tarry on that barbarous and inhuman trade. This ifland was fo well improved by the French, that it was ftiled the Granary of Ca nada, which it furnished with great plenty of corn, as well as beef and pork. BERMUDAS, OR SUMMER ISLANDS. Thefe received their first name from their being difcovered by John Bermudas, a Spaniard, and were called the Summer Iflands, from Sir George Summers, who was fhip-wrecked on their rocks in 1609, in his passage to Virginia. They are fituated at a vaft diftance from any continent, in 32 degrees North Latitude, and in 65 degrees West Longitude. Their dittance from the Land's End is computed near 1500 leagues, from the Madeiras about 1200, and from Carolina 300. The Bermudas are but finall, not containing in all above 20,000 acres; and are very difficult of accefs, being, as Waller the poet, who refided fome time there, expreffes it, walled in with rocks. The air of these iflands, which Waller celebrates in one of his poems, has been always esteemed extremely healthful; and the beauty and richness of the vegetable productions is perfectly delightful. Though the foil of thefe iflands is admirably adapted to the cultivation of the vines, the chief and only butinefs of the inhabitants, who conûft of about 10,000, is the building and navigating of light floops and brigantines, which they employ chiefly in the trade between North-America and the Weft-Indies. Thefe veffels are as remarkable for their fwiftnefs, as the cedar of which they are built is for its hard and dyrable quality. The town of St George, which is the capital, is feated at the bottom of a haven in the island of the fame name, and is defended by feven or eight forts, and 70 pieces of cannon. It contains above 1000 houfes, a handfome church, and other elegant public buildings. LUCAY'S OR BAHAMA ISLANDS. The Bahamas are fituated to the South of Carolina, between 22 and 27 degrees North Latitude, and 73 and 81 degrees Weft Longitude. They extend aLong the coaft of Florida quite down to the ifle of Cuba; and are faid to be 500 in number, fome of them only mere rocks; but twelve of them are large, fertile, and in nothing different from the foil of Carolina all are, however, abfolutely uninhabited, except Providence, which is 200 miles East of the Floridas. Between them and the continent of Florida is the gulph of Bahama, or Florida, through which the Spanish galleons fail in their paffage to Europe. FALKLAND ISLANDS. They are fituated near the ftreights of Magellan, at the utmost extremity of South-America. It has been generally believed, that the richest gold mines in Chili are carefully concealed by the Indians, as well knowing that the discovery of them would only excite in the Spaniards a greater thirst for conquest and tyranny, and would render their own independence more precarious. King Charles II. of England confidered the difcovery of this coatt of fuch confequence, that Sir John Narborough was purpofely fitted out to furvey the ftraits of Magellan, the neighbouring coaft of Pa 4 R tagonia, tise, and the Sun's gars n that frontier; with drefied jitje, to procure Leve weromele with the Chiman. Inérans are generally at war, or at lext on ill terms with the Spaniar; to citatiith a commerce and a lafting correfpondence WCE Though Sir John, through accidental caufes, failed in the which, in appearance, promifed fo many advantages to 12 15 119 Pikulachons upon that coast, besides the many valuable imper anent h. Farnithodi na geography and navigation, are rather at a 4 2015-21-smen, fa, frtheas of this kind, than any obje&ent 22. sh 1. annaah M. Dù kho they wzr, 127 IN cuttions and fears of the States IF The practicability of the scheme t an, stremets armed with the apprei: s p. the his meety King Charles w2:3 a ne emièrents which mir 2.-ranum,, und was fo eager : で mont, then firf ment in the Son →ññon of Falkland and in his journal repres other hand, they are e was nothing but a bog, with and if the winds of Winter t having any communication w Miles. Degrees. Breadth 1600 between 94 and 126 Weft Longitude. Boundaries.] Bo OUNDED by unknown lands on the North; by Pacific ocean, on the South; and by the fame ocean, on the West. Soil and Climate.] Thefe countries lying for the most part within the temperate zone, have a climate in many places extremely agreeable, and a foil productive of every thing, either for profit or delight. In California, however, they experience great heats in the Summer, particularly towards the fea-coaft; but in the inland country the climate is more temperate, and in Winter even cold. and Produce of the Country.] The natural history of these counyet in its infancy. The Spaniards themselves know little atter, and the little they know they are unwilling to comTheir authority being on a precarious footing with the who here at leaft ftill preferve their independence, they are of difcovering Bight be an ind elements there. New M atural advantages of thefe countries, ment to the other nations of Europe to certain, however, that in general the and California are extremely beautiful 4 R 2 and and pleafant; the face of the country is agreeably varied with plats, interfected by rivers, and adorned with gentle eminences covered wh various kinds of trees, fome producing excellent fruit. With refpect to the value of the gold mines in thofe countries, nothing p tive can be afferted. They have undoubtedly enough of natural pr ductions, to render them advantageous colonies to any but the Spa niards. In California there falls in the morning a great quantity of dew, which, fettling on the rofe-leaves, candies and becomes hed like manna, having all the fweetness of refined fugar, without i whiteness. There is alfo another very fingular natural produces. In the heart of the country there are plains of fait, quite firm, 24 clear as chryftal, which, confidering the vast quantities of fish brand on its coats, might render it an invaluable acquifition to any ind trious nation. Inhabitants, Hiftory, Government, Religion, and Commerce.] The Spanish fettlements are here comparatively weak; though they art increafing every day in proportion as new mines are difcovered. The inhabitants are chiefly Indians, whom the Spanish miffionaries have in many places brought over to Christianity, to a civilized life, ta raife corn and wine, which they now export pretty largely to O Mexico. California was difcovered by Cortez, the great conquerce of Mexico; our famous navigator Sir Francis Drake took poticton of it in 1578, and his right was confirmed by the principal king « chief in the whole country. Boundaries.] ROUNDED by New Mexico, or Grenada, on the Boundaries.] BN North; by the gulph of Mexico, on the North Eat; by Terra Firma, on the South-Eaft; and by the Pacific ocean, on the South-Weft, containing three audiences. Bays.] On the North-fea are the gulphs or bays of Mexico, Cam peachy, Vera Cruz, and Honduras; in the Pacific ocean, or South fea, are the bays Micoya and Amapalla, Acapulco, and Salinas. Capes.] Thefe are Cape Sardo, Cape St Martin, Cape Corndusedo, Cape Catoche, Cape Honduras, Cape Cameron, and Cape Gracias Dios, in the North-fea. Cape Marques, Cape Spirito-Sancto, Cape Corientes, Cape Gallero, Cape Blanco, Cape Burica, Cape Prucreos, and Cape Mala, in the South-fea. Winds] In the gulph of Mexico, and the adjacent feas, there are ftrong North winds from October to March, about the full and change of the moon. Trade winds prevail every where at a distance from land within the tropics. Near the coaft, in the South-fea, they have their periodical winds, viz. Monfoons, and fea and land-breezes, as in Afia. Soil and Climate.] Mexico lying for the most part within the torrid zone, is exceffively hot, and on the Eastern coaft, where the land is low, marthy, and conftantly flooded in the rainy feafons, it is likewife extremely unwholfome, The inland country, however, affumes a better afpect, and the air is of a milder temperament; on the Western fide the land is not fo low as on the Eastern, much better in quality, and full of plantations. The foil of Mexico in general is of a good variety, and would not refuse any fort of grain were the industry of the inhabitants to correfpond with their natural advantages. Produce.] Mexico, like all the tropical countries, is rather more abundant in fruits than in grain. Pine-apples, pomegranates, oranges, lemons, citrons, figs, and cocoa nuts, are here in the greatest plenty and perfection. A prodigious quantity of fugar is aifo produced, especially towards the gulph of Mexico, and the province of Guaxaea and Guatimala, fo that here are more fugar-mills than in any o ther part of Spanish America. But what is confidered as the chief glory of this country, and what firft induced the Spaniards to form fettlements upon it, are the mines of gold and filver. The chief mines of gold are in Veragua and New Grenada, confining upon Darien and Terra Firma. Those of filver, which are much more rich, as well as numerous, are found in feveral parts, but in none fo much as in the province of Mexico. The mines of both kinds are always found in the most barren and mountainous parts of the country. When the ore is dug out, compounded of feveral heterogeneeus substances, mixed with the precious metals, it is broke into finall pieces by a mill, and afterwards wathed, by which means it is difengaged from the earth, and other foft bodies which cling to it. Then it is mixed with mercury, which, of all fubftances, has the ftrongest attraction for gold, and likewife a ftronger attraction for silver, than the other fubitances which are united with it in the ore; by means of the mercury, therefore, the gold and filver are firft feparated the heterogeneous matter, and then, by straining and evaporation, |