Since slavery has been abolished in our West India islands, schools for the children, and chapels for religious worship, have been erected at the expense of the negroes; numbers of whom have also become small landowners. [Illustration] What a number of specimens have been despatched to the Exhibition from Algeria, Tunis, and the Cape of Good Hope: one, a model of a winged head, moulded in fine yellow clay, is really pretty; and the preserved fruits have quite a tempting look. And here are some boxes, made of most brilliant fancy woods; a few knives, soaps, cigars, herbs, and specimens of various woods, in blocks and in polished pieces. Here is also opium, paper made from the palm-tree, articles manufactured from native woods, with essences, perfumes, and splendid veils, slippers, caps, guns, and swords. Algeria now belongs to France; it was formerly one of the Barbary States, in the north of Africa, and many very useful plants and trees flourish there; oranges, melons, cucumbers, cabbages, lettuces, and artichokes, grow in great luxuriance. The sugar-cane is cultivated with success; and everywhere may be seen quantities of white roses, from which a sweet essence is extracted. The stems of the vines, which the people tend, are sometimes so thick, that a man can hardly put his arms round them; and the bunches of grapes are a foot and a-half long. Only think of bunches of grapes half a yard long! they must be something like those which we read of in the Bible, that were brought to Joshua, to show him what a fertile country was the land of Canaan. Acacia and cork trees grow in the woods of Algeria; the natives obtain gum from the acacia. There are many mines, but the Algerines make no use of them. The people themselves are strong in body, and of a tawny complexion. Tunis is another of the Barbary States, and contains a great number of people,--Moors, Turks, Arabs, Jews, and Christians, merchants and slaves. All these carry on a large trade in Morocco leather, linens, gold-dust, oil, woollen cloth, lead, ostrich feathers, horses, and soap. There are the same variety of vegetable productions that there are in Algeria. [Illustration] The Cape of Good Hope is in the south of Africa; it produces fine fruits and flowers, grapes, lemons, oranges, and figs, but no nuts. The aloe and myrtle grow to a great size, and the almond and wild chestnut are very plentiful. There are scarcely any manufactures, but the farmers keep immense flocks of sheep, and herds of cattle; and there is a vast quantity of fine wool sent every year to England; and ships provisions, such as beef, pork, and butter, are supplied to the vessels sailing to India, Australia, and many other parts of the world; their other chief export is Cape wine.