GEOGRAPHY, OR THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume I, Issue 7, 1 August 1855, Page 10

GEOGRAPHY, OR THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.

Chapter IV. The only parts of Africa known to our forefathers were, as we have said. Egypt and the Coast along the Mediterranean Sea. They could not travel far inland because of the Great Desert. The Eastern coast was partly known, as ships sailed up and down: the Red Sea. But the ports of the "West and South of Africa were quite unknown. Many wished to explore, but no one was bold enough to venture out to sea. The ships were too small, and they had not the compass to guide them. It after the use of the compaswas known that sailors arew mora bold. The compass derives its power from a stone called a loadstone. This stone is found in Sweden and Nor way, and other parts of Europe. It is olso found in China. It is dug out of the ground. A stone of this kind is cut into long pieces. If any one of these pieces is hung up by a string fastened to the middle of it, one end will always point to the North, and the other end towards the South. If you turn the ends to any other point, they will not stay there, they will always come back and point North and South. If a piece of iron is rubbed on the loadstone, the iron acquires the same power as the loadstone. When suspended it always points to the North. The needle of the compass is made of iron, which has been rubbed on a loadstone. By means of this needle, sailor venture all across the sea. Though the star? may not shine at night, or though it may be cloudy in the day, or very foggy, they can always find out which way to sail. "The compass points North and South, -and they cannot co wrono-. The Spaniards and the Portuguese were the first who begun to visit the African coast. Their country lay near to Africa, and they had often heard of its great wealth—gold and ivory, and other treasures. The first ship that sailed toward* the South was from Spain. The captain landed at some little islands, since called the Canary 1 Islands. The Spaniards settled there. After this, the King of Portugal sent out some ships to explore the coast of Africa. There are high cliffy all along the Western coast, and headland's which stretch out far to sea. The ships crept alone close in shore till they reached the first of these headlands or capes. The wind was foul, and 'he sea very rough. So the sailors were afraid to work round it, and returned to Portugal. In a

year or two, they sailed again; got round the first Cape, and sailed on till they reached another. The wind was foul as before. They tried for a long time, but could not succeed. They then sailed dne west, till they reached a small island. It was covered with wood, and had very good soil.. There was no one living there. They named this island Madeira. A colony from Portugal soon settled there, and it still belongs to that people. Horses, and cows, and sheep, were carried thither, and all kinds of seeds and vinecuttings. The vine grows well in Madeira, and a great deal of wine is made there. After this, another ship sailed along the coast, passed th< second Cape, and landed on the other side. The Portuguese found the soil bad and sandy ; the people were of a brown colour, like those in the North of Africa. At last a brave Captain de termined to sail for Madeira boldly out to sea to the East They had crept along the till now. He sailed straight across from Madeira and landed at the mouth of the River Senegal. Here they found a rich soil, abuudance of food. and many inhabitants The Portuguese were frightened at the strange look of these people. For the first time they saw men with black skins, and flat noses, and curly hair. The heat, too. was very great, and so they went back and told their countrymen of all these wonders. The\ thought the heat was the cause of the people being black, and they said it would not do to sail any further South, lest all on board should die. However, after a while, in two or three years, the Portuguese ventured npiin, nnd sailed on till they reached Cape Pal mas. Beyond this the coast begins to bend inland towards the east. They followed this line of coast, and landed and fund there was nothing to fear. They traded with the people for gold and ivory. The name of all that part of the country is Guinea. The gold found there is not dug out of the earth. It itbrought down from the mountains by the floods. and is mixed with the river sand The people see it glittering by the rivers side, and go to gather it up. The Portuguese then sailed on till they reached the mouth of the Niger. This is a large river. The coast beyond again begins to bend to the South. They sailed dow r n it, and a: last began to try to find a passage to the other side. Many ships tried to find an opening, but the wind was strong and against thum and thev did not succeed. At last one Captain worked on till he reached the extreme south to the Cape. He did not succeed in getting round it. for winds and waves were against him. But he knew there was a passage. He named this Cape the Cape of Storms, because of the gale that was blowiug. Afterwards it was called the Cape of Good Hope, because they now had good hope of getting round by sea to India. After this succeeded in sailing round the Cape. Great was

the joy and surprise of all on board. They sailed towards the north up the coast, creeping along in-shore. They sailed between the Coast of Africa and the large island of Madagascar, till they came to a good harbour on the mainland. They landed there and found a large town : this harbour was full of ships. There were numbers of people j these were not black; they spoke the same language as the Moors in the North of Africa. There were ships there from the Red Sea, and from Arabia, and from India. The people of the place were very friendly to tlu strangers, to the Portuguese, and agreed that they should sail in company with some of their ships to India. Their captains should show the way. They found there a great city at the mouth of a river. This was the River Ganges; the name of the city was Calcutta. The Portu guese could only wonder and admire, they saw such beautiful houses. The people too were so civilised, and there was so much wealth, and so many new things ; strange fruits, strange animals They soon went back to Europe, and the news of their voyage spread to all countries. From this time ships began to sail regularly to India from Europe. j The English, have two Colonies in Africa; one at Sierra Leone, the other at the Cape of Good Hope. Sierra Leone is a town quite in the north of Guinea. The English have large schools there. When our men-of-war capture a slaveship, the slaves are carried there to be taught, and then are sent back again to their own homesThere are many tribes of black people living inland in Africa. But we cannot send Englishmen to live there, it is too hot. This is the reason why there are large schools for Natives at Sierra Leone. The children are taught the Gospel there, and then sent home to carry it to their countrymen.

There are many Europeans living at the Cape of Good Hope. The Dutch first settled there from Holland, and afterwards the English. It belongs to the English now. The African people there are not as black as those inland. The Caffres, however, are very dark-coloured. These Caffres are not Christians. They still cleave titheir old heathen customs. Governor Grey ha? been sent to thorn n-nv, in hopes he may tain. and civi'ise tlurm. The people of Madagascar were very friendly with the English formerly. Ministers went there to teach them. Bat after a while the men of the country became angry at the spread of the Gospel and drove the Mission-

Aries away out of the land. Some of the Madawho had become Christians were put to death. Those books of the New Testament which had been printed by their Missionaries were burnt. From this time we have ceased to have much intercourse with the Madagascans.