Mercury or Quicksilver. The only important mines of quicksilver are those of Almaden in Spain, Idria in Austria, and Guancavelica in Peru.

MINERALS The most important minerals are fossil coal, salt, and precious stones.

Coal is found in various parts of the world, but the most celebrated coal mines are those of Newcastle in England.

Salt is widely diffused, and is obtained from salt mines, from the boiling of the water of salt springs, and from the water of the ocean by the evaporation of the sun. most celebrated salt mines are in Austrian Poland.

The

VEGETABLES. The whole number of plants actually known, according to Humboldt, is 44,000. The torrid zone displays the most luxuriant vegetation; but the temperate zone produces in the greatest abundance those commodities, which are most useful to man. In the frigid zone nature assumes a gloomy and severe aspect, and towards the poles, vegetation entirely fails.

ANIMALS. The torrid zone teems with the same luxuriance of animal, as of vegetable life. Some of the most useful animals thrive in all the zones, as the ox, the sheep, the hog, the goat, the horse, the dog, and the cat. The ele phant, the rhinoceros, the hippopotamus, the lion, the tiger, the leopard, the panther, the hyena, and the ounce extend little beyond the torrid zone.

MAN. The human species exhibits a great diversity in complexion, form, character, and improvement. The most favourable state of society is found in the temperate

zone.

The human species may be considered as existing in the savage, the barbarous, the half-civilized, and the civilized state.

In the savage state man subsists almost entirely by hunting, fishing, and the spontaneous productions of the earth. A large portion of the globe is in the possession of savage tribes, but it is, for the most part, very thinly inhabited. The natives of New Holland and the adjacent islands, the African Negroes, and the American Indians are considered as savages.

In the barbarous state subsistence is derived chiefly from pasturage, with some rude agriculture. This state was that of all Europe during the middle ages. It is now the state of the Moors of Atrica, the Arabs, the Malays, and the inhabitants of central and northern Asia.

In the half-civilized state agriculture and manufactures are carried to a high degree of improvement, but foreign commerce exists only in a very limited degree. In this state are Turkey, Persia, Hindoostan, and China.

The civilized state is the most improved form of human society, and exists, though with considerable diversity, throughout the most of Europe, the United States, and some other parts of America, which have been settled by Europeans.

EARTH.

NATURAL DIVISIONS.

LAND. The natural divisions of land are continents, islands, peninsulas, isthmuses, capes, promontories, mountains, and shores or coasts.

A continent is the largest extent of land, no where entirely separated by water.

There are two continents; the eastern, comprising Europe, Asia, and Africa; and the western, comprising North and South America.

An island is a portion of land entirely surrounded by

water.

A peninsula is a portion almost surrounded by water. An isthmus is a neck of land which joins a peninsula to a continent.

A cape is a point of land projecting into the sea; if the land is high and mountainous, it is called a promontory. A shore or coast is that land which borders on the sea. A mountain is a vast protuberance of the earth.

WATER.

Water is divided into oceans. seas, lakes, gulfs, bays, harbours or havens, straits, sounds, roads, rivers, and friths or estuaries.

An ocean is the largest extent of water, no where entire ly separated by land.

There are five oceans, the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Northern or Arctic oceans.

A sea is a smaller collection of water, communicating with an ocean.

A lake is a large collection of water in the interior of a country.

A gulf or bay is a part of a sea extending up into the

land.

A harbour or haven is a small portion of the sea almost surrounded by land, where ships may ride safely at anchor. A strait is a narrow channel, joining two seas, or one part of a sea with another.

A sound is a small sea so shallow that it may be sounded. A road is a place at some distance from the shore, where ships may lie at anchor.

A river is a large stream of inland water.

A frith or estuary is the widening of a river at its mouth înto an arm of the sea.

POLITICAL DIVISIONS.

An empire is composed of several large countries, subject to one sovereign, styled an emperor.

A kingdom is generally less extensive than an empire, and is subject to a king.

A grand duchy, a duchy, a principality, and a pachalic, are smaller portions of country, subject severally to a grand duke, a duke, a prince, and a pacha, who are all themselves subject to the supreme power.

Procinces, departments, counties, &c. are smaller subdivisions of countries.

GOVERNMENT.

There are three elementary forms of government, monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy.

1. A monarchy is a government vested in the hands of an individual. If the power of the monarch is limited by law, it is called a limited monarchy; if not limited, an absolute monarchy, or despotism.

2. An aristocracy or oligarchy is a government exercised by a few persons of rank.

3. A democracy is a government exercised by the whole body of the people. If the government is administered by a body of men elected by the people for a limited time, it is styled a republic.

But a small portion of the human race enjoy the benefits of good government and equal laws. The most favoured parts of the world, with regard to these advantages, arc several of the countries of Europe and the United States of America.

RELIGION.

The four principal religions of the world, are the Pagan or Heathen, the Mahometan, the Jewish, and the Christian.

Paganism is the most extensive, and comprises a great variety of systems. It is the religion of almost all that part of the human race that continue in the savage state and it also prevails in the populous countries, partially civilized, in the southeast part of Asia.

Mahometanism is the prevailing religion in the north of Africa, in Turkey, Arabia, Persia, Tartary, part of Russia, and part of India.

Judaism is the religion of the Jews, who acknowledge the authority of the Old Testament, but reject the New. The Jews are dispersed throughout the globe.

Christianity is the prevailing religion of Europe, of all the countries in America settled by Europeans, of Abyssinia in Africa, and of the European settlements in Asia and Africa

Christianity is distinguished into three general divisions, Roman Catholics, Greek church, and Protestants.

The Roman Catholics, or Church of Rome, acknowledge the supremacy of the Pope, and are called Papists. They prevail in the southern parts of Europe, and the Spanish, Portuguese, and French settlements in various parts of the world.

The Greek Church resembles the Roman Catholic in its form and ceremonies. It is the religion of Russia and of a great part of the inhabitants of Turkey.

The Protestants are so called from their protesting against the authority and decrees of the Church of Rome, at the time of the Reformation, in the 16th century. They are divided into various denominations, Lutherans, Calvinists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists, Moravians, Quakers, &c.

GRAND DIVISIONS.

The earth is commonly considered under four grand divisions or quarters, America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. To these, modern geography adds Australasia, as a fifth division.

America is distinguished above all the other divisions for the grandeur of its mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, and plains. It was unknown to the ancients, and a large part of it is inhabited only by savages.

Europe, though much the smallest of the four divisions, is by far the most important and powerful, and governs the greater part of the others. It is distinguished for the excellence of its climate and soil, and has a great superiority in civilization and refinement, in literature and science, and in all the useful and ornamental arts.

Asia is remarkable for its great population, and for being the region where the human race were first planted, and Christianity established. Here was the residence of the Israelites, and the seat of the Assyrian, Babylonian, and and Persian empires, and here were transacted most of the events recorded in the Scriptures.

Africa is the least explored and the least civilized of the four quarters of the globe. It is distinguished for its immense deserts of burning sand, for the fewness of its rivers and inland seas, for the multitude of its ferocious animals, and the black colour of its inhabitants.