TABLE OF MINERALS OF AFRICA. DIAMONDS. - Algē'ria. OTHER PRECIOUS STONES.- Lower Guinea, Egypt. GOLD.-Guinea, Soodăn', sources of the Nile. SILVER.-Eastern Africa, Soodǎn'. COPPER.Soodăn', Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, region of the Nile, Mo roc'co. LEAD. Algē'ria, &c. IRON.- Soodǎn', Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, Algë'ria, and Abyssin'ia. SALT. Moroc'co, Abyssin'ia, Soodăn'. § 8. QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW. 368. Wherein does the contour' of Africa differ from that of other continents? What features of relief predominate? By what is the southern half of the continent occupied? What the northern half? Does any portion of Africa belong to the great mountain zone of the old world? Describe the Atlas system of mountains. What elevation has the mountain knot of Morocco ? What are the extent and height of the table land of Bär'ca? Where is Table Mountain ? Of what range is it the commencement ? What three sections compose this range? Where do the Mountains of the Moon attain their greatest elevation ? Location and height of Mount Kilimanjaro? What river is supposed to originate in this region ? What mountains in Abyssinia ? Where are the Kong Mountains, and what is their elevation ? What mountains near the coast of Biafra? What kind of declivity forms the descent from the southern table land on three sides? What is the supposed structure of the northern declivity? Describe the promontory of Abyssin'ia. What is the height of the plateau of Ti'gre? By what is the elevated country of Abyssin'ia characterized? What are the physical aspects of Soodăn'? Between what parallels of latitude is the Sahä'ra Desert? What are its length and breadth ? In which part of the desert are oases most frequent ? What are the physical aspects of Egypt and Nubia? Which is the chief of the river systems of this continent? What two large streams unite in the plains of Sennaar to form the Nile Trace the course of the White Nile. Trace the course of the Blue Nile. What are the latitude and longitude of their junction? What singular circumstance attends the Nile below the confluence of Tacăz'ze? How does the Nile enter the sea? What would Egypt become should the Nile cease to flow? In what part of Africa is the River Niger ? Trace its course. What tributary of the Niger flows from the eastward ? Describe the river system of Senegăm'bia. Where are the Congo and Coăn za Rivers? CHAPTER XI. SPECIAL GEOGRAPHY OF AUSTRALIA AND ADJACENT ISLANDS. 369. AUSTRALIA is the smallest of the three southern continents, and though reckoned with the continental group of the Old World, is wholly detached from it. It lies south of the Asiatic Archipelago, between 10° and 39° S. lat., and 113° and 154° E. lon.; having the Pacific Ocean on the E., the Southern Ocean on the S., the Indian Ocean on the W., and on the N. the Sea of Timor and Torres Strait, separating it from Timor and Papua. Its length from east to west is about 2700 miles, breadth from north to south near 2000 miles, and comprising an area of nearly 3,000,000 square miles, with a coast line of 7600 miles, or 1 to 390 miles of surface. 370. Australia, like the continents of Africa and South America, is but little indented with branches of the ocean. The principal indentations are the Gulf of Carpentaria and Cambridge Gulf on the north, Port Philip, the Gulf of St. Vincent, and Spencer Gulf on the south, and Shark Bay, with a few others, on the western coast. Only the south-eastern part, with small sections in the south and west, and an inconsiderable tract in the north near Port Essington, have as yet been thoroughly explored. Much of the interior of this continent is still unknown. 371. The most remarkable feature of the eastern side is a long chain of mountains near the coast, extending from Cape York at Torres Strait, south to Wilson Promontory, and is continued through the whole of Văn Die'men's Land to South Cape, where it ends. In the northern parts the chain is low, but about 30° S. latitude it assumes the form of a regular mountain chain. The average elevation is between three and four thousand feet. The Australian Alps, or Warragong Mountains, belong to this chain, and are constantly covered with snow. Mount Kosciusco, one of the peaks of this range, 369. Australia compared with the other continents. Boundaries. Extent. Area. Coast line. -370. Bays. Straits. Explored parts. Of the interior. 371. Eastern portion. Average height of the highlands. Loftiest summits. 11 * (125) rises to the height of 6510 feet, and Mount York in the Blue Mountains rises to 3292 feet. The rugged and savage character of these mountains far exceeds what might be expected from their height. The spurs give them a terrific character, and in many places render them inaccessible, both in New South Wales and in Văn Die'men's Land. These spurs shoot right and left from the main range, equal to it in height, and separated from it and from one another by dark gullies, impassable precipices, and streams flowing through them in black, silent eddies, or foaming torrents. 372. In New South Wales, the country slopes westward from these mountains to a low, flat, unbroken plain. On the east side, darkly verdant and round-topped hills and ridges are promiscuously grouped together, leading to a richly-wooded, undulating country, which gradually descends to the coast, and forms the valuable lands of the British colony. On the western side of Australia, the land is generally inferior near the coast, with richer tracts near the rivers. None of the rivers of Australia are navigable to any great distance from their mouths. The Murray River, which, with its tributaries, is said to drain a surface of 400,000 square miles, flows into the sea by a very small mouth. The want of water is severely felt in the interior, which, as far as known, is a treeless desert of sand, swamps, and jungle. 373. PRODUCTIONS. Granite, sandstone, limestone, coal, and slates are the chief mineral products; and rich ores of gold, copper, and lead have recently been discovered. The gold district is at Bathurst, at the foot of the Blue Mountains, about 100 miles west of Sydney. Of the 5710 plants discovered in Australia, 5440 are peculiar to it. It is remarkable that, with one or two exceptions, there are no indigenous fruits. Timber in general is of inferior quality. Sheep farming is the most flourishing branch of industry, and it is principally as a wool-growing country that Australia is rising in commercial importance. SYDNEY, the capital and largest town, has one of the best harbors in the world. The other important places are Melbourne, Portland Bay, Albany, Freemantle, and Perth. Hobart Town is the capital of Van Diē'men's land. 374. NEW ZEALAND, divided into three islands by rocky and dangerous channels, is superior to Australia in soil, fertility, and beauty. High mountains, of volcanic origin, Character of these mountains.—372. Reliefs of New South Wales. The land on the west. Murray River. Of water in the interior. - 373. Minerals. Gold region of Australia. Plants, &c. Sydney. Other towns. Hobart Town. -374. New extend through the islands, which, in the most northerly, rise to nearly 10,000 feet above the sea, with two thirds of their height buried in snow and glă'ciers. The coast is a broken country, covered with a luxuriant but dark vegetation. There are table lands of great extent, without a tree, but the mountain ridges are clothed with dense and gigantic forests. There is much good land, and many lakes, with navigable rivers, the best of harbors, and a mild climate. Auckland is the capital. 375. PAPUA or NEW GUINEA, next north of Australia, is 1100 miles long, and 400 wide, with mountains rising to the height of 16,000 feet, capped with snow. From the little that is known of it, it is believed to be one of the finest countries in that region. The bird of paradise is found here. 376. BORNEO, a large island north-west of Australia, is crossed by the equator, and traversed through its whole length by magnificent chains of mountains. Fine rivers flow from them to the plains. Diamonds, gold, and antimony are among its minerals; gums, gûtta percha, precious woods, and all kinds of spices and tropical fruits are among its vegetable productions. Borne'o is the chief town. 377. The SUNDA GROUP of islands, comprising Sumatra, Java, Bally, Sumbawa, Floris, Sandalwood, and Timor, form one of the most terribly active regions of volcanic action in the world, and there is not a spot of its size on the face of the earth that contains so many volcanoes as the Island of Java. A range of volcanic mountains, from 5000 to 14,000 feet high, forms the central crest of the island, and ends to the east in a series of 38 separate volcanoes with broad bases, rising gradually into cones. Most of them are of great antiquity, and are covered with thick vegetation. Some are extinct, or only emit smoke; from others sulphurous vapors issue with great violence; one has a large crater filled with boiling water, and a few have had fierce eruptions of late years. 1772 the greater part of one of the largest volcanic mountains was swallowed up, after a short but severe combustion; a luminous cloud enveloped the mountain on the 11th of August, and soon after the high mass actually disappeared under the earth with tremendous noise, carrying with it about 90 square miles of the surrounding country, 40 villages, and nearly 3000 of their inhabitants. The northern coast of Java is flat and swampy, but the southern parts are beautiful and romantic, yet in the lovely, peaceful valleys, the stillness of night is Zealand. Divisions. Mountains. The coast. Table lands. Capital. 375. Papua. 376. Borneo. Minerals and vegetables. - 377. Of the Sunda Islands. In |