ASIA.

ASIA is the largest division of the Old World, and the first that was inhabited. It is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean; south, by the Indian Ocean; east, by the Pacific Ocean; and west, by Europe, the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The isthmus of Suez, about sixty miles broad, joins it to Africa.

The seas of Asia are the Red, Arabian, Chinese, Yellow, and Caspian, and of Aral, Ochotsk, and Kamschatka :— the bays, Bengal and Nanking :— the gulfs, Persia, Siam, and Corea :- and the straits are of Babelmandel, Ormus, Malacca, Sunda, and Behring. Behring's strait, in the north, divides Asia from America, and is about forty miles across.

The islands, mountains, and rivers of Asia we shall as in Europe, describe with the countries to which they belong. The north of Asia is exceedingly cold and barren; the southern parts hot and fertile. The midland parts are in a very rude state. The highest mountains in the world are in Asia, and the rivers are long and large.

Asia has many great and fine Countries, which we shall now describe to you.

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Nothing a beed more desolate and merche tu te krthern parts of this CORRIET - STOW Jles on the ground nearly all the year, and the mers and the av most constantly frozen eren 1 k ar to the south they have from three to fer an zzer: the weather is then very hot, and the trees which three days before were bare and covered with snow, become fresh and green and full of leares. To these gloomy regions many thousands of brave Poles have been sent by the Russians for no other fault than loving their country and wishing to set her free. When you are old

enough to understand it, you may read the very pretty tale of Elizabeth, or the Exes of Siberia;' which will give you a good idea what sort of a country Siberia is.

The mountains of Siberia are the Ural in the west, the Altai in the centre, and the Caucasian in the south. The Ural mountains have miles of gid, silver, iron, and copper.

In Northern Siberia scarcely any thing grows but the fir-tree and beyond the Arctic Circle only a kind of moss called lichen, which is eaten by the rein-ceer. The south produces fruit, grain, and excellent rhubar),

The Siberians are divided into many distinct nations; some of them wandering tribes, or people who have no settled home, living in tents, feeding their focks and hunting. The women do all the work, and are seldom treated as women should be. Their chief trade is in horses, cattle, furs, and wool, both of these last are very fine; the wild animals of Siberia having thick and beautiful fur, much worn by ladies in most European countries.

TARTARY.

TARTARY extends nearly across Asia. It is bounded on the north by Siberia; south, by Persia, Tibet, and China; east, by the Pacific Ocean; and west, by Persia and the Caspian Sea. The western part is called Independent Tartary, and the eastern, Chinese Tartary.

Independent Tartary has three great divisions; Turkistan, Khorazan, and Great Bucharia. It is a mountainous country, which makes it rather pleasant, as the cold air from the mountains tempers the great heat which would be otherwise felt. The principal rivers are the Amu and the Sihon. Samarcand is the capital city, and the other towns of note are Tarez and Balk, which last is a large place of considerable trade.

The Tartars are a wandering people, and have a large number of horses with immense flocks of cattle and sheep which they drive over the country. They sell their hides and wool to the people of the neighbouring countries. Some of them live in houses which are very poor and mean, being built of mud, and the roofs covered with earth; others live entirely in tents. Their favourite drink is mares' milk fermented like our beer. It then becomes quite strong enough to make them tipsy. The Tartars are very kind to strangers, but some of them are great robbers. The people of Bucharia are the most civilized.

Chinese Tartary is to the east of Independent Tartary. It is a country not very well known and for the most part subject to China, or rather, China is subject to Tartary, the royal family of China being Tartars. This part of Tartary has two great divisions,

Mongolia and Mandshura: both are very mountainous. The climate is cold, owing to a great part of the country being Table-land, or flat land raised above the usual level of the earth, just as the top of a table is a flat board raised above the floor. This table-land is more than four thousand feet, or near y a mile in height above the ground, and is in general very fruitful, producing grapes, wheat, rice, and fruits. Gold is found in Tartary. A very large desert called Cobi lies in the north-east of Tartary which has no springs of water nor any wild plants. Wild beasts are found in this country, and wild horses, which herd together in great companies : they are small and of a mouse colour. Few rivers are to be seen in Tartary, but some lakes, of which the Lake of Baikal is the largest, being often called

a sea.

The principal cities of Chinese Tartary are Sagalien, Oula, and Hotun.

The manners of these Tartars are much like the Siberians. They were at one time very fond of war, and some of their Khans or Emperors have been great conquerors; but now the Tartars could not stand against any army of Europeans.