Mitchell's Geographical Reader: a system of modern geography, etc

Preface

. The approbation awarded by the public to Mitchell's School Geo graphy and Atlas, together with the request of several judicious and intelligent teachers, have induced the author to prepare the following treatise as an auxiliary to that publication ; and he trusts that it will be found equally satisfactory in matter and execution with the former, and secure a corresponding share of public favour. The general design of the work is, perhaps, sufficiently indicated by the title-page, it being intended as a reading book for schools, and like wise to be read in classes by those who are using the author's School Geography, or by pupils who are farther advanced in their studies. This volume, it is believed, will also be found equally convenient to parents who wish to teach their own children, or to adults, who have passed their period of tuition, and wish to acquire instruction by private reading.

There is. perhaps, no subject of greater interest, or of more real value in education, than Geography. Nothing tends so much to enlighten and improve the mind, as well as to enlarge the understanding : and the study of that important science is entitled to a prominent place in the education of every young person. Works upon this subject have, from a very early period, attracted much attention ; and the ancient geo graphical descriptions rank among the most valuable productions of the classic ages. In modern times, and especially at the present day, geography has assumed a much more important place among the various departments of knowledge, than at any former period. -The science of Geography embraces, in its description, the wide spread surface ofthe earth, in all its diversities of form and appearance.

It ascertains the bounds and extent of oceans, the dimensions of conti nents, the position of islands, the course of rivers, the elevation of mountains, and the characteristic features of valleys, plains, and deserts. It includes a knowledge of the peculiarities of the soil and climate, to gether with the mineral, animal, and vegetable productions of every known region. It treats, also, of the manners and customs, the moral habits and qualities, the social combinations, and the institutions of the various communities and races of men. Geography not only affords valuable information in almost every branch of human knowledge, but is, besides, essential to the practical utility of nearly every profession in civilized society : not only to the transactions and enterprise of the merchant and navigator, but also to the researches of the philosopher, and the exertions of the philanthropist.

PREFACE.

. The arrangements of the various countries described in the present volume, and the general scope of subjects, are the same as in the au thor's School Geography : the descriptive details are, howeTer, extended in proportion to the enlarged dimensions of this volume. Besides such notice of our own vast republic and the various European states as the limits of the work permit, the political condition and recent changes in different countries have been particularly noticed : those of Texas, Mexico, Guatimala, the various South American territories, with Greece, Turkey, Syria, Egypt, India, and the adjacent regions, are all described with reference to their actual condition. The chief divisions of the British Oriental Empire are exhibited some what in detail, and, it is hoped, more clearly and distinctly than in any former treatise of the same extent ; so that they may be readily under stood even by juvenile readers.

This portion of Asia has been generally described so much in mass, and so obscurely, that the usual deline ations of its territories have, for the most part, formed, like those ofthe German states, almost a geographical labyrinth. The new Anglo-Saxon domain, whose foundations are already so widely spread over the Pacific Ocean, comprising the various divisions of Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, &c, have received a proportional share of attention. These remote regions, the scenes of some of the most striking moral events of the present age, have become of superior interest to all civilized nations, and especially to those whose language, habits, and feelings, are kindred and congenial. The Geographical Reader is arranged to correspond, in its chief de tails, with Mitchell's School Atlas, so that those who already have the latter will be in possession of a suitable accompaniment to the first; and individuals who are not, may attain that object at a rate much below the price usually charged for Atlases compiled to illustrate trea tises of equal extent with the present volume.

Though much care has been taken to prevent errors, yet, as in all geographical works, they must be expected more or less to occur : it is believed, however, that such exist only in a very limited degree in the following treatise; and, whenever any inaccuracies shall be dis covered, they will be promptly rectified. It is the author's intention to subject the Geographical Reader to the same periodical revision as his School Geography, commencing with the next census of the United States, and repeating the process every five years afterwards. As in the former case, the plan and structure of the work will be unaltered, and such changes only introduced as the progress of discovery and science demands. Philadelphia, March, 1840. CONTENTS.

Page Introduction 9 The World 21 AMERICA 23 North America 25 Russian America 34 Greenland 35 British America 36 New Britain 40 Upper Canada 43 Lower Canada 45 New Brunswick 46 Nova Scotia, &c 47 Prince Edward's Island 49 Newfoundland 50 United States 51 New England 65 Maine 66 New Hampshire 68 Vermont 71 Massachusetts 74 Rhode Island 79 Connecticut 82 Middle States 85 New York 86 New Jersey 95 Pennsylvania 98 Delaware 106 Southern States 108 Maryland 109 District of Columbia 113 Virginia 115 North Carolina 120 South Carolina 123 Georgia 126 Florida 129 Alabama 131 Mississippi 134 Louisiana 136 Western States and Territories 140 Ohio 142 Kentucky 147 Tennessee 150 Michigan 152 Indiana 156 Illinois 158 Missouri 161 Arkansas 163 Wisconsin Territory 165 Iowa Territory 167 1 * Page Indian Territory 168 Missouri Territory 171 Oregon Territory 172 Texas 175 Mexico 177 Balize Settlement 188 Guatimala 189 West Indies 192 Spanish Islands 194 British Islands 196 French Islands 200 Dutch, Swedish, and Danish ) goo Islands S Hayti 201 South America 203 Colombia 211 New Grenada 214 Venezuela 217 Ecuador 219 Guiana 221 Essequibo, Demerara, and Ber- ) bice 4 Surinam 222 Cayenne 222 Peru 223 Peru-Bolivian Confederation . . 226 North Peru 227 South Peru 229 Bolivia 230 Chili 233 Brazil 237 Buenos Ayres 243 Paraguay 247 Uruguay 249 Patagonia 250 South American Islands 250 EUROPE 252 Sweden and Norway 259 Norway . . 261 Sweden 263 Lapland 265 Russian Empire 267 Russia in Europe 271 Poland 275 The Republic of Cracow 277 Denmark 279 Iceland 280 The Netherlands 282 Holland 282 VI CONTENTS.

Page Austrian Italy 363 Tuscany 365 Parma 367 Modena 367 Lucca 368 States of the Church 368 San Marino 371 Naples 371 Ionian Republic 373 Malta 374 Greece 375 Turkish Empire 380 Turkey in Europe 383 ASIA 387 Asiatic Russia 396 Siberia 596 Caspian and Caucasian Russia . 400 Caspian Russia 400 Caucasian Russia 402 Circassia 403 Daghestan 404 Georgia 404 Imeritia 405 Turkey in Asia 405 Syria 411 Palestine 415 Arabia 420 Mecca 425 Yemen or Sana 425 Muscat 426 Territory of the Wahabees ... 427 Hadramaut 427 Lahsa 427 Idumea 428 Persia 429 Afghanistan 434 Cabul 436 Herat 438 ! Beloochistan 439 Kafferistan 440 ; Tartary 441 Independent Tartary 445 ■ Great Bucharia 445 Khokan 446 Khiva 4 17 Koondooz 448 Kirguis Country 448 Turcomania 449 Chinese Tartary 44l1 Little Bucharia 450 Soongaria 45] Mongolia 451 Mantchooria 452 Page Belgium 286 Great Britain and Ireland 289 England 292 Wales 300 Scotland 302 Ireland 307 France 311 Spain 318 Republic of Andorra 323 Portugal 324 Germany 327 Austria 332 Prussia 337 Bavaria 340 Saxony 342 Hanover 343 Wirtemberg 344 Baden 345 Hessian States 346 Hesse Cassel 346 Hesse Darmstadt 346 Hesse Homburg 347 Saxon States 347 Saxe Weimar 347 Saxe Coburg Gotha 348 Saxe Meiningen Hildburghausen 348 Saxe Altenburg 348 Mecklenburg 348 Mecklenburg Schwerin 348 Mecklenburg Strelitz 349 Brunswick 349 Oldenburg 349 Nassau 349 Anhalt 349 The German Principalities .... 350 Schwartzburg 350 Reuss 350 Lippe 350 Hohenzollern 350 Waldeck 350 Lichtenstein 350 Kniphausen 350 The Free Cities of Germany . . 351 Hamburg 351 Lubec 351 Bremen 351 Frankfort 352 The German Territories of i Denmark, Belgium, Prussia, > 352 and Austria ) Switzerland 353 Italy 356 Sardinia 360 Monaca CONTENTS.

VII Page India 453 Hindoostan 454 British India 463 Bengal 465 Madras 467 Bombay 468 Tributary or Vassal States .... 470 Hydrabad 470 Oude 470 Nagpore 470 Mysore 471 Sata.a 471 Indore 471 Travancore and Cochin 471 Allied or Protected States 472 Baroda 472 Rajpootana 472 Cutch 473 I Independent States 473 Lahore 473 Nepaul 474 I Bootan 474 Dominions of Scindiah 475 Sinde '..... 475 European Colonies 476 The Portuguese 476 The French 476 The Danish 476 Ceylon 476 Coralline Islands 477 The Laccadives 477 The Maldives 477 Chin India 477 Birmah 480 Anam 482 Siam 485 British Territories 486 British Birmah 486 British Malacca 487 Pulo Pinang 488 Malacca 488 Nicobar and Andaman Isles . . 489 Chinese Empire 489 China 490 Corea 499 Thibet 500 Little Thibet 502 Japan 503 AFRICA 507 Barbary 515 Morocco 518 Algiers or Algeria 521 Tunis 522 Page Tripoli 524 Barca 525 Beled el Jerid 526 Great Desert 527 Fezzan 528 Tibesty 528 Tibboos and Tuaricks 529 Region of the Nile 530 Egypt 531 Nubia 538 Darfur 540 Bergoo or Waday 540 Kordofan 540 Fertit Donga, &c 540 Abyssinia 541 Western Africa 544 Senegambia 546 The Foulahs 546 Foota Jallon 547 Foota Toro 547 The Jaloffs 547 The Mandingoes 547 Bambouk 548 Soolimana 548 Senegal 548 Gambia 548 Sierra Leone 549 Guinea 549 Upper Guinea 550 Liberia 550 The Grain Coast 551 The Ivory, Gold and Slave Coasts 552 Ashantee 552 Dahomey 553 Benin 553 Waree 553 Lower Guinea 554 Loango 554 Portuguese Guinea 554 Congo 555 Angola and Benguela 555 Matemba, &c 555 Moolooa 555 Cimbebas Country 556 Southern Africa 556 Cape Colony 558 Caffraria 559 Hottentots 560 Boshuanas . 561 Eastern Africa 562 The Country of the Somaulies . 563 Adel 563 Berbora 563 Gingiro CONTENTS.

Page Ajan 564 Zanguebar 564 Magadoxa 564 Melinda 564 Moinbas 565 Quiloa 565 Portuguese Possessions 565 Sofala, Sabia, &c 566 Monomotapa 566 Cazembe 566 Central Africa ■■ 566 Kaarta, Manding, &c 569 Bambarra 570 Timbuctoo 570 Houssa .-. . • 571 Yaoorie 572 Boussa 572 Bergoo 572 Yarriba 572 Nyffe, &c 572 Bornou, &c 573 Begharmi 574 Mandara, &c 574 African Islands . 575 Azores or Western Islands .... 575 Madeira 575 The Canary Islands 575 The Cape Verde Islands 576 Fernando Po, &c 576 Ascension 577 St. Helena 577 The Ethiopian Archipelago . . . 577 Madagascar 577 Imerina 578 The Mascarenha Islands 578 Bourbon 578 Mauritius, or the Isle of France 579 The Seychelles, &c 579 The Comora Islands 579 Pemba, Zanzibar, and Monfia . 579 Socotra 580 Page OCEANICA 580 Malaysia 582 Sumatra 584 Java 585 Bally, Lombock, Sumbawa, &.c. 586 Borneo 586 The Sooloo Archipelago 586 Celebes or Maccassar 587 The Moluccas or Spice Islands 587 The Philippines 587 Australasia 588 Australia 588 Botany Bay Colony 590 The Colony of West Australia 591 The Colony of South Australia 591 Van Diemen's Land or Tasmania 592 New Zealand 592 Papua or New Guinea 593 Louisiade, &c 593 Norfolk Island 593 Polynesia 593 The Ladrone or Marianne Islands 596 The Caroline Islands 596 Central Archipelago 597 The Sandwich Islands 597 The Mendana Archipelago .... 598 The Society and Georgian Isl- ) -qo and3 £ King George's Islands, &c. . . . 598 The Pearl or Paumotu Islands, ) -Qa &c f M9 The Palliser, Hervey,and Ausi ™ tral Islands, &c \ 3SM The Friendly Islands 599 The Navigator's Islands 599 The Feejee Islands 599 The Tonga Islands, &c 600 Pitcairn's Island 600 Easter Island 600 The Archipelagoes of Anson ) „n„ and Magellan \ buu GEOGRAPHICAL READER.