AFRICA. 



813 



and in the river valleys throughout the tropical regions, is destructive to Europeans ; the great 

 heat and the exhalations of the swampy soil, covered by an exuberant vegetation, generating 

 fatal diseases. 



G. jMinerals. Litlle is known of the mineral productions of Afi'ica. Salt is abundant, 

 except in Nigritia, and gold dust is found in many of the rivers. The following table shows 

 some of the most important minerals, with their localities, as far as is known. 



Cold. Central Nigritia (Mandiiigo, Iloiissn, Wanir.i- 

 ra) ; Guinea coast; Mozambique coast; Abyssi- 

 nia, &c. 



Silver. Mines of Uliicova on tlie Zambezi river ; 



Elala in JTorocco ; Nigritia (Begarmeh, Teembo.) 

 Copper. Morocco ; Nigritia (Molooas, Darfur, &c.) ; 



Egypt, Cordovan, tisc. ; Cape Colony; Zunibo, 



Cazerabas, &c. 



A! 



Madagas- 



Iron. Egypt, Abyssinia, Darfc 



car, Cazpmbas, Nigritia. 

 Tin and Lead. Lnango. 



Salt. Barbary (Morocco, Tunis) ; Egy|)t, Cordovan, 

 and Aliyssinia ; Nigritia (y\ngola, Benguela, &c.) ; 

 Cape of Good Hope, Madagascar, Canaries, ik.c. 



much the same vegeta- 



7. Vegetable Productions. The northern regions of x\rrica present 

 tion as the southern parts of Europe, with some distinguishing features, however, that forbode 

 the transition to the tropics. On the Barbary coast we find groves of orange and olives ; 

 wide fields of wheat and barley ; thick woods of evergreen oaks, cork trees, and sea pines 

 (Pinus marilima) intermixed with cypresses, myrtles, and tree heaths [Erica arburca)^ wliile 

 palmetto trees and wild capers cover the hills and rocks. The principal objects of culture 

 in the Barbary States are a species of wheat (^Trilicum cluntm), the culm of which is solid, 

 and the kernel horny, rather than farinaceous ; barley, used for the horses instead of oats ; 

 maize and cafJre-corn (Holcus sorglium) , rice, tobacco ; figs, pomegranates, jujubes, sugar- 

 cane, &c. In the mountainous tracts to the south grows the sandarach tree {1'hiiija arlicu- 

 lata) whose durable wood is used in the construction of mosques, and is supposed by some to 

 be tiie shittim wood of Scripture. The borders of the great desert and the oases yield the date- 

 l)alm, affording the chief sustenance of the inhabitants, i'-gypt produces the vegetation of 

 both these regions, with the acacias (./?. nilotica), wlilcli yield the gum arabic, tamarisks, the 

 senna (Cassia oblusijulia) , the doom palm (Crucifera Tlicbnica) ^ the cardamoms, castor-oil 

 plant (Ricinus) ; safflower (Carlhainus tinctoriiis) , yielding an esteemed dye ; the papyrus 

 (P. antiquorum) from which the old Egypti'ans made their material for writing ; the lotus 

 (Zizyphus lotos)., of which the ancients related many fables, &c., in the equinoctial regions 

 exhibit new forms of vegetation. Tlie huge baobab (Jldansonia)^ the fruit of wliich affords the 

 natives a grateful drink, the cotton tree (Bombax pentandriim^, groups of oil palms (Elais 

 guineensis] , sago palms (^Sagus raplia)., the grotesque chandelier tree (Pandanus candelabrum) , 

 with its long, rigid, channelled leaves, &c., are among the characteristic productions of the 

 tropical countries. The cassava (Tatropha maniliol), yam (Dioscorea), pigeon pea (Cylisus 

 cajan), and ground-nut (^Jlrachis liypogcm)., are the farinaceous plants which supply the place 

 of the cereal grains of temperate climates ; the jiapaw (Carica papaya), ilic lani;nind, Sene- 

 gal custard-apple (Jlnona Senegalensis) , the doura tree (Parhia Jijricana) tlie musanga, 

 cream fruit, monkey apple, mammee apple, &c., arc among the useful trees. Jn the vast 

 karroos of Southern Africa, there are few plants that rise to the dignity of trees, but various 



succulent plants, euphorbias, carrion flow- 

 ers {siapdia)., aloes, fig marigolds (»)e- 

 sembryan thcmum) , orcliidea;', &c.),wilh 

 numberless species of heath, geraniums, 

 cycadea;, &c., usurp the place of forests. 



S. Deserts. The Desert of Zahura 

 occupies a great part of Northern Africa, 

 extending from Egypt to the Atlantic. 

 The Great Southern Desert is supposed 

 to occupy most of the interior to the 

 soutli. These deserts form a prominent 

 feature of the country ; no other portion 

 of the globe exhibits anything comparable 

 to them. Thiey ai'e oceans of sand under 

 a burning sky. ?no cooling breezes fresh- 

 en the air ; the sun descends in overpow- 

 ing with them liiliows of sand which some- 



Traveling in tlie Desert. 



ering force ; the winds scorch as they pass, and bi 



