desert, that can only be crossed on camels. The mountains of Sinai and Horeb, of which we read in the Bible, are there. From Arabia we get the best coffee in the world; gum, frankincense, myrrh, and fruits of various kinds. Arabian horses are considered first-rate. The country is inhabited chiefly by wandering tribes of Arabs. About it, as well as about India, you can read in the Sixth Standard.

AFRICA.

AFRICA is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the east by the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Africa, owing to the new canal, is now an island. It is the most barbarous and the least known of the continents. The climate is so very unhealthy, that many travellers have died when they were trying to find out something of the middle, or interior as it is called, of the continent. Lately, however, some discoveries have been made of snowy mountains and immense lakes, and you can hardly read more amusing books than the accounts given by some travellers of their adventures. Some people have gone to Africa to hunt, and have brought back wonderful accounts of the strange beasts they have seen. There are very large monkeys, called gorillas, which are dreadfully like human beings. Some people go to Africa to shoot lions; but, in fact, there are plenty of wild beasts there of all sorts. The beasts have hitherto had it

pretty much all their own way; and the people are not very much better than the beasts.

The negroes in Africa hunt each other for the purpose of selling those caught as slaves. But there have been other and better travellers than those who went to shoot and to hunt-missionaries, who have left their comfortable homes, and risked their lives to try to civilise the poor savages, and to make Christians of them. Numbers of good men have died in the attempt, but in some parts of Africa they have succeeded. In the Sixth Standard you will read more about their labours.

Once

There are few roads or rivers in Africa by which to travel. People go in caravans-not exactly like those that are to be seen at our wild-beast shows, but of that sort. The Niger is the chief river. we sent a steam-boat on its waters, hoping we might find some place on the banks where English farming might be tried. But nearly every man on board died of fever.

In the north of Africa is Algeria, a country belonging to France.

The country through which the River Nile flows, called Egypt, is the most interesting part of Africa, and many English people go to see it. It is the country described in the Bible as the land of the Pharaohs. There you would see the great Pyramids -enormous piles, built, it is supposed, by the kings of Egypt for their tombs. In Egypt are many other magnificent ruins of ancient cities.

In the south of Africa is the Cape of Good Hope, where the climate agrees well with English people.

The former

The natives are Hottentots and Caffres. are an inoffensive race; but the latter are warlike. Natal is another place to which English emigrate. From Africa we get rice, cotton, maize, wheat, sugar, and tobacco. The wheat comes chiefly from Egypt.

In one part of Africa there is a dreadful king, who makes the women of his country fight, and, for no reason at all, has thousands of his countrymen killed at once, calling it "his custom." They have not offended him in any way, but he thinks it will please his gods.

About the large New World of America I shall say nothing, because you will find the part with which English have to do described in the Sixth Standard. Our only possession in South America is a part of Guiana, of which Georgetown is the capital. The continent is inhabited by many different races, and a large portion of the land is uncultivated.

In Peru (capital, Lima), are large mines of gold, silver, and quartzose.

October, 1871.

During the last year and a half, there have been great changes in Europe. There has been a dreadful war between the French and the Prussians. The Prussians beat the French in nearly every battle, and at Sedan they took the French emperor prisoner, as well as his army, consisting of a hundred thousand

men. They then besieged Paris till starvation forced the French to give in, and to accept very hard conditions in order to obtain peace. Besides giving up to Prussia the province of Alsace and Lorraine, they had to pay immense sums of money to their conquerors.

All the small states of Germany have chosen to belong to the King of Prussia, who is now called the Emperor of Germany.

The second son of the King of Italy is King of Spain.

The King of Italy has taken possession of Rome as his capital city.

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