tian religion, but Mahometanism is the prevailing worship. The princes of the line of the Pharaohs sat on the throne of Egypt, till Cambyses II. king of Persia, conquered this country, 520 years before the birth of Christ; and it continued part of the Persian empire, till Alexander the Great vanquished Darius. On the death of Alexander, his conquests being seized on by his generals, Egypt fell to the share of Ptolemy, and again became an independent kingdom, about 300 years before Christ; and, his successors ever after retained the name of Ptolemies. In this line it continued till the famous Cleopatra ascended the throne. After her death Egypt became a Roman province; and thus it continued till the successors of Mahomet expelled the Romans about the seventh century. In the time of the crusades, Egypt was governed by Noreddin, whose son was the famous Saladin, whơ fought against the christians, and retook from them Jerusalem. He instituted the military corps of Mamelukes, who, about the year 1242, advanced one of their own officers to the throne. Egypt for some time made a noble stand against the Turks, under these illustrious usurpers; but after several bloody defeats, in 1513, it became reduced to its present state of subjection. It is now governed by a Turkish bashaw, who resides at Cairo; and a certain number of Beys are appointed over the different provinces, under his authority. 3 The French invaded Egypt in 1798, under general Buonaparte, defeated the Beys in several en gagements, 1 gagements, and made themselves masters of the principal part of the country; but they were com pletely defeated in 1801 by the British troops under Sir Ralph Abercrombie, and obliged to evacuate the country. By the treaty of peace, Egypt was restored to the Sublime Porte. SECTION LXXXVII. THE OTHER AFRICAN STATES. BILEDULGERID, and ZAARA: we scarce know any thing of these large territories, except that they are a part of the ancient Numidia and Lybia, and that they contain immense deserts; and indeed we are almost equally ignorant of all the interior parts of Africa. NIGRITIA, or NEGROLAND, is a very large country, nearly in the centre of Africa at the broadest part; it is divided into several small kingdoms and states. GUINEA, or, as it is naturally called, the Coast of Guinea, contains these six parts. These comprehend all the countries which Europeans trade to on the West Coast of Africa, for ivory, gold, and slaves. The natives are Pagans, and ne groes groes well known by their flat noses, thick lips, and short woolly hair. These poor creatures are sold by their countrymen, and frequently by their own families, to the traders, who transport them to the West India Islands, to work in the plantations. The English have James's Fort, on the river Gambia. The French and Dutch have also settlements on these coasts. ETHIOPIA, situated on the south of Egypt, contains these three vast countries, viz. This extensive country is governed by a king, styled Prester John, or rather by the Turks, Prester Kahn, that is, "King of Slaves;" they receiving most of their slaves from thence. The natives call him Negasca Negascht, which signifies "King of Kings," and he is absolute in all affairs. Their religion is a mixture of Christianity and Judaism. Their chief commodities are gold, metals, and gems. ZANGUEBAR, including AJAN, extends along the eastern coast of Africa, from Mozambique up to the straits of Babelmandel, at the entrance into the Red Sea. It is a barren, sandy, hot desert, but thinly inhabited by Mahometans, who are of a tawny complexion, not black. The Portuguese trade here for slaves, gold, ivory, ostrich-feathers, citrons, perfumes, aloes, and frankincense. MONÓMOTAPA is a large country, surrounded by Caffraria. The natives are Pagans; and are tall, handsome, and black. The Portuguese trade with them for gold, silver, copper, ivory, oil, and rice. *MACI MADINTA DIY: MONEMUGI, is an inland country, contiguous to Monomotapa on the north of it; which is but little known to us. very . CAFERARIA is the most southern country of all Africa, inhabited by the Hottentots, who are stupid, irrational creatures, Avithout any sign of religion, government, or economy., They are of a middle size, but meagre, and exceedingly nimble in the ehace; their language somewhat resembles the clucking of a Turkey-cock. The Cape Town, now in the possession of the British, is the most southern, and principal part, where ships put in for refreshment on their voyage tòc India and all parts of the Eastern Ocean. «The country here is very mountainous, and the top of the Cape is always covered with a cap of clouds before a storm. It was named, the Cape of Good Hope by the Portuguese, who first sailed round it,din :1498, and discovered this passage to. 1 R A ngs - Stog c) mult w OF THE AFRICAN ISLANDS THE AFRICAN ISLANDS in the Indian Ocean are, Madagascar, or Lawrence Gomera Isles, Those in the Atlantic Ocean, are Cape Verd Isles Canary Isles Madeira Islands St. Helena Ascension St. Mathew Guinea Islands Azores, or Western Isles. Goree There are, besides, the above, several clusters of islands, on the Eastern coast of Africa, laid down in maps, but no where described. ei MADAGASCAR is the largest of all the African islands, being near 1000 miles long, and generally between 200 and 300 miles broadlt abounds im cattle, corn, vegetables, fruits, valuable gums, and most of the necessaries of life; and is a p'easant and healthy country, though in so hot a climate. It has several petty, savage kings of its own, bath Arabs and Negroes, who make war upon each other for slaves and plunder. MAURITIUS lies to the east of Madagascar, and is about 150 miles in circumference. |