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A DESCRIPTION

or THI

EMPIRES, KINGDOMS, STATES, AND COLONIES;

WITH THE

OCEANS, SEAS, AND ISLES;

IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD:

INCLUDING THE MOST RECENT DISCOVERIES,

AND POLITICAL ALTERATIONS.

DIGESTED ON A NEW PLAN.

BY JOHN PINKERTON.

THE ASTRONOMICAL INTRODUCTION

BY THE REV. S. VINCE, A. M. F. R. S.

AND FLDMIAN PROFESSOR OF ASTRONOMY, AND EXPERIMENTAL PHILO-
SOPHY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE.

THE ARTICLE AMERICA,

CORRECTED AND CONSIDERABLY ENLARGED,
BY Dr. BARTON, OF PHILADELPHIA.

WITH NUMEROUS MAPS,

DRAWN UNDER THE DIRECTION AND WITH THE LATEST IMPROVEMENTS,
OF ARROWSMITH, AND ENGRAVED BY THE FIRST AMERICAN ARTISTS.

To the whole are added, a Catalogue of the best Maps, and Books of Travels
and Voyages, in all Languages: and an ample Index.

VOL. II.

PUBLISHED BY

JOHN CONRAD, & CO. PHILADELPHIA; M. & J. CONRAD & CO. BALTIMORE,
RAPIN, CONRAD & CO. WASHINGTON CITY; SOMERVELL & CONRAD,
PETERSBURG; BON3AL, CONRAD & CO. NORFOLK; BERNARD DORNIN,
NEW-YORK; WHITING, BACHUS, & WHITING, ALBANY; SAMUEL PLEA-
SANTS, RICHMOND; BEERES & HOWE, NEW-HAVEN; CROW & QUERY,
CHARLESTON, S. C.

H. MAXWELL, PRINTER, NO. 25, NORTH SECOND STREET.

1804.

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MODERN GEOGRAPHY.

HAVING thus given a description sufficiently ample, as is presumed, of Europe, the most interesting portion of the globe, that of the remaining three quarters shall be more restricted, as the topics are generally less alluring to the European reader, and in many instances the materials are imperfect. Of some parts of America, and the vast central regions of Africa, little is known: but Asia presents a more extensive theme, and teems with scenes of important events in ancient and modern history.

EXTENT.

ASIA.

THIS great division of the earth extends, in length, from the Hellespont to what is called the East Cape; that is from about the 26° of longitude, east from London, into the other hemisphere to near 190° of east longitude, or 170° west from London; being no less than 164° or (taking the degree at a medial latitude) more than 6,500 geographical miles. From the southern cape of Malacca to the cape of Cevero Vostochnoi, which braves the ice of the Arctic ocean, the breadth extends from about 2° of northern latitude to about 77°, or nearly 4,500 geographical miles. If, for the sake of a rude and merely comparative calculation, one sixth part be added for the difference between the statute and geographical mile, the length of Asia in-British miles would be about 7,583: and the breadth 5,250.

Of the vast extent of Asia, the ancients entertained most indistinct ideas; and in fact, the discovery of this great division of the world may be said to have commenced with the travels of Marco Polo, the Venetian, in the end of the thirteenth century; and it was not completed, with regard to the eastern extremities, till the recent travels were published in Russia, and the voyages of Beering, Cook, and La Perouse. It is now well known that Asia is limited, on the east, by a strait which divides it fiom America: and which, in honour of the discoverer, is called Beering's strait. The northern and southern boun

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