Principal Exports. Coffee, cinnamon, cocoa-nut oil. Copper, silver, cotton, corn, hides, nitre, wool. Oats, barley, cattle, butter, bacon, hides, oil-cake. Silks, cotton and woollen goods, gloves, leather, watches, jewellery, wines, beet sugar, butter, eggs, oils, brandy, glass, fruits. Wheat, timber, wines, cattle, wool, flax, tobacco, Currants, cotton, wine, tobacco, wool, sponges. Cotton, rice, indigo, hemp, jute, hides, saltpetre, Wheat, oats, flour, butter, bacon, cattle, beef, eggs, spirits, wool, flax, linen and woollen cloth, iron, copper and lead ore. Silk, olive-oil, wine, sulphur, borax, corkwood, oak-bark, anchovies, macaroni, fruits. Silk, tea. Wine, sugar, oranges, lemons. Cotton, mahogany, cochineal, indigo, logwood. Dried fish, seal-oil, seal-skin. Timber, fish, ice, copper, seal-skin. Silk, cotton, tobacco, madder, drugs, wool, wine, carpets, shawls, cutlery, skins. Guano, wool, nitrate of soda, copper, Peruvian bark, tin, silver, hides. Sandal-wood, cocoa-nuts, arrow-root. Wine, corkwood, wool, oranges, lemons, cotton. Furs, minerals. Wine, brandy, wool, oil, fruits, iron, lead, salt. Cattle, dairy produce, wine, watches, jewellery. SACRED GEOGRAPHY. PALESTINE, or the HOLY LAND, is properly a part of Syria." It is bounded on the north by P œnicia and Syria; on the east by Syria and Arabia Deserta; on the south by Arabia Petræa; and on the west by the Mediterranean Sea. This tract of country was originally inhabited by the descendants of Canaan, the grandson of Noah, and hence it was called the Land of Canaan. It was afterwards called Palestine, from the Philistines, who occupied the southern coasts; and Judea, from Judah, the chief tribe of the Israelites. It was also called the Land of Promise, the Holy Land, &c. The limits of the country to which these names were applied, varied at different times; but, generally speaking, the greatest length of Palestine was nearly 200 miles; and its greatest breadth about 100 miles. Palestine was differently divided at different times. When Joshua took possession of it, he divided it among the twelve tribes of Israel-Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Manasseh, Ephraim, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher. LOCATION OF THE TWELVE TRIBES. Between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean, were the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Dan. On the west side of the Jordan, were the tribes of Benjamin, Eph. raim, half tribe of Manasseh, and the tribe of Issachar. On the east side of the Jordan, were the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh. On the western side of the Sea of Galilee, were the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali. North-west, on the Mediterranean, was the tribe of Asher. • SYRIA, generally speaking, lies between the Euphrates on the east, the Mediterranean on the west, Mount Taurus on the north, and Arabia on the south. b A line drawn from Damascus to a little to the southward of Tyre will give its northern boundary. It extends from 31° to 33° 35′ N.L. ; and from 34° 30' to 36° 25′ E. L. • The Sidonians, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Hivites, &c., were also the descendants of Canaan, and the name Canaanites was originally applied to all; but it was afterwards restricted to a particular tribe. The Philistines were descended from Mizraim, the second son of Ham, and were originally settled in Egypt; whence they emigrated, and possessed themselves of all the country from Gaza to Joppa. • Manasseh and Ephraim were properly a single tribe, being descendants of Joseph. The tribe of Levi had no portion assigned to them. They subsisted on offerings, first fruits, and tenths; and particular cities in the land of each tribe were appointed for their tabitations. 386 It was afterwards divided into the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel; and lastly by the Romans into four provinces or districts, namely, Galilee, Samaria, Judea Proper, and Peræa, or the Country beyond the Jordan. In GALILEE, the chief places were-Cana, Chorazin, Capernaum, Bethsaida, Tiberias, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Nain, Zebulun, Accho or Ptolemais, now Acre. с In SAMARIA, the chief towns were—Samaria, Sychem or Sychar, and on the coast, Cæsarea and Joppa. In JUDEA, the chief towns were-Jerusalem, Jericho, BETHLEHEM, Ephraim, Bethel: also Gaza, Gath, Ascalon, Azotus or Ashdod, and Ekron, in the country of the Philistines. In PERMA, or the COUNTRY BEYOND THE JORDAN, the chief towns were Cæsarea Philippi, Bethsaida or Julias, and Bethabara. South of the Dead Sea was Idumæa or Edom, and the Land of Midian; but these countries are properly a part of Arabia. MOUNTAINS.-On the north, Libănus or Lebanon, divided inte two ranges-Libanus on the west, and Anti-Libanus on the east ; Hermon, Mount Carmel, Gilead, Tabor, Gilboa, the mountains of Abarim, the most remarkable of which are, the Heights of Baal, Pisgah, and Nebo (on which Moses died). Mount Seir is in Idumæs or Edom; and Mount Sinai, between the two branches of the Red Sea. Horeb adjoins Sinai, and is, in fact, a peak of the same mountain. See page 123. RIVERS. The Jordan,d which rises in the mountains of Anti a In consequence of the revolt of the ten tribes in the reign of Rehoboam the son of Solomon. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin, which alone remained faithful to the house of David, formed the kingdom of Judah; the other ten tribes, the kingdom of Israel. The Galileans were composed partly of the remnant of the ten tribes, and partly of Gentiles. Hence, the Jews (of Judah and Benjamin) regarded them as an inferior and degenerate race. In Galilee our Saviour spent the greater part of his life; it was the scene of many of his miracles, and from its inhabitants he selected most of his disciples. When the ten tribes were carried away captive into Assyria, a number of Assyrians were introduced into their country, who mingled with the Israelites that were left, and with those who afterwards returned. Hence, the Jews (who called them Samaritans, from Samaria, their capital) regarded them as little better than Gentiles, and the greatest aversion existed between the two nations. The separation of the ten tribes, the opposition of the Samaritans to the rebuilding of the Jewish temple after the Babylonish captivity, and their ill-treatment of the Jews who passed through their country to worship at Jerusalem, instead of going to Mount Gerizim, account for the hatred and hostility between the two nations. d Jordan, that is, the river of Dan, 80 called from a town near its source. Libanus, and flows through the waters of Merom, and the Sea of Galilee into the Dead Sea; the Waters of Lebanon, which flow into the Mediterranean; the Arnon, which rises in the chain of Gilead, and falls into the Dead Sea; the Kishon, which flows into the Mediterranean, north-east of Mount Carmel; and the Brooks, Jabbok, Kedron, &c LAKES.-The Dead Sea, the Sea of Galile also the Lake of Gennesareth; the Waters of Merom b Tiberias, called ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY. THE PRINCIPAL COUNTRIES KNOWN TO THE ANCIENTS. ASIA. CHALDEA, in the earliest ages of the world, comprised the countries between the Euphrates and Tigris near their junction; but the name was afterwards given to the country south-west of the Euphrates. Chaldæa may be regarded as the cradle of mankind, as it was in that part of the earth that the garden of Eden was situated. It was afterwards called Babylonia, from its metropolis Babylon, the most celebrated city of antiquity. This country is now called IrakArăbi, and the chief cities are Bagdad and Bassora. ASSYRIA originally meant the country to the east of the Tigris; but the name was afterwards frequently extended to Syria. Assyria took its name from Asshur, one of the descendants of Shem. Its chief city was the celebrated Nineveh, which stood on the banks of the Tigris, near, it is supposed, the site of the village of Nounia, in the neighbourhood of Mosul. SYRIA comprised all the countries between the Euphrates and the Mediterranean on the one hand, and between Arabia and the branches of Mount Taurus on the other. Damascus, which existed in the days of Abraham, was the chief city of Syria. It is still a large and flourishing town. Between the Orontes and the Euphrates, about 120 miles north-east from Damascus, stood Palmyra or "Tadmor in the Desert." Its magnificent ruins are scattered over an extent of several miles. Baalbec or Heliopolis, that is, the city Dead Sea. This lake is also known in Scripture by the names of the Salt Sea, the Sea of the Plain, and the East Sea. The Greeks called it Asphaltites, from the sulphurous and bituminous matter which it casts upon its shores; and with which its waters are deeply impregnated. The appearance of this sea, and of the whole scenery abort it, is dreary, desolate, and death-like. It varies in extent, according to the season of the year, from about 40 to 60 miles in length; and from about 10 to 15 miles in breadth. b Sea of Tiberias.-This is a fresh water lake, about 16 miles long and from six to nine broad. of the sun, is also celebrated for its magnificent ruins, particularly for a temple of the sun. Its site is about forty miles south-west of Damascus. About 170 miles north north-east of Damascus, and 76 miles eastsouth-east of Iskenderoon or Scanderoon, stood Berca, now Aleppo, a city of great wealth and importance when the trade of Europe and the East was carried on overland. To the west of Damascus, in that part of Syria called Phoenicia, were the celebrated commercial cities of Tyre and Sidon; and farther to the south, Joppa, now Jaffa, where Jonah embarked for Tarshish, and at which Solomon imported the materials for the Temple. On the Orontes, about twelve miles from the coast, was the rich and populous city of Antioch, a where the disciples of our Lord were first called CHRISTIANS: and near the mouth of the same river, the seaport, Seleucia, from which St. Paul embarked for Cyprus in his first apostolic journey. & MESOPOTAMIA was the name given to the tract of country between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. The southern part of this country, near the junction of the rivers, was included in the ancient Chaldæa or Baby lonia. In Mesopotamia was Ur of the Chaldees, from which Abraham was called to the land of Canaan, (the country between the river Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea). In the north-west of Mesopotamia was Haran or Charræ,c and Édessa. ARMENIA, which still retains its name, lies to the north of the ancient Mesopotamia. It consists principally of mountainous regions; and in it are the sources of the rivers Euphrates, Tigris, Cyrus or Kur, and Araxes or Aras. The chief towns were Tigranocerta and Artaxata. In Armenia is the celebrated Mount Ararat, on which Noah's Ark first rested. COLCHIS, ALBANIA, and IBERIA, lay to the north of Armenia, between the Euxine and Caspian Sea. These countries, which are intersected by the Caucasian mountains, now include Georgia, Mingrelia, and part of Circassia. At the mouth of the Phasis stood a city of the same name, the capital of Colchis, celebrated in fable for the expedition of Jason in search of the Golden Fleece. a There were several other cities called Antioch and Seleucia. b Mesopotamia.-This term is derived from two Greek words which signify the middle or between the rivers. In like manner, the terms Punjab and Doab in Hindostan, signify, the one between the five, and the other between the two rivers. Compare also Senegambia (that is, between the Senegal and Gambia), in Africa; and Entre Douro e Minho, in Portugal. • Haran is mentioned in Genesis xi. 31. It was here Crassus was defeated and slain by the Parthians. The Romans called it Cura. d Armenia took its name from Ara the fifth son of Shem |