The streets of Mexico are rather wide and well paved; the houses are ornamental, and the churches and public buildings are magnificent.—­The rich people pass the greater part of the day on their sofas, in darkened rooms; but in the evening, they appear arrayed in the most elegant costume, for they are particularly partial to parties and brilliant assemblies.

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There are numerous beggars, called Leperos, who are very drunken and dishonest; but lively, voluble, and extremely civil; though they will pick any body’s pocket.  There are also innumerable Indians, who make earthen pots very neatly, and use them instead of iron or copper vessels.

You have heard of Canada, which is a part of North America, and all that now remains to England of her vast American colonies.—­Well, we have an enormous canoe from Canada!—­I wonder who can have sent that?  A canoe, as you know, is a kind of boat, which uncivilized people, who live near rivers, use.  The canoes of Canada are of a very thin material, and so light, that the boatmen, in passing overland from one river to another, generally carry them on their heads.  The canoes are mostly covered with bark, the pieces of which are sewed together with a particular kind of grass; the bark being usually not more than a quarter of an inch in thickness.

The people of Canada, who are called Canadians, are rather industrious; they make very fine fans, they hunt, fish, and collect sugar from a tree called the Sugar maple.  Their houses are built of stone, and are plastered, but seldom are higher than one story, except in the towns, and are made very warm by means of stoves.  The furniture is usually made by the Canadians themselves, and is exceedingly simple.

The chief article of food is peas soup, with a small piece of pork boiled in it, and a dish of thick sour milk.  The women and children scarcely ever drink other than milk and water, but the men are particularly fond of rum.

Winter lasts six months, during which time the greater part of the day is devoted to amusement, principally dancing.  Most of the women can read and write, but the men can hardly do either; and the manners of both are very gay and light.  There are a few lead mines in Canada, in which silver is also found.  Their exports are timber, furs, potash, grain, and pearl-ash.

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Australia has also sent her contributions to the Exhibition.  Among them are specimens of the skins of animals, dried plants, fine woods, and other things.

In Australia, there are scarcely any extensive manufactures, but the natives make some useful things, from the various and curious trees which abound.  For instance, they form the most durable furniture and weapons from the casuarina or club tree; they make cloth from the finest bark of the paper-mulberry tree, and cord from a peculiar kind of flax.  There are sago and cocoa trees, which grow to the height of one hundred and