North America

Front matter

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CHAPTER I. The Coasts

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General view of the Continent — The Gulf Coast — The Eastern Coast — The Pacific Coast — The shores of the Arctic Ocean . 1

CHAPTER IT.

The Appalachian Mountain System.

General features — General geographical structure — White Mountains — Green Mountains — The Adirondacks — The Alleghanies in Pennsylvania — The Black Mountains of North Carolina — Vegetation of the Appalachian ranges — Geology of the Appalachian region — Mineral resources of the Appalachian region — The Appalachian coal-fields — The petroleum districts . . .5

CHAPTER III. The Mississippi Valley

Extent — General features — Lake Itasca — Course of the Mississippi — Secondary tributaries of the Mississippi — The Mississippi Basin — The Prairies — Geology of the Mississippi Valley — Mineral resources of the Mississippi Valley — Coal-fields of the Mississippi Valley — Iron — Lead — The salt-mines of Louisiana — The Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Eiver — Lake Superior — Lake Huron — Lake Michigan — Niagara River and Falls — Geology of the region of the Great Lakes . . . . .20

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CHAPTER lY.

The Cordilleran Plateau.

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General geographical features — Climate of the Cordilleran Plateau —

Natural vegetation of the Cordilleran Plateau . . .40

CHAPTER V. The Great Plains

Their physical aspect — The Llano Estacado — The Plains in British America — Bad lands — Vegetation — The Fauna — The buffalo — Geology of the Great Plains . . . . .47

CHAPTER VI. The Rocky Mountains

General divisions of the Cordillera system — The northern section of the Rocky Mountains in the United States — The Yellowstone National Park — Geysers and hot springs — The White Mountain Springs — The Geyser Basin on the Pirehole Elver — Old Faithful — The Beehive — Giantess — Castle — Grand Geyser — Turban Geyser — Giant Geyser — Grotto Geyser — Lower Geyser Basin — The Shoshone Geyser Basin — The Minute Man — Red Mountain Springs — Gibbon Geysers — The Grand Canon and Falls of the Yellowstone — The Missouri Valley — The Grand Falls of the Missouri — The -Wind River and Yellowstone Ranges — Snake River — The Snake River Plains — The Big Horn Mountains — The Continental "Watershed from South to Bridger's Pass — The southern section of the Rocky Mountains — The Colorado or Front Range — The Sangre de Cristo Range — The Parks — North Park— The Laramie Plains— Middle Park— South Park— The San Luis Valley — The Park Range — The Sawatch and Elk Ranges — The San Juan Range — The Continental Divide . 57

CHAPTER VH.

The Plateau Region op the Colorado River.

General view — The Canons of the Colorado and Green — Running a

rapid — Fauna and Flora of the Plateau Region . . .92

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CHAPTER VIII. The Great Basin

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Its general appearance — The "Wahsatch Range — The Basin Ranges — Great Salt Lake— Death Valley . . . . .103

CHAPTER IX. The Pacific Ranges

In general — The Cascade Range — Results of the latest surveys — Mount Rainier — Glaciers — Mount Shasta — The Sierra Nevada — The Yosemite Valley — The Coast Ranges — The Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley — The vegetation of the Sierra — The '' Big Trees " — Agricultural resources of the Cordilleran Region . 110

CHAPTER X. Geology op the Cordilleran Plateau

General review — Rocky Mountains — The Plateau Region — The Basin Region — The Sierra Nevada, Coast, and Cascade Ranges — Mineral resources of the Cordilleras — Gold — Methods of gold mining — Silver — The Comstock lode and Virginia City — Utah, Idaho, and Colorado — Leadville, Colorado — Coal . .127

CHAPTER XL

Historical Survey.

General discovery and first settlement — Rise of the English and French settlements — Spread of the English power — Democratic and religious character of the early English settlements — Political enfranchisement and adoption of Republican principles — Federal Union — Progi'ess of events — Spread of the Union to the Pacific — The Civil "War — Its causes and results — Reconstruction of the Union ....... 162

CHAPTER XIL

Extent and Population.

Boundaries and extent — Population — Distribution of the population — American cities — New York City — Philadelphia — Baltimore, the Monumental City — Washington — Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburg, Cincinnati — St. Louis and Chicago — San Francisco . 179

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CHAPTER XIII.

The Population and its Various Elements.

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statistics of the native and foreign elements — Native Americans — The German element — The Irish element — The Whites of the Southern States — The Negro — The Chinese in the States — Their good qualities — Degraded habits and vices of the Celestials — Social state of the Californian Chinese — The Japanese in California . . . . . . . .203

CHAPTER XIV.

The Indians.

Statistics of the settled and nomad tribes — Pueblos — Moquis — The nomadic tribes — Characteristic traits of the Indian — Are the Indians dying out ? — The predatory tribes of the West — Indian Territory — Half-breeds — The unwritten history of America — The Mound-Builders — Ruins in the South- Western Territories . 218

CHAPTER XV.

Social Relations.

Classes of society — Public instruction — The schools — Defects of the system — Colleges and universities — Sectarian spirit of the private scholastic foundations ...... 239

CHAPTER XVI.

Religion.

The Christian religion — Eccentric forms of religious development — The Shakers : their history and constitution — The Inspirationist, Perfectionist, etc. — The Jehovah People — Mormonism — Joseph Smith — "The Book of Mormon" — Nauvoo — Brigham Young, "The Lion of the Lord" — Deseret — Polygamy — Constitution of Mormonism — Schism — Prospects ..... 246

CHAPTER XVn.

Material Progress.

Agriculture — Maize, oats, potatoes, etc. — Wine and tobacco — The plantations — Cotton and sugar — Cattle-breeding — Farm stock — Timber — Reckless destruction of the forest — Hunting and fishing — Manufactures — Mercantile interests — Decline of the American carrying trade — Inland trade — Railways and canals— National wealth and liabilities ...... 261

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CHAPTER XVIII.

Political Administration.

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The Federal Constitution — Congress — The Executive — The President — The Judiciary — Constitution of the States and Territories — The Cabinet — Revenue and expenditure — Land, and sea forces . 270

CHAPTER XIX.

The Territory of Alaska.

Physical aspect of the country — Inhabitants — Indians — Eskimos — Agricultural prospects — Natural resources — The fur trade — Geology and mineral resources . . . . .276

PAET 11.

THE DOMi:tTION OF CANADA AND NEWFOUNDLAND.

CHAPTER I. The Coasts

Boundaries and area — The Atlantic Coast — The shores of Hudson Bay — The Arctic Coast — The Pacific Coast — Queen Charlotte Islands 289

CHAPTER II. The Mountains

General features — The Acadian Highlands — The Shickshock, Notre Dame, and Laurentide Mountains — Rocky Mountains — The Cascades, Coast, and Gold Ranges of British Columbia . . 328

CHAPTER III. The Rivers and Lakes

General features and extent — The River St. Lawrence — Tributaries of the St. Lawrence — Lake Ontario — Lake Erie — Lake Huron and Georgian Bay — Lake Superior — Lake Nipigon . . .344

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CHAPTER IV. The Basin of Hudson Bay

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General features — The Saskatchewan River — The north branch of the Saskatchewan — The Nelson River — The lower part of Nelson River — Lake Winnipeg — Lakes Manitoba and Winnipegosis — The Winnipeg River — The character of the country about the Upper Winnipeg — The Red River — The Lake of the Woods — The Beaver or Churchill River . . . . .377