but that which comes from Guatemala is best known. From the lowlands along the coast we buy fine tropical fruits.
9. The Isthmus of Panama connects South with North America. This isthmus is an independent Republic.
A ship canal is being cut through the isthmus which will enable ships to go from the Atlantic to the Pacific by a route thousands of miles shorter than the one now followed. The strip of land through which the canal will pass is known as the Panama Canal Zone, and is controlled by the United States.
MAP STUDIES.
Name the four largest islands of the West Indies in the order of their size. What is the group called to which these four islands belong? The other islands belonging to the West Indies are the Lesser Antilles, a number of small islands lying east of the Caribbean sea, between Porto Rico and South America. In what direction from Cuba are the Bahama islands? Where is St. Thomas?
What sea is south of the Greater Antilles? What ocean is northeast of the West Indies? What bay is west?
What channel separates Cuba from Mexico? What passage separates Cuba from Haiti? Haiti from Porto Rico? What strait is between Cuba and Florida?
Where is Cape San Antonio? Cape Maysi?
Where is Havana? Santiago do Cuba? Matanzas? Port au Prince? Santo Domingo? San Juan? Ponce?
10. West Indies.—Let us take a steamship and go from Central America north across the Caribbean sea. We shall come to the West Indies, a number of islands that are part of North America. We study these last, but they are the part of America which Christopher Columbus visited first, and which Europeans first settled.
For many years they belonged to Spain, but in time other nations gained most of them. England captured Jamaica; Haiti, after belonging for a while to France, finally became independent and is now made up of two negro republics.
Spain held Cuba and Porto Rico until 1898. At that time a revolution was going on in Cuba, and our country sent troops and vessels to aid the Cubans. By this means the independence of the island was assured under our protection. We also forced Spain to give up Porto Rico, which is now a part of the United States.
Native homes in Porto Rico.
11. In the interior of the large islands are
