The World of Waters

The World of Waters, by Mrs. David Osborne

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Title: The World of Waters A Peaceful Progress o'er the Unpathed Sea
Author: Mrs. David Osborne
Release Date: February 9, 2004 [EBook #10997]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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[Illustration: A TROPICAL SCENE]
[Illustration: THE WORLD OF WATERS

THE
WORLD OF WATERS,
OR,
A Peaceful Progress o'er the Unpathed Sea.

BY MRS. DAVID OSBORNE.
With Illustrations.
1852.

Contents
CHAPTER I.
The Wilton Family.--Story of Frederic Hamilton
CHAPTER II.
The Wiltons.--Dora Leslie.--Charles Dorning.--The Mediterranean. --Corsica.--Candia.--Rhodes.--Malta.--Valetta.--The Caledonia. --A Story by Krummacher.--Adriatic Sea.--Venice.--Turkish Rowers.--Elgin Marbles.--Isle of Wight.--Thunder Storm.--Jersey. --Romaine's Journal.--Slave Ship.--Horrible Cruelty.--Slave Trade. --Wreck of the Royal George.--Eddystone Lighthouse
CHAPTER III.
The Wiltons.--A great Naval Victory.--Monster Fish.--The Downs.--St. Augustine.--Yarmouth.--Brock the Swimmer and Yarmouth Boatman.--The North Sea.--The Bell Rock.--Mr. Barraud.--Jock of Jedburgh.--Wreck of the Forfarshire.--Remarkable Providence.--Denmark.--The Baltic.--Journey to the Gulf of Finland.--Reindeer and Sledge. --Reval.--Superstitions.--Strange Fashions.--Ungern Sternberg. --Gulf of Bothnia.--Islands of the Baltic.--Lapland.--Aurora Borealis.--Russia.--Odessa.--Reflections
CHAPTER IV.
Stanzas by Mrs. Howitt.--Caspian Sea.--Astracan.--Droll Legend.--Yellow Sea.--The Japanese.--Monsoons.--Trade Winds.--Description of a Monsoon.--Asia.--The Red Sea.--Isthmus of Suez.--An Interesting Locality.--The Arabs.--Sea of Aral.--Chinese Islands.--Fishing for Mice.--The Typhon.--Fishing Birds.--Cinnamon Forests.--Eating Birds' Nests.--Bible Lands.--The Sea of Galilee.--The Dead Sea.--The Slave Merchant.--A Japan Puzzle
CHAPTER V.
Story of Era.--Assistance of Goodwill.--Madeira.--Man-of-War.--Dinner on Ship-board.--Computing Latitude.--Pipe to Dinner.--The Azores.-- Newfoundland.--Newfoundland Dogs.--Greenland.--Whale Fishing.--Flying Fish.--A Ship In the Polar Regions.--An Awful Sight.--The Geysers. --Icelanders.--Spitzbergen.--The Ferroe Islands.--Maelstrom.--The Norwegian Mouse.--Hudson's Bay.--Hudson's Straits.--Nova Scotia.--Henry May.--The Ancient Mariner.--Cuba.--Jamaica.--Beauty of Jamaica.--A Hurricane.--Devastation.--Ruins of Yucatan.--Indians of Mexico.--The American Lakes.--Niagara.--The Caribbean Sea.--Panama.--Gala Days.--Diving for Pearls.--The Sea-Boy's Grave.--The Funeral.--Gulf of Trieste.--Guiana.--Brazil.--Rio de Janeiro.--Montevideo.--Patagonia. --Cape Horn.--Depth of the Atlantic
CHAPTER VI.
The Separation.--Deception Isle.--The Gulf of Penas.--Island of Chiloe.--Juan Fernandez.--Alexander Selkirk.--The Ladies of Lima.--The Peruvians.--Columbia.--Catching Wild Fowl.--The Two Oceans.--A Singular Funeral.--Magellan.--Guatemala.--Ladies Smoking.--Christian Indians.--California.--San Francisco.--Nootka Sound.--Story of Boone and the Bear.--Cleaveland and the Infant. --United States' Navy.--Cannibals.--Kamschatka.--Polynesia.--The Sandwich Islands.--Captain Cook.--Contest.--Adventure of Kapiolani.--A Delightful Anecdote.--Spanish Missionaries.--Philippine Islands.--The Pelew Islands.--Birds of Paradise.--The Friendly Islands.--Otaheite.--The Society Islanders.--Pitcairn's Islands. --Shocking Barbarity.--Nobb's Letter.--Marquesas.--The Low Islands.--New Caledonia.--New Zealand.--The Bay of Islands.--Captain Cook's Story.--A Curious Idea.--Aranghie.--Cannibalism.--New Holland.--Story of Mr. Meredith.--Australian Barbarism.--Australian Lakes.--Van Diemen's Land.--Coral Reefs.--Story of Kemba
CHAPTER VII.
Packing up.--Letter from Mr. Stanley.--Mr. Stanley.--Celebes.--Dress of the Alfoors.--Curious Hospitality.--Java.--Whimsical Superstition. --Productions of Java.--Sumatra.--Water Spouts.--Burman Despotism. --The White Elephant.--Sir James Brooke.--Borneo.--Isle of Bourbon.--Isle of France.--Madagascar.--The Four Spirits.--The Missionaries.--Horrible Custom.--The Pirates' Retreat.--Malagassy Fable.--Kerguelen's Land.--Isle of Desolation.--Story of a Sailor.--Morocco.--A Moorish Beauty.--Algiers.--Egypt.--Abyssinia. --Abyssinian Customs.--Religion.--African Coast.--Seychelle Isles.--Mozambique.--Smoking the Hubble-Bubble.--Caffraria.--Story of the Little Caffre.--Algoa Bay.--Graham's Town.--Cape of Good Hope.--Cape Town.--Constantia.--The Boschmen.--A Transformation. --Dressing in Skins.--The Slave Trade.--Fish Bay.--St. Helena. --Kabenda.--Black Jews.--Ferdinand Po.--The Ape and the Oven. --The Slave-Coast.--Dahomey.--Ashantee.--King Opocco.--A Singular Belief.--The Ashantee Wife.--Liberia.--A Bowchee Mother.--Sierra Leone.--The Lakes of Africa.--Bornou.--The Sultan of Bornou.--African Wedding.--The Deluge.--The Telescope.--The End

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,
It is not my purpose to detain you with a long preface, because I am aware that long prefaces are seldom read; but I wish to inform you that I have written this book, in the humble hope of being useful to those in whom I am so anxiously interested. I am myself happy in acknowledging the endearing appellation of "Mother," and I love all children, and regard them as priceless treasures, entrusted to the care and guidance of parents and teachers; with whom it rests in a great measure to render them blessings to their fellow-creatures, and happy themselves, or contrariwise.
Should the perusal of this little volume imbue you with a taste for the beautiful and ennobling science of Geography, my object will be gained; and that such may be the result of these humble endeavors is the sincere wish of
Your affectionate Friend,
FANNY OSBORNE.
LONDON.
CHAPTER I.
Oh ye seas and floods, Bless ye the Lord: Praise him, and magnify him forever.
"Oh! what beautiful weather," exclaimed George Wilton, as he drew his chair nearer the fire. "This sort of evenings is so suitable for story-telling, that I regret more than ever the disagreeable necessity which has taken Mr. Stanley to foreign countries, and broken up our delightful parties. But yet, there are enough of us remaining at home to form a society; we might manage without him. Do not you remember, papa, you said, when Julia Manvers was with us last summer, we were to examine into the particulars respecting the seas and oceans of the world; and not once was the subject mentioned while we were at Herne Bay, although the sea was continually before us to remind us of it. Are we ever to have any more of those conversations? I liked them amazingly, and I am sure I learned a great deal more geography by them than I ever did out of Goldsmith, or any other dry lesson-book, which compels one to learn by rule. I wish,