiana. Vene- 

 zuela and Guiana are watered by the Orinoco and by several 

 rivers that flow from the Amazonian mountains to the ocean. 

 The whole coast is low and fertile, but hot and unhealthy. The 

 principal product is sugar, raised by negroes and coolies. The 

 interior is sultry and thickly wooded ; it is inhabited by Indian 

 tribes, the principal of which are the cannibal Caribs, and by 

 negroes as uncivilized as any of the tribes in Africa. Guiana is 

 controlled by the English, French, and Dutch. Cayenne, the 

 prison for French convicts, is the capital of French Guiana. 



Colombia and Ecuador occupy the northwestern part of South 

 America. They are situated on both sides of the Andes, and 

 have every variety of climate. The country is well watered ; 

 fertile but unhealthy on the coast, fertile and healthy on the 

 elevated plains, cold and barren on the mountains. 



In Brazil, besides the Amazon, La Plata and San Francisco, 

 there are several large rivers with fertile valleys ; but occasional 

 droughts, sometimes lasting for two years, will i^revent por- 

 tions of Brazil from becoming densely inhabited. 



On the Pacific coast south of Ecuador, the rainfall becomes 

 less and less. For three thousand miles along the coast of Peru 

 and Chili there is no natural harbor ; a plain from ten to fifty 

 miles in width extends from the Pacific to the foot-hills of 

 the Andes. The Antarctic current runs along this coast ; the 

 southeasterly winds blow over it on to the land and cool the air; 

 but as the winds are of low temperature their scanty vapor is 

 dissipated by the heat radiated from the land, and not a drop of 

 rain refreshes the thirsty soil. Many mountain torrents run from 

 the snow-clad summits of the Andes, and the beauty of their 

 naiTow valleys forms a grateful contrast to the dry and barren 

 sands of the plain. 



In the southern part of Chili and in that part formerly called 

 Patagonia, rain is abundant and the country is fertile. 



The longest stretch of low and comparatively level land to be 



