North Islands.-Queen Charlotte Island, North Point. -54 deg. 20 min. o sec., N. lat.; 133 deg. o min. o sec., W. long. English. New Zealand.-Queenstown, U. S. Transit-of-Venus Station. 45 deg. 45 deg. 2 min. 7 sec., S. lat.; 168 deg. 40 min. 6 sec., E. long. U. S. A. Sea-wall. Captain Raymond, Nagasaki, Japan.-North angle of Custom-house 32. deg. 44 min. 35 sec., N. lat.; 129 deg. 52 min. 9 sec., E. long. Lieut. Commanders Green and Davis, U. S. N. Panama.—South Tower of Cathedral. 8 deg. 51 min. 12 sec., N. lat.; 79 deg. 32 min. 12 sec., W. long. Lieut. Commander Green, U. S. N. Paumatou Islands (Low Archipelago).-Arnanu or Muller Island, Southwest Point. 17 deg. 53 min, 20 sec., S. lat.; 140 deg. 50 min. 26 sec., W. long. Commaisance des Temps. Phoenix Islands.-Gardner's Island, center. 4 deg. 47 min. 42 sec., S. lat.; 174 deg. 40 min. 18 sec., W. long. Commander Wilkes, U. S. N. Pitcairn Island.-Village. 25 deg. 3 min. 37 sec., S. lat.; 130 deg. 8 min. 37 sec., W. long. Captain Beechy, R. N. Samoan Islands.-Savaii Island, Paluale Village. 13 deg. 45 min. o sec., S. lat.; 172 deg. 17 min. o sec., W. long. Commander Wilkes, U. S. N. Samoan Islands.-Upolu Island, Apia Harbor, Rugis Wharf. 13 deg. 48 min. 56 sec., S. lat.; 171 deg. 47 min. 34 sec., W. long. Captain Richards, R. N. Santa Cruz Islands.-Vanikoro, Ocili Village. I I deg. 39 min. 30 sec., S. lat.; 166 deg. 55 min. 10 sec., E. long. Admiral D'Urville. Society Islands.-Boru-boru Island, Otea Vanua 16 deg. 31 min. 35 sec., S. lat.; 151 Village. deg. 46 min. o sec., W. long. Findlay. Society Islands.-Tahiti Island, Papiete Harbor, Motu-uta Islet. 17 deg. 31 min. 39 sec., S. lat.; 149 deg. 34 min. 16 sec., W. long. Connaisance des Temps. Solomon Islands.-Bougainville Island, Northeast Point. 5 deg. 30 min. o sec., S. lat.; 155 deg. 17 min. 14 sec., E. long. Admiral D'Urville. Sumatra, Padang.—Apenberg flagstaff. o deg. 58 min. 1 sec., S. lat.; 100 deg. 20 min. 13 sec., E. long. Netherlands Hydrographic Office. Singapore.-Fullerton Battery. 1 deg. 17 min. 11 sec., N. lat.; 103 deg. 51 min. 15 sec,, E. long. Lieut. Commanders Green and Davis, U. S. N. Sandwich Islands.-Hawaii, Hilo Bay Lighthouse, 19 deg. 45 min. o sec., N. lat.; 155 deg. 5 min. o sec., W. long., Light House List. Sandwich Islands.-Oahu, Honolulu, Reef Lighthouse. 21 deg. 17 min. 55 sec., N. lat.; 157 deg. 52 min. 13 sec., W. long. Hawaiian Government Survey. Sitka, Alaska.-Middle of parade ground. 57 deg. 2 min. 52 sec., N. lat.; 135 deg. 19 min. 31 sec., W. long. U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. San Francisco, Cal.-Presidio Station. 37 deg. 47 min. 30 sec., N. lat.; 122 deg. 27 min. 49 sec., W. long. U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. San Diego.-Coast Survey Astronomical Station. 32 deg. 43 min. 6 sec., N. lat.; 117 deg. 9 min. 40 sec., W. long. U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Tasmania.-Hobart Town, Transit of Venus Station. 42 deg. 53 min. 25 sec., S. lat..; 147 deg. 20 min. 7 sec., E. long. Professor Harkness, U. S. N. Union (Tokalau) Islands.-Nuku-Nono, or Duke of Clarence Island, Southeast Point. 9 deg. 11 min. 15 sec., S. lat..; 171 deg. 37 min. 2 sec., W. long. Commander Wilkes, U. S. N. Valparaiso, Chili.-Site of San Antonio Fort. 33 deg. 1 min. 53 sec., S. lat.; 71 deg. 38 min., W. long. English Survey. Vancouver Island.-Esquimalt, Lighthouse. 48 deg. 25 min. 40 sec., N. lat. 123 deg. 27 min. 20 sec. W. long. Admiralty Light List. Yokohama, Japan.-Flag-staff English naval storehouse. 35 deg. 26 min. 24 sec., N. lat.; 139 deg. 39 min. 14 sec., E. long. Lieut. Commanders Green and Davis, U. S. N. CHAPTER XIX. HISTORICAL- AND BIOGRAPHICAL. T And now, rejoicing in the prosperous gales, To which, around the axle of the sky, POPE'S (Homer's Odyssey.). HE first nation or people in the world, to make any practical progress in navigation and com merce, or carry on any considerable traffic, making the seas and oceans serve as a highway, were— with the possible exception of the Chinese-the Phonicians. Our accounts of them date as far back as 2800 years before the Christian era. Phoenicia was one of the smallest countries of antiquity. It occupied that part of the Syrian coast, which stretches from Aradus (the modern Ronad) on the north, to a little below Tyre on the south-a distance of about fifty leagues. Its breadth was much less, being, for the most part, bounded by Mount Libanus to the east, and Mount Carmel on the south. The surface of this narrow tract was generally rugged and mountainous, and the soil in the valley, though moderately fertile, did not afford sufficient supplies of food, to feed the population. Libanus and its dependent ridges were, however, covered with timber, suitable for ship building; and besides Tyre and Sidon, Phoenicia possessed the ports of Tripoli, Byblos, Berytus, etc. In this situation, occupying a country unable to supply them with sufficient quantities of corn-hemmed in by mountains and powerful and warlike neighbors, on the one hand, and having, on the other, the wide expanse of the Mediterranean, studded with islands, and surrounded by fertile countries, to invite the enterprise of her citizens-they were naturally led to engage in maritime and commercial adventures, and became the boldest and most experienced mariners, and the greatest discoverers, of ancient times. MERCHANTS OF THE OLDEN TIME. From the remotest antiquity, a considerable trade seems to have been carried on, between the Eastern and Western worlds. The spices, drugs, precious stones, and other valuable products of Arabia and India, have always been highly esteemed in Europe, and have been exchanged for the gold and silver, the tin, wines, etc., of the latter. At the first dawn of authentic history, we find Phoenicia the principal centre of this commerce. THE PHOENICIANS. Her inhabitants are designated, in the early sacred writings, by the name of Canaanites-a term which, in the language of the East, means merchants. The |