been for ages, and still are, enveloped in great uncertainty. It rises in the Western part of the continent, above the country of the Hesperii Æthiopes, in Western Guinea, and runs for an immense distance, generally in an Eastern direction, till it becomes lost to our knowledge: it likewise communicates with the Libya Palus, and at certain times (if not always,) as it is thought, with the Nile of Egypt. In the Westernmost part of Africa there are many rivers running into the Atlantic, concerning which the ancients knew little more than their names; such as the Daradus, or Senegal, near C. Verde, the Bambotus Gambia, the Nia, or Rio Grande, and the Massitholus, or Rokelle, which enters the sea at Sierra Leone. 10. There are several important rivers in the Southern part of the continent, of which the ancients never even heard. Amongst these we may mention the Zahir, or Congo, which rises near the Equator; and, after separating the two states of Congo and Loango, runs into the South Atlantic Ocean: below it are other rivers of considerable importance, as the Lelunda, Coanza, and Bembarooghe. The Gariep, or Orange R., waters the Southern extremity of Africa, and partly forms the boundary of our colony at the Cape of Good Hope; it runs nearly across the continent, in a Westerly direction, and enters the South Atlantic Ocean at Cape Voltas. On the Eastern coast of Africa are the Rivers Laurenzo Marquez, which runs into Delagoa Bay, the Inhambane, Sofala, and Cuama (or Zambeze), the greatest of the whole: all these run into the Indian Ocean. 11. The following table will convey some idea of the actual and comparative lengths of these rivers: SYNOPTICAL TABLE OF THE RIVERS OF AFRICA. 12. The principal cities of ancient Africa were, in Mauretania Tingitana, Sala Sallee, on the Atlantic Ocean, Tingis Tangier, Abyla Ceuta, and Rusadir Melilla, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. In Mauretania Cæsariensis were Siga Takumbreet, Cartenna Mustagennan, and Cæsarea, near the mouth of the R. Shellif, all on the Mediterranean Sea: in Mauretania Sitifensis were Saldæ Dellyz, Igilgilis Zezeli, likewise on the Mediterranean, and Sitifis Seteef, in the interior of the country. In Numidia were Hippo Regius Bona, and Tabraca Tabarca, on the shores of the Internum Mare, Cirta (vel Constantina) Cosantina, and Theveste Tiffesh, in the interior of the country. The principal cities in Zeugitana were Hippo Zarytus Bizerta, Utica Porto Farina, Carthago (v. Carchedon) Carthage, and Tunes Tunis, all on, or near the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. In Byzacena we may mention Hadrumetum Susa, Leptis Minor Lempta, and Tacape Cabes, on the sea-coast; with Capsa Gaffsa, in the interior. In Tripolitana were Sabrata Sabart, a Tripoli, and Leptis Magna Lebida; in Cyrene were Berenice Bengazi, Barce Barca, Apollonia Marsa Susa, and Cyrene Kuren; in Marmarica were Paliurus Bomba, Antipyrgus Toubrouk, Catabathmus Salloume, and Augila Augela: all these were on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, with the exception of the last, which was in the middle of the desert, as was also Ammon Siwah, the principal city of Libya Exterior. 13. The chief cities in Lower Egypt were Parætonium Bareton, Alexandria Alexandria, Pelusium Tineh, and Heliopolis Matarieh in Heptanomis we may notice Memphis, nearly opposite Cairo, Arsinoë Medinet-el-Faioum, and Antinoë Enseneh in Upper Egypt were Lycopolis Es-Siout, Ptolemais Hermii Menshieh, Coptos Ghouft, Theba (vel Diospolis) Medinet Tabu, and Syene Es-souan. In the kingdom of Meroë we find Premnis Ibrim, Napata Mograt, Meroë, near Chandi, and Sirbitum Sennaar: to the Axomita belonged Auxume Axum, and Aduli Zulla. The chief town of the Garamantes was Garama Germa: in Libya Interior we may mention Ischeri, on the R. Shary, Gira Old Birnie, Tagama Tagama, and Nigira Metropolis Tombuctoo. MODERN AFRICA. 14. THE modern divisions of Africa are altered but little from those of the ancients, so far as they were acquainted with the continent. In it's N. W. extremity is the kingdom of Morocco, corresponding with the ancient Tingitana, and composed of the two states Morocco and Fet, the latter of which lies opposite to Spain; it's chief cities are Morocco, Sallee, Fez, Tangier, and Tetuan: to the East of Morocco is the State of Algiers, corresponding with the ancient Cæsariensis, Sitifensis, and Numidia, or those countries which, for a long period of time, constituted the Kingdom of Numidia; it's chief cities are Tremezen, Oran, Algiers, Bujeya, Cosantina, and Bona. Farther East, and extending to the extremity of the Syrtis Minor, lies the State of Tunis, comprising the old provinces of Zeugitana and Byzacena; it's chief cities are Biserta, Tunis, Hammamet, Africa, and Cabes. Beyond this we meet with the extensive State of Tripoli, including the ancient Tripolitana; it's most important cities are Tripoli, Mesurata, and Zafferan. To the S. of Tripoli is the Kingdom of Fezcan, the ancient Phazania, the metropolis of which is Mourzouk. Barca, which lies between Tripoli and the frontiers of Egypt, is dependant upon the former state; it's principal towns are, Bengazi, Barca, and Derna. The limits of Egypt remain unchanged: it's principal cities now are, in Lower Egypt, Alexandria, Rosetta, Damiattu, and Cairo; in Central Egypt, Behenese, Melawi, and Es-Siout; in Upper Egypt, Ghouft, Esneh, and Es-Souan. To the South of Egypt lies Nubia, the ancient Kingdom of Meroë, now broken up into several little governments, by far the most important of which is Sennaar; it's chief towns are Ibrim, Dongola, Chandi, and Sennaar. Below this, again, is the Kingdom of Abyssinia, corresponding with the old territory of the Axomitæ; amongst it's chief towns may be mentioned Gondar, Shire, and Zeyla. 15. In the centre of the ancient Libya Interior are several states, extending along the banks of the Gir and Nigir, from Nubia and Sennaar, quite to the Atlantic Ocean. Next to Nubia are Kordofan and Dar-Fur, with their respective capitals Obeydh and Cobbe: to the W. of them is Dar-Saley (or Waday), the chief town of which is Wara. On the E. side of the Libya Palus lies Begharmi, with it's capital of the same name; on the N. side of the Lake is Kanem, the metropolis of which is Maoo; and on it's Western side is Bornou, the chief cities of which are New Birnie and Kouka. Beyond these, to the Westward, is the extensive territory of Houssa, stretching for a great distance along the banks of the Nigir; in are the cities of Kanoo, Kashna, and Sackatoo. All these latter territories belong to the country which, from it's black population (called Nigritæ by the ancients), has been named Soudan, or Nigritia. From hence to the Ocean there is a multitude of little states, scattered along the banks of the Nigir, Senegal, Gambia, Rio Grande, &c.; the Western part of this region, lying towards the Senegal and Gambia, is frequently called, from these two rivers, Senegambia. To the South of it, at the mouth of the rivers Rokelle and Camaranca, is the British settlement of Sierra Leone. The coast of Guinea, is that part of Africa, which runs in a parallel line with the Equator, and about 5o to the North of it; it is divided into the Grain-Coast, the Ivory-Coast, the Gold-Coast, and the Slave-Coast, and contains many kingdoms, amongst which is that of Ashantee. 16. The Southern part of the continent, which was unknown to the ancients, likewise contains several kingdoms and states, though but little can be said concerning them. On the Western coast, about midway between Guinea and the Cape of Good Hope, are the kingdoms of Loango, Congo, Angola, Matumba, Lubolo and Benguela: these states are sometimes distinguished by the collective name of Lower Guinea. The colony of the Cape of Good Hope (the country of the Hottentots), occupies the whole Southern extremity of Africa; it belongs to the British, and is divided into several districts, the capital of which is Cape Town. To the N. of it dwell the Koranas, the Bichuanas, and many other savage tribes. On the Eastern coast, above the Cape Colony, are the Kaffers, the Tambookies, Mambookies, and other tribes, scarcely possessing any civilization. Between these last and the great river Zambeze, or Cuama, lies the extensive country of Mocuranga (or Monomotapa, as it is sometimes called), divided into a great number of states, as Motapa, Manica, Botonga, Sofala, Sabia, Inhambane, &c. To the North of it is the territory of Mozambique, which has given name to the channel of the Indian Ocean, which runs between the main and the great island of Madagascar. To the N. of Mozambique lie Zanzibar, Ajan, and several other districts, inhabited by barbarous tribes, concerning whom very little is known. 17. At the Northern extremity of the Mozambique Channel are the Comoro Isles, inhabited by a harmless and well-disposed race of people; beyond them to the N.E. lie several groups of islands, chiefly belonging to the British, amongst which we may mention the Seychelle Is. in the Mahé Archipelago. The Island of Socotra, the ancient Dioscoridis I., lies off C. Guardafui, the N. E. extremity of Africa, and is under the dominion of Arabia. To the E. of Madagascar lie the three islands called Bourbon, Mauritius (or I. of France), and Roderigue, of which the two last belong to the English, and the first to the French. In the Atlantic Ocean, to the South of the Coast of Guinea, are the islands of Fernando Po, Prince's I., St. Thomas, Anno Bon, St. Helena, and Ascension: of these, St. Helena and Fernando Po belong to Britain Princes I., St. Thomas, and Anno Bon, are claimed by Portugal. In the North Atlantic Ocean are the Cape Verde Islands, which lie off Cape Verde, and belong to Portugal; the Canary, or Fortunate Islands, are under the dominion of Spain, and lie farther North, off the lower extremity of Morocco. Above the Canary Is. are the Madeiras; and considerably to the West of the latter are the Azores, or Western Islands: both the last groups are in the possession of the Portuguese. 18. The superficial extent and probable population of the principal countries in Africa will be seen by the following table. CHAPTER VI. INSULE BRITANNICE. 1. THE Insulæ Britannica consisted of two islands, lying East and West of each other, and called Albion, or Britannia Great Britain, and Ierne, or Hibernia Ireland. Of these the former is by far the greatest, and was the largest island in the world known to the ancients1, who were first led to visit it from the hopes of obtaining wealth, and afterwards to attack it from a love of ambition and military glory. But the Phonicians appear to have been familiar with the British Islands, long before the Greeks and Romans had even heard of them. They had, at an early period, founded their famous colony Gades, on the coast of Spain, beyond the Pillars of Hercules, and from it they made voyages to the S. W. extremity of our island; here they procured quantities of tin, which formed such a valuable article of commerce in their connection with the Greeks, that they carefully concealed all knowledge of the country whence they derived it, excepting that it was obtained from islands in the outmost Northern part of Europe. Hence, these islands were named Cassiterides, from the Greek word Kaogirepos, signifying tin, or rather white lead; but, the Greeks do not appear to have, at first, altogether believed that there were such islands, although, latterly, they had no reason to doubt it. The name Cassiterides, however, was not applied to Great Britain and Ireland, but to the Scilly Islands, which lie off the extremity of Cornwall, although there are many reasons for 1 Τάων τοι μέγεθος περιώσιον, οὐδέ τις ἄλλη Dion. Perieg. 568. * The inhabitants of Britain are spoken of, by the Roman poets, as the most remote of people: Pars Scythiam, et rapidum Cretæ veniemus Oaxem, Virg. Ecl. I. 67. iturum Cæsarem in ultimos Orbis Britannos, Hor. Carm. I. 35. 3 Νήσους - Εσπερίδας, τόθι κασσιτέροιο γενέθλη, Dion. Perieg. 563. |