her duty to incur war with that power, in her efforts to rescue Mexico from barbarism. The French troops were withdrawn, and Maximilian was left to his own slender resources to establish the empire. In encountering the opposition of the moral and physical powers of the United States, and with Juarez concentrating his strengthened forces around him, his success became hopeless. He repulsed the latter in several hard fought battles, but was finally, by treachery and overwhelming numbers, defeated, taken prisoner, and, with his two chief generals, Miramon, (the former rival of Juarez) and Mejia, executed.

CHAPTER VIII.

GEOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF CENTRAL AMERICA

Central America is the name applied to a narrow and irregular country between seven and eighteen degrees north latitude. It is bounded on the north-west, north, and north-east by Chiapas, Tabasco and Yucatan, provinces of Mexico, Bay of Honduras and Caribbean sea, and on the south-west by the Pacific At the Isthmus of Panama, its narrowest portion, it is only twenty miles from the Caribbean sea, on the east, to the Pacific ocean, on the west. Greatest length of the country eight hundred and seventy-five miles; greatest width, four hundred miles; area, two hundred thousand square miles.

ocean.

In surface, Central America bears a general resemblance to Mexico. The table-lands decrease in hight as you advance south, where the surface is varied by a range of low hills, and at the Isthmus of Panama by a series of limestone elevations. Bordering on the south-western edge of the table-land is a line of volcanoes, which form in part the great volcanic chain on the Pacific coast of America. The culminating point of Central America is Volcan de Agua, having an altitude of fifteen thousand feet.

The chief river on the Pacific coast is the Lempa, rising in the north-western part of the country, forming the boundary between San Salvador and Honduras, and finally crossing the former state and entering an arm of the Pacific. On the Atlantic coast is the San Juan, draining Lake Nicaragua, Bluefield, Cape, and Patook rivers. The San Juan river has a course of one hundred miles, and forms a part of the overland route of one of the lines of California steamers. The chief lake, Nicaragua, found at an elevation of one hundred and twenty-five feet above the sea, is ninety miles long and thirty miles wide, is interspersed by a large number of islands, and, in some places, is two hundred and fifty feet deep. Lake Atitlan, in the north of

Central America, is twenty-five miles long by ten miles wide, is environed by lofty mountains, and is above eighteen hundred feet deep. The other important lakes are Managua, the waters of which flow into Lake Nicaragua, and Petens, in the northern part of Guatemala.

In climate and productions, Central America greatly resembles Mexico. The dry season lasts from October to May, and the rainy season from May to October. The thermometer rises as high as eighty-six degrees in March, but generally averages about seventy-eight degrees at mid-day. The low lands yield Indian corn, potatoes, sugar-cane, tobacco, and cocoa, while the more elevated regions are rich in the products of the temperate

zone.

Central America comprises the five states of Guatemala, Honduras, San Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. New Guatemala, the capital of the state of Guatemala, is the largest city. Other important towns are Comayagua, San Salvador, Leon,

and San Jose.

NEW GUATEMALA

Is one hundred and six miles north-west of San Salvador, on a large and fertile plain, five thousand feet above the level of the sea. The great square contains the chief shops of the city, the cathedral, an archbishop's palace, a vice-regal palace, and government offices. The city is extensively engaged in manufactures, has sixty churches, five newspaper publications, a university, several other schools, a bull-ring, and a theatre. In the center of the city is a fine public fountain. Population sixty thousand.

LEON,

An important town of Central America, and capital of the state of Nicaragua, is built on the site of an old Indian town, on a rich and spacious plain between Lake Managua and the Pacific ocean. It contains the cathedral, an Episcopal palace, a number of churches, a college, and extensive manufactories of leather and cutlery. Population thirty-five thousand.

SAN JOSE,

A town of Central America, capital of Costa Rica, is fifteen miles west of Matina, and about equi-distant from the Caribbean sea and Pacific ocean. "It has grown up since the independence of this region was established, and has no buildings of note, but it has succeeded to the importance and commercial activity of Cartago, the former capital of the state." Population thirty thousand.

The population of Central America is estimated at about two millions one hundred and sixty-two thousand, and consists of whites and creoles, mestizoes, or the descendants of whites and Indians, and natives.

Central America was first discovered by Columbus in 1502, and in 1523 was visited by Pedro Alvarado, who was sent by Cortez to conquer the country. The country remained subject to Spain till 1823, when it threw off the yoke and became a federal republic.

CHAPTER IX.

GEOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE WEST INDIES.

The West Indies form three divisions: the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles, and the Bahamas. The Greater Antilles consist of Cuba, Hayti, Jamaica, and Porto Rico. The Lesser Antilles consist of a chain of islands which extend from Porto Rico to South America. The Bahamas are low islands of coral formation.

Most of these islands are in possession of European nations. Cuba and Porto Rico belong to Spain; Jamaica, the Bahamas, and most of the Lesser Antilles to Great Britain, and the remaining islands, with the exception of Hayti, which is independent, are owned by France, Denmark, Holland, Sweden, and Venezuela.

CUBA,

The largest and richest of the islands, is the most important colonial possession of Spain. The island was discovered by Columbus during his first voyage in 1492. He gave it the name of Juana, which was afterwards changed to Fernandina, and again to Santiago, but it is now called by its Indian name, Cuba. As early as 1511 a permanent settlement was made by the Spaniards, who, since that time, have retained possession of the island.

The city of Havana was taken possession of by the British in 1762, but was restored the following year. In 1851, Lopez, at the head of a band of United States adventurers, invaded Cuba. His men were all either slain or taken prisoners. Lopez, with six of his companions, was garroted, and fifty of the prisoners shot. The island is now undergoing a revolutionary movement. The Cubans are endeavoring to throw off the dominion of Spain