GEOGRAPHY. ^ 107 



Cape Guardafui, in possession of the Arabian Emirs of Kissim, cap. 

 Tamerida. 2. The Sec/ielles, or Mahe Islands, thirty in number, Enghsh 

 colonies since 1814. The most important are Mahe, Praslin, and La 

 Digue. 3. The Amlrantes or Admiralty islands, south-west of the preceding, 

 belonging to the Portuguese. 4. Madagascar, 168,000 square geographical 

 miles, is unknown as to its interior. The inhabitants, termed Madegassas, 

 although of dark complexion, are not negroes, and possess some advance- 

 ment in civilization. The island is divided into twenty-two individual 

 states : the most important are north and south Sekelava on the west coast, 

 and Anossy in the interior. The French have established several settle- 

 ments on the east coast, among them St. Marie, Foulpoint, Nossibe, &c. 

 In the vicinity of the northern point, the English possess the harbor of 

 Loquez or Diego Suarez. 5. The Comorin, or Comoro Islands, in the 

 northern part of the Mozambique Channel, four in number, the largest, 

 Angazaye or Comoro ; the others are called Anjuan, Mehilla, and Mayotta 

 (the latter in possession of the French). 6. The Mascarene Islands, Bourbon 

 and Mauritius. The former belongs to France, and has an area of 1760 

 square geographical miles, with a pop. of 100,000, cap. St. Denis : the 

 latter to England, area 880 square geographical- miles, pop. 100,000, cap. 

 Port Louis. 7. The single islands of Rodrigues, John of Lisbon, Kerguelen's 

 Land, St. Paul and Amsterdam, &c. 



B. On the West Coast from south to north : 1. Tristan d'Acunha, 

 three islands in possession of the English. 2. St. Helena, 88 square 

 geographical miles, pop. 5000, belongs to England. 8. Ascension, also 

 English. 4. Guinea Islands, only 70 to 250 miles from the coast of 

 Guinea ; of these, Fernando Po belongs to the English ; the Princes Islands 

 and Annobon to the Spanish ; St. Thomas to the Portuguese. 5. The Cape 

 de Verde Islands, fourteen in number (four of these barren rocks only), in 

 possession of the Portuguese. The largest are San Jago, San Nicholas, S. 

 Vincente, S. Philipp or Fuego, S. Antonio, and S. Juan. 6. The Canary 

 Islands (see page 53). 7. The Madeiras, of which Madeira, 256-320 

 square geographical miles, and pop. 100,000, is solely of importance. It is 

 in possession of the Portuguese. The capital, Funchal, has 20,000 inhabit- 

 ants. The northern islands of Porto Santo and Salvages likewise belong 

 to Portugal. 



IV. AMERICA {Plate 30, 31). 



The great western continent extends in a north and south direction from 

 71° 20' N. to 54° 30' S. Jat., its extreme length from the Straits of Magellan 

 to Behring's Strait being 10,500 statute miles. The entire area may be 

 estimated at 14,950,000 square statute miles. 



It is divided by the Isthmus of Panama into two large triangles. North 

 and South America, between which lies a large chain of islands. The 

 i^nhabitants are partly of aboriginal origin (Indians and Esquimaux), and 

 partly introduced (Europeans and Africans, with their descendants). The 



107 



