The Kanzas news., 1858-03-20
Asia.

dswnings of ciyilisation beamed on that vast
continent; the earliest of empires were on
the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates.-
The arts and sciences of Northern Africa
and classical Europe crossed the deserts of
Arabia and entered Egypt, or were borne
westwardby the merchants barques of Phoe-
nicia. Even within the epochs recorded by
secular history the fathers of the vigorous,
large Drained peoples of Europe poured forth
from the mountains of the Caucasus and
the plateaux of Central Asia; the Mongo-
Ian tribes penetrated to Scandinavia; and
the warlike Arabs conquered the North of
Africa, crossed the narrow straits at the
Pillars of Hercules. and mingled with the
Gothic nations of Southern Europe. Asia
has been the birthplace of the religions of
the world, as of the nations and the arts.
Brahminism and Buddhism rose in the plains
of the Ganges, and spread eastward 70 ia
pan, and southwark to the thousand islands
of the Indian Archipelago. The Jews scat
tered throughout the world turn longing
eyes to the Asiatic Jerusalem; and on the
shores of Asiatic lakes tie Founder of the
Christian faith walked and taught. In Ara
bia Mahomet arose, preached the propagand-
ism of the sword, and his vast millions of
followers chant their evening prayers from
Morocco to Bengal. The history of Asia
is the record of the Assyrian and Persian
empires-Solomon in all his glory, the siege
of Troy, the mighty marches of Alexander,
the incursions of Tamerlane and dynasties of
Moguls-lowly fishermen preaching in will
dernesses, and Mahometan Khalifs on their
golden thrones.
The great Asiatic continent is FIVE times
larger than Europe; and the united Ameri-
cas- occupy less area. More than third
of the known land on the surface of the
globe is included in Asia, the entire area of
which, exclusive of the islands, is about
17,50O,O00 square miles. From the nor
thernmost Cape of Siberia to the southern
extremity of the Malayan peninsula is more
than 5000 miles; and from Kamschatka to
Alden, in Arabia, is scarcely less than 1000
miles. The features peculiar to the physi
cal geography of this great continent are
the elevated table lands in the centre, and
the numerous peninsulas to the south. The
lofty plateaux may be divided into two sys
tens, or enormous series of terraces; the
first comprises Tibet and the Desert of Cobb,
and reaches to China on the east and Persia
on the west, occupying an area of about
100000 square miles. In Tibet the ele
vation is from 10000 to IA 900 feet The
western highland, or the table land of Iran,
has an average elevation of about 4, 900 feet,
and contains an area of nearly 100000
square miles. The mountain ranges of Asia
are rather the borders and advanced spurs
of these table-lands than distinct elevations
surrounded by plains. At the north-wes-
tern extremity, the Caucasus and Taurus
hn11p & fHo Mo IL A Ii
range in Siberia and the alpine region of
Dauria terminate it on the north and north
east; and the lofty mountains of Western
China, stretching from the great wall to the
Gulf of Tonquin, mark the eastern limit.
The grand Himalayas and their branches
form the southern boundary; and on the west
the mountains of Beloochistan and Persia,
sloping to the Indian Ocean and the Persian
Gulf, separate the plains on the sea coast
from the elevated regions of the central con-
tnent
In these enormous plateaux and among
the mountains rise the great river systems
of Asia. From the Altai and other noun
tain ranges in the north the four great riv-
ers of Northern Asa flow, with their many
tributaries, towards the Arctic and North
Pacific Oceans:-The Irish, which unites
with the Oboy and Tobol; the Yenisei, with
number of smaller streams; the Lena, with
an important tributary, the Aldan; and the
AmOor, which the Russians are now so care
fully exploring. The great rivers of China
risein the eastern highlands; and in the south
east several very large streams. of which
very little is accurately known, flow through
Anga, Siam and Pegu. The rivers having
their sources in and beyond the Himalayas,
and flowing through the fertile plains of
Bengal and the Punjab-the Brahmaputra,
Ganges, Indus and their tributaries-need
nc description here. In the western high
lands the most remarkable streams are the
Tigris and Euphrates. on the banks of which
were founded the mightiest empires of the
ancient world,
There are several lakes of large size in
Asia; the greatest being the Caspian Sea,
the largest inland sea in the world. 1t has
no visible communication with the ocean,
but it Is traditionally affirmed that it was
once connected with the Euxine. It's ex-
treme length, following the curve, is about
goo miles from north to south, and in Its
widest part from east to west, it measures
45O miles. In old maps it is represented as
having its greatest length from east to west;
but an exploring expedition, sent by Peter
'he Great, ascertained its true shape.
The Ural Mountains, renowned for their
mineral wealth, divide Asia from Europe.
Ihe highest SUBMITS are nearly 6, 600 feet
above the level of the sea. Forests and
sWamps alternate in their hilly regions, and
several large rivers have their sources in
the eastern slopes.
Ihe iowlands of Asia may be classed In
to six divisions. The first in order, from
the Pacific. is China, which has been already
Inscribed; the Iudo- Chinese, including ST.
am; the northern portion of Hindoostan;
6yfia Si and Arabia; the extensive plains ol
bokhara, in Tartary; and the entire northern
portion of the Continent known a Asiatin