PART III. GEOGRAPHY AND ASTRONOMY. Mast. W Science of Geography and Aftronomy; but particularly the firft. As to Aftronomy, I fhall content myfelf with juft giving you fome Idea of the Copernican Syftem, and leave you to make what farther Progrefs in it your felf or your Friends may think proper, as you advance farther in your Studies. But without a competent Knowledge of Geography, neither History can be understood, nor Politics nor is it poffible to have just Ideas either of Navigation or Commerce. HAT I propofe at prefent is to confider the Now the Science of Geography chiefly confifts in a Defcription of the Surface of the Terreftrial Globe, which is naturally composed of two Parts, Land and Water, and is therefore called the Terraqueous Globe. Each of these Elements are fubdivided into various Parts, and are diftinguish'd by different Names. Sch. How are the feveral Parts of the Earth diftinguish'd? M. The Earth is divided into Continents, Iflands, Peninfulas, Ifthmus's and Promontories or Capes. A Continent is a large Portion of Land, containing feveral Countries united together, and Continent. not feparated by Seas: As Europe, Asia and Africa, form but one Continent in the Eaft, and America another in the Weft. An Ifland. Peninfula. An Island is a Portion of Land furrounded by by Water, as Great Britain is. A Peninsula is a Portion of the Earth surrounded by Water, except on one Part where it is joined to fome other Land by a narrow Neck or Ifthmus. As Africa is joined to Afia by the Ifthmus of Suez, and the Morea is joined to Achaia by the Ifthmus of Corinth. An Ifthmus is that Neck of Land which joins Ifthmus. two Countries together, as the Ifthmus of Darien joins North and South America, and the Ifthmus of Corinth, Achaia and the Morea. Cape or Pro- A Promontory or Cape is a Point of Land M. The Waters are divided into Oceans, Seas, Straits, Bays or Gulphs, Lakes and Rivers. Occans are vaft Seas which divide one Part of the Earth from another, as the Atlantic Ocean which divides Europe and Africa from America, and the Pacific Ocean or South-Sea, which divides America from Afia. Seas Seas are lefs Bodies of Waters which divide one Country from another, as the Mediterranean which divides Europe from Africa, and the Baltic which divides Sweden from Germany. A Bay or Gulph, is a Sea encompaffed with Bay or Gulpb. Land, except on one Part whereby Ships enter it, as the Gulph of Mexico in America, and the Gulph of Finland in the Baltic. And the lefier Bays are frequently called Creeks or Sounds, as Plymouth-Sound. Creek er Sound. Strait. A Strait is a narrow Paffage into fome Sea, as the Strait of Gibraltar, and this is alfo fometimes called a Sound, as the Strait by which we enter the Baltic Sea is. Lake. A Lake is properly a great Water furrounded by Land, which has no vifible Communication with any Sea, as the Cafpain Sca in Afia; but many other Waters which have a Communication with the Sea, are denominated Lakes alfo; as the Onega Lake in Ruffia, and the Lake of Nicaragua in America. A River is a Stream iffuing from fome Fountain, which after it has run a confiderable Course, difcharges itfelf ufually in fome Sea, as the Danube, which rifing in the Mountains of the Alps, after it has run a Course of many hundred Miles from Weft to Eaft, thro' great Part of |