9. The Sun is an immense body, a million times larger than the Earth, and 95 millions of miles from us. It is 883,000 miles in diameter, and turns on its own axis in 25 days.

10. Mercury is a small planet, so near the Sun that it is seldom seen.

Venus is a bright star, nearly as large as the Earth. When it rises a short time before the Sun, it is called the Morning Star; when it sets soon after the Sun the Evening Star.

The Earth is nearly 8000 miles in diameter, mov ing round the Sun in one year, or 365 days, 6 hours at the rate of 68,000 miles an hour.

Mars is a planet much smaller than the Earth, of a red, fiery colour.

Jupiter is nearly 1500 times larger than the Earth, and the largest of all the planets.

Saturn is 1000 times larger than the Earth, surrounded by a broad, flat ring.

Herschel, the most distant of the planets, is 90 times as large as the Earth, but is seldom seen without a telescope.

11. The Moon is only 2180 miles in diameter. It is 240,000 miles from the Earth, and revolves round it in 27 days.

12. The revolution of the Earth round the Sun is called the annual or yearly revolution, and causes the changes of the seasons.

13. Besides this revolution, the Earth turns, like a wheel, on its own axis, once in 24 hours; and as the Sun enlightens only one half the globe at once, each part is alternately in the light and shade.

This motion causes day and night, and is called the diurnal or daily revolution.

14. The other planets have similar revolutions, but in various times.

The diameter, distance, and motions of the planets are described in the following table.

15. The comets move irregularly, sometimes coming very near the Sun, and then flying off beyond the most distant planet.

Only a few have been known to return, and at intervals of 75, 100 or 200 years.

16, The remaining stars are called fixed stars, because they keep nearly the same place in the heavens from age to age. They may be distinguished from the planets by their twinkling light.

About 1000 may be seen in a clear night by the eye; but from the examinations made with telescopes, it is probable that there are many millions.

They are at an immense distance from us, and are supposed by many, to be suns in other systems, like our solar system.

Questions.-I. What is Geography? What is the figure of the Earth? How is it known? How many planets are there? How many moons or secondary planets? How many asteroids and comets? What system do these bodies form? Describe Mercury-Venus --the Earth-Mars--Jupiter-Saturn--Herschel-the Moon.

What is the revolution of the Earth round the Sun called, and what does it cause? What other motion has the Earth, and what does it cause? Have the other planets the same motion?

Leave questions marked (II.) for Review. II. Mention the diameters of the planets in order. (See the Table.) What is the distance of each planet from the Sun? What is the day of each of the planets? What is the year of each? How many miles do they move in an hour? Describe the comets. How many comets have been known to return? What are the remaining stars called, and why? How many fixed stars can be seen with the naked eye, and how many are there supposed to be? What are they supposed to be?

EXPLANATIONS

Preparatory to the use of the Maps

17. The most correct representation of the Earth's surface, with the proper distance and size of its parts, is an artificial globe.

18. A Map is a picture of the surface of the Earth, as it would appear to a person at some distance above it. 19. A Chart is a representation of the surface of the Earth, as if it were spread out on a plane or level, used chiefly by mariners.

20. There are four cardinal points of the compass, North, South, East and West; marked N.-S.—E. -W.

East, that part of the heavens in which the Sun rises, and West, that part in which it sets. When we stand with our right hand to the East, the West is on our left, North before us, and South behind us.

21. On a Map or Chart, the upper part is always North, the bottom South, the right hand East, and the left hand West, as represented in the following figure.

Points of the Compass.

22. Between the cardinal points, are marked four others, North-East, South-East, North-West, SouthWest. These are marked N.E.-S.E.-N.W.-S.W.

23. The course of a river is that point of the compass towards which the river runs. The course or direction of one place from another is that point of the compass towards which it lies.

24. The various parts of a country, or portions of the earth, are also named according to the points of the compass, the middle being called the interior, as in the figure below.

Questions. What is the most correct representation of the Earth? What is a Map, and what a chart? What are the four cardinal points? Which point of the Compass is East? How do you find the rest after knowing this? Where are these points on Maps and Charts? What points are there between the four principal points? What is the course of a river? What is the direction of one place from another? How are the different parts of a country sometimes named?

In finding the points of the compass on the Map, the pupil must always remember, that as the Map is a picture of a Globe, the lines drawn North and South, and East and West, are not generally straight, but curved to represent circles; he must therefore trace the points of the compass according to these lines.

Thus on a Map of the World, the Azores are South from Iceland, though they appear to be South-east; and Newfoundland is South-west, though it appears to be South. Iceland is west from Norway, though it seems to be North

west:

So