The opening on the top of the mountain is called the crater. When fire and smoke burst forth, it is called an eruption. The melted mat. ter which is thrown out of a volcano is called Lava. What would you call a burning mountain?

Q. What is a Shore, or a Coast?

A. It is the edge of land bordering on a sea, lake, or river; as the coast of Guinea, &c.

Did you ever see a Shore or Coast?

Q. What is a Desert?

A. It is a vast sandy plain destitute of vegetation; as the Sahara, or Great Desert, in the northern part of Africa.

Sometimes the word Desert is applied to an uneven tract of country, which has streams of water, and produces a few small trees; but has a soil incapable of being rendered productive by cultivation; as the great American Desert. The Sahara, or Great Desert, contains a few fertile spots and springs of water.

Are Deserts thickly inhabited? Why not? rivers, trees, &c. ?

Have they large

A. Into Oceans, Seas, Archipelagos,* Gulfs or

* Pronounced Ar-ke-pel-a-goes.

Bays, Lakes, Straits, Channels, Sounds, Rivers, Firths or Friths, Harbors and Roads.

Q. What is an Ocean?

A. It is a vast collection of salt water, not separated by land; as the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian ocean.

Did you ever see the Atlantic ocean? How do people go across an ocean? Can you show me the Atlantic ocean on the map? The Pacific? Indian ocean?

Q. What is a Sea?

A. It is a large collection of salt water, mostly surrounded by land; as the Mediterranean, Black Sea. Which do you think largest, an Ocean or a Sea?

Q. What is an Archipelago?

A. It is a sea filled with islands; as the Grecian Archipelago, east of Greece, Archipelago of Chonos, west of Patagonia.

If a Sea contain two or three islands, would you call it an Archipelago? Why not? If you should find a sea nearly full of Islands, what would you call it?

Q. What is a Gulf, or Bay?

A. A part of the sea extending into the land; as the Gulf of Mexico, Baffin's Bay, &c.

Small bays are called Creeks, Coves, Havens, Harbors, &c. Did you ever see a Bay? Can you show me a Bay or Gulf on the map? Is the water of a Gulf or Bay salt or fresh? Why?

Q. What is a Lake?

A. It is a collection of fresh water surrounded by land; as Lake Superior, Erie, Ontario, Ladoga.

Salt lakes are called Seas, as the Caspian Sea, Aral Sea. Small lakes are called Ponds. Have you ever seen a Lake? Have you ever seen a Pond? How do the waters of the Caspian Sea differ from those of Lake Superior?

Q. What is a Strait?

A. It is a narrow passage of water leading into some sea, gulf, or bay; as the Strait of Gibraltar, Bhering's Strait, Davis' Strait, &c.

Can you show me a Strait on the map?

Q. What is a Channel ?

A. It is a passage of water wider than a Strait; as the English Channel, St. George's Channel, &c.

What is the difference between a Strait and a Channel?

Q. What is a Sound?

A. It is a strait so shallow that its depth may be

measured with a lead and line; as Long Island Sound, Albemarle Sound, Pamlico Sound.

If Long Island Sound were so deep that its depth could not be measured, or sounded, with a lead and line, what would you call it ? Why?

A. It is a large stream of water, formed by numerous branches, flowing from mountains or high land into an ocean, sea, lake, gulf, or bay; as the Connecticut, Hudson, Volga, &c.

The place where a river rises, place where it empties, its mouth. rivulets, rills, creeks, &c. Did you of a River fresh or salt?

Q. What is a Firth or Frith?

is called its source or head; the Small streams are called brooks, ever see a River? Is the water

A. It is the widening of a river towards its mouth into an arm of the sea, as the Firth of Forth, Murray Firth in Scotland.

Can you show me a Firth or Frith, on the map of Europe? the map of the United States?

Q. What is a Harbor or Haven?

On

A. It is a small part of the sea almost_surrounded by land, where ships may lie in safety, as Boston Harbor, New York Harbor, New Haven Harbor, &c.

Are there any Harbors in the middle of the ocean? Why not? What would you call a small Bay, where ships can lie in safety during storms and tempests?

Q. What is a Road?

A. It is a place where ships may lie at anchor, at some distance from the shore; as Hampton Roads at the mouth of James River in Virginia.

Are our roads here, the same as those Roads where ships lie at anchor? Why not? Can you explain to me the difference?

Q. What is a Canal?

A. It is a channel or ditch dug through a part of the country, and filled with water, to afford an easy and cheap conveyance of goods in boats and vessels, from one place to another; as the Grand Western or Erie Canal, Middlesex Canal, Farmington Canal.