a spacious hall of his palace, piled as high as he could reach.

4. But after the gold had been delivered, Pizarro refused to give Atabalipa his freedom; and shortly after, when the inca refused to become a Christian, he had him strangled, and his body burnt.

5. When he had conquered the Peruvians, Pizarro quarrelled with one of his chief officers, named Almagro. They made war with each other, and Pizarro caused Almagro to be beheaded; and soon afterwards he was himself murdered.

6. In the course of time, the Peruvian empire was divided into several provinces; all of which were under the government of Spain. The Spanish territories comprised nearly all the western part of South America.

7. But the kingdom of Spain became so weak that it lost its authority over these colonies. The first resistance to the government was made while Joseph Buonaparte was king of Spain; and the people would not return to their allegiance, when the former king was again on the throne. Long wars followed, but they are now independent.

8. The different states in America, which were once Spanish provinces, are called the United Mexican States, the republics of Central America, New Grenada, Venezuela, Equator, Peru, Bolivia, Chili, Buenos Ayres, Uruguay and Paraguay. Most of them are in a very unsettled condition.

QUESTIONS. 1. When was Peru conquered? What of Peru at the present time? What of it when the Spaniards first invaded it ? 2. What of the native sovereigns of Peru? The people? What did Peru contain? What did the Spaniards determine to do? -3. When did Pizarro go to Peru? Who was the inca? What did he do?4. Fate of Atabalipa?- 5. What of Pizarro and Almagro ? What became of Pizarro ? -6. vian empire? What of the Spanish territories ?states in America once Spanish provinces ?

What of the Peru

-8. What of the

1. THE vast country of Brazil is bounded north by New Grenada, Venezuela, and Guiana; east by the Atlantic Ocean; south by the Atlantic, Uruguay, and Paraguay; and west by Bolivia, Peru, and the republic of Equator. It is two thousand miles long and sixteen hundred broad, and has five millions of inhabitants.

2. While the Spaniards were making conquests in other parts of America, the Portuguese discovered Brazil in the year 1501. It is said that, near the river Amazon, they found a nation of women, whose lives were spent in war.

3. We do not read that the Portuguese committed such horrible cruelties as the Spaniards; the reason probably was, that the natives of Brazil possessed but little gold; and the Portuguese hardly thought it worth their while to colonize the country.

4. During many years the government of Portugal was accustomed to send nobody but criminals thither; so that

to be sent to Brazil was considered almost as bad as being sent out of the world.

5. In 1548, a multitude of Jews were banished to Brazil; who planted the sugar-cane there, and successfully cultivated it. When the King of Portugal found that the country was rich and fruitful, he sent over a governor, in order that he might not lose his share of the wealth.

6. France, Spain, and Holland, likewise attempted to get possession of Brazil; but the Portuguese resisted them, and finally became sole masters of the country. Perhaps, if the other nations had known of the hidden riches of Brazil, they would not have given up the contest so easily.

7. It was not till long after the country was settled that the gold mines, for which it is now so famous, were discovered. Considerable quantities of this precious metal are also found in the beds of the rivers, mixed with sand and gravel. The topaz, the diamond, and other precious stones, are sometimes seen glittering among the gold.

8. The Rio Pardo, though it is a very small and shallow stream, produces a great number of diamonds; other rivers are likewise enriched with them. Negro slaves are

employed in washing the sand and gravel of these rivers, and when one of them finds a very large diamond, he receives his freedom, and a reward for smaller ones.

9. Brazil is one of the most fertile countries in the world, and furnishes in abundance all the best productions of both the East and West Indies.

10. In 1806, the King of Portugal removed to Brazil, and established his court in the city of Rio Janeiro. Ten years afterwards, he returned to Lisbon. The Brazilians soon after became independent, and proclaimed his son Pedro emperor.

11. In 1831, a revolution took place, and Pedro resigned the imperial crown to his son, who was then only five years old, who is now styled the Emperor of Brazil, but the government is carried on by a council of regency. The country is, however, in an unsettled state.

QUESTIONS. 1. Boundaries of Brazil? Extent? Population? 2. What of the Portuguese ?. -3. Were the Portuguese as cruel as the Spaniards ?- 4. Who were sent to Brazil? -5 What happened in 1548? What of the Jews?- -6. What of other countries? -7. What were discovered in Brazil ?- -8. What of the Rio Pardo ? Negro slaves ?—9. Is Brazil a fertile country? 10. When did the King of Portugal remove to Brazil ? Where did he establish his court? When did he return to Lisbon ? What of his son Pedro? 11. What happened in 1831 ? What did Pedro do? How is Brazi now governed?

CHAPTER CLXIV. AMERICA continued.-The West Indies.

1. I MUST not close my story about America, without giving you some little account of the West India islands, lying in the Atlantic Ocean, between North and South America. These consist of three clusters, called the Bahamas, the Antilles, and the Caribbees. The Bahamas are the most northerly of the three groups, and lie near to Florida. They are about six hundred in number, but most

of them are small, consisting of sand and rocks, and are uninhabited by man.

Sugar Plantation in the West Indies.

2. These, however, are the resort of a great variety of sea-fowl. Many of the birds which visit the lakes and shores of America in summer, retire to these lonely islands in winter, where they find a secure and pleasant abode. The Bahama Islands belong to Great Britain, and contain about seventeen thousand inhabitants. The principal are Turk's Island, Eleuthera, Providence, and San Salvador, or Cat Island; which last was that which Columbus first discovered.

3. The Antilles, occupying the middle portion of the West Indies, consist of Cuba, which is the largest, and belongs to Spain; Hayti, or St. Domingo, which is an independent negro republic; Porto Rico, which belongs to Spain; Jamaica, which belongs to Great Britain; and a few smaller islands.

4. The Caribbee Islands are very numerous, and lie