THE BRITISH ISLES.
LESSON LII.
1. The British Isles are also called the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. They consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and a number of smaller ones.
Windsor Castle, the residence of the King of England.
Great Britain contains England, Scotland, and Wales. It is only a little larger than the state of Kansas, yet the king of this island rules one-fourth of all the land, and more than one-fourth of all the people, of the world. His subjects are found on every continent, and the sun is always shining on the British flag.
Country homes in England.
Great Britain is noted as a manufacturing country. She owns more ships, and carries on more commerce, than any other nation.
Her trade with the United States is immense. She buys our grain, pork, and beef to feed her crowded millions; and we buy her manufactured goods. She is our best customer.
England is dotted with cities and towns.
London is the largest and richest city in the world, and the first in commercial importance. It is the capital of the British empire, which includes lands and people in every part of the world. It is on both sides of the river Thames (temz). More people live in London than in the whole state of Ohio.
A residence in London.
Liverpool is one of the great commercial cities of the world. It is famed for its docks. A great part of our cotton, wheat, beef, and pork that go to England is landed there.
The reason for this is that Liverpool is the seaport that is nearest to the large cities in the north of England, where there are hundreds of factories to supply with raw cotton and millions of people to supply with food. London and Liverpool together have more than two-thirds of the entire trade of the country.
Leeds is noted for woolens as well as for iron and steel goods.
London Bridge. This is the oldest of the many bridges that cross the Thames and connect the two parts of the city. There are also three tunnels under the river.
Birmingham is fairly for its coal mines and
