oschmen.--A Transformation.
--Dressing in Skins.--The Slave Trade.--Fish Bay.--St. Helena.
--Kabenda.--Black Jews.--Ferdinand Po.--The Ape and the Oven.
--The Slave-Coast.--Dahomey.--Ashantee.--King Opocco.--A
Singular Belief.--The Ashantee Wife.--Liberia.--A Bowchee
Mother.--Sierra Leone.--The Lakes of Africa.--Bornou.--The Sultan of
Bornou.--African Wedding.--The Deluge.--The Telescope.--The End

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,

It is not my purpose to detain you with a long preface, because I am
aware that long prefaces are seldom read; but I wish to inform you
that I have written this book, in the humble hope of being useful to
those in whom I am so anxiously interested. I am myself happy in
acknowledging the endearing appellation of "Mother," and I love
_all_ children, and regard them as priceless treasures, entrusted to
the care and guidance of parents and teachers; with whom it rests in
a great measure to render them blessings to their fellow-creatures,
and happy themselves, or contrariwise.

Should the perusal of this little volume imbue you with a taste for
the beautiful and ennobling science of Geography, my object will be
gained; and that such may be the result of these humble endeavors is
the sincere wish of

Your affectionate Friend,

FANNY OSBORNE.

LONDON.

CHAPTER I.

Oh ye seas and floods,
Bless ye the Lord:
Praise him, and magnify him forever.

"Oh! what beautiful weather," exclaimed George Wilton, as he drew
his chair nearer the fire. "This sort of evenings is so suitable for
story-telling, that I regret more than ever the disagreeable
necessity which has taken Mr. Stanley to foreign countries, and
broken up our delightful parties. But yet, there are enough of us
remaining at home to form a society; we _might_ manage without him.
Do not you remember, papa, you said, when Julia Manvers was with us
last summer, we were to examine into the particulars respecting the
seas and oceans of the world; and not once was the subject mentioned
while we were at Herne Bay, although the sea was continually before
us to remind us of it. Are we _ever_ to have any more of those
conversations? I liked them amazingly, and I am sure I learned a
great deal more geography by them than I ever did out of Goldsmith,
or any other dry lesson-book, which compels one to learn by rule. I
wish, dear papa, you would settle to have these meetings again; we
would write down all the particulars, and enclose them i