isthmus of Darien, by Vasco Nugnez de Balboa, this chimera began to vanish, and was finally dissipated by succeeding discoveries. Hispaniola and Cuba, however, still continued the chief seats of the Spanish power in the new world, and from the first voyage of Columbus, twenty-six years had elapsed before the existence of the great empires of Mexico and Peru was known to the adventurers of Europe. Of these two extensive states, the former was conquered by Cortez in 1521, the latter by Pizarro in 1540.

In North America this progress was much slower than in the southern half of this continent. So early, however, as the year 1497, Giovanni Gaboto, a Venetian, whose name has been anglicised into John Cabot, having received a commission from Henry VII. of England, to trace out a shorter way to India, the view in which most of those early expeditions were undertaken, discovered the island of Newfoundland and the coast of America as far as Virginia. But this extensive tract of land, forming a grand obstacle to the accomplishment of his design, he returned to England; and during a long space of time no attempt was made to improve these discoveries. About three years afterwards Corte de Real, a Portuguese captain, engaged in a similar search after a north-west passage to India, hit upon the coast of Labrador. And in 1513, Florida was discovered by the Spaniards. Till the year 1524, France had taken no part in this new scene of adventure; but in this year Francis I. who could not long overlook any scheme that afforded a prospect of glory for himself or his kingdom, commis sioned Verazano, a Venetian, to sail on a voyage of discovery, This navigator explored a great part of the coast of North America. The same monarch, in 1534, sent out a fleet from St. Maloes for the purpose of establishing a settlement in North America. Cartier, the commander of this expedition discovered on the St. Laurence's Day, the great gulf and ri ver to which he gave the name of that saint. In the year following, he sailed 300 miles up that large stream, built a fort, and gave to the country the name of New-France. This important discovery made by the French, and from which, about the year 1756, they expected to extend their empire over all North America, was, by the fortune of arms, transferred to

Great Britain, and now constitutes the seat of her power in that quarter, while her own extensive dominions have rejected her authority, and established an independent federal republic, which, in all probability, will one day be in the new, what Rome was in the old continent, and disseminate its language, its laws, and its manners, through an immense tract of territory. Such are the revolutions of human affairs.

The extensive country of Florida, although discovered, had not yet become the seat of any European settlement. Extensive coasts, and vast countries, presenting themselves in almost a constant succession, colonization could not keep pace with the rapidity and extent of discovery. In 1539, Soto, a Spaniard, set out from Cuba for the conquest of Florida. He advanced into the continent as far as the thirty-fifth degree of latitude, but died on the banks of the Mississippi during his expedition. The French, about the year 1562, attempted to form a settlement in Florida; but they were shortly after expelled by the Spaniards. The English, during this period, had made various discoveries on the North American coast, but had not attempted to make any settlement. Sir Humphrey Gilbert, in 1578, first obtained a patent for this purpose. In 1583 he took possession of the harbour of St. John, but was lost on his return from his voyage. The practicability of a north-west passage to India was a phantom which still haunted the imagination of European adventurers. In the search after this chimera, Frobisher had, in the year 1576, discovered the straits that bear his name. The circumnavigation of the globe by Drake, roused the spirit of adventure in England; and Raleigh obtained a patent for forming a settlement, The situation, however, was ill chosen, and the attempt proved unsuccessful. At the death of Elizabeth, in 1603, at a period when Spain had already established in America an empire more extensive than Alexander or the Cæsars had ever possessed, there was not one Englishman settled on that vast continent. The first permanent settlement established by the English was at Jamestown, in Virginia, in 1610; and from this epoch colonization went rapidly forward. Vermont, the last of the British colonies, was formed in 1764, by emigrants from New England. Tennessee, and the state on the north-west of

the Ohio, were not colonized till 1787, three years after the establishment of the American republic. At various periods. several discoveries have been made towards the north, especially by Davis, who, in 1575 explored the straits which bear his name, and also those of Cumberland by Hudson in 1607, and 1610, who, in those years, advanced along the coast of Greenland to eighty or eighty-two degrees of latitude, and discovered the narrow passage and the inland sea, called Hud son's Straits and Bay. To these may be added the discovery of Baffin's Bay in 1616, by Captain Bilot, and William Baffin. But of this voyage the accounts seem unsatisfactory and mysterious; and even the existence of Baffin's Bay is questioned by geographers.* In the last century Cook, Vancouver, and the Russian navigators, seem to have completed the discovery of the western coast of America. Hearne and Mackenzie have also penetrated by land to the latitude of seventy degrees, and explored a part of what they regarded as the coast of the arctic ocean.f

Various estimates of the population of America have been made by different writers: some assign 12,500,000 to North, and 13,000,000 to South America; while others allow scarcely 15,000,000 to the whole continent. The native tribes are thinly scattered over an immense extent of territory. Their number has been computed, or rather guessed, at 2,500,000, and is supposed never to have exceeded 3,000,000.† These numerical calculations, however, can only be considered as

[Vermont is a part of New England. It was settled chiefly from Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The settlement of the territory now called Tennessee, commenced in 1765; and in 1785, the settlers attempted to form themselves into a body politic; but, without success. In 1796, it was erected into an inde

pendent state, making the sixteenth in the Union. AM. ED.]

Pinkerton, vol. 2. p. 533.

[The Spanish and American navigators have assisted in completing the discovery of the north-west coast of America. Mackenzie has traversed the continent from the British settlements to the Pacific ocean; and Clarke and Lewis by the direction of the American government have penetrated the continent from the Mississippi to Columbia river, a water of the Pacific ocean. AM. ED.]

Morse's Amer. Geo. p. 704.

vague conjectures, incapable of any tolerable degree of approximation to truth.5

NORTH AMERICA.

THIS division of America extends to the vicinity of Panama : its northern, eastern, and western limits have been noticed in the general view of that continent. The general features of North America, which cannot be brought within the descriptions of particular countries, are chiefly the vast lakes, or inland seas, and the extensive rivers which pervade this portion of the globe.

Hudson's Bay, one of the largest of those inland seas, considered in its full extent from the entrance of the strait in longitude 65° west, to the western extremity of the Gulf in 95° is about 1050 British miles in length, and affords a consider. able whale and sturgeon fishery. The extensive tract of country on the southern (a) side belongs to the Hudson's Bay Company, and abounds in furs, which furnish an important article of commerce. The shores are rocky; and except in the month of June, when the heat, though short, is violent, the climate is the reign of perpetual winter. On the western side, in the latitude of about 65° north, adjacent to Chesterfield inlet, is a level district, rich in pasture, and abounding with deer. The regions to the north of Hudson's Bay, are a scene of geographical obscurity, where perpetual ice presents an insurmountable barrier against discovery, and a rigorous climate precludes the possibility of colonization.

g [On the subject of the population of America we must be content with conjecture. Of all the countries, which compose this vast continent, the population of the United States alone is accurately known. That of British America can be nearly ascertained: That of Spanish America and Greenland may be guessed at; while at that of Aboriginal Ame. rica, one would hardly venture to guess. From the best information, which we have been able to obtain, we are, however, led to conclude, that it does not exceed 35,000,000. Nor do we believe that it falls greatly short of that number. AM. ED.]

(a) [And western sides. AM. ED.] • Pennant's Arctic Zool. p. 295.

The lake Superior, with those of Huron and Michigan, which may be regarded as its two great branches, forms an inland sea of very considerable extent. That part which is known by the name of the lake Superior, is about 350 miles in length, and above 100 at its greatest breadth. The greatest part of the shores consists of rocks and hilly grounds: it receives above thirty rivers, and contains several islands, which the savages of the adjacent countries suppose to be the residence of the great Spirit.* It opens into the lake of Huron, by the straits of St. Mary, about forty miles in length, and in the narrowest part less than two miles in breadth. This large expanse of water is subject to storms as dangerous as those of the ocean. The circumference of lake Huron is not less than 1000 miles; and its communication with that of Michigan is by a short strait, which is navigable for ships of any burden. There are others larger, particularly those of Erie and Ontario, and that called the Slave Sea, 200 miles in length, and 100 in breadth. The lake of Winipic is likewise of considerable extent; and many may probably exist in the western regions which have not yet been explored.†

The rivers are on a greater scale in the new than in the old continent. In length of course the Mississippi is the most distinguished of the North American streams. From its source

b [Lakes Huron and Michigan cannot with propriety, be considered as branches of Lake Superior. They are distinct bodies of water. Lake Superior, from the latest and best information, is 400 miles long, and 1600 in circumference.

Note. It should be here noted, once for all, that the edition of the American Geography, quoted by Mr. Bigland, is the first English edition of that work, published from the first American edition of 1789. Four editions, of that work, much enlarged and improved, have since been published in this country. Mr. B. in preparing his account of America, would have rendered his work more accurate, had he availed himself of these later editions. AM. ED.]

* One of these islands is 100 miles long, and in some places 40 broad. This lake is supposed to be the largest expanse of fresh water in the world. Morse's Amer. Geog. p. 127.

† All the lakes here mentioned contain numerous islands, some of which are of considerable extent, See Morse's Amer. Geog. p. 126 to 130.-[See the edition of 1812. AM. ED.]