The evening times., 1898-06-18
4 Queer Old Geography.
From the Hartford Courant. J


Among the interesting old books and
papers belonging to the late Edward w
Wells Of this city was a geography that
lets in some light on the state of gen.
eral information in the world a century
and a half ago. The book has been
through a fire, which has burned off a
part of each leaf. and the title-page is
missing. There is given the story of the
cruise Of Commodore Anson under the
British flag. and he returned in l1ii; so
that the work was not published until
some little time after that date Com
modore Anson sailed from Portsmouth.
Eng and September S. 1140, to prey on
Spanish commerce and possessions He
had fleet of half dozen or more ships
He went first to the coast of Brazil and
then to the Bay of ST. Julian off Magel-
lanica, where he anchored February /.
i'il. The natives. says the narrative
are represented as giants" From there
he sailed for BaIdivia. on the coast Of
Chile, but storms broke the fleet up and
he went to Juan Fernandez. where the
other ships reassembled. He staid there
three months, refreshing his men and
then set out for Paita. "a large seaport
near the Equinoctial which he took,
plundered and burnt
Then he started for the coast of Mex
leo and waited off Acapulco. in hopas
| Of taking a rich Galleon belonging TO the
Spaniards. which usually sails early in
the spring from thence TO Manila. one
of the Phillipian Isles In Asia" Hear
ing that an English fleet was about. the
governor of Acapulco put off the depart
ure of the galleon for year: but Anson
had good memory and lots of time. He
was not troubled about the lack of coal
He cruised away reckoning that the
year would he up in about twelve
months. In April. l7iS. he turned up off
the philippians and found the rich gal
leon on time. and after a sharp brush
took her. THE ship and cargo proved
to be worth almost a million of Money
So there were prizes to be had in the
Philippines then as well as now
Returning TO the geography. We read
tha. the burning mountain. HecIa" of
Iceland. is the supposed cause of the
northern lights. In England and Wales
we are told the established religion is
Luth sranism.' and also in Ireland al
though the Inhabitants protesting Po-
perry are more than three parts in four
of The whole kingdom
OF the people Of the East We read that
''the Turks. PersianS. Moguls and Chinese
are Of good shape and complexion. The
men wear turbants. vests and slippers.
the women dress much like the men only
they wear stiffened cape like inter and
| their hair down. The Mogul ladies are
| fond of bracelets on their arms and legs;
| rings on their fingers and toes: Jewels in
| their noses and pendants in their ears.
| and the Chinese ladies are remarkable for
| their little feet. and the gentlemen for
| long nails" Some of the animals of that
| region are descrimed as .'tygers. Ora
Ootans and chimpanzeys, which are ami
| mails almost as big as a man. and greatly
resemble the human shape"
America is 'the last quarter of the
world and the north part of the conti-
nent is very little known" The map of
| North America gives all the region north
| west of California parts unknown"
| The great lakes are down as Superior.
| Ilienois. Huron, Eric. and Frontenac. IN.
! England" is all one little patch reach
| ing up the St. Lawrence. Louisiana oc-
| cupies most of the middle of the coun-
| try. The "Oyo'' River is the name of
the Ohio. The chief town of New Jersey
! is said to be Eliza beth Town The clm-
| ate is thus explained: I'm the north
are vast unknown mountains perpetually
| covered with snow from whence the
| winds blowing the greatest part of the
| year these countries become much cold
| er than those in Europe in the same lati-
| tudes."
1t is interesting to note that this work
| that is more than century and a half
| old should advocate quite vigorously the
| construction Of canals across the Pana-
| ma and Suez isthmuses.