_Colonel Sibthorp_, upon his jokes, which have convulsed all the readers of PUNCH, including himself. _George Stephens_, upon the immense success of his tragedy of "Martinuzzi," which, to the outrageous merriment of the audience, turned out to be a farce. _T. Wakley_, upon the comical way in which he turns his Cap of Liberty into a _Wellington-Wig_ and back again at the shortest notice. _Sir Francis Burdett_, upon the exceeding complacency with which he wears his own fool's-cap. _Ben D'Israeli_, upon his unadulterated simplicity, and the unfurnished state of his attic. _Mr. Muntz_, upon the _prima facie_ evidence that he is a near relative of Gog and Magog, and therefore the best entitled to the Civic Foolship. * * * * * PUNCH'S CATECHISM OF GEOGRAPHY. The astonishing increase of the great metropolis in every direction--the growing up of Brixton and Clapham--the discovery of inhabited streets and houses in the _terra incognita_ to the northward of Pentonville--and the spirit of maritime enterprise which the late successful voyages made by the _Bridegroom_ steam-boat to the coast of Chelsea has excited in the public mind--has induced a thirst for knowledge, and a desire to be acquainted with the exact geographical position of this habitable world, of which it is admitted Pinnock's work does not give the remotest idea. To supply this deficiency, PUNCH begs leave to offer to his friends and readers _his_ Catechism of Geography, which, if received with the extraordinary favour it deserves from the public, may be followed by catechisms on other interesting branches of knowledge. CHAPTER I. OF THE WORLD IN GENERAL. _Q._ What is geography? _A._ The looking for _places_ on a map, or in Downing-street, or anywhere else in the world. _Q._ What do you mean by the world? _A._ Every place comprehended within the circle of a sixpenny omnibus fare from the Bank. _Q._ Of what is the world composed? _A._ Of bricks and mortar, and Thames water. _Q._ Into how many parts is the world usually divided? _A._ Into four great parts, viz.--London, Westminster, Marylebone, and Finsbury; to which may be added the Borough, which is over the water. Or it may be said that Fashion has divided the world into two distinct parts, viz.--the East-end and the West-end, and a great number of suburbs. _Q._ How are the bricks and mortar subdivided? _A._ Into continents, islands, peninsulas, and isthmuses. _Q._ What is a continent? _A._ Any district containing a number of separate residences and distinct tenements, as _St. James's_, _St. Giles's_. _Q._ What is an island? _A._ An island is anything surrounded by the Thames, as _The Eel-Pie Island_, and _The Convict Hulk_ at Deptford. _Q._ What is a peninsula? _A._ Anything that runs into the Thames, as _The Suspension Pier at Chelsea_, and _Jack-in-the-Water_ at the Tower-stairs. _Q._ What is an isthmus?