Universal History Americanised; Or, an Historical View of the World, from the Earliest Records to the Year 1808. with a Particular Reference to the St (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1819 edition. Excerpt: ... FRANCE. France, before her late acquisitions, was supposed to comprise an area of 148,840 square miles. Her conquests since the revolution, have however, considerably increased its extent, which now reaches from 42 to about 15" 2O' north latitude, and from 7 west, to about 6 east longitude from Paris. The Rhine, from its issue out of the Helvetic territory, to its entrance into the Batavian kingdom, now forms its boundary on the side of Germany. The medium length of France maybe computed at about six hundred, and its mean breadth at about five hundred and twenty English miles. The original division into provinces, has, since the revolution, undergone a total alteration. Not only new arrangements have been adopted, but new names have been created; so that the past and future history of France, will seem to treat of two different states. France is mostly an open champaign country, little incumbered with mountains or marshes, but beautifully diversified with the scenery of hill and dale, and picturesque rivers. The principal mountains of France are the Cevennes, in Languedoc, and those of Auvergne and the Vosges in the department of that name, part of the ancient Lorraine. The grand chain of the Cevennes runs in a direction nearly from north to south, sending forth various branches. These mountains are remarkable for the artificial fertility, conferred on some of their barren sides by the industry of the inhabitants. As the waters, which in rainy seasons run clown in torrents carry along with them considerable quantities of earth, walls of loose stones are raised to check their rapid descent. The water filtering through these walls deposits against their sides the soil brought down from the upper parts, and gradually...