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of ravenous beasts, poisonous animals and vermin; not even fo much as a fly to be found here. The foil is extremely fertile, being watered with numberless little rivulets from the mountains. It produces, in the greateft abundance, apples, pears plumbs, peaches, quinces, apricots, almonds, olives, grapes, cocoa-nuts, figs, and strawberries as large as pears, wheat, oats, corn, garden flowers and fruits of almost every kind. It abounds in gold, filver, and lead mines. and the rivers themselves roll on golden fands. But their ftaple commodity is cattle; they have them in fuch abundance, as frequently to cast the flesh into the rivers, referving the hides, tallow and tongues for exportation.

Hiftory, inhabitants, &c.] The Spaniards made feveral attempts to reduce this country, but with no great fuccefs till the year 1541, when they built the capital St. Jago, now the refidence of the Spanish governor, and a bishop's fee; and afterwards Coquimbo, Conception, and Baldivia. The natives are remarkable for wit, fortitude and patience; and the Spaniards to this day have never been able to fubdue them; they continue ftill masters of part of the inland country. There have lately been fome formidable infurrections against the Spaniards by the natives, which have greatly alarmed the Spanish court.

PARAGUA, OR LA PLATA,

Miles.

Length 1500
Breadth 1000

} Between

S 12° and 37° South Latitude.
150° and 75° West Longitude,

Boundaries.]D OUNDED north, by Amazonia; eaft, by Brazil; fouth, by Patagonia; weft by Peru and Chili.

B

Rivers and Mountains.] This country, befides an infinite number of fmall rivers, is watered by three principal ones, which united near the sea, form the famous Rio de la Plata, or Plate river, and which annually overflow their banks, and, on their recess, leave them enriched with a flime, that produces great plenty of whateve is committed to it. This river, where it unites with the ocean, is 150 miles broad. At 100 miles from its mouth a ship in the middle of the channel cannot be seen from either fhore; and at Buenos Ayres, 100 miles ftill further back, one cannot difcern the opposite shore. There are no mountains of confequence here excepting that remarkable chain which divides South America, called the Andes. The height of Chimborazo, the most elevated point in thefe mountains is 20,280 feet; which is above 5000 feet higher than any other mountains in the known world.

Climate, Soil Produce.] This country confifts of extenfive plains, 300 leagues over except on the eaft, where it is feparated by high mountains from Brazil. La Plata is a most desirable climate, and one of the most fruitful countries in the world. The cotton and tobacco produced here, with the herb called Paragua, which is peculiar to this country, could alone be fufficient to form a flourishing commerce. There are here alfo feveral gold and filver mines.

Chief.

of

Chief Towns.] BUENOS AYRES, the capital of La Plata, is the most confiderable fea port town in South America. It is fituated on the fouth fide of the river La Plata, 200 miles from the mouth of it. The river is upwards of 20 miles broad at this place. From this town a great part the treasure of Chili and Peru is exported to Old Spain. The natives of Tacuman are faid to have wooden houfes built on wheels, which they draw from place to place as occafion requires.

Hiftory and Religion.] The Spaniards first discovered this country in the year of 1515, and founded the town of Buenos Ayres in 1535. Most of the country is ftill inhabited by native Americans. The Jefuits have been indefatag able in their endeavours to convert the Indians to the belief of their religion, and to introduce among them the art of civilized life, and have met with furprising fuccefs. It is faid that above 340,000 families, feveral years ago, were fubject to the Jefuits, living in obedience and an awe, bordering on adoration, yet procured without any violence or constraint. In 1767, the Jefuits were fent out of America, by royal authority, and their fubjects were put upon the fame footing with the reft of the country.

BRAZIL, belonging to PORTUGAL.

Miles.

Length 2500 Between
Breadth 700!

{

35° and 60° Weft Longitude.
The Equator and 35° South Latitude.

Boundaries. BOUNDED north, by the mouth of the river Amazon

and the Atlantic Ocean; eaft, by the fame ocean; fouth, by the mouth of the river La Plata; west, by the chain of moun, tains, which divides it from Paragua, and the country of the Amazons.

Air, Soil and Produce.] The air of this country is hot, but healthy, and the foil exceedingly fertile in maize, millet, rice, fruits, faffron, balfam of capivi, ginger, indigo, amber, rofin, train oil, cotton, the best of tobacco, fine fugar, brazil-wood, &c. Here alfo are mines of gold, filver and diamonds, and a great quantity of excellent cryftal and jafper. This country also abounds in cattle, apes, parrots, and beautiful birds. The rivers and lakes are stored with fish, and there is a whale fifhery on the coast.

Inhabitants, Religion, &c.] The coaft of this large country is only known; the natives ftill poffefs the inland parts; whereof thefe towards the north are called Tapayers, and those in the fouth Tupinamboys. These natives feem to have little religion, and no temple or place for public worfhip; but yet are faid to believe a future ftate, and have some notion of rewards and punishments after this life.

Hiftory, c.] The Portuguese difcovered this country in the year 1500, but did not plant it till the year 1549, when they took poffeffion of All Saints Bay, and built the city of St. Salvador, which is now the refidence

of

of the viceroy and archbishop. The Dutch invaded Brazil in 1623, and fubdued the northren provinces; but the Portuguese agreed in 1661, to pay the Dutch eight tons of gold, to relinquish their intereft in this country, which was accepted, and the Portuguese remained in peaceable poffeffion of all Brazil till about the end of 1762, when the Spanish governor of Buenos Ayres, hearing of a war between Portugal and Spain, took, after a month's fiege, the Portuguese frontier fortrefs, called St. Sacra ment; but by the treaty of peace it was restored.

GUIANA, belonging to the French and Dutch,

Is

S divided into Cayenne, which belongs to the French, and into Surinam which is a Dutch province.

Cayenne extends 240 miles along the coaft of Guiana, and near 300 within land. It is bounded north, by Surinam; eaft by the Atlantic; fouth, by Amazonia; weft, by Guiana. All the coaft is very low, but within land there are fine hills, very proper for fettlements. The commodities are fimiliar to thofe of the Weft India Iílands.

Surinam is one of the richest and most valuable colonies belonging to the United Provinces. The chief trade of Surinam confifts in fugar, cotton, coffee of an excellent kind, tobacco, flax, fkins, and some valuable dying drugs. They trade with the United States, of whom they receive Borfes, live cattle, and provifions, and give in exchange large quantities of molaffes. The Torporific eel is found in the rivers of Guina, which, when touched either by the hand, or by a rod of iron, gold, copper, or by a ftick of fome particular kinds of heavy wood, communicates a fhock perfectly like that of electricity. There is an immenfe number and variety of fnakes in this country, and which form one of its principal inconve niencies.

ΑΜΑΖΟΝΙΑ.

Length 1200- -Breath 960 miles.

OUNDED north, by Terra. Firma and Guiana; eaft,

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Boundaries-1B by the Atlantic ocean and Brazil; fouth, by La Plata;

and weft, by Peru.

Rivers.] From the discoveries of Orellana, and others made fince his time, it appears that the Amazon is one of the largest rivers in the world. It runs a courfe from west to east of about 3000 miles, and receives near 200 other rivers, many of which have a courfe of 5 or 600 leagues and fome of them not inferior to the Danube or the Nile. The breadth of this river at its mouth, where it difcharges itself by fevereal channels into

the

the ocean, almost under the equator, is 150 miles; and 1500 miles from its mouth it is 30 or 40 fathoms deep. In the rainy feafons it overflows its banks, and waters and fertilizes the adjacent country.

Climate, foil and Produce.] The fair feafon here is about the time of the folftices, and the wet or rainy feafon, at the time of the equinoxes. The trees, fields and plants, are verdant all the year round. The foil is extremely rich, producing corn, grain, and fruits of all kinds, cedar trees, brazil wood, oak, ebony, logwood, iron wood, dying woods, cocoa, tobacco, fugar canes, cotton, caffavi root, potatoes, yams, farfaparilla, gums, raifins, balfams of various kinds, pine apples, guavas, bonanas, &c. The forefts are stored with wild honey, deer, wild fowls and par

rots.

The rivers and lakes abound with fifh of all forts; but are much infefted with crocodiles, alligators, and water ferpents.

Inhabitants.] The Indian nations inhabiting this wide country are very numerous; the banks of almost every river are inhabited by a different people, are governed by petty fovereigns, called Caciques, who are diftinguifhed from their fubjects by coronets of beautiful feathers. They are idolaters, and worship the images of their antient heroes. In their expeditions they carry their gods along with them.

Hiflory.] The first discovery of this country was made by Francifco Orellana, about the year 1580, who coming from Peru, failed down the river Amazon to the Atlantic Ocean. He obferved on the banks of the river, companies of women in arms, and from thence called the country Amazonia, or the land of the Amazons; and gave the name of Amazon to the river, which formerly had been called Maragon. The Spaniards made feveral attempts to plant this country, but always met with fo many difficulties and difafters as rendered all their defigns abortive. The Portuguese have fome small fettlements on that part of the coast which lies betwixt Cape North and the mouth of the river Amazon; but this excepted, the natives are in the fole poffeffion of all the country.

PATAGONIA,

Isatthet of countity of the American continent.
Sa tract of country. 7 or 800 miles long, and 2 or 300 broad, at the

Climate, foil and Producion.] This country is full of high mountains, which are covered with fnow most of the year. The ftorms of wind, rain, and fnow here are terrible. The foil is very barren aud has never been cultivated.

Inhabitants, Character &e] The natives live in thatched huts, and wear no cloaths, notwithstanding the rigour of the climate. They live chiefly on fish and game, and what the earth fpontaneously produces. They are of a tawney complexion, have black hair, and are a gigantic, brave, hardy, active race. Their arms are bows and arrows headed with Aint. We know nothing of their government or religion.

Hiflory.] Ferdinand Magellan, a Porteguefe in the fervice of Spain, fift difcovered this country; at least he was the firft that failed through

the

the ftraits called by his name. Magellan paffed these straits in the year 1519. The continent is often called Terra Magellanica ; and the largest of the neighbouring ifles, from a volcanno in it, is called Terra del Fuego, the most foutherly point of which is called Cape Horn.

Upon the firft discovery of the ftraits of Magellan, the Spaniards built forts and fent fome colonies thither; but most of the people perished with cold and hunger; fince which time no fettlements have been attempted here by any Europeans.

Weft India Inlands.

These belong to Great Britian, Spain, France,

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Holland and Denmark.

O GREAT BRITAIN belong, Bermudas, the Bahama islands, Jamaica, Barbadoes, Antigua, St. Christopher's, Grenada, and the Grenadines, Nevis, Montferrat, Barbuda, Dominica, St. Vincent, Anguilla, to which we may add their northern iflands, Newfoundland. Cape Breton, and St. John's. Jamaica, the largest of the west India islands, is computed to produce annually 70,000 tons of fugar, upwards of 4,000,000 gallons of rum, befides coffee, cocoa, indigo and pepper.

To SPAIN belong the island of Cuba, one half of St. Domingo, PortoRico, Trinidad, Margaretta, Tortuga, Virgin islands, to which we may add the island of Juan Fernades, which lies 300 miles west of Chili in the Pacific Ocean, famous for having given rife to the celebrated romance of Robinson Crufoe. The story is this: One Alexander Selkirk, a Scotchman, was left afhore in this folitary place, where he lived a number of years, till he was taken up by Capt. Rogers, 1709; he had almoft forgotten his native language, feeming to speak his words by halves. During his refidence on the island, he had killed 500 goats by running them down, and he had marked as many more on the ear which he had let go. Upon his return to England he was advised to publish an account of his life and adventures in this little kingdom. For this purpose he gave his papers into the hands of one Defoe, to prepare them for publication. But the writer, by the help of thefe papers, transformed Alexander Selkirk into Robinfon Crufoe.

To the FRENCH belong, the largest part of the island of St. Domingo, the islands of Martinique, Gaudaloupe, St. Lucia, Martia Galante, Tobago, St. Bartholomew, and Defeada, and the North America islands St.

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