only a mile broad.
Its length is 100 miles, its breadth 60. A remarkable bed of coal
runs horizontally, at from 6 to 8 feet only, below the surface
through a large portion of the island: a fire was once accidentally
kindled in one of the pits, which _is_ now continually burning. Cape
Breton has been termed the Key to Canada and is the principal
protection, through the fine harbor of Louisburg, of all the
fisheries in the neighborhood."

EMMA. "The next important bays in our southward course are Bay of
Fundy, Delaware Bay, and Chesapeake Bay: then we come in sight of
the Bahamas."

MRS. WILTON. "Which islands must stand aside while we examine the
Bermudas, which are half-way between Nova Scotia and the Antilles.
They were so called by Juan Bermudas, who discovered them in the
year 1557, but did not land upon them: they are of various sizes,
the largest being about twelve miles. The cedar-trees grown there
form the chief riches of the inhabitants, and they estimate a man's
income by the number of trees he possesses. St. George is the
capital, and the islands belong to the English. They are sometimes
called 'Somers Isles,' from the circumstance of Sir John Somers
being shipwrecked on the rocks by which they are surrounded.
Previous to this occurrence Henry May, an Englishman, was cast
ashore on one of the largest, and as the islands abound with cedar,
he contrived, with the assistance of the materials he obtained from
the wreck, to build a small vessel, in which he returned to England,
and was the first person who gave any account of the group."

GEORGE. "Now for the Bahamas. They are 300 in number! but only
twelve are large. Nassau is the capital They were the first land
discovered by Columbus in the year 1492."

MR. WILTON. "And were once a nest of pirates, but the English
expelled them, and established a colony in 1720."

MR. BARRAUD. "Speaking of pirates, have you ever heard the plan
adopted by the Portuguese for the suppression of piracy?"

No one had heard it, and Mr. Barraud proceeded.

"The Portuguese, in their early intercourse with the Indians, had a
summary punishment, and accompanied it with a terrible example to
deter others from the commission of the crime. Whenever they took a
pirate ship they instantly hanged every man, carried away the sails,
rudder, and everything that was valuable in the ship, and left her
to be buffeted about by the winds and waves, with the carcasses of
the criminals dangling