The Countries of the Western World

THE WESTERN WORLD.

THE GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLE

North, South and Central America,

FROM THE LANDING OF COLUMBUS TO THE PRESENT TIME.

PEN AND PENCIL PICTURES

OF THE GREAT WONDERLANDS OF OUR REPUBLIC, THEIR NATURAL SCENERY AND CELEBRATED
RESORTS, THE STORY OF OUR MARVELLOUS PROGRESS AND GROWTH
AS A NATION: WITH PICTURESQUE SKETCHES OF

OUR CONTINENT BEYOND THE STATES

COMPRISING

VIEWS IN THE DOMINION OF CANADA, HER PROVINCES AND CITIES; THE REPUBLIC OF MEXICO;
CUBA, THE GEM OF THE ANTILLES; THE BAHAMA ISLANDS, AND ALL THE COUNTRIES
OF SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA, THEIR CAPITALS AND SEAPORTS.

A Grand, Descriptive, Historical and Statistical Work.

PREPARED BY

BENSON J. LOSSING, LL.D.,

AUTHOR OF "THE PICTORIAL FIELD BOOK OF THE REVOLUTION,' "THE WAR OF 1812, "A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FOR SCHOOLS," "THE CIVIL WAR, "LIVES OF EMINENT AMERICANS," "THE HOME OF WASHINGTON," "LOSSING'S BOOK OF THE HUDSON," OUR COUNTRY, "THE GREAT REPUBLIC OF THE WEST,"

ETC.,

AND OTHER WELL-KNOWN WRITERS.

ILLUSTRATED

WITH NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS OF THE MAGNIFICENT SCENERY OF OUR
WONDERLANDS AND PLACES OF PICTURESQUE

AND HISTORIC INTEREST.

NEW YORK:

GAY BROTHERS & CO.,

30, 32, 34 READE STREET.

1890.

E168
L67

Lewis Bealer

LIST OF AUTHORS.

BENSON J. LOSSING, LL.D.
Our Nation; The Story of Its Progress and Growth.

GEO. J. HAGAR.
Beyond the States.

A. H. GEURNSEY, PH. D.

AND

JOHN E. REED.

Great Wonderlands of Our Republic.

COPYRIGHTED, 1890, BY GAY, BROTHERS & CC.

M. N. W.

PREFACE.

The present is an auspicious time to present to the public a work showing at one view the wonderful development and progress of the countries of the western world, together with the marvellous scenery of our wonderlands and resorts.

The volume in hand contains a concise and rapid review of all the nations of our continent, including the story of Our Nation's Progress and Growth, giving in interesting and entertaining form the salient points of our national development from the discovery of the continent to the present time. This cannot fail to be of great value to the busy reader who has not the time to devote to more extensive works. It may be depended upon as accurate and reliable, the description of each event having been carefully verified as to its historical correctness.

While the great republic of the West has made such rapid strides in her national progress, sister republics have arisen upon her southern border, and in Central and South America, modelled upon her Constitution. The lands of the Montezumas and the Incas have taken on a new type of civilization. Customs and traditions, transplanted from the countries of Europe to their American colonies, have been modified and transformed by the blending of the races until the sovereign nations first represented in the Pan-American Congress, held at Washington, D. C., in 1890, have displayed the great fact that they are all together moving forward to a common destiny. The spirit of unity and of peaceful arbitration, as well as of commercial reciprocity urged by this Congress upon the respective governments represented therein, shows a tendency to continental unity of aim.

In order that the general reader may become fully informed upon their condition, political, commercial, and social, interesting chapters of a historical and descriptive nature have been introduced showing the form of government, with statistics respecting the educational facilities, military and naval forces, and religious condition of these nations of the western hemisphere which lie beyond the United

States. The dominion of Canada on the north, and Cuba, "the Key to the Antilles," with the Bahama Islands, have each been treated in chapters specially assigned to them.

An interesting portion of the work is speciálly devoted to the natural scenery presented by ocean, lake, mountain, and river throughout the great "Wonderlands of Our Republic." These have long attracted the admiration of the native and foreign tourist, and awakened an intense desire in all classes of readers to become better acquainted with the majestic wonders and varied scenes of our land. These chapters, which include the celebrated resorts of the United States, are surrounded with picturesque and historic interest to all readers. To those who have had the time and opportunity to visit all or any of these famous places, a perusal of these sketches will awaken pleasant recollections and renew the thrilling sensations of grandeur and sublimity which the scenes themselves at first aroused. While for that large class of our readers who have not had the opportunity of personally viewing them, these pen and pencil pictures will, in large measure, supply the place of actual visitation. While to those contemplating a visit to any of our celebrated resorts, an opportunity is offered to make themselves familiar with the peculiar charms of each.

The historic, descriptive, and picturesque features of this work cannot fail to most highly recommend it to all readers. This work is therefore published for readers of every class, with the belief that it will satisfy the renewed interest in the wonderful achievements of our Continent, everywhere rich in noble names and grand events; and also with the assurance that it will furnish much desired information upon those subjects which are valuable to every American—in the broadest sense of that word-who believes in the grand future awaiting this Western Hemisphere of Republics.