THIS quarter, or portion of the globe, is situated wholely on the north side of the equator, between the parallel of latitude 35°, which includes Gibraltar with the islands of Malta and Candia, and the parallel of 72°, comprehending the north cape in Lapland, the most advanced point of the continent of Europe, towards the north poles. The extent in longitude is from 11° west from Greenwich, inclosing Ireland, to 62° east from the same meridian, to the boundary of Asia. The distance from north to south, between the north cape and the island of Candia, is about 2,100 geographic, or 2,420 English miles; and from Cape St. Vincent in Portugal, in a north-easterly direction to the northern confines of Asia, is a stretch of about 2,850 geographic, or 3,290 English miles.

Within the limits here assigned to Europe, are comprised tracts of sea so extensive, that, upon an average of various computations, the whole land is not supposed greatly to exceed two million and one half of square miles; but sundry islands belonging to Europe are not taken into this calculation, such as the Azores or Western Islands in the Atlantic, Iceland, Spitzbergen, Nova Zembla, &c.

Europe is bounded by the sea on three sides; on the north by the Arctic, or Frozen ocean, on the west by the Atlantic, and on the south by the Mediterranean sea: the eastern boundary separating it from Asia, is formed by an imaginary line proceeding from the island of Candia, up the middle of the Archipelago, through the strait of the Dardanelles, the sea of Marmora, before Constantinople, across the Black sea and sea of Asoph, to the mouth of the river Don. Up this river the boundary runs for a considerable distance, and then crosses a narrow isthmus to the river Wolga, which it follows up for many miles, and then stretches over to the great chain of Uralian mountains, running northerly along their ridge, and, from their termination, following the course of the river Cara to the shores of the Frozen ocean.

Climate and Soil.-The greater part of Europe enjoys a moderate temperature of the atmosphere; although in the southern parts of Spain, Italy, and Greece, the heat is often oppressive, while in those tracts lying along the Frozen ocean the cold is such as almost entirely to forbid all vegetation or culture: and such is the distribution of soils and climates, that from the Baltie to the Mediterranean, cattle, corn, wine, and oil, present themselves in regular and abun→ dant succession.

Inland Seas, Bays, &c.-It is the peculiar advantage of Europe to be indented and penetrated by various arms of the sea, in such a manner that, excepting towards the Asiatic frontier of Russia, no spot can be found within its limits distant more than 450 English miles from some sea: and

to

to this peculiar advantage, in conjunction with the moderate temperature of the climate, the fertility of the soil, and the number of large and important islands, lining both its external and its internal seas, may, in a great measure, be attributed the distinguished superiority of Europe, in civilization and industry, in arts and in arms, over the other quarters of the globe.

White Sea. The white sea, or gulf of Archangel, is a branch of the Frozen ocean, running south-westerly into the northern parts of Russia. This sea was formerly much fre quented by navigators from the western and southern parts of Europe, during the summer months: but, since the establishment of Petersburgh,, this commerce has greatly declined.

Baltic.-The Baltic, or as it is usually called by seamen, - the East sea, penetrates from the Atlantic into the heart of the north of Europe, separating Sweden and Finland on the north from Denmark, Prussia, Poland, and Russia, on the south. This sea is divided into two branches; the one running north, called the gulf of Bothnia, separating Sweden from Finland, and the other extending eastward, called the gulf of Finland, and dividing that country from Russia at the extremity of this gulf lies Petersburgh, the modern capital of the Russian empire.

German ocean.—The German ocean, which washes the east coasts of Britain, and the west coasts of Denmark and Holland, may be considered as a deep gulf of the Atlantic, notwithstanding it has, at this day, by the strait of Dover, and the English channel, a communication with that ocean: for from many circumstances it may not unreasonably be concluded, that the sea has not always flowed between Dover and Calais; and that, in some remote period, Britain was in that quarter united to the continent.

Bay of Biscay. This bay is also an inlet from the Atlan

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tic, bordered on the east by the coast of France, and on the south by that of Spain.

Gulf of Venice, &c. Within the strait of Gibraltar, along the European shore of the Mediterranean, we meet with the gulfs of Lyons and Genoa; and, at the southern point of Italy, the gulf of Taranto: but the most considerable branch of the Mediteranean is the gulf of Venice, also called the Adriatic sea, denominations drawn from two cities, the one ancient, the other more modern, situated at its northern extremity. This gulf extends in a north-westerly direction. from its mouth, at the south-east spur of Italy, to the bottom between Venice and Triest, about 520 English miles, washing the shores of Italy on the one hand, and those of Albania, Dalmatia, Morlachia, and Istria, on the other. At its entrance the breadth may be about 50 miles; but, towards the middle, the distance, from shore to shore, is not less than 130 miles.

Bay of Corinth, &c.-The gulfs, or bays of Arta or Ambracia, of Lepanto or Corinth, of Coron, of Napoli, of Engia or Athens, of Salonica or Thessalonica, indent and enrich the shores of Greece.

Capes, Promontories, &c.-The most remarkable headlands of Europe are the north cape in Lapland, the Naze at the south end of Norway, Capes Finisterre, St. Vincent, De Gata, on the coasts of Spain and Portugal, Spartivento and Santa Maria, the most southerly projections of Italy, Matapan, the most advanced point of Greece in the same direction. The principal promontories of the several European islands have also their peculiar appellations, to be enumerated in their particular descriptions.

Mountains.-Europe is traversed and knit together by various ranges of mountains, of which the most considerable is that of the Alps, which separate Italy, on the east and south, from France, Switzerland, and Germany, on the wwest and north. Of this vast chain the most elevated point

is Mont Blanc, so named from the unvarying whiteness of its mantle of snow, soaring up, according to some observers, 15,662 English feet; but, according to others, only 15,302 feet above the level of the Mediterranean sea.

Of the Pyrenees, which occupy the whole isthmus connecting Spain with France, the loftiest summit is that of Mont Perdu, which rises 11,000 feet above the sea.

The Appenines, which, springing from the same root with the Alps, extend the whole length of Italy, present peaks of great elevation; Monte Velino raising its top no less than 8,397 feet above the Mediterranean.

The Dalecarlian mountains, which divide Norway from Sweden, are likewise very lofty, the elevation of the summit of Sucku being estimated at about 9,000 feet.

A point in the Carpathian, or Krapak Range, extending between Poland and Hungary, has been computed to be elevated 8,640 feet above the surface of the sea.

Besides these lofty ranges, the Sierra Nevada, Sierra Morena, Sierra de Urbion in Spain, and the Jura mountains. separating France from Switzerland, attain very considerable elevations above the sea.

Rivers.-The Volga, the Danube, the Nieper, the Rhine, and the other chief rivers of Europe, will be noticed in the descriptions of the countries to which they respectively belong.

Political Divisions.-Europe may be divided into the following states: 1. The united kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; 2. Denmark and Norway, 3. Sweden, 4. Russia, 5. Holland, 6. German states, 7. Prussia, 8. Poland, 9. Austrian dominions, 10. France, 11. Switzerland, 12. Portugal, 13. Spain, 14. Italy, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, &c. 15 Turkish dominions.*

THE

In this arrangement the young geographer is supposed to run over his map as he peruses the page of a book, beginning at the top, and reading from H 2

the