variable winds. Its encroachments upon its southern coast have formed the Gulf of Dollart and the Zuyder See. The Baltic Sea extends between Sweden and Russia, and Germany. It is 600 miles long, and has an area of 120,000 square miles. In many places it is shallow, and it is exposed to sudden changes of the wind and violent storms; its tides are inconsiderable, and it discharges its waters through the Sound and the two Belts into the ocean. The gulfs of Bothnia and Finland are its principal arms. The Bay of Biscay is an open bay on the western The Gulf of Bothnia extends northerly, between Sweden and Finland, 350 miles, with a breadth of 50 to 140. It is frozen so hard during winter, that travelers cross it from Sweden to Finland in reindeer sledges. The Mediterranean Sea is a large inland body of water, about 2,000 miles in length, and varying from 200 to 800 in breadth, covering an area of 1,000,000 square miles. The tides in this sea are slight, nowhere exceeding two feet. A strong current through the Dardanelles, brings the waters of the Black Sea into this basin, and while a central current sets into it through the Straits of Gibraltar from the Atlantic Ocean, two lateral currents pour its waters through that chanThe Adrinel into the ocean. atic Sea or the Gulf of Venice, and the Archipelago, are its principal arms. The Black Sea is a sort of large lake between Europe and Asia, which discharges its waters by the Bosphorus, through the sea of Marmora and the Dardanelles, into the Mediterranean. Including the Sea of Asoph, which is properly a gulf of the Black Sea, the latter covers an area of 200,000 square miles. It is so tempestuous and boisterous as to be difficult of navigation. BRITISH ISLANDS.-1. Cheviot Hills, England, 3,000 feet. -2. Snowdon, Wales, 3,557 do.-3. Ben Nevis, Scotland, 4,380 do.-4. Carran Tual, Ireland, 3,400 do.-FRANCE.-5. Auvergne, 6,230 do.6. Vosges, 4,680 do. -SPAIN.-7. Sierra Nevada, or Snowy Range, 11.660 do.-8. La Maladetta, highest 3,450 do.-11. Mt. Etna, or Mongibello, (volcanic,) 10,870 do. -SARDINIA.-12. Mt. Olan, 13,819 do. 15,730 do.-16. Jungfrau, 13,718 do.-17. Rhetian Alps, 12,000 do. -AUSTRIA.-18. Ortler, 12,850 do.-SWEDEN.-19. Seagstlostind, 8,400 do.-20. Sneehatan, 8,120 do.-GERMANY.-21. Hartz, 3.620.do.-22. Highest Summit of Carpathian Chain, 10,000 do. of Andalusian, 11,405 do. -NAPLES.-9. Mt. Corno, or Cavallo, 9,520 do.-10. Vesuvius, (volcanic,) SWITZERLAND.-13. Finsteraarhorn, 14,111 do.-14. Mt. Blanc, 15,730 do. - 15. Mt. Ross, 3. Mountains. Four great systems of mountains spread their numerous branches over this continent. The Pyrenees separate France and Spain, and extend in several parallel chains through the peninsula; their greatest eleva tions are from 10,000 to 11,400 feet. The Alps are the principal trunk of the second great European system of mountains, whose branches stretch into France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Turkey, and Greece. The Vosges, the Jura, and the Cevennes, in France, are its western spurs. The Alps, which extend between France and Italy, and the latter and Switzerland, send off a long southern chain through Italy, under the name of the Apennines, and stretching easterly through the country to the south of the Danube, reach the Black Sea under the name of the Balkan, and the Morea under the name of the Pindus. The highest summits are in Switzerland and Savoy, and attain an elevation of from 14,000 to 15,730 feet. A third mountainous system is the Carpathian, which nearly surrounds Hungary, and extends along the frontiers of Moldavia, sending off several low ranges into Germany. Its highest summit is not quite 10,000 feet high. The fourth system of mountains is the Scandinavian, which traverses the peninsula of Scandinavia, and nowhere exceeds an elevation of 8,500 feet. 4. Capes, The most northerly extremity of the mainland is North Kyn in Finmark; Cape North is the extreme point of Mageroe, an island of Norway. Cape Skagen or the Skaw, the northern extremity of Jutland, gives names to the Scagerac. Cape Lindesnæs, or the Naze, is the southern point of Sweden. Cape Wrath on the northern coast of Scotland, Cape Clear in Ireland, and Land's End in England, are the most noted capes of the British Isles. Cape La Hogue on the northwest coast of France, Cape Finisterre in Spain, capes Roca and St. Vincent in Portugal, project into the Atlantic Ocean. Cape Spartivento in Italy, and Cape Matapan in Greece, are the principal points in the Mediterranean. 5. Peninsulas. Europe is much indented by arms of the sea, which form numerous peninsulas. The Scandinavian peninsula, comprising Norway, Sweden, aud Lapland, is the largest; the isthmus, between the Gulf of Bothnia and the White Sea, is less than 200 miles The peninsula of Jutland is much smaller. In the south, Spain and Portugal form a large peninsula, with an isthmus of about 220 miles across. Italy, the Morea, joined to the continent by the narrow isthmus of Corinth, and the Crimea, projecting into the Black Sea, are the other most remarkable projections of this nature. 6. Islands. The principal islands are the groups of Nova Zembla and Spitzbergen, in the its natural advantages, by Turkish tyranny. The chief town ants, much declined from its former prosperity and splendor. commercial place in the island; it has 12,000 inhabitants. chief place of a district, inhabited by a warlike people, called their independence. Arctic Ocean; the British Archipelago, comprising Great Britain, Ireland, and the adjoining isles, on the western coast; and Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and Candia, in the Mediterranean. Most of these will be elsewhere described. Candia belongs politically to Africa, as it now forms a part of the Egyptian state. It is 160 miles long, and from 15 to 50 broad, with an area of 4,000 square miles, and 275,000 inhabitants. Enjoying a fine climate, excellent harbors, and a favorable position, Candia has been deprived of the benefit of is Candia, with 15,000 inhabitCanea is at present the most Sphakia is remarkable as the Sphakiots, who have preserved The Azores, in the Atlantic, midway between Europe and America, are, by some geographers, considered as belonging to Europe, to which they are politically attached, being a Portuguese colony. The group consists of nine small islands, with about 200,000 inhabitants. The principal are St. Michael's, Terceira, Pico, and Fayal. Angra, on Terceira, is the capital, and has a population of 16,000. Ponta Delgada, on St. Michael's, has about 18,000 inhabitants. 7. Rivers. The principal river of Europe is the Volga, the only stream whose course ex most considerable rivers of Europe. ceeds 2,000 miles in length. The Danube was long considered the largest European river, but it has a course of less than 1,600 miles. The Danube rises in the Black Forest in Baden, becomes navigable at Ulm in Bavaria, passes through the Austrian empire, and separates Austria, Wallachia, and Russia, from the Ottoman empire; after receiving 30 navigable streams, it enters the Black Sea by five principal mouths. The Dniester, the Don, the Vistula, the Niemen, the Oder, the Elbe, the Rhine, the Loire, and the Rhone, are the next 8. Face of the Country. The central part of this continent is, in general, mountainous. The whole northern part, extending from London and Paris to Kazan, and comprising the northern part of France and Germany, the Dutch and Belgian Netherlands, Prussia, Poland, and a great part of Russia, is a vast plain, little elevated above the level of the sea, and scarcely broken by any considerable elevations. There are several elevated plains or plateaus in Europe, but of no great extent. The Swiss plateau, lying between the Jura and the Alps, has an elevation of from 1,800 to 4,000 feet. Central Spain forms an elevated table-land, 2,200 feet high, and the central part of Russia forms a similar plateau, about 1,200 feet high. 9. Climate. In general, the climate of southern Europe may be described as mild, and that of the north severe, with long and cold winters, and hot but short summers. The climate of the western coast is, however, tempered by the vicinity of the ocean, and the same cause renders it liable to sudden and violent changes. That of the eastern part of the continent is rendered much colder, in corresponding latitudes, by its exposure to the icy winds of northern and central Asia. The heat, brought by the burning winds of the African deserts to the southern countries, is, in general, tempered by their great exposure to the sea, occasioned by their peninsular formation. The mountains of Switzerland, Spain, and Hungary, also modify the character of the climate in the extensive districts, which they cover. 10. Minerals. Europe is less rich, in the precious minerals, than the other quarters of the globe, but it produces great quantities of coal, iron, lead, tin, copper, and salt. Gold, silver, platina (in the Ural Mountains), and mercury or quicksilver, which is of great importance in working gold and silver mines, and diamonds (Ural mountains), and some other precious stones, are also found in considerable quantities. 11. Vegetable Productions. The most southern parts of Europe have a vegetation resembling that of Africa, and here we find the datetree (Phanix dactylifera), dwarf-palm (Chamarops humilis), and pisang (Musa paradisiaca), giving a tropical aspect to the country. In these latitudes the fig, the olive, the orange, the vine, and the maize, find a congenial climate, and even the sugar-cane is cultivated in Sicily. The olive will not thrive, even in valleys, higher than 44° 30', nor will the vine yield good wine north of 48°, except in a few sheltered spots. At about the northern limits of the olive, that is, in the parallel of the south of France, the southern forms of vegetation disappear the Quercus cerris, so common in Italy and Turkey, is hardly seen, and evergreen oaks (Q. Ilex), and common oaks (Q. Pedunculata and sessiflora), supply its place. Clusters of pines (P. pinaster), and Scotch firs (P. sylvestris), now occupy the position held by the stone-pine other corn; the hardier trees, elms, lime (Tilia Europaa), oaks, ashes, alders (sambucus), beeches (fagus), birches (betula), willows (salia), and poplars (populus), are found everywhere. At last, in the more northern districts, aspens (Populus tremula), bird-cherries (Prunus Padus), birches, lime-trees, alders, junipers, spruce-firs (Abies excelsa), and pines, are the principal trees that remain; barley and oats are the only corn-plants, but potatoes continue to be reared in the short cold summers. To the north of the limit of the olive, turnips and buck Barley and Wheat. wheat (Polygonum fagopyrum) are cultivated advantageously, as are also hemp, flax, hops, carrots, parsnips, common clover, beans, vetches, and lucerne, as common field-crops. In still higher latitudes, the predominant forms of herbaceous vegetation are numerous species of ranun 'culus, saxifrages, primula, moss, lichens; and there also occur abundance of stunted or pigmy trailing shrubs, such as bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus), and whortleberries (V. uliginosum), dwarf willows (Salix herbacea), crowberries (Empetrum nigrum), bear's foot (Uva ursi), and the like. These changes occur with the change of latitude in the low country, but similar alterations take place, if we ascend from the plains to the mountains. In Sicily, for instance, from the tropical vegetation of the valleys, you may ascend through that of the temperate and frigid zones, by climbing the lofty flanks of Etna. 12. Animals.* The Wild Bull or aurocks (Bos urus) is chiefly to be met with in the extensive forests of Lithuania. It is black, and of great size; the eyes are red and fiery; the horns thick and short, and the forehead covered with a quantity of curled hair. This animal greatly resembles the tame kind. The Musmon (Ovis musmon) is considered as a link between the sheep and goat, resembling both of them. It is found in Greece, Sardinia, Corsica, and Tartary. It is strong and muscular, and runs with great agility over the most dangerous precipices. It is very timid, and seldom taken alive. The Goat is very abundant in Great Britain; and the north of England and Scotland are much resorted to for the purpose of drinking the milk, which is of great ben * The native animals of Europe are not very numerous, been introduced from other countries. The horse, which nor greatly varied in their kinds; many, however, have was brought from Arabia, has, by cultivation and educa |