Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

two shoulders of mutton. The Old World is divided into Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, and some smaller islands.

The top of a map is usually called the north, the bottom the south; the right-hand side is the east, and the left the west.

The land in the world is divided into islands, peninsulas, isthmuses, and capes or promontories.

An island is a bit of land with water all round it. England, Scotland, and Wales, joined together, make an island.

A peninsula is land with water round it on every side but one. Africa is a peninsula.

An isthmus is a narrow bit of land joining two others together. The little bit of land which joins North to South America is an isthmus.

A cape or promontory is a bit of land that runs out into the sea, like the Cape of Good Hope, in Africa.

The divisions of water are oceans, seas, lakes, straits, gulfs or bays, and rivers.

An ocean is an enormous piece of water stretching thousands of miles, and so deep that it cannot be measured. In some parts, where it is shallow, we can see the beautiful sand and sea-weed at the bottom, and fish swimming about.

Find the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans on the map.
A sea is the same as an ocean, but smaller.
A lake is a very big pond.

A strait is a narrow bit of water joining two larger ones together.

Find the Straits of Dover, at the south of Eng

land, which join together the North Sea and the English Channel.

A gulf, or bay, is where the water runs into the land.

Find the Bay of Biscay.

A river is a stream of water, beginning generally amongst hills, flowing down, and emptying itself into the sea.

Find the River Thames, in England.

We said that England, Scotland, and Wales make one Island. Ireland, another island close by, belongs also to our Queen. These four countries are called the British Isles.

Now you must learn the names of the pieces of water that wash the edge of the land all round England, Scotland, and Wales.

On the north is the Northern Ocean, where, if you go far enough, it is so cold that mountains of ice may be seen sailing about it.

On the south is the English Channel, which, in one place, separates us by only 21 miles from the coast of France.

On the east, is the German Ocean, over which blows the east wind that gives us coughs and colds.

And on the west is the big North Atlantic Ocean, reaching to America.

[blocks in formation]

The houses, next, in London,

He thought that he would count;

But still the sum was undone,

So great was the amount.

He could not think of robbing,
He had but half-a-crown :
And so he mounted Dobbin,

And rode back from the town.

The sheep were in the meadows,
The cows were in the corn;
Amid the evening shadows,

He stood where he was born.

From "GooD Words for the Young.”

ENGLAND.

ENGLAND is something in the shape of a triangle, narrow at the top, and wide at the bottom. It is neither a very hot nor a very cold country; some parts of it are beautiful, but on the whole it is flat. That means that there are not many mountains or high hills. The highest are in the north; on one of them, called Helvellyn, a young man once lost his way with his dog. Nothing was heard of him for three months; at the end of that time his dead body was found, and his faithful dog was guarding it. There is a high mountain in Derbyshire, called the Peak, and there is found the pretty shining spar used for chimney ornaments.

There are some beautiful lakes in the north of England.

There are many mines in England. In Nor

E

thumberland there are coal-mines, where men dig up coals all day. These miners lead dull lives, never seeing the sun. Sometimes bad air gets into the mines; there are dreadful explosions, and many miners are killed. There are lead-mines in Cumberland where the lead is got of which pencils are made, and in Cornwall there are many

tin mines.

England is divided into forty pieces, called counties. The largest county is Yorkshire. The most important town in each county is called the county town. The chief town of a country is called the capital.

London is the capital of England. It is built on the banks of the river Thames. Large cities are frequently built on the banks of rivers, for it is convenient to be able to get ships laden with corn, coals, and other articles, close to the houses, because goods can be moved more cheaply by water than by land.

The Eastern part of London contains what is called the City. Here there is a splendid church called St. Paul's Cathedral, and also a great building called the Tower, where people who displeased the kings used to be shut up, and where kings themselves have been imprisoned. In the City are warehouses, and counting-houses, and stores of goods. Many of the very poorest people live in the East End.

In the Western end of London there is another beautiful church, or minster, called Westminster Abbey; and near it, close to the river, there are

« AnteriorContinuar »