tion; while, with respect to
the most southern portions of North America, and the whole of South
America, with the exception of the cold, bleak, and barren territory of
Patagonia, the changes which have taken place, and are still in operation,
in the political state of the Spanish and Portuguese provinces, must soon
fill up the little that has been left unaccomplished by Humboldt, &c.

What portions, then, of Asia, America, and Africa, are still
_unknown?_--and what comparison, in point of extent and importance, do
they bear to what was _known_ to the ancients? In Asia, the interior
of the vast kingdom of China is very imperfectly known, as well as Daouria
and other districts on the confines of the Chinese and Russian empires;
central Asia in general, and all that extensive, populous, and fertile
region which extends from the southern part of Malaya, nearly under the
equator, in a northerly direction, to the fortieth degree of latitude, are
still not explored, or but very partially so, by European travellers. This
region comprehends Aracan, Ava, Pegu, Siam, Tsiompa, and Cambodia. The
south and east coasts of Arabia still require to be more minutely and
accurately surveyed. In the eastern archipelago, Borneo, Celebes, and
Papua, are scarcely known. Though all these bear but a small proportion to
the vast extent of Asia, yet some of them, especially the country to the
north of the Malay peninsula, and the islands in the eastern archipelago,
may justly be regarded as not inferior, in that importance which natural
riches bestows, to any part of this quarter of the globe.

Still, however, we possess some general notice, and some vague reports of
all these countries; but it is otherwise with respect to the unknown
portions of Africa. The whole of this quarter of the world, from the Niger
to the confines of the British settlement at the Cape of Good Hope, may,
with little limitation, be considered as unknown. Travellers have indeed
penetrated a short distance from the western coast into the interior, in
some parts between the latitude of the Niger and the latitude of the
extreme northern boundary of the Cape settlement: and a very little is
known respecting some small portions of the districts closely adjoining to
the eastern coast; but the whole of central Africa is still unexplored, and
presents difficulties and dangers which it is apprehended will not be
speedily or easily overcome. To the north of the Niger lies the Sahara,