4 
SOUTHERN' AFRICA. 
It has been surmised* that the two continents 
of Africa and America were once united, since 
the projecting part of Africa exactly fits the gulf 
of Mexico ; while the projecting part of South 
America, about Paraiba and Pernambuco, would, 
in size and shape, fill up the gulf of Guinea. 
According to M. Cordier, the North coast of 
this continent is sinking, at the rate of one foot 
in a century. If this be the case, and the globe 
remain sufficiently long in its present organi- 
zation, it may be readily conjectured that, ul- 
timately, the Mediterranean Sea and Indian 
Ocean will become united, whilst the Eed Sea 
will reach to the mountains under the 10th 
parallel of latitude.*)* Be this as it may, this 
continent, as now presented to us, is of an 
extent sufficient, without improbable conjec- 
tures, to employ our most extended research; 
for although the third largest division of the 
terrane surface of our planet, it is still the least 
known. 
Its extent, according to most of our British 
geographers, is computed at 11,500,000 square 
miles, inclusive of the islands. "With this cal- 
culation, most of the continental professors differ. 
Malte Brun rates it at 13,430,000 square miles. 
* See Article under head of " Africa/' in 7th Edition of Encyclo- 
pedia Britannica. 
f See Bell's Geography, vol. iii, p. 263. 
