STATES OF THE CHURCH. Q. Where are the States of the Church situated ? A. In the heart of Italy. The Adriatic is on the N. E.; Naples on the S. E; the Mediterranean on the S.; Tusca ny on the W.; and Modena and Mantua, on the N. W.They contain about 16,000 square miles, and 2,000,000 inhabitants. Q. What is the soil of this territory? A. Formerly it was very fertile; but owing to the indolence of the inhabitants, considerable tracts now consist of mere marshes. Q. What is the government? A. The Pope is the political as well as spiritual head of these states. In the provinces he governs by legates. The religion is the Catholic. The revenue exceeds 1,000,000 sterling. Q. What is the capital? A. Rome, formerly the mistress of the world, is now the chief town of this territory. It lies on both sides of the Tiber, 15 miles from its mouth. It contains 300 churches, 35,900 dwelling houses, and 163,034 inhabitants. St. Peter's church is the noblest specimen of modern architecture. Q. What are the other towns ? A. Bologna on the Savona, at the foot of the Appenines, with 63,420 inhabitants; and Ferrara, on a branch of the Po, with 24,444. KINGDOM OF NAPLES; OR, THE TWO SICI LIES. Q. What territories belong to the kingdom of the two Sicilies. A. Naples and the Island of Sicily. Q. What are the situation and extent of Naples? A. It lies between 38° and 42° 50' N.; and between 13° 15 and 19° E. It is 320 miles long and 100 broad; containing 25,000 square miles. It is divided into 12 provinces. Q. How is it bounded? A. On the N. W. by the States of the Church; on the N. E. by the Adriatic; on the S. E. and S. W. by the Mediterranean. Q. What is the soil? A. It is remarkable for its fertility, producing wheat, bar ley, maize, rice, flax, silk, and every variety of fruits. Iron, woollens, silk and glass are the chief manufactures. Q. What is the extent of Sicily? A. It is separated from the foot of Italy by the Straits of Messina; is 170 miles long by 120 in breadth; and contains about 10,880 square miles. Q. What is the religion? A. The Catholic. Naples in 1803, had 21 archbishops, 110 bishops, and 72,000 of the inferior clergy. Sicily has 2 archbishops and 7 bishops. The inferior clergy are also nu merous. Q. What is the government? A. It is nearly despotic. Q. What is the revenue? A. In 1808, it amounted to 12,550,000 dollars. Of this sum Naples yields 9,880,000; and Sicily 2,670,000. The national debt of Naples was then 26,000,000. Q. What is the military strength? A. 21,000 for Naples and 10,000 for Sicily. A. One ship of the line, five frigates, and 8 or 10 smaller vessels. Q. What is the population? A. That of Naples in 1803, was 4,963,502. Sicily, in 1797, contained 1,655,536 inhabitants, 340 market towns, and 268,000 houses. The united population of the two countries is 6,619,038. Q. What is the capital? A. Naples. It is at the head of a large bay, 12 miles in diameter, and 18 miles in circumference. The streets are broad and the houses well paved. The population is 412,489. It is the fourth city in Europe. Q. What are the other towns in Naples ? A. Tarranto, with 18,457 inhabitants; Bari, with 18,191, and Reggio with 16,139. Q. What is the capital of Sicily? A. Palermo, in the N. with a population of 120,000. It has an extensive commerce. Q. What are the other towns ? A. Messina, on the straits, with 36,000; Catania, 50 miles S. with 40,000; and Siragoza with 17,044. Q. What are the principal productions? A. Silk, wines, salt, corn, fruits, glass and wool. Q. What islands are off the coast of Naples ? A. In the Adriatic, Tremiti, St. Domino, Capraria, and St. Nicolo; and, on the W. coast, Capri, Ischia, Nicidą, Pocida, Ponza, Palmaria and Zanona. Q. What islands lie off Sicily? A. The Lipari Isles, with 18,000 inhabitants, 8 in number, are off the N. coast; the Egatian Isles, off the W. coast, 3 in number, with a population of 12,000; and Pantalaria, half way between Sicily and Africa, with 3000. OF MALTA. Q. Where is the island of Malta? A. It is 50 miles S. of Sicily, is a solid rock of freestone, 20 miles by 12, and containing 134 square miles. It contains 74,705 inhabitants; Gozzo in its neighborhood has 12,464; and Comino 603; in all 87,772. Q. To whom does it belong? A. To Great Britain. It is almost impregnable. Vallette, the capital, contains 23,680 inhabitants. It bids fair to be the emporium of the Mediterranean. OF THE TURKISH EMPIRE. Q. What territories are under the dominions of the Grand Seignior? A in Europe, Turkey proper, comprising ancient Greece, Thrace, Maesia; and part of Illyricum, Sarmatia and Dacia; and in Asia, Turkey in Asia, including Asia Minor, Syria, Circassia, Armenia, and Mesopotamia. OF TURKEY IN EUROPE. Q. What is the situation of Turkey in Europe? A. It is the southeastern country of Europe, lying between 36° 30' and 48° 30′ north latitude; and between 16 and 40° east longitude. Q. What is the extent of Turkey? A Its greatest length from N. to S. is 870 miles, and the greatest breadth 600. The number of square miles is estimated at 212,410. Q What are the boundaries? A. On the N. Austria and Russia; on the E. the Black Sea, Straits of Constantinople, Sea of Marmora, Dardanelles, and the Archipelago; on the S. the Archipelago ad Mediterranean; and on the W. the Mediterranean, the Adriatic, Dalmatia and Croatia. Q What is the climate? A. It is mild, healthy, and serene, A. Few countries are equally fertile. Wheat, barley, maize, and rice grow in immense quantities even with the sor y agriculture of the Turks. Q. What mountains are there in Turkey? A. Beyond the Danube, a part of the Carpathian chain runs about 200 miles on the borders of Moldavia. long range of Haemus stretches upwards of 400 miles. Q. What are the rivers of Turkey? The A. The Dniester, the Danube, the Maritz, and the Vardari. Q. What is the population of Turkey? A. About 9,882,000. Q. What is the capital city of Turkey in Europe? Q. Give a description of it? A. It was built by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, and stands on the European side of the Bosphorus, on the spot where stood the ancient city Byzantium. It is situated in 41 degrees of north latitude, and 29 degrees of east longitude. It is one of the largest cities in Europe, containing about five hundred thousand inhabitants.--About two thirds of the inhabitants of Constantinople are Greeks and Armenians. Q. Describe Philippoli? A. It is a town on the Maritz, lat. 42° 22' meanly built in a marsh; containing 26,000 houses, and 120,000 inhabitants. Q Describe Adrianople? A. It stands on the great bend of the Maritz, in lat. 41o 41'. The houses are chiefly of mud, and the streets narrow and dirty. The population is 100,000.. Q. What are the other towns? A. Saloniki has 62.000 inhabitants; Bosna Serai 48,000; Sophia 46,000; Bucharest 42,000; and Belgrade 30,000. Q. What nations people Turkey? A. The modern Greeks chiefly occupy the province of Albania, comprehending the Morea, Livadia, Thessaly, Macedonia, and Albania proper. They also are almost the only inhabitants of the islands. The Turks are principally embodied in Rumelia The inhabitants of Bosnia, Servi, Bulgaria, Wollachia, Molda ia and Bessarabia are Sclavonians, descendants of the ancient Slavi. Q What are the characteristics of the Turks? A. They are indolent, superstitious, heavy, morose, treacherous, furiously passionate, jealous, unsocial, and unfriendly to all other nations. The Turks are now the only obstacle to the establishment of Christianity in Western Asia; it is believed that the time is at hand, when they will be banished from Europe. The Greeks are enterprising, intelligent, shrewd and industrious. Q. What are the customs of the Turks?, A. They commonly sit cross-legged in company, and spend much of their time with their women; drink coffee, smoke tobacco, or chew opium. They salute each other by nodding the head and laying the right hand on the breast.They accustom themselves to frequent bathings and prayers. The lower sort live chiefly on rice; and their meat is always boiled or roasted to rags. Q. What are their diversions? A. These are tilting darts, or shooting at the mark, and sometimes hunting; but their common diversion is playing at chess, at which they never bet any money. Q. What is the Turkish dress? A. The Turks shave their heads, wear a turban instead of a hat, and a cloak fastened with a sash. Their breeches form but one piece with their stockings. The women dress much like the men, but they wear veils when they go abroad. Q. What do you say of the Turkish marriages? A. Their religion allows them only four wives; but as many concubines as they please. The women negociate the match, the men troubling themselves very little about it. Q. What is the language of Turkey? A. There are several languages spoken in the country, among which is modern Greek and Arabic. Q. What is the state of learning? A. The Turks pay no attention to it, and have no universities. Some of them learn to read the koran, to write letter and to make verses. Q. What is the state of the Turkish commerce ? A. Owing to the oppression of the government, the commerce is not flourishing. Their exports are wheat, maize, rice, wool, camel's hair, goat's hair, cotton, hides, leather, silk, flax, coffee, sugar, honey, tobacco, wax, and numerous other articles. Q. What is the state of the Turkish manufactures? A. The Turks manufacture carpets of superior beauty, printed muslins, crapes, gauzes, fire-arms, swords and morocco leather. Q. What is the government of Turkey? A. An absolute despotism. The despot takes the title of the grand seignior. The succession is limited to the family of the Othmanidae. When the grand seignior dies, the army select the successor out of that family. The prime min ister is called the grand vizier. In war he is generalissimo of the armies. The governors of provinces are styled pachas. Q. What is the revenue of Turkey? A. The miri or public revenue is estimated at 15 millions of dollars. The hasne, or revenue of the sultan, is said greatly to exceed the other. G |