The map of the world, No. 1., in the Atlas, shows the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. 48. Into what division is the earth divided by the Equator? A. Into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. 49. What does the Northern Hemisphere comprise ? A. That part of the earth between the Equator and the North Pole. 50. What does the Southern Hemisphere comprise? A. That part of the Earth between the Equator and the South Pole. The map of the world, No. 2., in the Atlas, shows the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. 51. What are the natural divisions of the land surface of the earth? A. Continents, Peninsulas, Isthmuses, Islands, Capes, and Promontories. 52. Why are these called natural divisions? A. To distinguish them from political divisions, such as Empires, Kingdoms, and Republics. 53. What is a Continent? A. A great extent of land, containing many countries. America is a continent. 54. What is a Peninsula ? A. A portion of land, nearly surrounded by water. Africa and South America are peninsulas. 55. What is an Isthmus ? A. A narrow neck of land, which joins two parts of a continent, or a peninsula to a continent; as the Isthmus of Darien, and the Isthmus of Suez. 56. What are Islands? A. Portions of land, entirely surrounded by water, as the British Islands, or Newfoundland. 57. What is a Cape? A. A point of land extending into the sea, as the Cape of Good Hope, and Cape Horn. 58. What is a Promontory? A. A high point of land, extending into the sea, the extreme end of which is sometimes called a cape, sometimes a point, and sometimes a headland. 5 Some Capes and Promontories have light-houses built on them: these are NO called because they have a bright light burning on the top of them after > dark,that ships may not sail too near the land. 59. What is a Mountain? A Promontory and Light-House. A. A portion of land, raised up to a great height. A. They are about five and a half miles high; others are two, three, and four miles high. 61. What is a chain or range of Mountains? A. A number of mountains joined together, and extending many hundreds, and even thousands of miles in length. Plains. Range of Mountains. Mountains. Valley. Hills. Volcano. City on Fire. 62. What is a Volcano? A. A burning mountain, with an opening at the top, called a crater. 63. What rises from the crater of a Volcano? A. Fire and smoke constantly rise from many Volcanoes. 64. What are sometimes thrown out by Volcanoes? A. Melted lava, large stones, ashes, and often floods of water. 65. How many Volcanoes are there in the world? A. More than 200: of which upwards of one-half are in America. Cities and towns are sometimes set on fire by the burning lava whret flows down the sides of volcanoes: others have been destroyed by floods of water; and some by vast showers of hot ashes. Some mountains are so steep and rugged, that it is difficult to ascend to the top of them. The picture represents a party of men going up Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe. They were more than two days in getting to the top, and were almost frozen with cold. The summits of the highest mountains, even those in the hottest parts of the earth, are always covered with ice and snow. 66. What is a hill? A. A portion of land raised up, but not so high as a moun tain. 67 What is a Valley? A. A low portion of country between mountains or hills. 68. What is a Plain? A. A portion of country nearly flat or level. 69. Are all plains alike in appearance? A. No; some are covered with grass, some with trees, and some only with sand. 6 70. What are plains covered with sand called? A. They are denominated deserts; some are also covered with stones and gravel. Deserts are generally destitute of water. 71. Which are the largest deserts in the world? A. The great African desert, and the desert of Cobi, in Asia. 72. With what is the African desert interspersed ? A. Various fertile spots that are scattered here and there over the surface, like islands in the ocean. 73. What are these called? A. They are called Oases: they are generally inhabited, and serve as resting places for travellers. The Great Desert is frequently crossed by parties of travellers, with camels; these are called caravans; both men and beasts often suffer greatly from want of water, and sometimes perish from thirst. The picture represents a small caravan crossing the desert, one of the people of which appears to have just expired. 74. What are Caves or Caverns? A. They are openings in the earth, often wonderful on account of their great size and extent. C world. 75. What are public roads? A. Pathways used for travelling from place to place. 76. Are roads useful to mankind? A. They are highly useful, for without them the people in different parts of the same country would not know each other. 77. What is a rail-road? A. An improved kind of road, now much used in the United States, and also in some parts of Europe. more. Rail Road. The cars or carriages used on them, are drawn by steam locomotive engines, at the rate of 20 or 30 miles an hour, and sometimes even Vast numbers of people, and great quantities of merchandise, are conveyed by them from place to place, in a manner much more Convenient than by the old method. |