16. What Sea lies north from Africa? 17. Where is the Red Sea? 18. The
Gulf of Guinea? 19. Lagoa or Lorenzo bay? 20. Table bay? 21. Gulf of
Sidra?
22. Where is Mozambique channel? 23. Straits of Gibraltar? 24. Straits
of Babelmandel?
25. What is the northern cape of Africa? 26. What two capes at the
southern extremity? 27. Where is Cape Guardafui? 28. What capes are on
the coast of Zahara? 29. What are the northern and southern capes of
Madagascar?
30. _By what means are springs and rivers supplied with water?_ 31.
Where does the Nile rise? 32. What is its course? 33. Into what does
it flow? 34. Near the mouth of what river is Cape Verd? 35. In what
part of Africa is Orange river? 36. The Gambia river? 37. Where is the
Niger river? [_The Niger river flows east, but its mouth has not been
discovered._]
38. What islands lie east from Morocco? 39. Where is Madagascar? 40.
What islands west from Madagascar? 41. Where is St. Helena? 42. _For
what is St. Helena remarkable?_ 43. Which way from St. Helena is
Ascension?
44. What cities are situated at the mouth of the Nile? 45. Which way
from Cairo is Monrovia? 46. Where is Cape Town? 47. Through what towns
do the caravans pass in their route between Tombuctoo and Morocco?
48. _What proportion of Africa lies in the torrid zone?_ 49. _By what
is the torrid zone distinguished?_
[Illustration: EGYPTIANS. HOTTENTOTS.]
Little is known of the geography of Africa, and this is owing to the
almost total want of navigable rivers, by which, in other countries,
easy access is obtained to the interior. The desert character of the
country is another obstacle.
Several enterprising travellers have penetrated Africa, to ascertain
the sources of its rivers, and the state of the country; among whom,
Bruce, Park, Denham and Clapperton stand conspicuous.
In no country do desert and fertile lands come in so close a
neighborhood as in Africa. The northern part along the Mediterranean
has a fertile soil, but immediately south is the great desert which is
entirely devoid of vegetation. In other parts of Africa fertile spots
may be found, on the margin of streams, or scattered in the midst of
the almost uninhabitable Desert.
The most numerous class of inhabitants are the negroes, who inhabit
almost the whole central and western parts of the country, except the
Desert of Zahara. The moors inhabit the northern parts, and resemble
in form and physiognomy, the natives of Europe. The Hottentots inhabit
the southern extremity of the country. The wandering Arabs live on the
Desert of Zahara, which they are enabled to traverse by the aid of
the camel. This animal requires little food, and will live many days
without a fresh supply of water.
Egypt was anciently a powerful nation, evidences of which exist in the
ruins of buildings, catacombs and pyramids, which are numerous in the
land. At present it is inhabited partly by barbarous tribes, and seems
to have lost its ancient grandeur.
The climate of Egypt is exceedingly hot, and the air unrefreshed by
rain. The soil is fertile when sufficiently moistened, and produces
wheat, barley, corn, flax, sugar-cane, olives, dates, and oranges in
abundance.
The only river is the Nile, and the possession of this river is an
incalculable blessing to the country, as it serves the double purposes
of internal communication, and watering the country. This river
annually overflows its banks, in consequence of rain in the Abyssinian
mountains, where it rises. It begins to rise about the middle of June,
and spreads a muddy deluge to a great extent, on both sides of its
channel. The waters subside to their natural bed in October, leaving a
rich and wet manure on the surface of the ground. That part of the year
called the winter months, is here the most productive, the ground being
covered with vegetation, and is so fertile during the season that it
yields three crops.
Sierra Leone, so named by the Portuguese because the mountains are
infested with _Lions_, is an English settlement, which was commenced
with a view to extend the benefits of civilisation and Christianity to
the natives, and to afford a refuge for Africans rescued from slave
ships. Freetown is the capital of the colony.
Liberia is the name given to a colony established by the American
Colonization Society, on the western coast of Africa, three hundred
miles southeast from Sierra Leone. Great numbers of the free people of
color have removed from the United States to this settlement. Commerce
and agriculture flourish, and efforts are made to extend the benefits
of education and the christian religion through the colony, and to the
natives. Monrovia is the chief town.