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D,
THE
AMERICA N
Universal GEOGRAPHY,
O R, A
VIEW OF THE PRESENT STATE
. O E. A L L T H E., - ., .--
Empires, Kingdoms, States, and Repubiica
IN THE KNOWN
W O R L
And of tj4Je
tJxN^ITED STATES of AMERICA in particular:
In two parts.
Springs, Mines and Minerals, Military Strength,
Cenftitutions', Iflands, HilTory of the War, and tho
fucceeding Events.— With a View of the BHtJ/i,-
Spanifi, French, Foitug^ffc, and other Dominions,
on the Continent, and in the Well Indies,
The SECOND PART
iScfcribes at largej and' from tlie lateft and bed
Authorities, the Prefcnt State, in refpca to the
above mentioned Particulars, of the EASTERK
CONTINENT— and its inands_ay-dlA,idcd in^o
EUROPE, ASIA, an^ AFRICA- and fubdividtol
into Empires, K.ingdoms, and Republics.
AREADDED, ••
An improved Catalogue of N.'^mes of Places, and their Geogfaphical Sit-
uation, alphabetically arranged — an eiilarjied Chronolog i cal Table of i oklphi a ; i
by W. 1'. Yo*0 N G , i n C H A R f. K s T o N .
r^ccyiciu.
ADVER'TISEMENT,
IHIS SECOND PART of the AMERICAN
UNIVERSAL GEOGRAPHY, which the Author
has thought proper to add, for the reafons mentioned in
the Preface, is compiled principally from Chambers*
Quarto Dublin JEdition of Guthrie's Geographical
Grammar, which, it is believed, is the befl Edition of
that valuable work which has been publi(hed. The
Hilforical and lefs interefting parts have been omitted,
to give room for more recent and important matters.
In the Account of Europe, Zimmerman's Political Sur-
vey has been incorporated, as containing the moft com-
plete and authentic information, on thofe interefling
fubje£i;s of which he treats. Various other improvements,
too numerous to particularize, have been introduced,
from the latefl Geographical Publications, State Pa-
pers, Travels, Hiftories, &c. &c. fo that it ought to be,
and the Author hopes the Reader will find it to be, the
befl General Account of the Eaftern Continent that
has yet appeared in America.
CONTENTS OF PART II.
EUROPE.
GPage
ENERAL Remarks, i
Public Revenue and Land Forces of the Principal States in
Europe, j
^aval Forces of the different Powers, 4
Grand Divilions, Situation, Boundaries, &c, of Europe, 5
Denmark, 7
£alt and Weft Greenland, Iceland, and the Iflands in the At-
lantic Ocean, ibid.
Norway, 14
Denmark Proner, or Jutland, si
Lapland, 30
Sweden, 35
Mufcovy, or the Ruffian Empire in Europe and Afia, 49
The Britifh Empire, 73
England, 75
Scotland, 125
Ireland, .149
IfleofMan. aBa
Iflc of Wight, ■' 186
Scilly liles, 187
Jerfey, Guernfey, &c, 188
Germany, . 189
Pruflia, 205
Aullria, ai3
Hungary, 219
Tranfylvania, Hungary, Sclavonia, 4cc. 224
Poland, 227
Switzerland, 241
Netherlands, 249
France, 267
Spain, 317
Portugal, 330
Italy, 346
Turkey in Europe, ^75
ASIA.
Its Situation, Boundaries, Grand Divifions, and Hiftorjj, 384
Turkey in Alia, 387
Tartaiy in Afia, 403
China, 41*
Indoftan, Hindooftan, or India on this fidc the Qangcs, 425
India beyond the Ganges, 45Q
Perfia, 457
Arabia, 466
Indian and Oriental Iflands. 475
AFRICA.
CONTENTS.
'" AFRICA.
Situation, Bcupdary, Grand Divifions, &c. 485
Egypt, ' ■ 4.^
The States of Barbary, 497
Africa, from the Tropic of Cancer to the Cape of Good Hope 506
African Iflands, 516
New Dikoveries, ■ [sHJ
A new Geographical Table, containing the Names and Situ-
ations of all the chief Places in the known World, 521
An improved Chronological Table of Remarkable Events, Dif-
coveriesand Inventions from the Creation to the prefent Time, 533
Lift of Ancient and Modern Learned and Ingenious Men, in
America as well as Europe, 543'
DIRECTIONS to the BookbinpeR for placing the MAPS, kc.
PART I.
1 The World, to face Title Page, Page
2 Artificial Sphere, Sec. to facie 31
3 Northern and Middle States do. 309
4 Diftrift of Maine do. 345
5 Map of Pennlylvania '^o. 469
6 Map of Virginia, North Carolina, &c. do. 532
7 South America do. 645
g Weft Indies do. 666
PART II,
I Europe to face Page f
« Afia do. 3U
3 Africa do.. 485
PART II.
PART II.
From AWEKIC \ wepafs to the Eajiern Continent, in
the defcription of which we begin with
EUROPE.
EUROPE is the leaft extenfive quarter of the globe, containing
only about 2,627,574 fquare miles,* whereas the habitable parts
of the World in the other quarters, are eftimated at 36,666,806 fquare
miles. Here the arts of utility and ornament, the fciences, both mili-
tary and civil, have been carried to the greateft pcrfeftion. If wc
except the earliefl ages of the world, it is in Europe that we find the
greateft variety of charafter, government, and manners, and from
whence we draw the greateft number of fa£ls and memorials, both for
our entertainment and inftruftion.
Two circumftances have had a confiderable tendency in giving Eu-
rope itsprefent high rank in the world. Firft, the happy temperature
of its climate, no part of it lying within the torrid zone ; and, fecond-
ly, the great variety of its furface. The effeft of a moderate climate,
both on plants and animals, is well known from experience. The
immenfe number of mountains, rivers, feas, &c. which divide the:
different countries of Europe from each other, is likewife extremely
commodious for its inhabitants. Thefe natural boundaries check the
progrefs of conqueft, which has always been fo rapid in the cxtenfivc;
plains of Africa and the Eaft : The feas and rivers facilitate the intcr-
courfe and commerce between different nations ; and even the barren
rocks and mountains are more favourable for exciting human induftry
and invention, than the natural unfolicitcd luxuriancy of more fertile
foils. There is no part of Europe fo diverfified in its furface, fo inter-
rupted by natural boundaries and divifions, as Greece : And we have
feen that it v%^as there the human mind began to know and to avail
itfelfof its ftrength, and that many of the arts, fubfervient to utility or
pleafure, were invented, or at leaft greatly improved. What Greece
therefore is with regard to Europe, Europe itfelf is at prcfent with
regard to the reft of the globe. Tliough moft of the European gov-
ernments are monarchical, we may difcover, on due examination, that
there are a thoufand little fp rings which check the force, and foften
the rigour of monarchy. In proportion to the number and force of
thefe checks, the monarchies of Europe, fuch as RulTia, Spain, and
Denmark, differ from one another, iicfides Tticr.archkSj in which one
man
♦ According to the ingenious Zimmerjnann, in ^is «« Polifical Survey of the P^cfetjJ Sute
of Europe," wherein he gives d.is as tlie medium ot the tiirfercnt writers on this lubjt<^
A
t I: U R O P E.
inan bears the cliief fway, there are in Europe arijlocracles or govelri^
Clients of the nobles, and democracies or governments of the people. — *
Venice is an example of the former : Holland, and fome flates of ItaK*
and Switzerland, afFord examples of the latter. Tliere are, likewife,
mixed governments, which cannot be afiigned to any one clafs. Great
Britain, which partakes of all the tliree, is the moll fmgular inflance
of this kind we are acquainted with. The other mixed governments
in Europe are compofed only of tvvo of the fimple forms, fuch as Poland,
fcveral ilatcs of Ital)fy«S:c. all which fhall be explained in their proper
places.
The Chriftian religion is eflaVjIiflied throughout every part of Eu-
rope, except Turkey ; but from the various capacities of the human
inind, and the different lights in which fpcculative opinions are apt to
cppear, when viewed by pcrfons of different educations and paffions^
that religion is divided into a number of different fe£ls, but which may
t)a comprehended under three general denominations ; iff, The Greek.
rh'arcli ; 2d, The Roman Catholic ; and 3d, Proteftantifm : Which
lad is again divided iiito Lutheranifm and Calvinifm, fo called from
Luther and Calvin, die two diflinguifhcd reformers of the 16th
century.
It may-, perhaps, be an objeft of curiofUy, to compare the proportions
of ground no-.\- occupied, and formerly difputed, by the Roman Catho-
lic and Proteftant religions, v/ith the numbers of their adherents. The
proportion of the furface of the countries, in which tlie Proteffant
Religion is effabliflaed, to thofe in which the Roman Catholic religion
"jirevails, is nearly as 3 to 4 : The number of Roman Catholics, accord*
jng to the beff calculations, is about 90,000,000 ; the number of Prot^
eftant-s only 24,000,000, which is a proportion of nearly 4 to 1. In
feddition to this account of the l{,uiopean religions, it may be obfcrvcd,
that an inconliderable number of the ignorant Laplanders may, with
Vjropriety, be called Pagans.
The languages of Europe are derived from the fix following : The
Greeks Latin, Teutonic or old German, the Celtic, Sclavonic, and
Gothic.
The greateil part of Europe being fituatcd above the 45t]i degree of
nortl^ern latitude, and even its molt fouthern provinces being far dif-
ta-nt from tlie ton id zone, the (pecies of organized bodies are much lefs
^-lumerous in Europe than in the other parts of the globe. 'J'hus, for
inftance. upon an equal number of fquare miles, the number of fpecies
of quadrupeds in Europe, is to the number of them in Afia as 1 to si-,
to that in America as i to •!-,, and to thitt in Africa as 1 to 10, and the
number of the vegetable fpecies in the other three divilions of the globe,
Ss greatly fuperlor to that in liurope. But nature has enriched the
European continent with every fpecies of minerals, diamonds and
j)latina, perhaps, excepted. Gold, the firft of metals, is not found in.
Europe as plentifully as in the other continents. However, as the
European nations have the ficill of making the bcft ule of their natural
productions, and have taken care to tranfplant into their own foil as
jnany of the foreign produftions as tlieir nature will permit, Europe,
upon the whole, mull: be allowed to be one of the ricliefl: parts of
the globcv
PuBf.fC
X.
Great Britain,
2.
Auftria,
3-
France,
4-
Spain,
5-
Ruffia,
6.
Turkey,
7-
Pruffia,
8.
Portugal,
9-
Sicily,
JO.
Holland,
J 1.
Sweden,
12.
Venice,
13-
Dcnmaik,
14.
Eleftorate of Saxony,
»5.
Eleftorate of llanover,
EUROPE. 9
Public Revenue of the PrIxNcii'.'Vl States in Europe,
£.i>icrL
14,500;000
i2,4COj00o(i 12 million florins)
1 8.ooo500o(Nccker ComptcRcndu)
5.000,000 of C)lu Spain alone.
5,800.000
,5,000,000
3.600,000
1 5800,000
1.400.000 medium.
4,000,000
1.300,000
1.000,000
1,000,000
IjIOOjOOO
900,000
16. Joint Eleft. of Palat.&Bavaria, 1,100,000
17. Sardinia, - - i.ooo.ooo
The preceding ftatement in round numbers is intended merely to
give the reader a general idea of the relati\>^e ftate of European finances.
It would, however, be very improper to judge of the power of ftates
merely by their finances, bccaufe, in fomc countries, tlie value of
money is much higher than in others : Thus, for inftance, tjic whole
Rulhan army cofts the flate lefs than two millions of rubles. Rulha,
J)enmark, England, Sweden, and others, have paper money.
L.'VND Forces of the European States in the Year 1783.
France, - - - - 300,000
Auftria, _ _ _ 282,000
RuiTia (450,000 in all) in Europe, - 290,000
PrufTia, - - - - 224,000
Turkey (2 10.000 in all) but in Europe only 1 70.000
Spain, - - - - 60.000 including militia.
Denmark, - - - 72,000
Great Britain, - - - 58.oooincIudingmilitia,
Sweden, - . . 50,000
Sardinia, - - - 40,000
Holland, - - - S/j'^oo
Naples and Sicily, - - 30,000
Eleftorate of Saxony, '- - 26,000
Portugal, - - - 20.000
Eleftorate of Bavaria and tlie Palatinate, 24.000
HefTe Caffel, 15,000
Hanover, - - £0,000
Poland. . . _ 15,000
Venice, - • - 8,000
Wurtemberg, > , . 6,000
The Ecclefiaflical Eftatc, * - 5,000
Tufcany, ... 3:O00
Having flated here tlie forces of the principal ftates only, pjfTing
over a conliderable part of Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, w^^ i"'ij'
As . • - calculate
4 EUROPE.
calculate the armies of all the countries in Europe to amount to 2 mill-
ions of men ; fo that fuppofing 140 millions of inhabitants in Europe,
no more than ^'^ of the whole population are foldiers. The prefen:
military eftablifhmcnt of every kingdom, in a time of general peace,
differs Ibmewhat from the above ftatement. France, Auflria, and
Pruflia, have by far the mofl formidable armies : As to Ruflia, the
immenfc extent of its provinces can never allow an army of more
than J 20.000, or 130,000 men to aft againfl an enemy ; and as to the
Turkifli forces, they are at prefent much inferior to any other well-
difciplined army. The different proportions, in different countries,
between the population and the number of foldiers, is not unworthy
of obfervation. There are in Germany, nearly 500,000 foi'liers, con«
fequently -^ of the whole population are engaged in the military pro-
fefiion : In Italy, on the contrary, even fuppofing the Handing armies
of that country to amount to 120,000 men,this number makes only^iy
of the whole population, which amounts to 16 millions.
NAVAL FORCES.
Number of Ships of the Line, Frigates, Cutters, Sloops, &c,
1. England, - - 465
2. France, •• - - 266
3. Spain, - - 130
4. Holland, - * 95
5. Sweden, - .« 8^
6. Denmark, - - 60
7. Turkey, - - 50 commonly reckoned 60,
8. Ruffia, - - 63
9. Sardinia, - - 32
10. Venice, - - 30
11. Sicily, - - 25
12. Portugal, = , 24
Total 1325
Several of thefe numbers, taken from the naval lifts in the year 1783,
arc at prefent reduced. This gives, however, fome idea of the re-
fpeftive naval ftrength of the different powers of Europe. Some of
them, as for inftance, Denmark, Sweden, Sicily, Portugal, having had
no war for many years part, and having, for that reai'on, built but a
fmall number of fhips, are capable of maintaining a much larger navy
than they now have ; and they would, undoubtedly, increafe their
naval forces very confiderably in cafe of a war.
The grcateft part of Europe is under the influence of a climate,
which, being tempered with a moderate degree of cold, forms a race
of men ftrong, bold, aftive and ingenious ; forced by neceffity to make
the bed ufe they can of the fmaller fhare of vegetable and ar:mal trea!»
urcs, which their foil produces. In hotter and richer parts of the
globe, the profufion of fpontancous natural produftions, and the heat
of the atmofphere, relax the bodily and mental powers of the inhabit-
ants, check their fpirit of enterprife, and confine the compafs of
their thought. The torrid zone has never been able, nor is ever likely,
to boafl of a Newton, a Ca;far, or a Frederic.
Grcas
EUROPE. 5
Great ridges of mountains, the chief of which are the Alps, the Ap-
ennines, the Pyrenean, the Carpathian, Sudctic, and Saxon mountains,
cfFcft not only a great variety in the climate, but pour out many large
and navigable rivers, and contain every fpecies of minerals. It is like-
wife no fmall convenience and encouragement to commerce, that Eu-
rope is interfered by feveral feas, and that it is contiguous to the At-
lantic Ocean.
The feeming natural difadvantages of Europe have, by dint of the
ingenuity and pcrfeverance of the inhabitants, given rife to numberlefs
arts and fciences, which have been carried to a great degree of perfec-
tion. Afia and Africfa, have immenfe dcferts, fuch as are no where to
be found in Europe ; defcrts of many thoufand fquarc miics, and which
are partly owing to natural and infuperable difadvantages of fituationj
partly to want of induftry, which is at once both caufe and efieft of
defolation. America is yet in its infancy, fo that the fciences of Eu-
rope far excel thofe of the other quartersof the globe, excepting thofc
parts into which European knowledge and civilization have been tranf-
planted. Europe may alfo boaft of the grcateft number of ufeful in-
ventions and inftituti'ms, to prcfcrvc and to propagate acquired know-
ledge. It has, at prefeiit, about 130 univerfitics, and an almofl: infinite
number of literary focietics, or academics of fciences, arts, and lan-
guages. ' . . . ~
The dates of Europe confidered with rcfpeft to their intrinfic pow-
er and influence abroad, may be divided into three dalles: I'rancc,
Great Britain, Auflria, Pruffia, and Rulha, belong to the firft. Sec-
ondary powers are thofe of Turkey, Spain, Holland, Denmark, Swe-
den, and Sardinia : The third clafs comprehends Portugal, Naples,
and Sicilv, Poland, the Joint Elc£loraie of the Palatinate and Bavaria,
the Ele^oratc of Saxony, Switzerland and Venice. Por the laft
three centuries paft, the cabinets of Europe, and chiefly that of France,
have endeavoured to keep up a conftant equilibrium between the dif-
ferent /fates. France and England endeavoured to prefcrve the bal-
ance of power in the weft, PrulFia, Auftria, and Rufiia that in the ealt
of Europe : Ruffia has, by its late extraordinary increafe of power,
gained a great afcendency in the north, after a fucccfsful ftruggle with
the rival power of Sweden.
GRAND DIVISIONS OF EUROPE.
THIS grand divifion of the earth is fituated between the lot-h de-
gree weft, and the 65th degree caft longitude from London ; and
between the 36th and y2d. degree of nortli latitude. It is bounded on
the north, by the Frozen Ocean ; on the eaft, by Afia ; on the fouth,
by the Mediterranean Sea, which divides it from Africa ; and on the
weft, by the Atlantic Ocean, v.hich fep' rates it from America : Being
3000 miles long, from Cape St. Vincent in the weft, to the mouth of
the river Oby in the north eaft ; and 2500 broad, from north to fouth,
from the north Cape in Norway to Cape Cayha or Mctapar in the Mo-
rea, the moft fouthcrn promontory ia Europe.* It contains the fol-
lowing kingdoms and ftates.
• The reader is defired to obferve, Oiat in this part of the work, in reckoning the extent
of countries, the /i/'^^iy/ and ^/"cj^i^ parts liave been mentioned. Creat allowanccJ there-
fore muft be made ii moll countries. Jutlai d, for infttnce, is i J4 miles where broxdtft>
tKough in feveral other p^rts it is no^ f.itv.
P E.
s|i
Hi
-if
Kingdoms.
Len.iBth.
Chief City.
Dilh and Bearing
from London.
D'lti. of Timti
t'ronri London.'
Religions.
England
Scotland
Ireland
3S0
300
28.S
3or.
London
iidinburgh
Dublin
Miles.
» t *
400 N.
270 N. W.
H,
0
0
M.
» * #
12 aft.
26 att.
Luth.Calvinifts,&c
Calvinifts, &c.
Lut. Gal. &R. Ca.
Noiway
Denmjric
1000
240
It
Utrgen
Copenhagen
540 N.
=;oo N. E.
0
0
24 bcl
50 bef.
Lutherans
Lutherans
Sweden
yco
5CC
Stockholm
750 N. E.
1 10 bef.
1 I therans
KuHia
isoc
HOC
Petrrlbore
1140N. E.
2
4 bef.
Gre(k.Ct,u:cn
Poland
7coj 68c
^\.,(,w
760 E.
I 24 bef.
R. C. Lutn.&C^iv.
K.of Fr. Uom.
609! 350
Eerlin
540 E.
0
59 bef.
L-rh. a;id Calv.
Germa„y
6co; soc
V.rnna
600 E.
I 5 bef.
R.C La .;.&C^1V.
Buhernia
3C0I z^c
r':„..^e
600 £.
4 bef.
R. Cath.
HolUDd
'5C
ICC
An-a!vin.lh
Flanders
200
2GC
'Vullels
iBoS. E.
0
16 bef.
R. C.ir.
France
60c
5"
Pans
200 S. E.
0
9 t^er
R. C.tt..
Spain
7<-'-
5<-^f
Madrid
800 S.
0
17 T
R. Cath.
P>.itugai
'ioc
IOC
Llho,.
Mern, Coii.
&c.
8i;o S. W.
0
38 a/t.
R. Cath.
Swuzerlan-i
26c
IOC
420 5. E.
0
28 bef.
Ualv. &K. Cath.
Several > Pie
ftnall States \ &c
dmont, Monlcrrat, Milan
Turin, Cafal, Milan
, Parma, Modenn
, Parma, Modena
Mantua, Venice, Genoa, Tafcany,
, Mantua, Venice Genoa, Florence.
Poppdoni
24c
120
R^ne
>iio -. E.
0
S'3 bef.
R. Cath.
Napls-
zSc
I2C
N,:nles
0-0 S E.
1 0 net-
!<. C . M.
Hun^arv
3CC
200
Bo da
780 S. h..
I 17 bef.
R. C. A: Piofitanr-
Danubiaa 1
Provinces S
L. Tartary *
Greece
6ct
38c
400
420
24r
24c
f Conftan-
1 tinople
Precop
Athens
1320 S. E.
1500 E.
1360 S. E.
58 bef.
24 bef.
37 bef.
Mahometans and
Greek Church.
clufive of the
Britil
hill
:s, Europe
contains the
fol
owinff I
rincipal iflands:
Iflands.
[Chief Towns
In the Nor-
thern Ocean
Baltic Sea.
Rugen,
I Iceland ~ 1
rZealund, Funen, Alfen, Fal- "
fter,Langland, Laland, Fe-
J mercn, Mona, Bornholm,
^ Gothland, Aland
Ofel, Dagho, —
Ufedom, WoUin, —
Ivica, —
Majorca, — .
Mediterrane-J Minorca, — —
an Sea. ^ Corfica, . —
j Sardinia, — — — —
LSicily ~ _
Adriatic, or f Luficna, Corfu, Cephalonia, \
GulfVenice. \Zant, Leucadia, J
fCandi a, Rhodes, Negropont,"]
Archloelago, 1 Lcmnos, Tenedos, Scyros, j
and Levant < ^^ytcl':ne,Scio, Samos,Pat- I
gg^g^ I mos, Paros, Ccrigo, Santo- (
I rin, &c. being part of an-
L cicnt and modern Greece, j
Skalholt.
Ivica,
Majorca,
Port Mahon.
Baflia,
Cagliari,
Palermo,
Subjea
Denmark
Denmark
Sweden
Ruffia
Pruffia
Spain
Ditto
Dittof
France
K.ofSard.
K.of2Sic.
Venice.
Turkey,
* This includes the Crim tartary, now ceded to KuHia, lor the paiticuUrs of which, fee
Russia. '^
f Minorca was taken from Spain by General Stanhopr, 1708, and confirmed to Great
Miitain by the Treaty of Utrecht 1713, but was befieged and taken by the Spaniards, Feb-
ruary • -, ,782, and confirmed lo them by the definitive Treaty of Peace, figned at Paris,
September 3, 1783. j ' e^
E N M
k;
I
vi
the
D E N f.r A R K.
SHALL, according to my plan, begin this account of his Danifri
Majefty's dominions, with the mod northerly htuations, and di
de them into four parts : ift, Eaft and Weft Greenland, Iceland an.
{lands in the Atlantic Ocean
er ; and 4th his German territories.
The dimenfions of thefe countries may b
2d, Norway ; 3d, Denmark' Prop-
fecn in the followinr!; table.
Denmark.
Square
Miles.
^ Clrlcf Cities.
Denmark
Proper.
Nortli Jutland,
South Jutland,
or Slcfwick,
Zealand,
Funen,
Falftar and
^ 1? -^ Lanffland,
^ rcmeren,
Alfcn,
Mona,
^Bornholm,
In the North Seas, Iceland lUand,
Norway,
Danifli Lapland,
Weftphalia, Oldenburg,
Lower Saxonv, Stormar,
Danilh Holftein,
Total
■T5 -
t^ o
9,60c
1=935
768
39
160
46.000
71,40c
2 8, /J 00
i'2bo
1000
63,04
1 0
8
15
e
M
f
20
1'.
135
'S.:
y^o
170
^A^
17'.
62
3'-^
5-
3"
Wyburg.
Slcf-wvick.
CoPENHAGEi;
Odcnfee,
Kikoping.
iNaxkaw.
licrgc.
Sonderborge.
Stege.
Hoilcomby.
ikalhoU.
hicvgcn,
Wavdhuys.
Oldenburg.
olGluckftadt.
The reader may perceive, that in the preceding tabic no cakulatioji.
is made of the dimenfions of Eaft and Weft Greenland; bccaule la
faa, they are not yet known, or known very impcrictYly : We ilia.;
proceed to give the lateft accounts of them., and from the beft author-
ities that have come to our hands.
EAST AN t> WEST GREENLAND, ICELAND, AN- D THE ISLANDS
IN THE Atlantic Ocean.
E A S T (; R E E N L AND.
THE moft northerly part of his Danifli majefty's dominions ; or a3
others call it, New Greenland, and the country of i^pitzbergcr
lies between 10 and 11 dcg. E. long, and 76 and 80 deg.^ N
Thouah it is now claimed by Denmark, it ccrtaniiy was ai
laU
fcovcrcd
bv Sii Hugh Willoughby in 15,53 ; and is iuppoicd to be a contnuu.-
lion of Old Greenland. It obtained the n.nnc of Spitzbcrgen lu,i.i
; height and ruggednefs of its rocks. Few annnals or vcgeiables aic
be found hererand the 6^ and fowl are laid to toriake i he coaft u
uter. The Rulhans of Archangel have formed wulun the laft 3«
ars, fettlcmcnts for hunting in Icvcral places of the illand ot b 1^^^
rgcn. The Aurora Borcalis and the uorihcrn h^hts ivikacd i*o*
8 WEST GREENLAND.
the fnow, enable them to purfue the chace during the long winter
nights of thcfe gloomy regions ; and they take a great number of fea-
lions which ferve them for food. There is a whale-fifhery, chiefly
•profecuted by the Dutch and fome Britifh veflels, on its coaft. It
likewife contains two harbours; one called South Haven, and the
other Maurice-Bay ; but the inland parts are uninhabited.
WEST GREENLAND
LIES between the Meridian of London, and 50 deg. W, long, and
between 60 and 76 deg. N. lat.
Inhabitants.] By the lateft accounts from the mi {fionaries em-
ployed for the converfion of the Greenlanders, their whole number
does not amount to above 9,57 ftated inhabitants : M. Crantz, how-
ever, thinks that the roving fouthlaiiders of Greenland may amount to
about *rooo- There is a ^reat refemhlance between the afpeft, man-
jiers, and drcfs of thoft:' natives, and the Efquimaux Americans, from
\vh'>m thcv naturally differ but little, even after all the pains which
the Daniih and German milTionaries have taken to convert and civi-
liz-e them. They are lov/ of ilature, few exceeding five feet in height,
arjd the generality are not fo tall. The hair of their heads is long,
ftraight, and of a black colour ; but they have fcldom any beards, be-
caufe it :s their coiif^ant praftice to root them out. They have high
breails and broad fhoulders. efpecijlly the women, who are obliged to
carry great burdens from their younger years. They are very light
and nimble of foot, and can alfo ufe their hands with much fkill and
dexterity. They are not very lively in their tempers, but they are
jgood-humoured, friendiv, and unconcerned about futurity. Their
moft agreeable food is the flefh of rcin-decr ; but that is now fcarcc
among them, and their befl provifions are fifh, feals, and fea-fowl.
Their drink is clear water, which {lands in the houfe in a great cop-
per-vcffcl, or in a wooden tub, which is very neatly made by them, or-
namented with fifh bones and rings, and provided with a pewter la-
dle or dipping difh. The men make their hunting and fifhing imple-
ments, and prepare the wood-work of their boats ; and the wom-
en cover them with (kins. The men hunt and fifh, but when they
have towed their bootv to land, they trouble themfelves no farther
about it ; nay, it would be accounted beneath their dignity only to
draw the feal up upon the fhore. The women are the butchers and
cooks, and alfo the curriers to drefs the pelts, and make clothes, fhoes,
and boots, out of them ; fo that they arc likewife both flioemakers
and taylors. The women alfo build and repair the houfcs and tents,
fo f'-" as relates to the mafonry, the men doing only the carpenter's
work. They live in huts during their winter, which is'incredibly fe-
vere ; but Mr. Crantz, who has given us the latcfl and befl accounts
of this country, fays, that in their longeft fummer days it is fo hot that
the inhabitants art obliged tothrow off their fummer garments. They
have no trade, though thev have a mofi: improveable fifhcry upon their
coafls ; but they employ all the year either in fifliing or hunting, in
which they are very dexterous, particularly in catching and killing
fcals.
Curiosities.] The taking of whales in the fcas of Greenland,
among the fields of ice that have been iiicrcafing for ages, is one of
the
ICELAND 9
the greateflcuriofitics in nature. Thefe fields, or pieces of ice, arc
frequently more than a mile in length, and upwards of lOo feet in
tliicknefs ; and when they ate put in motion by a ftorm, nothing can
be more terrible ; The Dutch had 13 fhips cruflicd to pieces by them
in one feafon. ^ , , r 1 • 1
There are feveral kinds of^whales in Greenland ; iome white aad
others black. The black fort, the grand bay whale, is in moft eftecni»
on account of his bulk, and the great quantity of fat or blubber he af-
fords, which turns to oil. His tongue is about 18 feet long, inclolcd
in long pieces of what we call whale-bone, which are covered with a
kind of hair like horfe hair ; and on each fide of his tongue are 250
pieces of this whale-bone. As to the bones of his body they are as
hard as an ox's bones, and of no ufe. There are no teeth ui his mouth ;
and he is ufually between 60 and 80 feet long ; very thick about the
head, but grows lefs from thence to the tail.
When the feamen fee a whale fpout, the word is immediately given,
fall, fall, when every one haftens from the fhip to his boat ; fix or eight
men being appointed to a boat, and four or five boats ufually belong
to one fhip. o •, 1 • • t
When they come near the whale, the harpooner ilrikes him with
his harpoon (a barbed dart) and the monfler, finding himfelf wounded,
runs fwiftly down into the deep, and would carry the boat along with
him if they did not give him line faft enough ; ancJ to prevent the
wood of the boat taking fire by the violent rubbing of the rope on the
fide of it, one wets it conftantly with-amop. After the whale has
run fome hundred fathoms deep, he is forced to come up for air, when
he makes fuch a terrible noife with his fpouting, that fome have com-
pared it to the firing of cannon. As foon as he appears on the furface
of the water, fome of the harpooners fix another harpoon in him,
whereupon he plunges again into the deep ; -and when he comes up a
fecond time, they pierce him with fpears in the vital parts till he Ipouts
out ftreams of blood inftead of water, beating the waves with his tail
and fins till the fca is in a foam, the boats continuing to follow him
fome leagues, till he has loa his ftrength ; and when he is dying he
turns himfelf upon his back, and is drawn on {hore, or to the fhip if
thev be at a diftance from the land. There they cut him in pieces,
and boiling the blubber extrad the oil, if they have conveniencies on
fliore ; othcrwife they barrel up tlie pieces, and bring them home;
but nothing can fmell ftronger ihan thefe fliips do. Every filh is com-
puted to yield between 60 and 100 ban els of oil, of the value of 3I. or
4I a barrel. Though the Danes claim the country of Eaft and Weft
Greenland, where thefe whales are taken, the Dutch have in a manner
monopolized this fifhcry. Of late the Englifii have alfo been very
fuccefsful in it,
I C E L A N D.
THISifiand, which receives its name from the great maffes of ice
that arc fcen near it, lies between 63 and 67 deg. N. hit. and between
II and27deg. W. long. It extends four hundred miles in length,
and an hundred asd fixtv m breadth, containing about 46000 fquare
miles. In April, 178-:}, the inhabitants of Iceland oblerved lomcthing
rifen and flaaiing in the fca. to the iouth of Grinbourg, at c'S^'J^f^^^^*
id ! c E L A j^ a
difhant from the rocks des OifcauXj wliicli afterwards was found t<5
be a new liland. The facl is authentic, but its dimenfions and fitua-
lion are not well afcertained. The information brought by the lad
iliip from thence, was, that the Illand was flill increafmg, and that
great quantities of fire iffucd from two of its eminences.
Population, Inmiabitants, Manners, and Customs.]) It ap-
pears that a Norwegian colony, among which there were many Swedes,
fettled in Iceland in the ninth century. They found there inhabitants
who were Chriftians, and whom they called Papas. It is faid, that the
Norwegians alfo found among them Irifh books, bells, and crofiers :
And it is conje£lured, that the people who were there, when the
Norwegians arrived in the ifland, originally came from England and
Ireland. The inhabitants long retained their freedom ; but they were
at laft obliged to fubmlt to the kings ot Norway, and afterwards became
fuhjeft, together with Norway, to the kings of Denmark. They were
at firfh governed by an admiral, who was knt there every year to make
the nccelTary regulations : But that mode has now been changed for
many years, and a governour appointed, who is flyled Sfiftfamtmann^
and who conftantly refidcs in the country.
The number of the inhabitants of Iceland is computed at about
6o.ooo, which is by no means adequate to the extent of the country.
It has been much more populous in former times, but great numbers
have been deftroycd by contagious difealbs. The plague carried off ma-
ny thoufands from 1 4012 to 1 404. Pvlany parts of Iceland have alfo been
depopulated by famine : For though the Icelanders canndt in general
be faid to be in want of neceffary food, yet the country has feveral
times been vifited by great famines. Thefe have been chiefly occafion-
ed by the Greenland floating ice ; which, when it comes in great quan-
tities, prevents the grafs from growing, and puts an entire flop to their
fifhino-*. The fmall pox has likewiie been very fatal here ; for in the
year 1707 and 1708 that difcafe defl:royed 16,000 perfons.
The Icelanders in general are middle-fized, and well-made, though
not very fi;rong. They are an honeft, hofpitable well intentioned peo-
ple, moderately induflrious, and very faithful and obliging. Theft is
fclnom heard of among them. Their chief employment is fifliing, and
taking care of their cattle. On the coaflis, the men employ their time
in filhing both winter and fummcr ; and the women prepare the filh,
and few and fpin. The men alio prepare leather, work at feveral^
mechanic trades, and fom,e few work in gold and filver. They like-
wife manufacture a toarfe kind of cloth, which they call Wadmal. — .
They have an vmcommonly flrong attachment to their native country,
and think thcmfclves no where elfe fo happy. An Icelander, there-"
fore, fcidom fettles in Copenhagen, though the moft advantageous
conditions fhould be offered him. Their difpofitions are ferious, and
.they are much inclined to religion. They never pafs a rivejr, or any
other dangerous place, without previoufly taking off their hats, and
imploring the divine protedion ; and they are always thankful for
their prcfcrvation, when they have paffcd the danger. When they
meet together, their chief pailime coniiils in reading their hiflory. —
The m.!{Icr of the houfe begins, and the reft continue in their turns
when he is tired. They are famous for playing at chefs ; and one of
their paRimes confifls in reciting verfes. Sometimes a man and womaa
tak^\
ICELAND.
ai
take one another by the hand, and by turns fing flanzas, which are a
kind of dialogue, and in which the company occafionally join in cho-
rus. The drcfs of the Icelanders is not elegant or ornamental, but it
is neat, cleanly, and fuitcd to the climate. On their fingers the women
wear fcveral gold, filvcr, or brafs rings. The poorer women drel's
in the coarfe cloth, called wadmal, and always wear black : Thofewho
are in better circumftanccs wear broadcloth, with hlver ornaments,
gilt. The houfes of the Icelanders are generally bad : In fome places
they are built of drift wood,' and in others tliey are raifed of lava, witlt
mofs fluffed between the lava. Their roofs are covered with fods laid
over rafters, or fometimes over ribs of whales, which are both more
durable and more expcnhve than wood. They have not even a chim-
ney in their kitchens, but only lay their fuel on the earth, between
three flones ; and the fmoke iifues from a fquare hole in the roof. —
Their food principally confifls of dried fifh, lour butter, which they
confider as a great dainty, milk mixed with water and whey, and a,
little meat. Bread is fo fcarce among them, that there is hardly any
peafant who eats it above three or four months in the year.
Religion.] The only religion tolerated in Iceland is the Lutheran.
The churches on the eaft, fouth, and weft quarters of the iiland, arc
under the jurifdiftion of the bifhop of Skalholt, (the capital of the
ifland) and thofe of the north quarter are fubjcft to the biflrop of
Hoolum. The ifland is divided into 189 parifhes, of which i2y be-
long to the fee of Skalholt, and 62 to that of Hoolum. All the minil-
ters are natives of Iceland, and receive a yearly falary of four or hvc
hundred rix-dollars from the king, exclulive of what they have from
their congregations.
Language.] The language of Iceland is the fame as that formerly
fpoken in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, and has been prcfcrved fo
pure, that any Icelander underftands their moft ancient traditional
hiftories.
Learning and Learned Mkn.] It is fald that poetry formerly
flourifhed very much in Iceland ; and we arc informed that Egil SkaU
lagrimfon, Kormak Ogmundfon, Glum Geirfon, and Thorlief Jarlaa
were celebrated as great poets. But the art of writing was not much
in ufe till after the year 1000 •, though the Runic charaftcrs were
known in that country before that period, and moft probably brought
thither from Norway. After the reception of the Chriftian religion,
the Latin charafters were immediately adopted, as the Runic alphabet,
which only confifts of hxteen letters, was found infufficient. The
firft Icelandic bifhop, Ifleif, founded a fchool at Skalholt ; and fooii
after they founded four other fchools, in which the youth were in-
ftrufted in the Latin tongue, divinity, and fome parts of theoretic phi-
iofophy. And from the introduftion of the Chriftian religion here,
till the year 1264, when Iceland became fubjcft to Norwav. it was one
of the few countries in F.urope, and the only one itr the North, wherein
the fcienccs were cultivated and held in eftccm.
But this period of time fcems to have produced more learned men
.in Iceland than any other period fmce. It appears from their ancicjit
chronicles, that they had confiderable knowledge in morality, philofo-
phy, natural hiftory, and aftronomy. Moft of their works were writ-
ten in the nth, 12th, 13th, and i^th centuries ; and Ibmc cfthem
liay©
-;2 ICELAND.
have been printed. Mr. Banks, now Sir Jofeph Banks, prefcntcc! on^t
Jiiindrecl<4;id fixty-two Icelandic manufcripts to the Brit ifh Mufeum,
That gentleman vifited Iceland in 1772, accompanied by Dr. Solander,
Dr. Van Troil, and Dr. Lind. Dr. Van Troil, who publifhed an ac-
count of their voyage, obferves, that he found more knowledge among
the lower clafs in Iceland, than is to be met with in moft other places ;
that many of them could repeat the works of fome of their poets by
heart ; and that a peafant was feldom to be found, who, befides being
well inftrufted in the principles of religion, was not alfo ac-quainted
with the hiRory of his own country ; which proceeds from the fre-
t^uent reading of their traditional hiftories, that being one of theij
principal amufements.
John Arcfon, bilhop of Hoolum, employed John Matthieffon, a nai-
tive of Sweden, in eftablifliing a print ing-prefs in Iceland, about
the year 1.530 ; and the firft book printed by him there was the Bre-
viarium Nidarofienfe. He alfo printed an ecclefiaftical manual, Lu-
ther's catcchifm, and other books of that kind. The Icelandic code
of Jaws appeared in 1578, and the Icelandic bible in 1.584. Anew
privileged printing-office has lately been eftablifhed at Hrappfey ia
this ifland, and at which feverai valuable books have been printed.
Mountains, volcanoes, and natural curiosities.] Though
this ifland is fituated fo far to the north, earthquakes and volcanoes are
more known than in many countries in much warmer climates. The
former have leveral times laid the country almoft defolate, particularly
in the years 1734, J752, and 1755, when fiery eruptions broke out of
the earth, and produced very fatal confcquences. Many of the fnowy
mountains have alio gradually become volcanoes. Of thefe burning
mountains Heckla is the befl known, efpecially to foreigners. This
mountain is fituated in the fouthern part of the ifland, about four miles
from the fea-coaft. and is divided into three points at the top, the high-
cfl ofwhicli is that in the middle ; and which is computed to be above
;;ooo feet higher than the fea. Tliis mountain has frequently fent forth
ilames, and a torrent of burning matter. Its eruptions were particu-
larly dreadful in 1693, when they occafioned terrible devafkations, the
aflies being thrcnvn all round the ifland to the diftance of i8o Englifh
miles. The laft eruption of mount Heckla happened in 1766. It
began on the 5tli of April, and continued to the 7th of September fol-
Jnwing. Flames proceeded alfo from it in December 1771, and in
September 1772 ; but no eruptions of lava.
But amongft all the curiofities of Iceland, nothing is more worthy of
attention than tlie hot fpouting M-ater-fprings with which this ifland
abounds. The hot fprings at Aix-la-Chapelle, Carlfbad, Bath, and
Switzerland, and feyeral others found in Italy, are confldered as very
remarkable ; But. excepting in the lafl: mentioned countrv, the water
no wlicre becomes fo hot as to boil ; nor is it any where known to be
throv/n fo high, as the hot fpouting watcr-fprings in Iceland. All
thofe v/ater-works that have been contrived with fo much art, and at
fo enormous an expenfe, cannot by any means be compared with thefe.
The watcv-works at St. Cloud, which are thought the greatcfl; among,
all the French water-works, caft up a thin column eighty feet into the
air : While fome fprings in Iceland fpout columns of water, of fcvcral
feet in thickncfs. to the height of many fathoms ; and, as many affirm,
of
N Dr
*5
of feveral hundred feet. Thefe fprings are of unequal degrees of licat.
From fome, the water flows gently as from other fprings, and it is tlir.ii
called a bath :. From others, it fpouts boiling water with a great noife,
and it is then called a kettle. Though the degree of heat is unccjual]
yet Df. Van Troil fays, that he does not remember ever to have obfcrv-
cd it under 188 of Fahrenheit's thermometer. At Gcvfer, Rorvhurn,
and Laugarvatn, he found it at 2i->. ; and in the lafl place, ia the
ground, at a little hot current of water, 213 degrees. It is very com-
mon for fomc of the fpouting-fprings to ccafc, and others to rife up in
their ftead. Frequent earthquakes, and fubterranean noifes, heard at
the time, caufe great terror to the people who live in the neighbour-
hood. In feveral of thefe hot fprings, the inhabitants who live near
them, boil their viftuals, only by hanging a pot into whicti the ilcfa
is put in cold water, in the water of the fpring. They alfo bathe in
the rivulets that run from them, which, by degrees, become luke-warm,
or are cooled by their being mi,xed with rivulets of cold water. The
cows that drink of thefe fprings are faid to yield an extraordinary quan-
tity of milk ; and it is likcwife efteemed very ■whoiefoine when drank
by the human fpecies.
The largeft of all the fpouting-fprings in Iceland is called Gcyfcr.
It is about two days journey from Heckla, and not far from Skalholt,
In approaching towards it, a loud roaring noife is heard, like the nifli-
jng of a torrent, precipitating itfelf from ftupcndous rocks. Tlie
water here fpouts feveral times a day, but always by flarts, and aftci
certain intervals. Some travellers have aflirmcd, that it fpouts to the-
height of fixty fathoms. The water is thiown up much higher at fome
times than at others ; when Dr. \'^an Troil was there, the utraofl height
to which it amounted was computed to be qa feet.
Bafultine pillars are likewifc very common iu Iceland, whiah are
fuppofed to have been produced by fubterranean fires. The lower'
fort of people imagine thefe pillars to have been piled upon one anoth-
er by giants,, who made ufe of fupernatual force to cffc6l it, They
have generally from three to feven fides, and are from four to fix fee:
in thicknefs, and from twelve to fi.xteen yards in length, without any
horizontal divifions. In fome places they are only feen here and there
among the lava in the mountains : But, in lome other places, lliey ex-
tend two or three miles in length without interruption.
There arc immenfe malTes of ice, by which every year great damage
is done to this country, and which aiieft the climate of it ; they ar-
rive commonly with a N. W. or N. N. W. wind from Greenland. —
The field-ice is of two or three fathoms thicknefs, is fcparated byth-:;
winds, and lefs dreaded than tlie rock or mountain-ice, which is often
feen fifty feet and more above water, and is at Icaft; nine times the fame
depth below water. Thefe prodigious maflcs of ice arc frequently
left in fhual water, fixed,'as it were, to the ground, and in that flate
remain many months, nay, it is faid, even years, undilVolved, chilling
all tifie ambient part of the atmofphcrc for many miles round. 'J he
ice caufed fo violent a cold in 1753 ,and 1754, that horfes and fhcep
perifhed on account of it. A number of bears arrive yearly with the
ice, which commit great ravages, particnhrly among the fhcep. Tlie
Icelanders attempt ro dcftroy thele intruders as fooa as they get fight
of them ; and fometimcs they affemWc togriher, and drive thcin back
H
K O R W A Y.
to t'he ice, tvitli which they often float off again. For want of fire-
arms, they are obliged to make ufe of fpears on thefe pccafions. The
gDvcrnment entourages the natives to deftroy thefe animals, by paying
a premium of ten dollars for every bear that is killed. Their fkins are
alfo Durchafed for the king, and are not allowed to be fold to any other
pcrfon.
It is extraordinary that no wood grows fuccefsfuUy in Iceland ; nay,
there arc very few trees to be found on the whole ifland, though there
arc certain proofs that wood formerly grew there in great abundance.
Nor can corn be cultivated here to any advantage ; though cabbages,
parfley, turnips, and peas, may be met with in five or fix gardens,
*vhich are faid to be all that are- in the whole Ifland.
Trade.] The commerce o^ this ifland is monopolized by a Danifh
company. The foil upon the fea-coaft is tolerably good for pafture ;
and thouoh there is not any confidcrable town in the whole ifland, the
Jrclandcrs liave feveral frequented ports. Their exports confift; of
vdried fifh, falted mutton and lamb, beef, butter, tallow, train-oil, coarfc
woolen-cloth, flockings, gloves, raw wool, flieep-flcins, lamb-fkins,
fox-furs of various colours, cider-down, and feathers. Their imports
confift of timber, fifliing-lines and hooks, tobacco, bread, horfc-fhocs,
brandy, wine, fait, linen, and a little filk ; exclufivc of fome necefl"a-
rics and fuperfluities for the more wealthy.
Sir.ENrrTH AND REVEXUE.] As Iccland afFordsno bait for avarice
or ambition, the inhabitants depend entirely upon his Danifli majcfty's
protcftion ; and the revenue he draws from the country amounts to
about 30,000 crov/ns a year.
THE FARO OR FERRO ISLANDS,
SO called from their lying in a clufter, and the inhabitants ferrying
from one ifland to another. They are about 24 in, number, and lie
Vrctween 61 and 63 deg. W. long, from London. The fpacc Cvf this
clufl.er extends about 60 miles in length, and 40 in breadth 300 miles
to thewcfl-wardof Norway ; having Shetland and the Orkneys on the
fouth-caft, and Greenland and Iccland upon the north and north-weft.
The trade and income of tlie inhabitants, who may be about 3000 Of
4000, add little or nothing to the revenues of Denmark.
NORWAY.
Name, boundaries,! /THHE natural fignification of Norway Is,
AND EXTCNT. J -»- \.\\t Norlhem-way. It is bounded on
the fouth by the entrance into the Baltic, called the Scaggerac, or
Catcgate ; on the weft and North, by the northern ocean ; and on
the eaft it is divided from Sweden by a Ion? ridge of mountains, call-
ed at difi'crent parts by different names/ as Filleficld, Dofrcfield,
Rundficld, and Dourficld. The reader may confult the table of di-
mcnfions in Denmark for its extent ; but it is a country fo little
known to the reft of Europe, that it is difficult to fix its dimenfions
with prcciiion.
Climate.] The climate of Norway varies according to its extent,
and its pofition towards tlie fea. At Bergen the winter is moderate,
and the fea is navigable. The caftein parts of Norway are commonly
covcrc
1^ O R W A V.
15
covered wi'tli fnow ; and the cold generally fels in about the middle
of Oftobcr, with intenfe fcveiify, and continues to the middle of
April ; the waters being all that time frozen to a confiderable thick-
nefs. In 1719, 7000 Swedes, who were on their march to attack
Dronthcim, pcriflied in the Inow, on the mountains which fcparate
Sweden from Norway ; and their bodies were found in dilTcrcnt
poftures. But even froll and fnow have their convcnicncies, as they
facilitate the conveyance of goods by land. As to the more northerly
p^rts of this country, called Finmark, the cold is fo intenfe, that
they are but little known. At Bergen, the longcft. day is about 11)
hours, and the fiiorteft about fix. In fummcr, the inliabitants can
read and write at midnight by the light of the fkv ; and in the moil
northerly parts, about midfummer, the fun is continually in view.
In thofe parts, however, in the middle of winter, there is only a
faint glimmering of light at noon for about an hour and an half ; ow-
ing to the refleflion of the lun's rays on the mountains. Nature, not-
■withftanding, has been fo kind to the Norwegians, that in the midft
of their darknefs, the fl<.y is ferene, and the moon and tlic aurora
borealis fo bright, that they can carry on their fiflicry, and work at
their feveral trades in open air. Sudden thaws, and fnow-falls, have
fometimes dreadful effefts, and deftroy whole villages.
Mountains.] Norway is reckoned one of the mofl mountainous
countries in the world. It contains a chain of unequal mountains
running from fouth to north : To pals tfiat of Hardangcr, a man
muft travel about feventy Englifh milrs ; and to pafs othcjs, upwards
of fifty. Dofrefield is counted the highcft mountain, perhaps in
Europe. The rivers and catarafts which intcrfeft thofe dreadful preci-
pices, and that are pafTable only by flight tottering wooden bridges,
render travelling in this country very terrible and dangerous; though
the government is at the expenfe of pro\'iding. at different flages,
houfcs accommodated with fire, light, and kitchen furniture. De-
tached from this vafh chain, other immenfe mountains prefent thcm-
lelvci all over Norway ; fome of ihcm with rcfervoirs of water on
the top ; and the whole forming a mofi furprifing landfcape. The
:.£livity of the natives, in reco\'ering their flicep and goats, when
penned up, through a falfe flep, in one of thofe locks, is wonderful.
The owner directs himfelf to be lowered down from the top of the
mountains, fitting on a crofs flick, tied to the end of a long rope ;
and when he arrives at the place where the creature Itands, he faflens
it to the fame cord, and it is drawn up with himfelf. The caverns
that are to be met with in thefe mountains, are more wonderful than
thofe, perhaps, in any other part of the world, though lefs liable to
obfervation. One of them, called DoHlcen, was, in 1750, vifited by
tv/o clergymen ; who reported, that they proceeded in it till they
lieard the fea dafliing ovei- their heads ; that the paflage was as wide
and high as an ordinary church, the fides perpendicular, and the roof
vaulted : That they defccnded a flight of natural flairs ; but when
they arrived at another, they durft not venture to proceed, hut re-
turned ; and that they confumeii two candles going and returning.
Forests.] The chief wealth of Norway lies in its forcfts, which
furnifli foreigners with mafts, beams, planks, and boards : And fcrve
bcfide for all domellic ufcs ; partir^ilarlv iho conftruftion of lioufcs,
bridges,
i5 NOR W A Y.
bridges, flilps, and for charcoal to the founderies. The chief timber grovf«
jnghereare fir and pine, ehn,afh, yew, benrced (a very curious wood),
birch, beech, oak, eel or alder. juniper, theafpin-trec, the comol or flow-
tree, hafel, elder, and even ebony (under the mountains of Kolen)
lime or linden tree, and willows. The fums which Norway receives
for timber are very conhderable ; but the induflry of the inhabit-
ants is greatly adifted by the courfe of their rivers, and the fituation
of their lakes : which afford them not only the convcniency already
mentioned, of floating down their limber, but that of erefling faw
mills, for dividing their large beams into planks and deals. A tenth
of all fawed timber belongs to his Danifti Majefty, and forms no in-
confidcrable part of his revenue.
Stones, mktals,"[ Norway contains quarries of excellent mar-
AND Ml NtRALs. J" blc, as wcU as many other kinds of ftones ; and
the magnet is found in the iron mines. The amianthus, or abeftos, is
found here. It is of an incombuftible nature, and when its delicate
fibres are woven into cloth, is cleaned by burning. Befides this curi-
ous mineral, Norway produces cryftals, granates, amethyfls, agate,
thunder-ftones, and eagle-ftones. Gold found in Norway has been
coined into ducats. His Danifh majefty is now working, to great ad-
vantage, a filver mine at Konfberg ; other lilver mines have been
found in different parts of the country ; and one of the many filver
maffes that have been difcovered, weighing 560 pounds, is to be feen
at the Royal Mufeum at Copenhagen. The lead, copper, and iron
mines, are common in this country : One of the copper-mines at Ro-
Taas is thought to be the richeft in Europe. Norway likewife pro-
he the largeft of all eatable birds. In Norway are twP kinds of cables,
the land and the fea ; the former is fo llrong, that iie has been known.
to carry off a child of two years old : The lea, or fifh eagle, is larger
than the other ; he fubfifts on aquatic food ; and fomctimcs darts oa
large fidies with fuch force, that, being unable to free his talons from.
their bodies, he is dragged into the water and drov/ncd.
Nature feems to have adapted thefc aerial inhabitants for the coaft
of Norway ; and induftry has produced a fpecies cf mankind pecu^
liarly fitted for making them ferviceable to the human race : I'hcfa
are the birdmen, or climbers, v/hoaie amazingly dexterous in mount-
ing the lleepeft rocks, and bringing away the birds and their eggs r
The latter are nutritive food : The ilefh is eaten by the pcafants, who
generally relifh it ; while the feathers and down form a profitable
commodity. Even the dogs of the farmers, in the nothern dillii^ts
arc trained up to be alTiftants to thefe birdmen in feizing their prc\'.
The Scandinavian lakes and feas abound in mofl: kinds of fifh that
are found on the fca-coafls of Europe. Stgck-fifh in ^reat numbev^ are
Ji ■ caught
a N o R w A r.
caught and ple are
maintained by the herring and other fifliing on the coaft of Norway.
The fea-devll is about fix: feet in leng'h, and is fo called from its mon,-
flrous appearance and voracity. The fea-fcorpion is likewile ofa
jiidcous form, its head bsing larger than its whole body, which is about
four feet in length ; and its bite is faid to be poifonous.
The accounts of the ancients, concerning fea-monftcrs, feemingly
the moft fabulous, are rendered credible by the produftions of the
Norwegian feas ; and the fca-fnake, or ferpcnt of the ocean, is no
longer counted a chimera. In 1756, one of them was Ihot by a mailer
of a fhip •, its headrefcmbled that of a horfc ; the mouth was large an i
Mack, as were the eyes, a white mane hanging from its neck : It
floated on tlie furface of the water, and held its head at leafl tv/o feet
out of the fea ; between the head and neck were feven or eight folds,
which wcrcvcr^' thick.; and the length of this ihake was more tlian
a hundred yards, fome fay fathoms. They have a remarkable averfion
to the fmeli of caitor ; for which rcafon, fhip, boat, and bark mafher,i
provide tliemfelves with quantities of that drug, to prevent being
pvcrfet ; the ferpent's oifaftory nerves being remarkably cxquifuc.
The particularities related of this animal v/ould bo incredible, were
thtv
N O R W
1^
they not attefted upon oath. Egede (a very reputable author) fayr,
that on the 6th day of July, 1734, a large and frightful fca-monllcr
raifed itfelf fo high out of the water, that its head reached above the
main-top-maft of the (hip ; that it had a long fharp fnout, broad paws,
and fpouted water like a whale ; that the body feemed to be covered
with fcales ; the (kin was uneven and wrinkled, and tlie lower ])art
was formed like a fnakc. The body of this monfter is faid to be as
thick as a hogfhead ; his fkin is variegated like a tortoifc-flicU ; and
his excrement, which floats upon the furfacc of the water, is corrolivc,
and blifters the hands of the fcaman if they handle it.
I am under great difficulty in mentioning the kraken, or korvcn,
whofe exiftence is faid to be proved fo fhrongly, as fecms to put it out
of all doubt. I infert the common defcription, leaving everyone to
judge of its truth. Its bulk is faid to be a mile and a half in circum-
ference ; and when part of it appears above the water, it refcmblcs a
number of fmall iflands and fand-banks, on which fiflies difport them-
felves, and fea-weeds grow : Upon a farther emerging, a number of
pellucid antennae, each about the height, form, and hze of a moderate
mafb, appear ; and by their aftion and re-a6lion he gathers his food, con-
fiding of fmall fifhes. When he finks, which he does gradually, a
dangerous fwell of the fca fucceeds, and a kind of whirlpool is nat\irallv
formed in the water. In 1680, a young kraken periihed among ibu
rocks and cliffs of the parifh of Alftahong : and his death was attended
by fuch a ftench, that the channel where it died was impaffablc. —
"Without entering into any romantic theories, we may fafely fay, that
the exiftence of this fifa being proved, accounts for many of tbeie phe-
nomena of floating iilands, and tranfitory appearances in the fea. that
have hitherto been held as fabulous by the learned, who could have
no idea of luch an animal.
The mer-men and mer-women refide in the Norwegian fcas. The mer-
man is about eight fpans long, and has fome refemblance to the human
fpecies ; a high forehead, little eyes, a flat nofe, and large mouth,
without chin or ears, charaftcrize its head ; its arms are fliort, but
without joints or elbows, and they terminate in members refemblii'.g
a human hand, but of the paw kind, and the fingers conneftcd by a
membrane ; The parts of generation indicate their fexes : Their under
parts, which remain in the water, terminate like thofe of fiflies. Ihe
females have breads, at which they fuckle their young ones.
Curiosities.] Thofe of Norway are all natural curiohties. On
the coad, latitude 67. is that dreadful vortex, or whirlpool, called by
navigators the navel of the fea, and by fome Maleftrom, or Mofkoedrom.
The illandMofkoc, from whence this dream derives its name, lies be-
tween the mountain Heileggen in Lofodcn, and the iiland Ver, which
are about one league didant ; and between the ifland and coad on each
fide, the dream makes its wav. Between Mod:oe and Lofodeu it is
near 400 fathoms deep ; but between Mofkoeand Vcr. it is fo. fhallow
as not to afford paffage for a fmall fnip. When it is flood, the dream
runs up the country. between Lofoden and Molkoe with aboidtioug
rapidity ; and when it is ebb, returns to the fea with a violence and
noife unequalled by tlie loaded catarafts. It is heard at the d:dance
of many leagues, and forms a vortex or whirlpool of great depth and
extent ; fo violent, that if a fhip comes near ir, it li immediately drawn
B 2 inefidibly
20 NORWAY.
irrefiftlbly 'u\to the -whirl, and there difappears, being abforhed an^
carried down to the bottom in a moment, where it is dafhcd to pieces
againft the rocks ; and juft at the turn of ebb and flood, when the
water becomes ftill for about a quarter of an hour, it rifes again in fcat-
tered fragments. W'hen it is agitated by a florm, it has reached velfels
<-t the diftancc of more than a Norway mile, where the crews have
thought fhemfelves in perfefcl fccurity. Perhaps it is hardly in the
power of fancy to conceive a fituation of more horror, than that of
' being thus driven forward bv the fudden violence of an impetuous
torrent to the vortex of a whirlpool, of which the noiie and turbulence
ftill incrcafing as it is approached, are an earnefk of quick and inevita-
ble deflruftion ; while the wretched viftims, in an agony of defpair
and terror, cry out for that help whicli they know to be impoffible ;
and fee before them the dreadful abyl's in which they are about to be
plunged, and dafhcd among the rocks at the bottom.
Even animals, which have come too near the vortex, have expreffed
the utmoft terror when they find the ftream irrehftible. Whales are
frequently carried away ; and the moment they feel the force of the
water, they ftruggle againft it with all their might, howling and bel-
lowing in a frightful manner. The like happens frequently to bears,
who attempt to fwim to the iiland to prey upon tlie fhcep.
It wa& the opinion of Kircher, that the Malcfl.rom is a fea vortex,
which attrafts the flood under the fliore of Norway, and difcharges it
again in the gulf of Bothnia : But this opinion is now known to be
erroneous, by the return of the fhattcred fragments of whatever hap-
pftis to be fucked dovv-n by it. The large fl;ems of firs and pines rife
again fo Ihivered and fplintered, that the pieces look as if covered
with briftles. The whole phienomena ai'e the eff"e£ls of the violence
of the daily ebb and flow, occafioned by the contraction of the flream
in its couriCe between the rocks.
People, lancuace, religion', 1 The Norwegians are of a mid-.
AND CUSTOMS Ob' NoRWAY. / dlc charaftcr, bctwecn the fimple
Greenlanders and Icelanders, and the more poliflicd Danes. Their
rellgion is Lutheran ; and they have bilhops, as thofe of Denmark,
without temporal jurifditlion. Their viceroy, like his mafter, is abfo-
lute ; but the farmers and com.mou people in Norway are much lefs
opprcflcd than thofe in Denmark.
The Norwegians in general are ftrong, robuft, and brave ; but quick
in rcfenting real or fuppofed injuries. The women are handfomc and
courteous ; and the Norwegian forms, both of living and enjoying
property, are mild, and greatly refembling the Saxon anceftors of the
prefent Englifli. Every inhabitant is an artifan, and fupplies his fami-
ly in all its neccflaries with his ov/n manufafturcs ; fo that in Norway
there are few by prcfeflion who are hatters, ihoe-makers, taylors; tan-
ners, weavers, carpcnreis, fmiths, or joiners. 'Fhe loweft Norwegian
peafant is an artift, a gentleman, and even a poet,_ I'hcv often mix
with oat-meal, the bark of the fir, majle into a kind of flour ; being re-
duced to very extraordinary fliifts forlupplying the place of bread, or
farinaceous food. The middle clals of Norwegians live in plenty ;
but, what is Angular, they are neither fond of luxury, nor do they
dread penury : And tliis middle flate prolongs their ages furprifingly,
late,
yc:.
NORWAY. 2t
yet, through cuftom, inftcad of guarding againftthe inclemency of the
weather, theyourbrave it ; for theyexpofc thcnifclvcs tocoUl, without
any cover upon their brcafts or necks. A Norwegian of a hundred
years of age is not accounted pafl his labour : And in 1733, four cou-
ples were married, and danced before his Danifli Majcily at Fredeiic-
ihall, whofc ages, when joined, exceeded 800 years.
The funeral ceremonies of the Norwegians contain vefliges of their
former paganifm : They play on tlie violin at the hxad of ihc coffin,
and while the corpfc is carried to the rluirch, ^^'bich is often done in
a boat. In fome places the mourners a{k the dead pcrfon why he died ;
whether his wife and neighbours were kind to him, and otlicr iuch
queflions ; frequently kneeling down and alking forgivcneis, if ever
they had offended the deceafed.
CoMMUKCE.] We have little to add to this head, different from
what fhall be obferved in our account of Denmark. The duties on
their exports, moll of which have been already recounted, amount to
about 100,000 rix-doUars a year.
Strength and revenue.] By the heft calculations, Norway caa
furnilh out 14,000 excellent feamen, and above 30. coo brave foldiers,
for the ufe of their king. The royal annual revenue from Norway-
amounts to near 200.OC0I. and till his picfent majelly's acceflion, tlie
army, inftiad of being expcnfive, added confiderably to his income, by
the fubfidies it brought him in from foreign princes.
HisroRV.] Wc muff refer to Denmark likcwifo for this head. —
The ancient Norwegians certainly were a very brave and powciAil
people, and the hardic ft feamen in the world. If wc arc to belicrc
their hillories, they were no ffrangcrs to America long before it was
difcovered by Columbus. Many cuiloms of their anceftors arc yet.
difcernible in Ireland and tlic north of Scotland, where they made
frequent defcents, and fome fettlcments, which arc generally confound-
ed with thofc of the Danes. From their being the molt turbulent,
they arc become now the moft loyal fubjcfts in Europe; which we
can eafily account for, fi-om the barbarity and tyranny of their kings,
•when a feparate people. Since the union of Calmar, which united
Norway to Denmark, their hiilcry, as well as intcrc-'ls, are the Iani'2
with that of Denmark,
J)liNMARK PRorER, OR JUTLAND, exclusive o? the Islands
IX THE BALTIC.
EXTENT AND SITUATION.
Miles. Degrees,
Length 2^0 "1 bpt.^y^.j.„ / 54 and 5^ ^''<^'"«'"' latitude.
Breadth 114 j I ^ and xt Eaff longitude.
Boundaries and VTT is divided on the north from Nonvay by i) <-
DIVISIONS. S AScaggcrac fea ; and from Sweden on the call, by
the Sound ; on the fouth by Germany and the Baltic ; and the Ger-
man fea divides it from Great Rritain on the wc!}./
Denmark Proper is divided info iwo p;n ts : 'J 'lie peninfiila of J-;t-
land, anciently called Cimhria C/tCij1-)i-/'.is,Vind the iflands at the cniran: p
of the Baltic, mentioned in the table. It is rcmarkablf, that;hough
all thefc together conftitute the kingdom of Dcrnnark, yi;t not any on<^
of them is f.'paratcly called by that u..v. -.% ("lim.vi f.J
^2 DENMARK.
Clim.vte."] The climate is more temperate in this country, on ac-
r.ount of the vapours from the furrounding fca, than it is in many more
foutherly parts of Europe. Spring and autumn are feafons fcarcely
known in Denmark, on account of the fudden tranfitions from cold to
]\eat, and from heat to cold, which diftinguifh the climate of this king-
dom. In all the northern provinces of Denmark the winters are very
iovere, fo that the inhabitants often pafs arms of thefea in fledges upon
tlic ice ; and during the winter all their harbours are frozen up.
Religion'.] In Denmark, as in S^veden, the eftablifhed religion
is the Lutheran, which was introduced in the year 153S. Chrillians
of all other profeflions, and Jews, are tolerated. MifTions for the
.- onvcrfion of pagans are eftablifmed in the more remote poffeffions of
this crown, in l.apland, Greenland, and Tranquebar. The Danifh
clern;y coniifts of bifhops, provofls, and miniflcrs. The bifliops, called
in public afts fuperintendants, are fix in number, of whom the biflrop
of Seeland is the firft in rank. All ecclefiallical affairs are fubjeft to
the regulations and the jurifdiflion of the college of Supreme Infpec-
Tors ; the provofts convene every fix months a fubordinate meeting of
Tl\e rniniftcrs under their infpeftiott, in which they prefide, and over
wliich they excrcife a jurifdifkion ; from which an appeal lies to the
Supreme Infpcftors.
LAN'GUAGii; AND LEARNING.] Thc language of Denmark is a dla»
left of the Teutonic ; but High .Dutch and French are fpoken at court ;
and the nobility have lately made great advances in the Englifh, which
is now publicklv taught at Copenhagen as a necelfary part of educa-
ti*i. A company of Englifli comedians occafionally vifit that capital,
where they find tolerable encouragement. Denmark has two univer-
itties, tliat of Copenhagen, and tliat of Kiel ; two academical colleges,
i;t Soix>c and Odenicc ; and thirty-two other great fchools in the prin»
cipal towns. There is at Copenhag'^.n a royal fociety of fcienccs ; an
juftorical focictv for the fludy of Northern hiflory ; another of Ice-
landic hiftory and literature ; an academy for painting and architefhure j
a college of phylicians and fur^eons ; and another Tocicty of fciences
at Drontheim. This kingdom fi-iares with Sweden the praife of pro-f
uiolino; fcicnces, by fending numbers of learned men, at the public cx-
pcnl'c, to all parts of the globe, in order to make ufeful difcoveries.
Cai'it.m. J Copenhai;en is the capital of Denmark, and the refi-
tlcncc of the king. It lies in N. Lat. 55°, 41, and E. Lon. 12°^ 50,
iiud (lands on a low, TOarHiy ground, on the margin of the Baltic fea,
iind has a beautiful and commodious harbour, which admits only one
fiiip to eater it at a time^ but is capable of containing 5P0. The road
f<,r the fliipping begins aiaout two miles from the town, and is defended
by c,o pieces of cannon. On the land fide are fome lakes which fur-
:iiih ihc iithabitants with plenty of frefli water. The adjacent coun-
try is plea'TftUt ; and oppofite the city lies the ifland of Amac, which is
\,ery fruitful, and forms the harbour. It is joined to tlie town by two
Thij city ia more tlian fix miles in circumference, and makes a fjic
-.ppcarancc at ?; difbance. It contains 1 1 fquares and markets, nearly
: coltrceis,! royJi caftlcs, 10 parifh, and pother churches, fcveral pala-
.;js. betwcfii 4 and 5000 burghers houfes, fome of which are inhabited
Ly loormore faa:?;lies, and about 87,000 inhabitants, Thiscity is di-
vided
DENMARK. 23
vided Into Old Copenhagen, New Copcnhai^cn, and ChrlPiians-Hafcn,
which lies in the ille Amac. I'he two lalt divifions being more mod-
ern than the lirlt, are laid out in broad llrects, running in a ftraitline.
Since the lafl; great fire, the ftreets of Old Copenhagen, have been alter-
ed for the better. There are in fome pans of the city, broad and deep
«anals, into which large fliipsmay enter, and lade and unlade clofc to
the ware houfcs.
Among the moft remarkable public buildings arc 1 ft, The preat War-
tow Hofpital in the weft quarter of Old Copenhagen, containing up-
wards of 300 beds for the Tick and poor, each of wiiom has his lodging
gratis, and a weekly aUowance of lialf a rix dollar. Clofc to this hol-
pital is afmall church, fo contrived, that the bed-ridden may hear di-
vine fervice in their beds. — 2d, The Orphan houfc. which takes up one
entire fide of the New-Market, and is a great ornament to it. 3d, The
city prifon, which has its particular church. 4th, A large edifice, in tlic
flrand quarter of the old city, in the firft llory of which is the Arfenal ;
in the iecond the king's library ; in the third the pitturc gallery, the
royal cabinet of curiofities, and the cabinet of medals : and in the
fourth the cabinet of models. Between ChrifUan-Hafen and C'openha-
gen is a high pillar, ereclcd in the middle of the water, on which is the
llatue of a naked woman, with a fwan on her left fide, that extends its
neck behind her hack, and bringing its head over her light flioulucr,
puts its bill into her mouth.
The inhabitants of this city arc modlv Lutherans — the CalviniHs
have a churcli to thcmielves : The Jews have their fynagogucs ; and
the Roman Catholics rcfort to the chapels of the foreign rninifters of
their religion. The magiftracy of Copenha£:en confifls of a prdidcnt,
three burgomafters, and i'ome vice-burgomaficrs, and common councd-
nien.
Wealth and commerce.^ If the cold and barren kingdom of Nor-
way did not require large fupplics of corn from Denmark, the latter
wouldbe able to export a confidcrable quantity of it. Slefwic. jutlau'l,
Seeland, and I.eland, are very rich corn countries. Black cattle, vw'hich
is in great abundance, and of great cxceller.cc in thefe provinces, is a
moH valuable article of conimercc with the nciglibotuMng proviiices of
Germany : Between Co and 80.000 head of cattle are annuallv iuld. —
Denmark is rather deficient in flieep, with which the climate does nut
jjgree fo well, 'ilie chief produce of Norwav is wood and timber ■,
the annvial exports of mafts, planks, balks, and fir-wood, amount ti>
the value of i. 000. 000 rix-dollars : This trade is chiefly carried en b-y
the towns of Chriftiana, and Drontheim ; one dillritl in tlie govern-
ment of Drontheim fupplics annually 535.000 planks. Norway ex-
porcs great variety of peltiy, confifling of Ikins of bears, lynxes,
wolves, ermine, grey fqitirrcls. and Icveral forts of foxes, rein-deer, elks,
&c. The mines of Norway are very valuable ; thcr.c is but little gold
found, except at Edsfort, in the government of Chriftiana. The mines
at Konfberg and Jarllberg produce iilvcr to the value of 300 — 350.000
rix-dollars annually ; and thev employ upwards of 40C0 miners : Gov-
ernment, however, does not derive anv revenue Irom thefe mines, the
cxpenfes of which exceed the profits. Tlic iron-works in this ki::,;-
dom produce an annual profit of 60.000 rix-dollars. About 4 — 5coo
{hip-pound of copper are exported ; the greatcfl jr.ir.c of this metal la
£4
N M A R K.
at Roevaa, in the government of Drontheim. The number of miners
in Norway amounts to about 8000. Norway has very valuable fifheries.
According to Pontoppidan, upwards of 100 fpeciesof fifhes arc caught
:n thcfe feas ; of which the articles of cod, herrings, and whales, are
valued at near two million of rix-dollars. The fame author informs
us, that Norway exports large quantities of train oil. The imports of
Denmark confiTt chiefly in corn ; as to Norway, only ,"4, part of it is
fit for agriculture ; befides corn, the articles of fait, flax, linen, wool,
brandy, Vv-inc, fruits, filk, fpices, hardwarcj and luxuries, are imported',
Norway being thinly peopled, and little acquainted with luxury, and
poifeffing the above-mentioned valuable articles of exportation, has,
upon the whole, the balance of trade in its favour, which is againftthc
kingdom of Denmark. The whole of the exports of Denmark and
llolftein, amounted in 1768 to 1,382,681 rix-dollars; the imports to
5,976,800 r.d. The exportr, of Norway, to 1,711,369, and tlie imports
to 1, 238, £.84 dollars. (Bufching). There are at prcfent two trading
'companies, an Eaft-India, and a Guinea and Weft-India company, an
Infvuance company, and a paper-bank. The paffage through the
Sund, between Helfingoer and Helfingborg, is very much frequented :
In I 783, 11,161 fhips pailed it ; the number of fhips is at prefent more
than double the number of thofe which paffed it in L750. Manufac-
tures do not thrive in Denmark ; there are, however, feveral manu-
factures of cloth, hardware, china, gloves, &c. refineries of fugar, falt-
petre-works, &c. For the encouragement and convenience of inland
trade, a navigable canal has been drawn lately from Kiel, through Hol-
ftein, to the rivir iLyder ; by means of which the Baltic and th6
Ccrman fea are connected. The chief commercial towns in this king-
dom are, Copenhagen, Flenfburg, and Kiel ; and Bergen and Dron-
theim, in Norway. Of late the Danes have a commercial intercOurfe
^vith the United States of America, whence they have received, in
one year, from Oclober 1790, in various commodities, to the amount
'of 277,273 Dols. 53 Cents.
Curiosities, NATURAL and ARTii-iciAL.] Denmark Proper, af-
fords fewer of thefe than the other parts of his Danilh. majefty's do-
minions, if we except the contents of the Royal Mufeum at Copenha-
gen, wliich conhfts of a nvimerous colle£licn of both. It contains fcv-
rr.il good paintings, and a finCcoUeflion of coins, particularly thofe of
^!ie Confuls in the time of tlie Roman Republic, and of the Emperors
ui'rer tiie feat of empire v»'as divided into the Eafh and Weft. Befides
artificial flicletons, ivory carvings, models, clock-work, and a beautiful
vabinet of ivory and ebony, made by a Danifh artift, who was blind,
liere are to be feen two famous antitjue drinking veffels ; the one of
gold, the other of hlver, and both in the form of a hunting-horn : That
7. ivhen Margaret mounted that
t]in>nc ; and partly by her addrcfs, and partly by hereditary right, fnc
formed the union of Calmar, anno 1307, bv which fhe was acknowl-
cd;ed fovcreign of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Sb.e held her
dignity w'nh fuch finnnefs and courage, that Ihc was ju2T;ly il)led the
Scmiramis of the North. Her fucceiicrs being dcftitute of her great
cVjaliEcations, the union of Calmar, by which the three kingdoms were
in future to be undirr one fovereign. fell (o nothing. Norway, how-
ever, ftill continued annexed to Denmark. About the year 1448,
t'.o crown of Denmark fell to Chriflian, count of Oldenburg, from
wlioiu
DENMARK. 27
Wnom the prefent royal family of Denmark is dcfcendcd. About the
year 1536, the proteftant rclii^ion was eflablifhcd in Denmark, by that
wife and politic prince ', hriilian 111.
Chrifhian IV. of Denmark, waschofcn head of the proteflant league,
formed againft the houfe of AuUria in 1629, r::id died in 1648. and
was fucceeded by his fon Frederic III ; who Avas pcrfuaded bv the
Dutch, to declare war againfl Charles Guflavus, king of Sweden, which
had almoft cofh him his crown, in 1657. Frederic, who was a man of
great abilities, both civil and military, was fucceeded in 1670, by his
unfortunate fon Chriftian V. who dUff 1699. His fuccelfor was the
brave and war-like Frederic l\\ who died 17.30, having, tv/o years be-
fore, fcen his capital reduced to afaesby an accidental fire. His fon and
fucceffor Chriftian VI. made no other ufe of his power and the advant-
ages with which he mounted the throne, than to cultivate peace with
all his neighbours, and to promote the happincls of liiifubjcfts ; whom
he eafcd of many opprelfive taxes.
In 1734, after guaranteeing the Pragmatic San6l:cn.* Chriftian fent
€ooo men to the afTiftance of the Emperor, during the difpute of the
fucceffion to the crown of Poland. Though he was pacific, yet he was
jealous of his rights, cfoecially over Hamburg. He obliged the Ham-
burgers to call in the mediation of Pruflia, to abolifii their bank, to
admit the coin of Denm.ark as current, and to pay him a million of
fdver marks. Chriftian died in 1746. with the chtrafter of being the
father of his people.
His fon and fuccefTor, Frederic \'.had, in 1743. married the princef?
Louifa, daughter to his Britannic majefty George II. He improved
upon his father's plan, for the hapninefs of his people. Upon the death
of his firft queen, who was mother to his prefent Danifh majefty, he
married a daughter of the duke of Brunfviric-Wolfenbuttlc ; and died in
1766. His fon, Chriftian VII. was born the cgth of January, 1749 ;
and married his prefent Britannic nii^jefty'syoungcft fifler, the princels
Carolina-Matilda. In 1 768, he vifited England, 'and travelled ihrough
the principal fhates of Europe : And from his return from this tour, in
1760. may with proprietv be dated that memorable Revolution which
took place in the court of Denmark in i 772. An authentic, intercfting,
and affefting hiftory of this Re\'olution, and of the m.elancholy f<'.t{ s
of Queen Carolina-Matilda, and Counts Strucnfee and P>randt, w is
written by a '• Perfona~e principaUy iniercjled," and tranflated from tli?
German, by B. H. Latrobe, and printed for J. Stockdale, 178^. To
this valuable work the curious reader is referred.
In 1 780, his Danifli majeP.y acceded to the armed r.cutrality propf.fed
by the Emprefs of Ruiha. He appears at prefent to have fuch a debili-
ty of underftanding as to difqualify him for the proper management of
public aff'airs. On the 16th of April, 1784, another court revolution
took place. The queen-dowagcr's friends were removed, a new coun-
cil formed under the aufpices of the prince royal, feme of the former
old members reftored to the cabinet, and no regard is to be paid fnr the
future to any inftrument, unlcfs iigncd by the king, and counterfigntd
by the Prince Royal.+ Da n j s :i
♦ An aereement by which the prln.-es of r.i.rope engaged to fuppsrt the Ilonfe of Ai.llria In
favourof the queen of Hungary, daugfiifr of the emperor Charles VI. wKoIiaino malr ilij.-.
+ Chrirtiin Vil. r-:i^Din? kin? on^nnurk and Norv/ay, I- L. I), ami F. K. S. «^..
married to I'at prir.ccfs C.rclina NJitllui. oi HnflatiJ ; anJ ha? ifTue, l-r.Jeric p.mce to; . •
ofDenniarki bjrn J..n. ^^i, if 63 , Louila Augulta princrf^ :^;. -■■• ■-">t-'> > • " "> '"''•
a8 DENMARK,
DANISH GERMAN DOMINIONS.
Holftein, a duchy of Lower Saxony, about lOO miles long and
50 broad, and a fruitful country, was formerly divided between the
kmpi-efs of RuUia (termed ducal Holftein) the king of Denmark
and the imperial cities of Hamburg and Lubeck ; but on the 16th
x>i November, 1773, the Ducal Holftein, with all the rights, pre-
rogatives, and teiritorial fovereignty, was formally transferred to
the king of Denmark, by virtue of a treaty beween both courts.
Ihe duke of Holftein Gottorj| is joint foverciga of great part of
it now, with the Danifti monarch. Kiel is the capital of Ducal
Holftein, and is well built, has a harbtxir, and neat public edi-
fices. The capital of the Danifti Holftein is Gluckftadt, a well built
town and fortrefs, but in a marfliy fttuation on the right of the Elbe,
j.ud has fomc foreign commerce.
Aken», a large, populous, and handfome town, of great traffic, is
•commodioufly fituated on the Elbe, in the neighbourhood of Hamburg,
it was built profeft'edly in that fituation by the kings of Denmark, that
^t might ftiare in the commerce of the former. Being declared a free
port, and the ftaple of the Danifti Eaft Jndia company , the mer-
chants alfo enjoying liberty of confcience, great numbers ftock to Al.
tena from all parts of the North, and even from Hamburg itfelf.
Hamburg, a celebrated imperial city, is fituated on the north fide
of the river Elbe, in N.lat. 53° 16'and E. long. 10'' 38 *, in the Duchy
of Holftein, in his DanilE Majcfty's German dominions. It is
nearly circular, and fix miles in circumference. Befides its natural
ittfcngth, it is as well fortified by art as a place of fuch magnitude caa
*ae. it has fix gates and four entrances by water, two from the Elbe,
and two from the Alfter. The wall is defended, by bulwarks, other
c>ut works, and a deep ditch. A line with other works runs from the
iargeft bafou of the Alfter to the Elbe, about half a mile above the
town : And on the other fide of the bafon belov/ the t-own, is t',?e Star
l.eonce, an almoft impregnable fortification. The walls and other
fo-rti heat ions that lie open to view, are planted with rows of high
trees in fuch a manner that on that ftde of the wall next to Altena, the
houfes cannot be feen. The number of houfes are reckoned at more
than 30,000, and the inhabitants at 1 80,000.
The public buildings are but indifferent. The churches which are
ancient ftrufturcs, ftand open every day, and in lome of them are
bookfellers fliops. They have fix large market places. Of the ma-
fiy hofpitals ia this city, are the Hofpital for Orphans, which has a rev-
'cnue of between £60 and 70,000 a year. There is a large hofpital
for poor travellers that fall iick ; another for the relief of ancient,
maimed and decayed feamen, where care is alfo taken of the widow,
and children of liiofe wh.o loie their lives in the fcrvicc of the pub-
lic. Another for the poor old blind and dumb people; another for
the veneral difeafe, and a peil houfe. The prifon for malefaftors is in
the hangman's houfe. The criminal, after fentencc, is carried to an
tipper room, Vvherc he is allowed a good bed, with all comforts fuited
to his melancholy condition, and is there conftantly attended by one:
of the city Clcigymen. Among the fcveral convents, which are now
1 utheran, one is obliged to offer a glafs of wine to every makfaftor,
tlvdl k tarried by it to the pUcc of execution.
to
DENMARK. ^
The government of Hambvirg Is vefted in the Senate and three Col-
leges of burghers. The principal pcrfons of tlie Republic have a nght
to exercifc every a£lof fovcreignty ; but the management; of the financ-
es- is folely intruded to the burghers. The Hambuvghcrs (thouph nom-
inally and politically the fubjefts of the King of Denmark, who flill
lay claim to certain privileges within thcwallx of the city) are fub-
jc6l to the general laws of the Germanic body, but have neither feat
nor vote in tlie General Diet of the Empire. They pay to the Empe-
ror, for their prote6t;ion, the annual tribute of 80,000 crowns.
Hamburgh from its fituation has feveral advantages for trade. Tlic
fhips come to their doors to lade and unlade. Bcfides the Elbe, which
enters the German ocean a little below the town, a canal is opened
into the Trave, for the. fake of a communication with Lubcc and the
Baltic Sea. The Elbe, and the many navigable rivers tliat 1*311 into it,
running through the richeft and mod trading parts of Gcrmanv, fur-
nifli this city with the produce, and manufafturcs of upper and lower
Saxony, Auftria and Bohemia. By the Flavel and Spree rivers, it
trades with the Eletloratc of Brandenburg ; and by a canal from the
Spree and the Ader, its commerce is extended into Siieiia, Moravia,
and Poland. It has two fpacious harbours, formed bv the river Elbe,
which runs through the town, and 84 bridges are thrown over its <-a-
nals. The Hamburghers maintain 12 companies of foot, and one
troop of dragoons, behdes an artillery company.
Lubec, an imperial city, with a good harbour, and once the capital
of the Hans Towns, and flill a rich and populous place, is alfo in this
dutchy, and governed by its own magiflrates. It has 20 parifh church-,
es, beiides a large cathedral. Lutheranifm is the eflablifhcd religioa
of the whole Dutchy.
In Weftphalia. the king of Denmark has the counties of Oldenburg
and DelmcnhurR;, about 2000 fquare miles, they lie on the fouth-fitip of
the Wefer ; their capitals have the lame name ; the firfl has the rema;r.s
of a fortification, and tlie lad is an open place. Oldenburg gave a ti-
tle to the flrd royal anceftor of his prefent Danilln majcfty. The
countr)' abounds with raardies and heaths, but its horfcs are the bcft
in Germany.
Danish POSSESSIONS IX THE OTHER "1 ASIA. Settlements in Coro«
PARTS OF THE Gi.OBE. j mandcl 20,000 inh.abitanls.
1. Tranquebar, with the 2. Fort of Danfborg. 3. The Nicobar, or
Frederick's Iflands, north of Sumatra. 4. Some faftorics or lodges.
AFRICA. 1 Chridiaanfbourg. 2. Fredenfbourg (on the coad of
Guinea.) 3. Some faftories, near Axim.
AMERICA. 1. Greenland, divided into Eaft or Old Greenland,
and Weft Greenland, a very cxtenfive country, of many thoufand
fquare miles, but very thinly inhabited. Crantz, and after him Fab-
riciiiSj give the bed dcfcriptlon of tliis country. 2, The inlands of
St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John, in the Weft-Indies. Here thr
Moravian brethren have ufeful eftabiifluncnts.
The whole of Denmark contains (>S towns, 22 fmallor towns, or
boroughs, 15 earldoms, 16 baronies, 932cftatcs of the inferior nobility,
7000 villages.
Norway contains only 18 towns, two earldom?, and 27 edatcs of
the other nobilit^'.
LAP I A N D.
^d LAPLAND,
LAPLAND.
THE liortiient fituaftion of Lapland, and thedivifion of its property
render it proper, that it fhould be here defcribed under a diflinfJ:
head.
Situation-, e::te>tt. division', and name.^ The whole country
of Lapland extends, fo far as it is known, from the North Cape in 71^
go' N. lat. to the White Sea, under the arftic circle. Part of Lapland
belongs to tlic Danes, and is included in the government of Wardhuys ;
part to the Swede's, which is by far tlie moil valuable ; and fome parts
intheeaffc, to the Mufcovitcs or Ruffians. It is impoffible to point
out the dimenfions of each. That belonging to the Swedes, may be
fecn in the table of dimenfions given in the account of Sweden : But
other accounts iay, that it is aoout 100 German miles in length, and 90
ill breadth ; it omprehends all the country from the Baltic, to the
Ti-iou)itains that feparate Norway from Sweden. The Mufcovite part
lies towards the eaft, between the lake Enarak and the White Sea. —
Thofc parts, notwithftanding the rudcncl's of the country, are divided
into fmallcr diftrifts ; generally taking their names from rivers : But,
uulels the Swedilh part^ which is fubjeft to a Prefeft, the Laplanders
can be faid to be under no regular government. The Swcdifli Lapland,
therefore, is the objeft chiefly conlidercd bv authors in defcribing this
country. It has been generally thought, that the Laplanders are the
dcfccndants of Finlanders driven out of tlieir own country, and that
tliey take their name from Lappes, which fignifics exiles. The
reader, from what has been faid in the Introduction, may eaiily con-
ceive that in Lapland, for fome months in the fumincr, the fun neve^'
fcts ; and during winter, it never rifes : But the inhabitants are fo well
aflifted by the twilight and the aurora borcalis, that they never difcon-
tinuc their work on account of the darknefs.
Ci.iMArK.l Tlie winters here, as may eafily be concluded, arc ex-
tremely cold. Drifts of fnow often threaten to bury the traveller, and
cover the ground four or five feet deep. A thaw fometimes takes
place, and then tlie froll that fucceeds, prefents the Laplander with a
fniooih level of ice, over which he travels with a rein-deer in a fledge
with inconceivable fwiftnefs. The heats of fummer arecxceffive for
a fhort time ; and the catarafts, which dafh from the mountains, oftea
•prefeut to the eye the ir.oil pifturefquc appearances.
Mountains, rivers, lakes, and forests.] The reader muft
form in his mind a vafh mafs of mountains, irregularly crowded together
to give him an idea of Lapland : They are, however, in fome interllices,
feparated by rivers and Likes, which contain an incredible number of
illands, fome of which form delightful habitations ; and are believed
by the natives to be the terrcflrial Paradifc : Even rofes and other
ilowevs grow wild on tlieir borders in the fummer ; though this is but
a fhort gieam. of temperature, for the climate in general is exceffively
fevere. Dufky forefls, and noifome, unhealthy moraifes, and barren
plains cover great part of the fiat coubtry, fo that nothing can be more
uncomfortable than the ftate of the inhabitants.
Metals and minerals.] Silver and gold mines, as well as thofe
of iron, copper and lead, have been difcovered and worked in Lap-
land to great advantage ; beautiful cryftals are found here, as arc fome
amediyfts
N
3<
ametliyfts. and topazes ; alfo various forts of mineral ftones, furprifin?!/
polillied by the hand of nature ; vakiabic pearls have likcwife been
ibmcximes found in the rivers, but never in the feas.
AmIMALS, quadrupeds, birds, FISHKS, AND INSUCTS.'] Wc muft
refer to our accounts of Denmark and Norway for great part of this
article, as its contents are in common with all the three countries.—
The zibclin, a creature refemblin-; the marten, is a native of Lapland ;
and its fkin, whether black or white, is f<> much efleemcd that it is fre-
quently given as prefcnts to royal and diftinguiflied pcrfonages. The
Lapland hares grow white iz the winter; and the country produces a
large black cat, which attends the natives in hunting. By far tlie moll
remarkable, however, of the Lapland animals, is the rein-deer, which
nature fecms to have provided to lolace the Laplanders for the priva-
tion of the other comforts of life. This animal, the mofl ufeful per-
haps of anv in the creation, relombles the ftag, only it fomewhat droops
the head, and the horns projcft forward. All who have dcfcrihcd
this animal have taken notice of the cracking nolfc that tliey make;
when they move their legs, whicli is attributed to their feparating and
afterwards bringing together the divifions of the hoof. The under part
is entirely covered with hair, in the fame manner that the claw of the
Ptarmigan is with feathery bri flics, wliich is almodthe only bird that
can endure the rigour of the fame climate. The iioof, however, is not
only thus protcfted ; the fame neceffity which obliges the Laplanderi;
to ufe fnow fhoes, makes the extraordinary width of the rein's hoof ta
be equally convenient in pafling over fnow, as it prevents tlieir hnkinc;
too deep, which they continually would, did tlie weight of their body
reft only on afmall point. This quadruped halli therefore an inftin^t
to ufe a h^of of fuch a form in a ftill more advantageous manner, by
feparating it when the foot is to touch the ground fo as to cover a
larger furface of fnow. The infbant however the leg of the animal i'A
railed, the hoof is immediately contraftcd, and the collifion of the part;',
occafions the fnapping which is heard on every motion of the rein,
and probably the cracking which they perpetually make, may fci vr
to keep them together when it is remarkably dark. — In fummfi.
the rein-deer provide themfclves witli leaves and grais, and in tl it-
winter they live upon mofs : They have a wonderful fagacitv
at finding it out, and v.'hen found, they fcrape away with their fee:
the fnow that covers it. The fcantincfs of their fare is inconceivable,
as is the length of the journies which they can perform without any
other fupport. They fix the rein-deer to a kind of (ledge, fhaped like
a fmall boat, in which the traveller, well fccured from cold, is laced
down, with the reins in one hand, and a kind of bludgeon in the othcx,
to keep the carriage clear of ice and fnow. The deer, whofe harncihru/,
is very fimple, fcts out, and continues the journey with prodigious
I'pecd ; and is fo fafe and tradable, that the driver is at little or no
trouble in dircfting him. At night they look out for their own prov-
ender ; and their milk often helps to fupport their niafter. 'I'hcir
inftinft in choofing tlicir road, and dircfting their courfc, can only bo
accounted for by their being well acquainted with the country during
the fummer months, when tliey live in woods. Their flefli is a well
tafted food, whether freflr or dried : Their fkin forms excellent cloth-
ing both for the bed and the bedy ; Their milk ami chrcfe arc nutritive
and
§'a L A P L A N D.
and pleafant ; and their inteftines and tendons fupply their mafteis
with thread and cordage. When they run about wild in the fields,
they may be iliot at as other gnmc. But it is faid, that if one is killed
in a Uock, the iurvivors v>^ill gore and trample him to pieces ; there-
fore fingle ftragglcrs are generally pitched upon. With all their ex-
cellent qualities, however, the rein-deer have their inconvenicncles.
It is difficult in lummer to keep them from ftraggling ; they are
fometimes buried in the fnow ; and they frequently grow reftive, to
the great danger of the driver and his carriage. Their furprifmg fpeed
(for they are faid to run at tlie rate of 200 miles a day) feems to be ow-
ing to their impatience to get rid of their incumbrance. None but a
Laplander could bear the uneafy pofture in which he is placed, wheix
he is coined in one of thofe carriages or pulkhas ; or would believe,
that, by whifpcring the rein-deer in the ear, they know the place of
their dellination. But after all thefe abatements, the satives would
have difficulty to fubfifl without their rein-deer, which lerve them for
fo many purpofes.
People, customs and manners,] The language of the Lapland-
ers comprehends fo many dialefts, that it is with difficulty they un-
derhand eacli other. They have neither writing nor letters among
them, but a number of hieroglyphics, which they make ufe of in their
Kounes, a fort of flicks that they call Piftave, and which ferve them.
~ for an almanack. Thefe hieroglyphica are alfo the marks they ufe in-
ftcad of iignatures, even in matters of law. MUhonaries, from the
chriftiatiil'ed parts of Scandinavia, introduced among thern the Chrift-
jan religion ; and they have among them fome religious feminaries,
iui'lituted by the king of Denmark. The majority of the Laplanders
however may be called pagans. The number and oddities of their fu-
perllitions hkve induced the northern traders to believe, that they arc
■jlcilled in magic and divination. For this purpofe it is faid their ma-
gicians, who are a peculiar fet of men, make ufe of what they call a
drum, made of the hollow trunk of a fir, pine, or birch-tree, one end
of which is covered with a fkin ; on this they draw, with a kind of
red C(!ilour, the figures of their own gods, as well as of Jefus Chrift,
the apoflles. tlie ly,n, moon, flars, birds and rivers ; on thefe they place
one or tv.-o brafs rings, which, when the drum is beaten with a little
hammer, dance over the figures ; and according to their progrefs the
forccrer prognoflicates. Thefe frantic operations are generally per-
formed for gain ; ^nd the northern fhip-maflers are fuch dupes to the
arts of thefe impoflbrs, that they often buy from them a magic cord,
which contains a number of knots, by opening of which, accord-
ing to the magician's direftions, they gain what wind they want.
This is alfo a very common traffic on the banks of the Red Sea, and is
managed witli great addrefs on the part of the forcercr, v/ho keeps up
tlie price* o^ his knotted talifmarf. The Laplanders dill retain the wor-
ihip of many of the Teutonic gods ; but have among them great remains
of the druidical inflitutions. They believe the tranfmigratioh of the
foul ; and have feftivals fet apart for the worfhip of certain genii, called
Jeuhles, who they think inhabit the air, and have great power over
human atlions ; but being witliout form or fubflance, they affign to
them neither images nor ftatucs.
Agriculture is not much attended to among the I,aplandcrs. They
are chic% divided into Lapland fifhers, and L.v^'laiid mountaineers.
Tha
t A P L A N D. 33
f he former always malce tlieir habitations on the brink, or, in the
neighbourhood of fome lake, from whence they draw their fubriilciice.
The others feek their fupport upon the mountains, and their environs^
They are excellent and very induftrious herdfmen, and are rich in
compatifon to the Lapland fifhcrs. Some of them pofleis fix hundred
©r a thoufand rein-deer, and have often money and plate bcfides. Thev
mark every rein-deeron the cars, and divide them into claffes ; fo that
they can perceive whether any one is ftraycd, though they cannot count
to fo great a number as that to which their flock often amounts. The
Lapland fifhers, who are alfo called Laplanders of the woods, bc-
caufe in fummer they dwell upon the borders of the lakes, and in
winter in the forefts, live by fifliing and hunting, and choofe "their
fituation by its convenience for either. The grcatcft part of thrm,
however, have fome rein-deer. They are a£livc and expert in the
chace : And the introduftion of fire-arms amowg thsm has almoft en-
tirely abolifhed the ufe of the bow and arrow. Befides looking after
the rein-deer, the fifhery, and the chace, the men employ thcmfclves
in the conftruftion of their canoes, which are fmall, light, and com-
Eaft. They alfo make fledge?, to which they give tire form of a canoe,
arnefs for the rein deer, cups, bowls, and various other utenfils,
which are fometimes neatly carved, and fometimes ornamented with
bones, hrafs, or horn. The employment of the women confifts in mak-
ing nets for the fiflrery, in drying fifli and meat, in milking the rein-
deer, in making cheefe, and in tanning hides : But it is underftood to
be the bufmefs of the men to look after the kitcjien ; in which, it is
faid, the women never interfere.
Thtr Laplanders live in huts in the form of tents, from twenty-five to
thirty feet in diameter, and not much above fix in height. They cov-
er them according to the fealbn, and the means of the polfciTor ; fome
with briars, bark of birch, and linen ; others witli turf, coarfc cloth,
or felt, or the old fkins of rein-dccr. The door is of felt, made like
two curtains, which open afunder. A little place furroundcd with
ftones is made in the middle of the hut for fire, over which a chain is
fufpended to hang the kettle upon. In winter, at night, they put their,
naked feet into a fur bag. The n'in-deer fupply the Laplanders with
the grcateft: part of their provifions ; the chace and the fifhery fupply
the reft. Their principal diflies are the flefh of the rein-deer, and
pudding which they make of their blood. But the llefh of the bear is
v-confidered by them as their mofh delicate meat. They cat every kind
>•' of fifh, even the fea dog ; as well as all forts of wild animals, not ex-
cepting birds of prey, and carnivorous animals. Their winter provi-
fions confifl chiefly of flefh and fifn dried in the open air, both of which
they eat raw, and without any fort of drelling. Their common drink
is water, fometimes mixed with milk : They make alfo broths and fifli-
foups. Brandy is' very fcarce with rhem, but they arc extremely fond
of it. Whenever they are inclined to cat, the head of tlic family
fpreads a mat on the ground ; and then men and women fijuat round
^ this mat, which is covered with difhcs. Every Laplander always car-
ries about him a knife, a fpoon, and a little cup for drinking. Each
has is poition fcparately given him, that no perfon may be injured ; tor
they are great eaters. Before and after the meal they make a fliort
prayer: And, as foon as they have done eating, each gives the other
lii$ haad. ^'*
C
M I. A P L A N t>:
In the drefs of the Laplandcrs-they ufe no kind of linen. The men
wear clofe breeches, reaching down to their flioes, which arc made of
imtanned fl^in, pointed, and turned up before ; and in winter they
■put a little hay m them. Their doublet is made to fit their fhape, and
open atthebrcaft. Over this, they wear a clofe coat with narrow
fleeves, whofc fl<.irts reach down to the lenses, and which is faftencd
round them by a leathern girdle, ornamented with plates of tin orbrafs.
To this girdle they tie tiicir knives, their inflruments for getting fire,
their pipe?) and the reft their fmoking apparatus. Their clothes are
made of fur, of leather, or of clotli, the clofe coat cf cloth or leather,
always bordered with fur, or bindings of cloth of different colours.
Their caps ;:re edged with fur, pointed at top, and the four feams
adorned with lifts of a different colour from that of the cap. The
M'omen wc.ir breeches, flioes, doublets, and clofe coats, in the fame
manner as the men ; but their girdle, at which they carry likewife ihe
implements for fmoking tobacco, is commonly embroidered with brafs
wire. Tiieir clofe coat has a collar, which comes up fomewhat higher
than that of the men* Befides thcfe, they wear handkerchiefs, and
little aprons, ihade of painted cloth, rings on their fingers, and ear-rings,
to which they fometimes hang chains of lilver, wliicli pais two or three
(imes round the neck. ' They are often drelied in caps folded after the
manner of turbans. Tliey wear alfo caps fitted to the fhape of the
head ; and, as tliey are muchaddifted to finerv, they are all ornament-
ed with the embroidery of biafs wire, or at leaft with lift of different
colours.
Lapland is but poorly peopled, owing to the general barrennefs of
its foil. The whole number of its inhabitants may amount to about
60.000. Both men and Avomen are in general confiderably fhortev
than more fouthern Europeans. Maupertuis mcafured a woman, who
was fuck ling her child, whofe height did not exceed four feet two in-
ches and a lialf: tlicy make, however, a much more agreeable appear-
ance than tl-.c men. who are often ill-fliapcd and ugly, and their heads
too large for their bodies. Their women are complaifant, chafte, often
well-made, and extremely nervous ; which is alfo oblervable among
the men, although more rarely.
When a Laplander intends to marry a female, he, or his friends,
court her father with brandy : when with fome difficulty, he gains ad-
mittance to his fair one, he offers her a beaver's tongue, or fome other
eatable, which fhe rejefts before company, but accepts of in private.
Cohabitation often precedes marriage ; but every admittance to the
fair one is purchafed from her father by her lover with a bottle of
brandy, and this prolongs the courtfhip fometimes for three years.
The prieft of the parilh at laft celebrates the nuptials ; but the bride-
groom is obliged to ferve his father-in-law for four years after. He
then carries his wife and her fortune home.
Commerce.] Little can be faid of the commerce of the Laplanders.
Their cxpor^ts confift of fiih, rein-deer, furs, balkets and toys -, with
lomc dried pikes, and chcefes made bf rein-deer milk. They receive
for thefe ri:i-dollars, woollen cloths, linen, copper, tin, flour, oil, hides,
needles, knives, fpirituous liquors, tobacco, and other neceffaries. —
Their mines are generally worked by foreigners, and produce no u\-
confiderable profit. The LnpUnuers travel in a kind of caravan, with
thcii
w
N.
35
their families, to the Finland and Norway fairs. And the reader may
make fome eftimate of the medium of commerce among them, when he
is told, that fifty fquirrel (kins, or one fox ikin, and a pair of Lapland
fhoes, produce one rix-doUar, but no computation can be made of the
public revenue, the greateft part of which is allotted for the mainten-
ance of the clergy. With regard to the fccurity of their property, few
difputes happen ; and their judges have no military to enforce their
decrees, the people having a remarkable averhon to war ; and, fo far
as we know, are never employed in any army.
Miles.
Length 8oQ "I
Breadth 500 j^
Bou
Sreadth 500 j/'
NDARIES. Y I
W E D E
Extent and Situation.
Decrees
between
N.
"1 50 and 70 North latitude.
/ 10 and 30 Eaft longitude.
'HIS country is bounded by the Baltic Sea, the
Sound, and the Categatc, or Scaggcrac, on the
fouth ; by the impaffable mountains of Norway, on the weft ; bv Da-
nifh or Norwegian Lapland, on the north ; and by Mufcovy, on the
eaft.y^
DIVISIONS AND PossEssiOMs.] All authentic account of thcfe is
contained in the following table.
DIVISIONS, fOSStSblONS.
Sq.Milet
Population.
Pop'ila.for
ev.iq.,n,le.
CHIEF iovv-:;i.
Ktmihcrof Inhal.iii-t^.
.SWEDEN
2-;c ^2?
3 millions.
Divided into Sweden, properly (o )
called, and Gothland. Both ]
toRethcr
^. SWEDEN contains Upland, Soeder-
manland, Wtftmanland, Nciike
Dakcarlicn
3. GOTHLAND contains,Oftgothlai.i:inteUnd.
Lappmark, Alele, Umca, Pitea.
Lulla.Tornea, Keini
E.FINNLAND
F. The Swedim Part of Pomcraaia, vi?
Pomerania, Wand of Rucen, tlr
Diftritl of Wifmar
G. In the Weft India, Sweden ohtMncc
in the Year 1785, from Frincc
the inand ef £t. Barthelcir.i
64,coc
95.471
48,7So
1,44c
3c
ijIOC.COC
150,000
624,000
100,550
33
lotyeta
70
Stockholm, abr.iit 80,0.10.
"pfal Univeif. and iccoiid in rank.
Nykoeping.
Falun, a famous mining pUct, 7.oor
Norkioping, 8,150.
Lynkioping.
Ctlm.ir, tradiriR town.
Gothenhurg, u,8oo,
l.uiid, univcrfity.
Kciri:n;borg, near flie Siind.
CMfrron, Admiral-.y feat,
Abo, univctfity, 8,750.
Stralfiind. lo-Sjo.
Griefswald,univerlitv.
ilergen(li!cof Rut-.nj l,40t.
Wifmar, h.otio.
The whole Kingdom ri-t lins only io<
towns, So.lcn villages, and ',-oc
tftatcsof the noiiility.
The face of Sweden is pretty fimilar to that of the neighbouring
countries ; except that it has the advantage of them in navigable riv-
ers.
Climate and seasons.] The fame may be faid v/ith regard to
this article. Summer burlls from v/inler ; and vc^'ctatlon is mora
C 2 Ipt-cdy
3S
^ W £ D E V.
fpecdy tliail in foulliern climates •, for the fun is liere fo hot, as fome*
times to let forells on fire. Stoves aiui warm furs mitigate the cold of
winter, which is fo intcnfe that tlie nofci and extremities of the in-
habitants are fometimcs mortified ; and in fuch cafes, the beft remedy
that has been found out, is rubbing the affefted part wth fnow,
Ak riotMTiEs AN'D CURIOSITIES,! A fcw Icagucs from Gottcn-
NATi'KAi, AV!) ARTif iciAi.. J buig tlievc IS a liidcous prcci-
pice, down whicli rufiies a dreadful catara£t of water with fuch impet-
uohty, and into fucli a depth of water, that large mads, and other bod-
ies of timber, that arc precipitated down it, difappear, fomc forhalf an
hour, and others for an hour, before they-arc recovered : The bottom of
ihls water liaj never been found, though founded by lines of feveral
hundred fathoms. A lemarkable flimy lake, which fmgcs things put
into it. lias been founxl in tlie fout hern part of Gothland : And feveral
])arts of Sweden contain a flone, which being of a yellow colour, in-
termixed with feveral fireaks of white, as if compofed of gold and fil-
ver, ;ifrords fulphur, vitriol, alum, and minium. ITie Swedes pretend
thev have a manufoipt copv of a tranflation of the Gofpcls into Goth-
ic, done by a bifhop 1300 years ago.
Seas.] Their fcas are the Baltic, and the Gulfs of Bothnia and
Finland, which arc arms of the Baltic : and on the weft of Sweden are
tne Catenate fea, and tlie Sound, a ftrait about four miles oVer, which
divides Sweden from Denmark.
Thcfc fcas have no tides, and are frozen up ufually four months in
the year ; nor arc they fo fait as the ocean, never mixing with it, be-
caufcthe current fets always out of the Baltic fea into the ocean.
Ol'adkupedS, biriis, a\6 fishes.] Thefe differ little from thofc
already defcribed in Norway and Denmark. The fifhes found in the
rivers and lakes of Sweden, are tlie fame with thofe in other northern
countries, and t^kcn in great l
additions of power. '1 he fate of the Icicnces in Sivedcn has bee:i
much more fortunate. Good fchools are cUabliflied in every part of
the kingdom ; there are three ver}' ufeful univerhties at Upfal, l.und
and Abo ; and the German univerfity of Gnefswald, in the Province
of Poinerania. At Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Upfal. there arc royal
Societies of fciences ; academies for antiquities, the licllcs Icttrcs,
painting, and mufic, arc eftabliflicd in the capital, 'Jlicre is alfo a
particular and very valuable inftitution fov promoting the ftudy of
Swedifh geography and topograpliy, called Landmctcr college ; and
a phyfiographical focicty at I.und. Sweden has many men of learn-
ing, diflinguiftied for their knowledge of natural philofophy, chemif-
try, political economy, &c. The ancient connexion of this king-
dom with France has been confirmed by the late king, who open-
ed forever a free luiibour to ihc Trench in confidcratiou of the
illuiid
-8 SWEDEN.
ifland of St. Barthelemi, in the Weft-Indies, ceded to him by France,
in tlic year 1784. The neighbouring ftatcs of Ruffia and Denmark are
very attentive to. the motions of Sweden, which in former times prov-
ed to them an enemy of the greatcft confequence.
V/ealth AXD COMMERCE.] Though Sweden is hy no means fa-
voured with refpe6l to climate, though the greater part of it is barren,
(the uncultivated parts being eflimated at upwards of 110,000 fquare
mllei) vet 'the induftry of the inhabitants, in arts and agriculture, has
raifed Sweden to the rank of a fecondary European power. Howev-
er, notwithftanding the great encouragement given to agriculture,
Sweden is (till obliged to import 300.000 tons of corn, and 4,535 hogf-
heads of fpjrituous liquors, ft imports, likewife, hemp, flax, fait, wine,
beef, fdk, paper, leather, and EsPl and Weft-India goods. The exports
confift chiefly in wood and minerals. In i/St, Sweden exported
27,819 dozen of planks, 795 beams, and i,258balksof beech, 95,657
tons of tar, and 15,868 tons of pitch ; fome cod, upwards of 150,000
tons of herrings, of which England bought for more than i2,oool>.
fterling : blubber or train-oil to the value of 28,468 filver dol-
lars. Of the produce of the whale fifhery, there was exported,
in 17S1, 606 tons of train-oil, and 68,000 pounds of whale-
borie. The moft valuable among the produftions of Sweden are
its minerals, principally copper and iron. Gold is found at Adel-
fort, in the province of Smaeland, to the amount of 850 ducats ; but
the expenfes of working this mine exceed the profits : A fmall quanti-
ty of gold is found in \A'eftmanland. The mines at Sala, in the fame
province, produce lilvcrto the amount of upwards of 6colb. there are
alfo fiivcr mines in Dalecarlia and Northfinnland. The total amount
of the filver obtained from the Swedifh mines, in 1 774, was 2,700 lb.
The copper mines at Falun and Garpenberg, in Dalecarlia, are very
rich: The exportation of copper docs, however, not exceed 6,000
{liip-])ound. Of the iron found in Nerike, Upland, Dalecarlia, &c.
3V.0. 000 Clip-pound are exported. Nolefsthan 450 forges, hammering
mills, and fmclting lioufes. are employed in the iron manufafture. —
Sweden produces 3,5.000 lies-pound of f-dt-petre, 5,500 tons of alum;
and it has likcwlfc vitriol and fulphur works, I'he value of the whole
of exported minerals amounts to 2.300,000 German dollars. The ex-
portation of wood is valued at i million ; and that of tar, pitch, and
pot-afli, at 300. coo German dollars. Sweden exports alfo, peltry, or furs
of grey Iquirrcls, bears, wolves, foxes,crmine, martins, rein-dcer,gluttons,
&c. in great quantities. All tlie ex ported goods amounted, in 1 768, to up-
wards of 13 millions, and the imports to little more than 10 millions of fil-
ver dolhn-s. The Swedes trade to all parts of Europe, tothe Levante, the
^'aft and Wcfb-Indies, to Africa and China. There is a Swedifh Eaft-
Jndia Company, v/ho haveadvanced3 niijlions of dollars to the crown,
and pay a duty tothekingon every voyage : There ishkcwiie a Levante-
Company. The bank of Sweden is aloanand paper bank : Itsprofitsare
cftimated at between 2and3 millionsofdoUarsannually. Thecrownow-
edtothisbank,in 5772, upwardsof45millionsofiilverdollars. Thereare
38 commercial towns in the kingdom, among whom Stockholm, Gothen-
bur(% and Marftrand, are the principal. Sweden has endeavoured to
avoid paying the difagreeable duty in the Sound, by joining the in-
land lakes with the fca, by a canal beginning not far from Stockholm,
from the gulf of Bothnia, and extending to the German ocean near
Gothenburg ; but the attempt has not yet fuccccded.
Government.^
SWEDE :.-. 3^
Government.] Since the memorable revolution in the year 1772,
Sweden may, wjth great propriety, be called a mpnarchy, ' The ion-
ate it is true, claims ftill foiiic fiiare in the adminiftration ; but its
members are chofen by the king himrelf. On coming to the throne,
the fovereign engages to obf'crvc the fundamental laws of the kingdom:
He has the abfolute difpolal of the army, and has the power of calling
together as well as of dilfolving the affcmbly of the dates ; but hecan»
not impofe any new tax without confulting the diet, whofe confcn^
is necelVury to levy them from the fubjeft. The fcnate is the hiohcft
court or council in the kingdom, and Is compofed of 17 fcnator; or fa*
preme counfellors. The diet is formed by tke deputies of the four el-
tates, er orders of the nation, viz. the order of the nobility, the clergy,
the citizens and the peafants ; each order has its fpeaker, who prefides
over the rcfpeSivc deputies, Tlie fenatc is divided into two depart-
ments ; one of them has the fupreme infpcftion over the adminiftra-
tion ofjuftice, over the mines, being the chief fource of the national
wealth, and the revifion of all public accounts: The other depart-
ment tranfafts all other branches of public and foreign bufuiefs. The
provinces are under governors, called provincial captains. Juflice is
adminiftered in every town by the civil magiftrates. The whole king-
dom is divided into 82 diftrifts of jurifdittion, each of vhich has its
own court of juftice, called Heeradjling : In thefc counti-v courts the
judge is alTifi-ed by a jury of twelve pca.fants. From the dccifions
o.f thefc courts, their lies appeal to ii fv.perior courts, called Lacrmun-
fing J and from the latter to four fupreme courts of judicature, efbah-
liflied at Stockholm, Jonkciping, Abo, and WaHi. The Roman, or
Civil law, is not in force in Sweden : Juftice is adminiftered, without
the delays ufual in other countries, according to the regulation of the
code of laws publifhed in the year 1736. Other departments for the
tranfaftion of public bufinefs are t!ie following : The War OfRcc, the
Exchequer, the Court of Admiralty, the Chancery, the Jioard'of
7Vade, and the Board of Mines.
Finances."! The revenue amounted, in 1 772, to n. 089, 122 filvcr
dollars, the public expenditure, to 11,4.66,125 lilvcr dollars ; and the
national debt, exceeded, at that time, tlie fum of 60 millions. Since
tiic late revolution, the rcxenue has been Incrcafcd, by appropriating
lo the crown the lucrative monopoly in fpirituous liquors, which is
valued at upwards of 7 millions of filvcr dollars. Mr. Tunbcrg cfti-
mates the ordinary revenue, in 1 784, at 4 millions of rix-dollars. The
revenue accruing from the German province of Pomerania. amounted,
in 17B1, to 23 J, '-187 German dollars ; and, in 1782, that of Pomerania
and Wilmar to 249,000 German dollars. The chatoullc; or piivatc
purfeof the king, is eftimutcd at ?oo.coo ri\;dollars.
Army and navy.] In 1784, it conlifted of 50.421 men. The
Swedifh forces are divided into national troops ; and levied troops,
who are moftly foreigners : The firft, being fupplied by the Swcdifh
nation, and confifting of country people, who fervc only during the
feafon of the reviews, have fome rcfcmblancc to a national militia :
They are, however, much better difciplincd than militias commonly are.
The infantry muft be fupplied and maintained by the order of the pr::-
fants, the cavalry by the order of tlie nobilitv. 'ihc levied troops, ;noft
of whom are foreigners, arc perpetually on duty, and receive continual
pay. K\Ti0NAfc
• E M. ^1
AH parts of this city are connefted by bridges. It affords a fine
profped of the Lake Maler, on one fide, and of the harbour, on the
other. The niamber of inhabitants who pay taxes, is computed
at 60,000.
In this city arc, a Board of Admirahy, an Office of tlie Revcniie,
a National Bank, with a capital of £"466.666,13 } fteding, a Cuftoni-
houfe, a Naval-office, an Inlurance-ofHcc, an Office where goods
manufactured in the kingdom are examined, and difputcs bciWcen
manufafturers decided — a commodious dock, various kinds of manu-
faftorics — a Royal Academy of Sciences, a College of Phyficians, a
Royal Library, a chemical and mechanical 'Elabaratory, an Academy
for Painting and Sculpture, and others for Military Architefturc and
Land Surveying.
PuNistf^iENTs.] The common method of execution in Sweden is
beheading and hanging ; for murder, the hand of the criminal is hrfc
chopped off, and he is then beheaded and quartered ; women, after
beheading, inftead of being quartered, are burned. No capital pun-
ifhment is inflifted without the fentence being confirmed by the king.
Every prifoner is at liberty to petition the king, within a month after
the trial. The petition either complains of unjuft condemnation, and
in fuch a cafe demands a revifal of the fentence : or cU'e prays for par-
don, or a mitigation of punifliment. Malefadors are never put to
death except for very atrocious crimes, fuch as, murder, houfebreak-
ing, robbery upon the highway, or repeated thefts. Other crimes,
many of which in fome countries are confidered as capital, are chiefly
puniflacd by whipping, condemnation to live upon bread and water,
imprifonment and hard labour, cither for life, or for a ftatcd time, ac-
cording to the nature of the crime. Criminals were tortured to ex-
tort confeffion till the reign of the prefcnt king ; but, in 1773, his
Swedifh majcfty abolifhed this cruel and abfurd praftice.
Royal style.] The king's fryleis king of the C/Oths and Vandals,
great prince of Finland, duke of Scly>nen, Pomeran, &c.
Ordkrs of knighthood,] Thefe are, the order of the Xorlh
Star, confifting of 24 members : the order of r'aja, and tlic order of
the Sword'; the Lift created in 1772.
History.] The Coths, the ancient inhabitants of this co^^jtrv,
joined by the Normans, Danes, Saxons, Vandals, &c. have had the
reputation of fubduing the Roman empire, and all the fouthcrn nations
of Europe. Tlie introduftion of Chriftianity by Anfgarius, bifliop of
Brenem, in 829, fecms toprefent the firil certain period of the Swed-
ifh hiftory.
The hiftory of Sweden, and indeed of all the northern nations, even
during the fii ft ages of Chriftianity, is confufcd and unintcrefting,
and even doubful ; but fufficicntlv replete with murders, maftacres,
and ravages.- That of Sweden is void of confiftency, till about the
middle of the fourteenth century, when it afiumcs an appearance more
regular, and affords wherewith to rccompenfe the attention of thofe
who choofe to make it an obje£l of their ftudies.
Magnus Ladulus, crowned in 1276, fecms to have been the fiift
king of Sweden who purfued a regular fyftem to increafc liis authori-
ty ; and to fuccced in this, he made the augmentation of the revenues
of the crown his principal object. lie was one of the ablcft princes
wh©
42 S WE D E N.
v.-ho had ever' fat on thc'Ssvedifh throne ; by his art and addrefs he pre*
vailed upon ihc convention of eftatcs to make very extraordinary
grants to him for the fupport of his royal dignity. The augmentation
of the revenues of the crown was naturally followed by a proportion-
able increafc of the regal power. The fucceflbrs of Magnus did not
maintain their authority with equal ability ; and feveral commotions
and revolutions followed, which threw the nation into great diforder
and confuiion, and the government was for a long time in the moft un-
icttled (late.
In the year 1387, Margaret, daughter of \''aldemar, king of Den-
mark, and widow of Huguin, king of Norway, reigned in both thefe
kingdoms. That princefs, to the ordinary ambition of her fex, added
a penetration and enlargement of mind, which rendered her capable
or" condufting the greateft and moft complicated defigns. She has
been called the Semiramis of the North, becaufe, like Semiramis, (lie
found means to reduce by arms, or by intrigue, an immenfe extent of
territory; and became queen of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, be-
ing elefted to this laft in 1394. She projeiEled the union of Calmar, fo
famous in the North, by wliich thele kingdoms were for the future to
remain under one fovereign, elefted by each kingdom in its turn, and
•tvho flionld divide his refidcnce between them all. Several revolu-
tions enfued after the death of Margaret ; and at length Chriftian II.
the laft king of Denmark, who, by virtue of tlie treaty of Calmar, was
alfo king of Sweden, engaged in a fcheme to render himfelf entirely
abfolutc. The barbarous policy by which he attempted to effeft this
defign no lefs barbarous, proved the deftruftion of himfelf, and afford-
ed an opportunity for changing the face of affairs in Sweden. In or-
der to cftablifli his autliority in that kingdom, ke laid a plot for maffa-
cring the principal nobility. This horrid defign was aftuallv carried
into execution, November 8, 1520. Of all thofe who could oppofe
the defpotic purpofcs of Chriftian, no one remained in Sweden, but
Guftavus Vafa, a young prince,' olfcended of tlie ancient kings of that
country, and who had already fignalized his arms againft the king of
Denmark. An immenfe price was laid on his head. I'he Danifli
faldiers were lent in purfuit of him ; but by his dexterity and addrcfs
he eluded all their attempts, and eicaped, under the difguife of a pea-
lant, to the mountains of Dalecariia. This is not the place to relate
his dangers and fatigues, how to prevent his difcovcry he wrought in
the brafs-mines, how he was betrayed by thofe in whom he repofed
his confidence, and in fine, furmounting a thoufand obftacles, engaged
the favagc, but warlike inhabitants of Dalecariia, to undertake his
caufc. to oppofe, and to conquer his tyrannical oppreffor. Sweden, by
bis means, again acquired independence. The ancient nobility were
rnoflly deftroyed. Guftavus was at the head of a viftorious army,
\vho admired his valour, and were attached to his perfon. He was
created therefore firft adminiftrator, and afterwards king of Sweden,
by the univerfal conlent, and with the fhouts of the whole nation.
His circumftances were muck more favourable than thofe of any for-
mer prince v/ho had poffcffcd this dignity. The mailacrc of the nobles,
Iiad rid him of thole proud and haughty enemies, who had fo long
been the bane of all regular government in Sweden. The clergy, in-
deed, were no leis powerful and dangerous ; but the opinions of Lu-
therj,
W E D E N.
43
er, which began at this time to prevail in the North, the force with
which they were fupported, and the credit which tlioy had acquired
among the Swedes, gave him an opportunity of changing the rcUgiinis
fyftem of that country ; and the exercife of ihe Roman Catholic relig-
ion was prohibited in the year 1544, under the fcvcrc{lpci;altics,whicli
have never yet been relaxed. Inflead of a Gothic ariftocracy, the
mofl turbulent of all governments, and, when impoifoned by religious
tyranny, of all governments the mod wretched, Sweden, in this man-
ner, became a regular monarchy. Some favourable effcfts of thi J f^ Archangel,
15. _- , of Nifhnei Nowoqorod f xTn,„^- ,,r j
D
so
a:
J 6.
lo,
SI.
Gov. ofWoroncfti
■ — of 'r?.nbo\v
of Kurik
of Orel
of Charcow
of Kiew(CofacCoun
or the Ukraine^) about :
million of people 1 1
■ of TQiernigo 1 1
of Xowsgrod Sewcrfk 1 1
of Stnolenfk (White
{
Woronefli
Tanbow
Kurik
Orel
Gharcow
Kicvv
TOWNS,
Ruffia)
26.
-7-
Ruflii
- cf Pleflcow
- of Polotzka
- of Mohilow
-ofEkatarinoflow(New J^"^'
Tfhernigo
Nowogrod Sewerfic
< Smolenfk 4,000
10 Pleflcow
1 1 Polotzka
12 Mohilow
tawa
•| Charfon
I Alow
— of Tauria (or Crimea) y< „' , ,
\Viu;tka 10 \Via?tka
B. ASIATIC RUSSIA.
i2 Governments.
T O W N S.
Govern, of Caucafia (Kuban)
4,00c
of Cafan, divided ixito
13 Circles
• of Permia (Catarinb.^
16 C
rcles
- of Penfa
- of Sinbirfk
- of Saratow
- of Aftrachan
- of Orenburg
- of Ufa
Tarr»iti
I Cafan,
5 Perm
,5000
Ekatarincnbcrg
7 Penfa
^ f Sinbirfk
" \ Samara
9 Saratov/
Aftrachan
r Orenburg
j_ Gurjew
Ufa
r-T' 1 TH T^- T r Tobolfk 2000 houfes
of lobolfk, 3 Divihous-^ , .. .^
' '■' \ Jenilcrik
Irkutzk 1,113
PirrlpQ «! J''»kutzk 600
Oihotz
70;000
of Ivkut:
-of Kolywaia
_ r Kolywan
' 1 Tomfk 2,000
Tributary Islands in the Great South Sea, betwec;-; Ana and
America.
1 . The A'l. E u T I A N Island s .
2. The Andrean Islands.
3. The Fox Islands.
4. The K;;iulian Islands,
s^
vVhole RUSSIA fquare Miles. Population.
A and B - - 4. 880.000 24,000.000
Pop u.for every
Iquare Mile.
5
\ - - 1,194,97b
5 - - - 3»%5.024
f
20,000,000
4,ooo,QOo for the
ancient limits
20
I
L.ivonia - - xb,ooo
tftronia - - - 6,400
Crimea - - 24.368
525,300
200,000
200,000, according to
I'ome accounts only
60,000
3^ i
or only
2
8y the Divilion of Poland,
Rullia acquired 31,000
i,Poo,ooo
57
According to the former divifion into governments, which is prc-
fcrved in moft of the maps, the European part of Ruflia contains only
i.ooS.ooo Iquare miles.
The fuperiority of the European part over the vaft but uncultivated
provinces of Aha, is ftriking.
The provinces acquired by the divifion of Poland, are highly valua-
ble to Rulha, to which the acquifuion of Crimea is by no means com-
para^ile in value.
Thib immenfe empire comprehends upwards of fifty different na-
tions. Thev mav be reduced to the following claffcs : 1. Slavonian
nations, viz. Rultians, Polanders, Cofaks. 2. Lettonian (in Livonia.)
3. Finnian, viz. Laplanders, Tfliorkis, Eftonians, Licffs, Wotj.iks,
TchermilTes, Tfhowalhes, Permekian, Wogolian, Morduines, Samo-
jedcs, Olliaks, Yuraks. 4. Tartarian, viz. Nogaitz, Tfhulyms, Bafli-
kirians, Kirgis, Yakutes, Bazabins, &c. Tartars. 5. Mongolian, viz.
Kalmucs, Bursts, Teleuts, &c. 6. TunguUan, Koriakes, Kamtlkadaly,
Kurilian, &c. 7. Migrated Europeans from every part of Europe,
chiefly Germans. 8. Armenians, Indians, Pcrfians. It is fuppofed,
that the number of languages cannot well be lefs than the number of
different nations.
Climate.] In the fouthern parts of Ruflia, or IVIufcovy, the lon^-
eft day does not exceed fifteen hours and a half ; whereas, in the
moft northern, the fun is feen in fummer two months above the hori-
zon. The reader from this will naturally conclude, that there is in
Mufcovy a vaft diverfity of climate, and that the extremes of heat and
cold are felt in this vaft empire.
The feverity of the climate, however, in Ruflia properly fo called,
is very great. Dr. John Glen King, who rcfided eleven years iu
Ruflfia. obferves, that the cold in St. Peterfburgh, by Farcnheii's fca'c,
is, during the months of December, January, and I'ebruar/, ufually
from 8 to 15 or 20 degrees below o ; that is, from 40 to 52 degrees
below freezing point : Though commonly, in the courfe of the winter,
it is for a week or ten days fome degrees lower. The fame writer re-
marks, that it is almoft difficult for an inhabitant of our temperate
tlim?^e to have any idcA of a cold fo great ; But it may help to give
fome notion of it fo inform the reader, that when a perfon walks out
in that fevf re v.-cathcr, the cold muk^^s the ey:s water, ard that v»^ater
X> i ' freezio'T,
^ RUSSIA.
freezing, hangs in ilttlc icicles on the eye-I»flies. As the comTnofS
peafants ufually wear their beards, you may fee them hanging at the
chin like a folid lump of ic?. But, even in that flate, the heard is
found very ufcful in protcfting the glands of the throat : And the
folJiers, who do not wear theiv beards, are obliged to tie a handkerchief
under the chin to fupplv their pldce. All the parts of the face, wh^|i
are cxpofed, are verv liaMe to be frozen ; Though it has often been
obferved, that tlic perfon himfclf docs not know when the freezing;
begins ; but is commonly told of it firft, by thofc who meet him, and
v/ho call out to him to rub his face with fnow, the ufual way to thaw
it. It is alfo remarked, that the part, which has once been frozen, is
ever after mod liable to be frozen again. In fome very fevere win-
ters, fparrows, though a hardy Ipecies of birds, have been fcen quite
n-umbed by the intenfe cold, and unable to fly : And drivers, when
futing on their loaded carriages, have fometimes been found frozen to
death in that poflurc. When the thermometer has flood at 25 degrees
below o, boiling wtiter, thrown up into the air by an engine, fo as to
fprcad, has fallen down perfectly dry, formed into ice. A pint bottle
of common water was found by Dr, King, frozen into a folid piece of
ice in an hour and a quarter. A bottle of fhrong ale has alfo been
frozen in an hour and a half : But in this fubflance there was about a
tea-cup full in the middle unfrozen, which was as flrong and inflam-
mable as brandy or fpirits of wine. But notwithflanding the fevcrity
of the cold in RutTia, the inhabitants have fuch various means and
piovihons to guard againft it, that they fuffer much lefs from it than
mifht be expefted. The houfes of perfons in tolerable circumftances
arc fo well protcfted, both without doors and within, that they arc
:teldom heard to complain of cold. The method of warming the houfes
•in Ruffia is by an oven conflruftcd -with leveral flues, and the country
abounds witli Avood. wh»:ch is the common fuel. Thefe ovens con-
fume a much fmaller quantity of wood than might be imagined, and yet
thev ferve ?.t the fame-time for the ordinary people to drcis their food.
They put a very moderate faggot into them, and fufxcr it to burn only
till the thickeii black fraoke is evaporated ; they then fliut dov/n the
chimney to retain all the rell of the heat in the chamber; by this
method the chamber keeps its heat 24 hours, and is commonly fo warm,
they fit with very little covering, efpecially children, who are ufually
in their fliirts. Ihe windows in the huts of the poor are very fmall,
that as little cold maybe admitted as poffible : In the houfes of perfons
of condition, the windows are caulked up againfl winter, and common-
ly have double glafs frames. In fhort, they ean regulate the warmth
in their apartments by a thermometer with great cxaftnefs, opening,
or ihutting the flues to incrcafc or diminifh the: heat. When the Ruf-
fians "O out, they arc clothed fo warmly, that they almoft bid defiance
to frofl and fnow ; and it is ohfervabie, that the wind is ftldom violent
in the winter ; but when there is much wind, the cold is exceed-
ingly piercing.
One advantage which the Ruffians derive from the fcverity of their
climate i.v, the prefrrrving jirovifions by the frofl. Good houfcwives,
as foon as the frofl fets in for the winter, about the end of Oftober,
'■'ill their poultry, and keep them in tubs packed up with a layer of
^ov/ between them, and then, take them, out for uic as ocrafion re-
♦juiies-:
R U S S I A. 53
Quires : By which means they faVe the nourifhmcnt of the animal for
ieveral months. \^cal frozen at Archangel, and biaight to relcifljurg,
is cfteemtd the (iiicfl they have; no,r can it be djflinguiflicfl at the
table fiom vhat is fiefli killed, being equally juicy. '1 he markets in
Peteifburg are by this means fupplicd m winter with all manner of
pnovilions, at a cheaper rate than would othcrwifc be poflible ; and it
IS not a little curious to fee the vaft ftacks of whole hogs, flieep. fifh,
and other animals, which are piled up in the markets for ialc. The
method of thawing frozen proviiions in fvullia, is by immerging them
in cold v/atcr : For when the operation of thawing them is eilefted by
heat, it fccms to occaiion a violent fernrcntation. and almofl a luddcji
putrefaction ; But when produced bv cold water, the ice fccms to be
attrafted out of the body, and forms a tranfparcut incruflation round
it. If a cabbage, which is thoroughly frozen, be thawed by Loid water,
it is as frefli as if juft gathered out of the garden ; but if it be thawed
by fire or hot water, it becomes fo rancid and ftrong that it cannot
be eaten. Vegetation in Ruiha is very rapid.
Wealth and Commerce or Russia.] in (o vaft a traft of coun-
try as the empire of Ruflia, fpreading inidcr many degrees of latitude,
watered by more than eight'rivers, which run through the fpace of 2000
miles, and croUed by an extenfive chain of mountains, -vvc may expcft to
find an infinite nuaiber of natural produftions, thougli \vc muR make
ibme allowances for the great deferts of Sibeiia, and ilie many other
parts of this immenfe empire not yet tlioroughly invefbigatcd by natur-
al hiflorians. 'I'he fpecies of plants peculiar to this part of the globe,
which have been already dilcovered, amount to many thoulands. The
foil contains almoft all miiicrals, tin, platina, and fome femimetals ex-
cepted, which have not yet been found. \ et in tl;c mines of all thefe
largc pro\-inces not half the number of miners is employed, nor even
half as many mines have been explored as in Germany or even in En-
gland. Animals of every fpecies are here likewife in fuch abundance,
that a great quantity of them remain undefcribcd. As to the ufcful
produftions of the animal kingdom, RulTia can boaft of the grcatefl.
variety of the finell furs, as it has plenty of fables, martins, ermine,
black, white, blue, and red foxes, white and common lynxes, bears,
wohes, and feveral animals of the fpotted cat kind. It abounds like
wife in camels, horfcs, afles, and cattle both wild and tame ; it has in-
numerable flocks of more than one Ipecies of hares and fquirrels, wild
and tame fhcep, wild goats, diflerent forts of deer, rein-deer, elks, the
muik animal, the mulk beaver, dilfcrent antelopes, &c. llx follow-
ing data may give the reader a general idea of thcii- value to the coun-
try. In I 781, there were exported, from the harbourof Pcteriburg
alone, 428,877 fkins of hares, 36.904 Hcins of grey Iquirrcls, 1354 *^*"
bears, 2018 of ermine, 5639 of foxes, 300 of wild cats, helidci^lhofe of
wolves and of the/«7ijc (a bca.ooo pudof foap, 27,416 pud of ox hoi.cs, 990 calvc-i'kins. The
iiicep of fomc Ruilian provinces are very prohlable :o 'brir owners ;
'' '^ th3
f4 RUSSIA.
t'(-:e moH efteemed on account of their wool and fl;ins, are the fheep of
the Calmucks and Kirgis Taitars. Thefe nations fell the ikins of the
voung, and even of the unborn lambs, which are the foftefl in the
V'orld, and feel like fattin. The Kirgis and Bafhkires carry on a great
trade in horfcs and camels, the former of which are much valued 5
there are individuals among them who poffefs fometimes 2000 horfes.
The cattle of the Ukraine are reckoned the bed in Europe. In the
year 1768, wax was exported to the value of 72,000 rubles ; yet the
vaft cuantitv of honey, produced by the wild bees of Aftrachan, Cafan,
and Orenburg. 'is not fufficient for the inland confumption of this arti-
cle, which in Ruffia is very generally ufed in (lead of fugar. Birds are
very plentiful in Rufiia ; but the advantages to be derived from them
do not feem to have been fufficiently attended to, as Ruflia continues
to import feathers, goofe-quills, and down. The fifheries of the Bal-
tic and Cafpian Sea, of the lakes Onega and Ladoga, are of great im-
ports nee. The different forts of fhurgeon caught in great plenty in
thefe waters, viz. the common fturgeon, the beluga, the fterlid, &c.
ferve not only for food, but fupplv alfo the fifh-gum, of which there
were exported 3000 pud from Peterfburg in the year 1781. From the
fuawn of thefe fiflies caviar is made ; one fingle beluga contains fome-
times 12c lb. of fpav/n. The caviar is prepared in different manners,
and is moftly exported. The feals, walroiTes, and cod, caught in the
RuiTian fcas, are likewifc very important articles.
Of the produftions of the vegetable kingdom, the mod valuable
to Ruflia are iJs immenfe forHfts of fir trees. Oaks and beeches do not
commonly grow to a ufeful lize beyond the 6oth degree of noi th lati-
tude. In 1768, the value of timber exported amounted to 585.000
ruble", of pitch and tar to 82,000 rubles, potafli to 37.000 rubles,
mails to 5q,oco rubles. In 1 760, an Englifh merchant contrafted with
the RuiTian government for leave to export annually, fer the fpace of
go years, 250.000 large pieces of timber, 10,000 mails, 10.000 fmallcr
pieces of timber, 200,000 planks, 5000 fathom of birch-wood, and
200,000 fmall beams. This branch of trade is carried on chiefly by
the towns of Peterfburg, Wiburg, Narva, Archangel, and Kola. The
plant kali, Saffola Linnxi, from which alkali, is extrafted, grows near
Adrachan and Alfow.
The European part of the Ruffian dominions, and chieflv the prov-
ince of Ivivonia, is dilliuguifhed for the quantity of corn of all forts it
produces. The value of the rye and wheat exported annually amounts
to upwards of 751,000 rubles. Tobacco is cultivated in feveral parts
of Ruflia. Hemp, flax, and iail- cloth, Rulha exports to the amount of
tico,ooo rubles. In 1768, Rufiia received for hemp-feed exported
O'^-ooo rubles-^ for hemp-oil, commonly called hnfeed-oil, 255.000
rubles ; for flax-feed 433.000 rubles. Archangel fent abroad in 1777,
62,043 cwt, of flax-feed, ']i,'j^:^ pud of hemp, 105,928 arfcliien (yards)
of linen, and 32 10 ropes.
1 he minenil llores of thi.^ empire would be much m.ore x'aluable, if
there was a greater population and more libei'ty : Yet the gold mines
near Catharineburg produce annually no lefs than 240 lb. of gold-duft^
Ainotig the richeft mines are thofe of Kolivan, which 3'ielded fomc
years ago from 200 to 400 pud of filvcr, but of late from 400 to 800 pud,
oi" about 30.000 pounds of hlver ; every 100 lb, of filver containing
3 lb.
RUSSIA. 55
i^ lb. of gold. The filvei- mines at the Sclilangenbcrg, and the copper,
lead, and iron mines, (efpecially thofe of the Altai, and of the lev oral
branches of the Ural,) produce great riches. The mines in the neigh-
bourhood of Nertlcluu'lk, near the borders of China, yield annually
16,000 pounds of lilver and fome quick-iilver. In 1781, there was
exported from Peterfburg 3,589,869 fliippound of iron, and aBo.cco
fiiippound of copper ; lead to the value of 96,000 rubles, and fugar of
lead (faccharum Saturni) to the value of 6000 rubles. There arc fever-
al manufaftures of fulpl-iur in the empire ; one of them, cilabliflKd
at Sernoi Gorodoc, near the river Wolga, produces 1500 pud. Salt
abounds in RuflTia, but as there is not a fuiHcient nuinl)er of falt-works,
a confidcrable quantity of fait is ftill imported. Ilinglafs (mica mem-
branacea, Cronftadt) is a famous mineral production of RufTia •, it is
found in Siberia, specially in t]ic neighbourhood of hkutzk in the Ural
mountains, and in the illand of Solowczkoi, in the government of A.d-
mihen ; the largeft and m.ofl valuable plates arc found in the province
of W'ologda, 3037 pud of it '.verc exported from Peterfburg in 1779.
There are beiides many fortiof jafper, marble, and granit ; the latter be-
ing found in very large mafks, is of great ufe in ornamental archit-cdure.
The whole of the exports o-f Ruffia amounted in ^1783 to near 13
million of rubles ; the imports did ngt nuich exceed tlie fumof 12
millions. So much has commerce been encouraged of late, tliat in the
cOurfe of five years tlie value of the exports increafed at the rate cf
nearly a million each year. The imports cozififl: chiefly of wine,
fpices, fruits, fine cloth, and otlier manufafclurcd commodities and
articles of luxury. The Engliih, and next to them the Dutch, havu
tlie moil coniidcrablc fliare in the Ruffian trade. The value of the
exports from Ruffia into Great-Britain amounted in 1 785 to 1,606, 6881.
the value of the imports from Great-Britain, &c. to 233,9981. ftcrhng.
.^Cuftom-houfe Account, prcfcntcd to the Houfe of Commons i7C;7.)
The commerce of the Black Sea has conliderably increafed fmce the
late war with the Turks. The value of, the imports in the feveral
harbours on the Black Sea, amounted in 1785 to 806,330 piallers, the
piafter computed at 40 paras each, nearly equal to 2.] 1,8^91. llerling.
The exports from the fame harbours amount to 73,5;! i? »'"blcs.
It is apparently owing to the want of liands that there arc at prcfcnt
no more than 484 manufaaures in the whole empire. Some of them,
however, are brought to a dec^ree of perfeaiun, which proves the
fkill and ingenuity of the nation : As the manufafture of mulquets
•and othef avhis at Tula, which employs 6000 people, and Jupphcs the
Rulhan dominions.
There are fome ufeful canals, viz. that of Ladog.i, Twer, ana
others. t « ,r • ■
MOUSTAINS, KIVfKS, AND VACE OF THE COUNrrY.J Kulba IS Ul
general a tlat, level country, e>:cept toward th.e north, where lie the
Zimnopoias mountains, ihou'Tht to be the famous Montes Riph:ei of
the ancients, now called tlie Girdle of tlie Karlh. On the wcfbrn hde
of the Dnieper comes in part of the Carpathian mountanis, and be-
tween the Black Sea and the Cafpian, Mount Caucafus borders a
range of vaft plains extending to the fea of Oral. And hp-c uc mav
obfcrvc. that from Peterlbuvg to Pckin, one iiiall harcdy meet with
a mountain oa the road ihrou-h Independent iariary, and from Ic-
leriuurs
^o H U S S 1 A.
terfbafg to tine north part ef France, by the road of Dantaic, Ham-
burg, and Amftc! dam, '.ve fcarcely can perceive the fmallefl hili.
'Ihe moft confiderable rivers are the JVolga, or VoLga^ running eafl;
and fouth, which, after traverfmg the greateft part of Mufcovy, and
■winding a courfe of 3000 Epglifh miles, difcharges itfelf into the Caf-
pian Tea : It is not only reckoned the largelt, but one of the moft fer-
tile rivers of Europe : It produces all kinds of fifli ; and fertilizes all
the lands on each fide, where groAv the richefk trees, fruits, and vegeta-
ples ; and it is remarkable, tha^ in all this long courfe there is not a
fini^'le cataraO: to interrupt the navigation, but the nearer it approaches
io its moath, multiplies its quantity of ifles, as it divides itfelf into a
greater numbiji- of arms than any known river in the world : And all
thefe arms divide themfelves into others ftill lefs, which join and
ineet again, fothat the Wolga difcharges itfelf into the Cafpian fea by
jnore than 7.11 mouths. By means of this noble river, the city of Mol-
vrow prcferves a communication, not only with all the fouthcrn parts
r,f Ruilia, but even with Perha, Georgia, Tartary, and other countries
bordering on the Cafpian fea. The Don, or Tanais, divides the moft
Ctsftcrn part of Ruffia from Afia ; and in its courfe towards the eaft,
comes fo near the Wolga, that the late czar had undertaken to have
cut a communication between tiiem by means of a canal : This grand
projcft, \iowever, was defeated by the irruptions of the Tartars. This
river, excluhve of its turnings and windings, dilcharges itfelf into
the Palus Ma^otis, or fea of Afoph, about four hundred miles from its
rife. The; Bcryftkcncs, or Dnieper, Is among tlie largcft rivers in Eu-
rope, and runs throuijh Lithuania, the country of the Zaporog Coffacs,
and that of the Nagaifch Tartars, and falls into the Euxine, or Black
^H^a, at Kinbounje, near Oczak<-;w ; it has thirteen catarafts within a
fiTjall diftance. Tp thefe may be added the two Dwina^, one of which
fmptics itfelf at Riga into the Brdtic ; the other has its fource near
'Uliiaga, and dividuig itfelf into two branches near Archangel, there
falls in;o the White Sea.
PopuLATjoN, MANN liRs, AKD cu-^TOMs."] According to the fore-
$;oing tabic, Ruir;a contains 24.000.000 inhabitants. As her imperial
jTiajefty of all ihe Raffias poffeiles many of the countries from whence
xhe prodigious fwarins of barbarians who overthrew the Roman em-
7ji;-e ifl'ued, there is the flrongeft reafon'to believe, that her dominions
siiull have been better peopled formerly than they are at prcfent ; —
twenty-fo'.y millions, are byt a thin population for the immenfe traft
of country fhe polTelles. As the like decrcafc of inhabitants is obfer-
yable in nianv other parts of the globe, we are to look for the rcafon
ixi natural eaufes, which we cannot difculs here.
The Ruluans, properly fo called, are in general a perfonable people,
Jiardv, vigojous, and patient of labour, cfpccially in the field, to an
iucrcdiblc degree. Tnciv complexions diii'er little from thofe of the
Engll{h or Septs ; l^ut the women think that an addition of red heigh-
tens their beauty, 'fheir eye-hght feems to be defetlive, occafioned,
probably, by the ihow, v.hich for a long time of the year is continual-
ly pvefenc to their eyes. 1 Ivcir oihcers and foldiers alwuys polfeied a
large fhare or paffivc valour ; but in the late war with the king o^
Prulha, thcv proved as aftive as any troops in Europe ; and in the
late v/ar wiih the Turks they greatly dJllui^uilhcd themfelves. They
arc
RUSSIA. 67
-are impHchly fubmimve to difcipline, let it be, over fo {"evcrc ; they
endure extreme hardfhips with great patience ; and can content thcm-
felves with very hard tare.
Before the days of Teter the Great, the Ruffians were m general bar-
barous, i?ho have always preference and prececence,
and are the arbitrators in all difputcs.
The habitations and manner of living of the Tartar citizens and
viliagps of Aflrachan are perfcftly limilar to thofe of the Tartars of
Kafau. In the citv of Aftrachan they have a large magazine for voods,
built of bricks, and feveral fhops upon arches. They carry on unim-
portant commerce with the Armenians, Perhans, Indians, and Bough-
a.rians : /^nd their manufaftorics of Morocco leather, cottons, came-
lotg, and f: Iks, are in a very thriving fhate.
The Finns are of Afiatic origin, and have a clofe refemblance to the
Laplanders, only they are more civilized, and better informed. They
live in towns and villages, have fchoois and academics, and make fomc
progrefs in the arts and fciences. They profefs the Lutheran faith,
and uie the chrifbian ?era in their chronology. They carry on com-
merce, and excrcife mod of the common trades. The boors are chief-
ly employed in agriculture, hunting and fdhing. They are great cat-
ers, making live meals a day, and are immoderately fond of l:>randy.
Thcv enjoy a confiderablc degree of freeucm, as the Ruiiian govern-
ment has continued to them the enjoyment of the privileges which
they formerly had under the crown of Sweden.
'Jh; IVotjaks, who are a Finnilh race, chiefly inhabit ihe province of
Viaiik, in the government of Kafan. This nation was one of thofc
who were formerly under the protection of the Tartars ; but, hnce it
has been fubjcftedto Rufiia, it has preferred the quiet and fccurity which
;;gricullure affords, to the ambulatory life of herdfmen and fhepherds,
laid fixed habitations to their ancient tents. The Wotjaks are of a
middle ftaturc, and generally red haired •, they are honell, peaceable,
and hoipitablc ; but fupcrllitious, and very credulous. They ai-e af-
fiduous in rural economy, neglecting neither the culture of bees, nor
the chace ; in the latter they ufe indifFcrently the l-ow or fire-arms.
In their Icifuvc hours many of them employ themfelves in making all
lorts of turnery, fuch as cups, fpoons and fhuttles ; and others varnifh
all kirids of cups and bowls, 'ihe women are employed in Icwing, in
making linen, coaiie cloths, and ornaments of embroidery. Some of
the Wotjaks are Ci.riflians, but a great part of them are heathens and
idolaters; though even thefc believe the doftrinc of a future flate oi'
rewards and punifliments.
Ihe OJUk'u, wlio are likewife a Finnlfh race, arc one of the inon-.
numerous nations of Siberia. Before they were in fubjeftion to Ruf-
lia, they were governed by princes of their own nation, and their de-
fcendants .ire (liil reputed noble. As thefe people divide themfelvei
into
RUSSIA; Gs
into different flocks or tribes, they choofc their chiefs from among tl:e
progeny of their ancient rulers, Thcfe maintain ])cace and good or-
der, and fuperinlend the payment of the taxes. They arc entirely un-
acquainted with the ufe ot letters, and are extremely ignorant ; they
can reckon as far a-s ten, but no farther, as is the cafe with other Fin-
nillr nations. Thcfe people have a hngidar cuftom, that the daughrcr-
in-law never uncovers her face in the prefcnce <:f her , father-in -law ;
nor is the fcn-in-law allowed to appear before the mother-in-law till
his wife has had a child. They arc mod of them idolators ; and one
of their opinions is, that bears enjoy after death a happinefs at Icafl
equal to that which they expeft for themfclvcs. Whenever tliey kill'
one of thcfe animals, they fing fongs over him, in which they ;ifk his
pardon for the ir.jury they have done him. '^I bey alfo hang up his
fkin, to which they fhew many civilities, and pay many fine compli-
ments, to induce him not to take vengeance on them in the world of
fpirits. Indeed, it appears that bears are in great cflimation among
all the Pagan nations of the north and north-calL
The Wogclians are rather below the'middlc flaturc, have generally
black hair, and a fcanty beard. They arc of a gay difpofition, honcR,
laborious, and acut-e ; but (lovenly and fi-cklc, and inclined to be ex-
tremely pafTionate. Their women are well made, robuft, civil, and
laborious. 1 hey are unacquainted with the ufe of letters, as well as
fome of their kindred nations: They do not reckon their time by
years, though they mark the months, and name them after the various
i-cvoiutions of nature which they obferve in their forcfts. Tbey dii-
tinguifli themfclvcs into tribes or races: And a Wougoul village is
commonly compofcd only of one family, whofe chief or elder per-
forms the fun£lions of ftarofte, or magiflrale of the village. Their
principal occupation is the chace, in which they difcover much eagcr-
nefs and addrcfs ; ufing indifcriminately fire-arms, the bow, and the
fpear. They arc alfo fKiiful in contriving traps, fnares, and gins, and
all the lures of game.
The Tfchouzoafches dwell along the two fides of tlie Wolga, in the
govern'ments of Nifchnei-Nowogrod, Kafan and Orenbcrg. They
never live in to\vns, but affembie in fmall villages, and choofe the forcfts-
forlheir habitations. They are very fond of hunting, and jjrocurc for
that purpofe fcrew-barrel muri^ets, which they prefer to the bow. One
of their marriage ceremonies is, that, on ihe wedding niglit, the bride
is obliged to pull off her hwfband's boots. A late writer lays. " Among
the Tf-chouwafclies the huiband is mafler of the houfe ;.he orders every
thing himfelf ; and it is the duty of the wife to obey without reply : A
cuflom calculated to prevent domeftic broils. Accordingly quarrels
arc very uncommon in the families of the ITchouwiifcb.es."
The Kirguifians have a frank and picporfcfUng air, limilar to that
wliich charaftcrizcs the Tartars of Kafan. They have a fh^rp, buti.ot
a fierce look, and fmaller eves tlian thofe Tartars. They have good
natural fenfe, and are affable, and high-fpirited ; but fond of their caie,
and voluptuous. They dwell always in portable huts, wandering
about their dcferts in fearch of pafturage for their flocks and herds,
which conflitute their principal occupation. As their com ies are reg-
ulated by neceility, in fummer they travcrfe the northern drfeits, and
ID winter the fouthcrn parts. It is only when they have jnolhingcIl«
64 R U S S I A*
to do tiiat they follow hunting and fifnlng, and agriculture is atfolutC'^
ly unknown to them. Their troops of cattle coniijl of horfes, camelsj
cows, goats, and fhcep, which fupply tisem both with food and rai-
ment. Camels are of great fcrvicc to them throughout their whole
econoiny, carry In-g their huts and furniture at every change of ftation,
*vvhich they do to the weight of nine hundred pounds. The Kirgui-
iians drefs in the eaftern manner, but their clothes are for the moft part
better than thofe worn by the other Tartars. The decoration of their
horfes employs them almoft as much as that of their perfons ; thev
having generally elegant faddles, handfome houfings, and. ornamentea
bridles. They are great eaters ; and they alfo fmoke tobacco to excefs.
Men, women, and children, all fmokc, and take fnuff : They keep the
latter in little horns faftcned to their girdles. The great and wealthy
live pcrfcftly in the fame mannerasthereflof the people,andare diftin-
guifl'.ed only by the numerous train that accompanies them in their cav-
itlcadcs, and the quantity of huts which funound their quarters, inhab-
ited by their wives, cliildrcn and fiaves.
The Tun^^itjians form one of the moft numerous nations of Siberia*
They are of a middle ftature, well made, and of a good mien. Their
fight and hearing arc of a degree of acutenefs and delicacy that is al-
■rv.o\t incredible ; but their organs of fmcUing and feeling are confidcr-'
ably more blunt than ours. They are acquainted with almcft every
tree and ilone within the circuit of their ufual perambulations; and
thcv can even dcfcribe a courfe of fome hundred miles by the con-
figurations of the trees and ftones they meet with, and can enable
ethers to take the fame route by fuch defcriptiOns. They alfo dif-
cover the tracks of the game by the compreffion of the grafs or mofsi
They learn foreign languages with eafe, are alert on horfeback, good
hunters and dexterous at the bow,
T\\e Kainmci are a courageous tribe, and numerous ; for the moft;
part raw-boned and ftout. Their vifage is fo flat that the fkull of S
Kalmuc may ea,hly bo known from others. They have thick lips, 'a
Imall nofc, and a faort chin, their complexion a rcddifli and yellowifla
brown. The women are of the iame fhape and make with the men,
and the fitin of their face a wholefome white and red ; they are lively,
agreeable, and induflrious. The fiianding charafter of this tribe is,
rough, but lefs diffolutc and bafc than they are commonly luppofeJ to
be. They are much attached to their chiefs or mafl:ers, but their
jiftive fpirit, and their improvidence and carelCiTnCfs, make them
thicvifli and dirty. In their robberies, they ufe more ftfatagem than
violence, and as they believe in the nofturnal wandering of dead men's
fpirits. thev arc Icldom accompanied with murder. They are fuper-
flitious about good and bad days, and have written laws which arc
founded on reafon, cuftom, and the will of the prince. Their code
is very favourable to females, and never looks upon a woman as the
author of any crirme. A rape and adultery is punilhed v;ith a mulft
of nine head of cattle. Their fpecch is a mongrel diak£l with ma;ny
Tartarian words, biit their religious books are in the Tangut or Tibe-
tan. l"he fole pro fefTion among them is the breeding of cattle ; they
purfue the chace as an amufement ; their dwelling i^s in tents, or
yourts of felt, whicli they call gar, and the Ruflians 'kibitka, and much
raTemble the Kirguifjans, Their clothing is oriental, and their heads
are
P, U S S I A. C-5
are cxaQily Chinefe. Some of their women wear a large goluen rint;
in their noftrils. Their principal food confifls of animals tame aiui
wild, and even their chiefs will feed upon Cattle that have died of
diflemper or age, and I'-t it ftink ever fo much ; fo that in every hord
the flcfh market hath the appearance of a lay Hall of carrion; the v
eat likewifcthe roots and plants oF their dcferis. They are great cat-
ers, but can endure want for a long time without complaint, liotli
fcxes fmoke continually. During the fummer they keep to the north,
and in the winter to the fouthern deferts. They fleep upon felt or
carpeting, and cover themfelves with the fame.
The KamtfchadaU: have a lively imagination, a flrong mefnorV. and
a great genius for imitation. Their chief employments arc hunting
and fifiiing. The chace furniflics them with fables, foxes, and other
game. They are very expert in fifhing, and ave well acquainted witlt
the proper leafons for it. I'heir nets are made of the ftamina of net-
tles. When thev are not engaged in hunting and fii"hing, they ibinc-
time« employ themfelves in building huts, forming different woodom
utenfils, cutting wood for fuel aud building, and making bows and
arrows: But much of their time is paffcd in abl'olute idlcnefs ; fat*
they are generally extremely indolent. Poverty gives them no con-
cern ; and nothing but the calls of hunger can drive them to thcchacc.
They live in villages, conftfting of a few fmall houfcs, and fituatcd ia
general near fome river. When a villag<; becomes too populous, llicy
feparate and form a new village; They eat and drink great qiianii-
ties ; but as what they eat is always cold, their teeth arc very hr.c^
Dogs are their only domeflic animals, and they put a high value upoa
them. Some of them travel in fmall carriages drawn by dogs ; and a
complete Kamtfchadalian equipage, dogs, harnefs, and all, cofts ia
that country 4I. los. or near twenty rubles. The Kamlfchadalcs be-
lieved the immortality of the foul, before thev were prevailed upon to
embrace the Chriftian religion. Thev are fuperditious to extrava-
gance ; and extremely fiagular and capricious in the different enjoy-
ments of life, particularlv theiir convivial entertainments.
The manners of the Siberians were formerly lo barbarous, that Peter
the Great thought he could not inflift a greater punifhmenl upon his-
capital enemies, the: Sv/edes, than by bani{"hing fhem to Siberia. The
effeft was, thut the Swedifh officers and loldicrs introduced European
ufages and manufattures into the country, and thereby acquired a com-
fortable living. In this wine and forlorn region, that was fo long un-
known to Europe, foinc new mines have lately been di {'covered, which,
upon their firft opening, have yielded 45,000 pounds of fiiic (ilvcr, «ind.
which is faid to have been cbta:ned with iitile diiiiculty or expenfc..
Bat Kamtfchatka is now coniidcred as the moH horrid place of exile
in the vaft empire of Ruflia, and here fome of the grcatcft criminals
are fcnt.
Religion.] The religion efhabliflied in the RufTian empire is the
Greek. The mofl effential point in which their profefilon of faith
differs from that of the Latin church, is the doftrinC, that the Holy
Ghoft proceeds from the Father only. The Greek church keeps Lent
and other davs of fafh. which are very nunierous, with the utmolt
ftriftncfs ; its liturgy in Rufiia contiiujes to be read in the old Stlavo-
man language ; and its form of woHhip is at Icall js ir.uch o.eiiocidod
*■, -.v. '.a
56 -R U S S I A.
with rites as the Roman Catl-.olir. Saints are held in veneration^
painted images of them, but no ftatues are fufFsred in the churches.
There is a left of diiTenters, v;fho Call themfclves Chviftians of the old
faith, but who arc called apoflatcs by the Orthodox church ; the differ-
ences between them relate chiefly to ceremonies. The church has
been governed fiiice the time of Peter the Great by a national council,
called the Holy Synod, compoied of a preiident, two vice-prefidcnis,
and nine other members, '] he Ruffian clergy confifts of three metro-
politans, viz. thofe of Kicw ToboHk, and the new-appointed metro-
politan of Georgia ; of 28 biihops, independent of the metropolitans, »
and li(bje6l only to the authority of the Synod, who preildc over diocc-
fes called Eparchies, and of protopopes, popes, and deacons. Mar-
riaf^e is forbid to the airhbifhops and biihops, but is allowed to the in-
ferior clergy. Theic are 479 convents for men, and 74 for women, con-
taining about 70000 perfons ; the convents of monks arc governed
hy prelideuts, called Arc)iim.indritcs ; thol^ of nuns by wo:ncn, cal-
led Igmnenias. Above goo^ooo peafants belong to the cftates in pof-
fefTion of the clergy.
Bclidesthe Greek religion, all other religious profefTions are tolerat-
ed, and enjoy the free exerJ'jfe of their worfhip. Livonia and forne
other provinces, which formerly bchjnged to Sweden, are of the Lu-
theran religion. The Roman Cafholics in the Polifli provinces, ia
which the order of [efui.ts is (till tolerated, arc under the government
of the Catholic Arrh'>iulop of Mohilow. The jews arc tolerated on-
ly in or near the Polifli provinces. The Armeiiiaus have a bifliop
of their own, refiding at Aflrachan. In the province of Suratow
theie are fevcral rtourifiifng fcti'iemc'nts of Moravian bvethreii. Of
ilie Allatic nations belongrng ?o this vai'f empire, fome are Mahome-
datir., others worfhip the Deiai Lama of Tibet, or the great KutuelUii
of the Calrnucks, and others, as the Kamfk.ad3{es and KurilianS have
•i. foim of Pagan fuperflition peculiar fo thcmfelves,-
Languagk.] The common language of Rui^ia is a mixture of the
Polifli and Sclavonian ; their priefls, howevei', and the moft learned'
of their clergy, make ufe of what is called modern Greek ; and (it is
laid I thofe who kjiow that language in its purttv, arc at no lofs for un-
derfl.anding it in its corrupted if ate. 'Hk- Ruflians liave thiVtv-hx let-
ters, the forms of which have a ftrong refemblance to t!ie old Greek
ali.h.abct.
Learnint., &c.] Scienrcsand arts, introduced by Peter fhcGrcat,
are highly encouraged by the prefcnt emprefs. There are i'n Rufha
three univerfities, at Peterlhurg, Mofcow, and Kiew ; the latter of
vhich is merely a feminary for the clergy ; an academy of fcicnces>
an academy of arts, and an acadcmv of the Ruffian lang\iage. I'he
pr-efent emprefs is aftually rmploved in founding a number of fchools,
for the education of the lower clalfes of her iuhjefts, throughout the
befl, inhabited parts of the empire •, an inffi:ution of the moff bencfi-
ed with flat
bottomed boats, whicli in the fpring arc hiid acrofs the river, and re-
moved in autumn before the frod begins. Tliere is a convent
which dcfervcs particular notice, in which '440 young ladies are
educated at the emprefs's expenfe ; 200 of them of fupcrior rank, .ind
the others, daughters of citizens and tradcfmen, who, after a certain
time allotted to their education, quit the convent \vith improvements
fuitable to their conditions of life, and thofe of the lower clal's are
prefented v/ith a fum of money as a dowry if they marry, or to pro-
cure to themfelves a proper livelihood. Near to this convent is a
Foundling Hofpital, afliftant to that noble one eftabliPaed at Mofcow,
and where the mother may come to be delivered privately, and then
after the utinoft attention to her, fhe leaves the child to the ftate, as a
parent more capable of promoting its welfare.
As Peterfburg is the emporium of Ruflia, tlie number of foreign
fliips trading to it in the fummer time is furpriling. In winter, 3000
one-hcrfe Hedges are employed for pafTengcrs i-n the ftrccts. It is
Tuppofcd, that there are 170,000 inhabitants in this city; and it is
ornamented v/ith thirtv-five great churches ;. for in it almofk every
fe£l of theChriflian religion is tolerated. Ilalfo contains five palaces,
fome of which are fuptrb, particularly that which is called the New
Summer Palace, near tlie Triumphal Port, which is an elegant piece
of architefture. This magnificent city is defended on that fide next
the fea by the fortrefs of Cionftadt ; which, confidering the difirculty
end danger of navigating a large naval force tliiough the gulf oi
Finland, is fufiicicnt to guard it on that fide fiom the attempts of any
enemy. Peteilhurg is the capital of the province of Ingria, one of
Peter the Great's conquefts from the Swedes. All the neighbourhood
of this city is covered with country houfes and gardens.
The city of Mofcow, fonmerly the capital of this great empire,
flands on a pleafant plain, in N. lat. 5,5'* 40' E. long. 38** 1414 miles
N. E. of London. The river Mofkwa running through it in a
winding courfe, and feveral eminences, interfocrfed with gardens,
groves and lawns, ftsrm mofl delightful profpefts. It feems rather to
he a cultivated country than a city. The ancient magnificence of
this city would be incredible, were it not atlcfte(i by themofl unquol-
tionable authors : But we are to make great allowances for the uncul-
tivated flateof the adjacent provinces, which might have made it ap-
pear with a greater lullrc in tlie eyes of a traveller. Jkdching fpeaks
of it as the largell city in Europe ; but that can be only meant as to
the ground it Hands on, computed to be 16 miles in circumferen,.e.
It is generally agreed, that Mofcow contain* 1600 churches, among
which are II Cathedrals, and 271 parifh churches. Around the ex-
change, according to Bufching. are about 6000 fine ihops, which d.l-
play a vaft parade of commerce, efpecially to and from Chiria. No
city difilays a greater tontraft than Mofcow, of magnificence and
;o RUSSIA.
!,ner.nnefs in building. Tlis houfes of the inViabjtants in general are
rnifcrablc timber booths ; but their palaces, churches, convents, and
other public edifices, are fpacious and lofty. Tlie grand imperial
palace, is mentioned as one of the rrioll fupevb ftrwftures in the world :
it flands in tlie Kremelin, one of the interior circles of the city, and
contains the old imperial palace, plcafure-houfe, and fkables, a viftu-
alling-houfe, the palace which formerly belonged to the patriarch,
nine catliedrals, five convents, four parifh churches, the arfcnal,
with tlic public colleges, and other ofRces. All the churches in the
Kremelin have beautiful fpires, moR of them gilt, or covered with
lilver : The architefture is in the Gothic taflc ; but the infides of the
ciiurches are riclilv ornamented ; and the piQ;ures of the faints are
decorated with gold, filver, and precious ftones. Mention is made
of tliC cathedral, which has no fewer than nine towers, covered with
copper double gilt, and contains a filver branch with foitv-cight
lights, faid to weigh 2800 pounds. A volume would fcarcely fuffice
TO recount the other particulars of the magnificence of this city. Its
fumptuous monuments of the great dukes and czars, the magazine, the
patriarchal palace, the exchequer, and chancery, are noble flrnftures.
The public is not unacquainted with the barbarous anecdote, that the
czar John Bafilides. ordered the architeft of the church of Jerufalcm
fo be deprived of his eye-fight, that he might never contrive its equal.
') he Rory is improbable, and might take its rife from the arbitrary dif-
pofition of that great prince. 1 fnall liave occafion hereafter to men-
tion the great bell of Mofcow. The inhabitants arc fo diftraftcdly
fond of bells, that they are always tinkling in every quarter. The
j( wcls and ornaments of an image of the Virgin Mary, in the Kreme-
Jin church, and its otticv furniture, can be only equalled by what is
Icen at the famous Holy Houfe «)f I,oretto in Italy. Voltaire fays,
that Fcter, who was attentive to every thing, did not negleft Mofcow
at the time he was building Peterfburg ; for he caufed it to be paved,
adorned it with nol)le edifices, and enriched it with mannfaflures.
The foundling Hofpital at Mofcow is an excellent inflitution, and
appears to be under vciy judicious regulations. It was founded by
tiie prefcnt emprels. and is iupi)ovted by voluntary contributions,
legacies and other charitable endowments. It is an immenfe pile of
building, of a quadrangular Ihape, and contains 3000 foundlings ;
V.'hen the cftabliOnTient is completed, it is intended to contain 8oco.
-They are taken great caie of; and at the age of fourteen, they ha\e
the liberty of choofing anv pat ticular branch of trade; and for this
purpofc there are different fpccies of manufaftures eflabliflied in the
jiofpital. Wiun they have gone through a certain apprcnticcfhip, or
abo;it the age of twenty, tlicy are allowed the liberty of fetting up for
tliemfclves : A finn of money is be/lowed upon each foundling for
that purpole. and they are permitted to carry on trade in anv pait of
tlic Rullian empire. Tiiisisavery confiderable privilege in Ruffia,
where the pealants are flavcs, and cannot leave their villages with-
out the permiffion of their mafters.
Nothing can be faid with certainty as to the population of Mo{cov.
Wiien idvd Carlille was the Englifli anibaffador there, in the reign of
Charles II. this cit)^ was 12 miids in covnpafs, and the number of
Iioul'cs was compul'/d at 40,000. Voltaire lays, that v, hen he wrrite,
Mofcow
R U S S I A.
7t
Mofcow was twenty roiles in circumference, and tliat its inhabitants
amounted to 500,000 : Later and more avithcntic accounts fay, that
the number of inhabitants in Mofcow is about J 50,000 ; confining of
noble families, merchants, piiefts, monks, mechanics, labourers, ear-
ners, flcdi^e-driv'ers and Icrvants, l>eIonging to the church.
CuKiosniEs,] Tills article aflbrds no great entertainment, as
Ruflia has but lately been admitted into the rank of civilized nations.
She can, however, produce many flupenduous monuments of the
public fpirit of her (bvercign 5 parlicularh' the canals made by Peter
the Great, for the benefit of commerce. Siberia is full of old fepul-
chres of an unknown nation, whole inftrumcnts atid arms were all
made of copper. In the cabinet of natural hillory at Peterfburg, is a
ihinoceros dug up on the banks of the ti^•cr V'alui, with his fkiu,
and the hair upon it peifcft. 1 have already hinted at tlie pinion the
Ruffians have for bell-ringing ; and we are told, that the great bell of
Mofcow, the largeft in the world, weighs 443,772 pounds. It is 19
feet high, and 23 in diameter ; and was cafl in tlie reign of tlic cm-
prefs Anne ; but the beam on which it hung, being burnt, it fell, and
a large pcice is broken out of it ; fo that it lately lay in a manner n!c-
Icfs. Mr Bruce, in his late Memoirs, mentions a bell at Mofcow,
founded in Czar Boris's time, 19 feet high, 23 in diamctre, 64 in cir-
cumference, and two in thitknefs, that weighed 336,000 pounds.
The building of Peterfburg, and railing it of a f« iden from a few
fifliing huts to be a populous and rich city, is peihaps a curiofity
liardly to be paralleled fince the eicilion of tjic Kgyptian pyramids.
The fame may be faid of (he fortrefs of Cronftadt, in lac neighboui-
hood of Peterfburg, which is almoft impregnable. This fortrefs and
city employed, for fome years, 300,000 men, in laying its foinula-
tions, and driving piles, night and day : a work which no nionarcii
in Europe (Peter excepted) could have executed. The whole plan,
with a very little alliftancc from fome German engineers, v.-as drawn
by his own hand. Equally wonderful was the navy wliich he laifcd
to his people, at the time when they could hanlly be laid tc have
poffefled a fliip in any part of tlie globe. \'v'hat is more wo'nderful
than all, he often wrought iilpcrfon in all thefe amazing works, with
the fame afliduity as if he had been a common labourer.
General remarks. J Ruflia is indebted for its prcfent flnui ifliing
ilate to tlic efforts of two great monarchs. (uccecdiug eacJi other at no
great diftance of time. Had the intermediate fovcreigns between Pe-
ter the (ireat and Catharine the Second, who filled up the interval of
37 years, been capable of following the fle])S of the firft of thcfc mon-
archs, who found, about yo years ago, his native country uncivilized
and defoiate, this riling empire would have been much farther ad-
vanced in wealth atid profpcrity. The prefent condition of this
country requires, tliat the increafe of its population fliould be the
principal objeft of the attention of government. It is the obvious
policy of Ruffia to avoid wars, to encourage marriages, and to pro-
mote agriculture, manufaftures, and commerce. Though its provin-
ces are of an enormous extent, though its army is the iargcll ii\ Eu-
rope, the Rufhan empire is not yet become formidable to the other
great European powers. Its vafi (lominion. j'cojdcd in the more le-
mo:e parts bv numerous, f.ercc,' and leftlcXs laibaiians, contain is
:h;'.r-/
72 R U S S I A,
tnany domeflic enemies, who, in a great meafure, engage the attention
and occupy the power of the ftate. The neighbounng Perfian and
Turkifh dominions, eafilv provoked to hoftilities. require large bodies
of troops to guard the frontiers, which cannot be withdrawn with-
out endangering the fafety of the whole empire.
The prefent Emprefs of Ruifia, notwithftanding the very unfa-
vourable circumftances which attended her taking poITefrion of the
government of that empire, has, fmce the commencement of her
reign, hlled her high flation with diftinguifhed reputation and ability.
She has encouraged learning and the arts, and endeavoured greatly
to extend the commerce of her fubjtfts : Though the extreme defpo-
tifm of the Rulhan governmenr is a great impediment to the pvogrefs
of the arts and fciences, and to the real profperity of this empire.
Her imperial majefty ha=, however, effefted many beneficial and im-
portant regulations in the interior police of her vaft empire, and par-
ticulaily in the courts of jufticc. One of thefe is, the abolition of the
•ufe of torture ; and flic has alfo adopted an excellent plan for the
reformation of prifons. The new cade of laws, for which (he hath
given lier infl:ru£lions, is yet wanting to give political felicity loan
oppreiTed people. But one of the mofl remarkable tranfaftions of her
reign, is her cfi;abliflimcnt of an armed neutrality, for the protcftion
of the commerce of rations not at war, from any attacks or itifults
from hcllii^crcnt powers. By the code of maritime law. which her
iivipcrial majefty has endeavoured to enforce, neutral fhips are to en-
](r, a free navigation, even from port to port, and on the coafls of bel-
ligerent powers : and all efFcfts belonging to the fubjcfts of belligerent
] uv.'.n-, are looked upon to be as free, on boaid fuch neutral fhips, ex-
cepting onlv fucli goods as are cxprefsly ftipulated contraband in her
treaty of commerce with Great Britain. It was in 1780 that her im-
perial inajefty invited tlie powers not at war to accede to this armed
nciuralitv. Thofe who engaged in it were to make a common caufe
of it at ica, againft any of the belligerent powers who fhould violate,
with rcfpeft to neutral nations, thefe principles of maritime law.
The armed neutrality was acceded to, the fame ye^r, by the kings of
Sweden and Denmark, and by the States- General.
Catherine II. Emprefs of all the Ruffias. princcfs of Anhalt Zei'bft,
was born in '729, and afcended the throne in 1762, upon the depofi-
tion and death of her hufband. She was married to that prince
whilfl duke of Holftein Gottorp. in 1745, by whom flie had iffue
Paul Petrowitz, great duke of RufTia, born in 1754, who has been
twice married, and by his prefent ducbefs, the princefs of Wirtem-
bcra, has had two Tons, Alexander and Conflantine, and a daughter
Alcxandrina PawlconSo
The
BRITISH EMPIRE.
73
The BRITISH EMPIRE.
T A B L E.
G KE AT-B RiT A 1 N and 1 R E L A iN
D. 1
Areas in Square Miles.
Population.
I'opulation for cnch
lingle Sq. Mile.
92,294 Kuchin
According to lome Au-
^ Guthrie, or
'°4.70i \Templcman
thors only 9,000.000
i'o others 11.800.000
"5
100.Q28 St. i;cb.
'Vobably « 1 ,000;000
J 00
A, GREAT-BRITAIN.
Extent and Divifions.
Areas in Sq. Miles.
Population.
Population
for every
)00 but
fquarc Mile
ong.2"eaft,6°2o/W.
Kitchin 70,096
q,300 C
more prob.ibly
at,490—58'> 50/—
Ke Shetland iflands
St, U. 79,712
8,300,000
'05
to above f.
' I^XTtNT AND SliT-A-ION.
Miles. Degrees
Length 3801 • /50 and .-6 North htitudc.
Breadth 300/ ^'-^'•''''^"^ \ 2 Eafi and 6-20 Weft longitude.
Climatk. and Bo'JNnARiES.] THE ]on|rtft day in the norihcrn
parts, contains ly hours 30 niinutcs ; and t^ie fliortcft in the foutbcrn,
near 8 hours. It is bouncVd on the norlly^ bv that part of the iHjnd
called bcotUi-.d : 0 ? fhc cult, by ine Gcviki.-i Ocean ; 01: the weft, by
jr6 ENGLAND.
St. George's Chai^^'iel ; and on the fouth, by the Englifli Channel,
which parts it from France.
1 he infuiar fituation of England, renders it liable to a great uncer«
tainty of weather, fo that the inhabitants on part of the Tea coafts are
often vifitcd by agues and fevers. On the other hand, it prevents the
extremes of heat and cold, to which other places, lying in the fame
degree of latitude, arc fubjeft ; and it is, on that account, friendly to
the longcv'iiy of the inhabitants in general, efpecially thofe who live
on a dry foil. To this fituation likewife is to be afcribed tliat perpet-
ual verdure for whicli England is remarkable, occafraned by refrefUing
fhowers and the warm vapours of the fea.
Name AND DIVISIONS ancient and modern.] Antiquaries are
divided with regard to the etymology of the word England j fume de-
rive it from a Celtic word, fignifying a level country ; others, and
with more probability, from Anglen, a province now fubjeft to his
Danifli majcliv, which furnifli.ed a great part of the original Saxon
.adventurers into this ifland. In the time of the Romans, the whole
xP.and went by the name of Britannia. The word Brit, according to
Mr. Camden, fignified painted or ftained ; the ancient inhabitants
being famous for painting their bodies ; Other antiquaries, however,
do not agree in this etymology. The weftern traft of England, which
is almoft fei>arated from the reft by the rivers Severn and Dee, is
called Wales, or the land of grangers, becaufe inhabited by the Bclgic
Gauls, v^ho were driven thither by the Romans, and were ftrangers
to the old natives.
The Romans divided England into,
1. Britannia Prima, which contained the fouthern parts of the
kingdom.
2. Britannia Secunda, containing the weftern parts, comprehend-
ing Wales ; and,
3. Maxima Cacfarienfis, which reache;^ from the Trent as far north,
ward as the wall of Severus, between Newcaftle and Carlifle, and
fomctimes as far as that of Adrian in Scotland, between the Forth
and Clyde.
To thefe divifions fome add the Flavia Ceefarienfis, which they fup-
pofe to contain the midland counties.
When the Saxons invaded England about the year 450, and when
they were eftablifhed in the year 582, their chief leaders appropriated
to themfelves, after the manner of the other northern conquei^ors, the
countries which each had been the moft inftrumental in conquering ;
and the whole formed a heptarchy, or political republick, confifting of
feven kingHomr. But in time of v/ar, a chief was chofen out of the
leven kings ; for which reaion it has been called a political republic^
its conftitution greatly relembling that of ancient Greece.
Kingdoms creeled by the Saxons, iifually Jliled the Saxon Heptarchy^
Kingdoms. Counties.
1. Kent founded by Hengift in f t.-
^75, and ended in 823., V^^"'
2. South Saxons, founde&l by Ella ( Suffex
in 4Q1, and ended in 64o. \ Surrv
{Norfolk
Suffolk
Cambridge
With the Ifle of Ely i,.
N
N D.
It
•J, Mercia, foun(Jcd by Cridda i
5823 and ended in 874.
Kingdoms, Counties.
("Cornwall
I Devon.
die in 512, and ended in xo6o. ^ \T^'^^^
' Wilts
Hants
LBeiks
Lancafter
York
Northumberland, founded by J Durham
Tj . J J J • 'S Cumberland
Ida m 574, and ended m 792. ^ ^^,,^^^,,1,,^
Northumberland, and Scotland So
1^ the Frith of Edinburgh
Eaft-Saxons,founded byE-rche- f EfTex
win in 527, and ended in 746. \ Middlefex, and part of Hertford
fThe other part of Hertford
Gloucefler
Hereford
Worcefter
Warwick
Leicefter
Rutland
Northampton
Lincoln
Huntingdon
Bedford
Buckingham.
Oxford
} Stafford
Derby
Salop
Nottingham
tCheRer.
We preferve thefe divifions, as they account for different local cuf-
toms, and many very effential modes of inheritance, which to this day
prevail in England, and which took their rife from dilfcrcnt in ft.itu-
tions under the Saxons. Since the Norm.an invafion, England has
been divided into counties, a certain number of which, excepting
Middlefex and Chefhirc, are comprehended in fix circuits, or annual
progrefs of the judges, for adminiflerlng jufLlce to the fubjefts who arc
at a di (lance from the capital. Thcfc circuits are : i. Home circuit.
2. Norfolk circuit. 3, Oxford circuit. 4. Middland circuit. 5.
Weftern circuit. 6. Northern circuit.
Middlefex is not comprehended ; and Chefiiire is left out of tlicfc
circuns, becaufe, being a county palatine, it enjoys municipal laws
and privileges; The fame may be fald of Wales, which is divided in-
to four circuits. The circuits of Wales are: I. North-Eaft circuit.
2. North- Weil circuit. 3. South.Eaft ciicuit. 4. South-Well cir-
cuit.
V
78 ENGLAND.
In KKGLAND.
40 CoTintics, which fend up to parliament 8d knights,^
25 Cities (Ely rronc, London four.) 50 citizens.
167 Boroughs, two each 334 burgefies.
5 Boroughs (Abingdon, Banbury, Bewdley, "I u ^ „'r ,
Hioham-Fcrravs, and Monmouth, (one each) J ^ u.g . t^.
2 Uinverfitics 4 reprefcntutivej.!
8 Cinque ports Haftings, Dover, Sandwich, 1
Roranev, Hythe, & their three dependents, > j6 barons.
Rye, Winchcll'caj and Scaford.) two each, j
WALES.
12 Counties 12 knights.
12 Boroughs (Pembroke two, Merioneth none) 7 , . _
=> , ^ ' ^ > 1 2 btirgefTes.
one each j °
SCOTLAND.
Shires
7 Cities and Boroughs
Total
f
Befidcs the 52 counties into which England and Wales are divided,
t" ■.'■re are counties corporate, confiffcing Of certain diftrifts, to which
the liberties and juriidiclions peculiar to a county have been granted
hy roval charter. Tlius the city of London is a county diflinft from
Middlefex ; the cities of York, Chefter, Briftol, Norwich, Worcefler,
and the towns of Kingfton upon Hull, and Newcaftle upon Tyne, aie
co'.mties of themfelves, diftinft from thofe in w'liick they lie. The
fame maV be faid of Berwick upon Tweed, which lies in Scotland,
and hatli within its jarii'di£lion a fmall territory of two miles On the
novth-fide of the river.
Under the name of a town, boroughs and cities are contained; for
every borougli or city is a town, though everv town is oot a borough
or city. A borough is fo railed, becaufe it fends Up burgeffes to paf-
liamcut ; and this makes the difference between a village or town, and
a borough. Some boroughs are corporate, and forne not corporate ;
and though '' • caved, as Out Sarum, they flill fend burgeifes to parlia-^
ment. A citv is a corporate borough, tliat hath had, or at prcfent hath,
a bilhop, for if the bifhopric be diflolved, yet the city remains. To
have fuburbs proves it to be a city. Some cities are alfo counties, as
before mentioned.
Soil, air, seasons, and water. ] The foil of England and Wales
differs in each county, not fo much from the nature of the ground,
tliough that mud be admitted to occafion a very confiderable altera-
tion, as from the progrefs which tlie inhabitants of each country have
made in the cultivation of lands and gardens, the draining of marihes,
and many other local improvements, which are here carried to a much
greater degree of perfeftion than they are perhaps in any other part of
the world if we except China. If no unkindly feafons happen, Eng-
land produces corn, not only fufficient to maintain her own inhabit-
ants, hut to bring large fums of ready money for her exports. No
nation exceeds England in the productions of the garden, which
have come to luch perfeftion, thut the rarell of foreign fruits have been
cultivated
ENGLAND. 75
fcuhivated here with fuccefs. If any farther proof of this flmul J bo
required, let it be remembered, that London and its neighbourhood,
though peopled by about 1,000,000 inhabitants, is plentifully fupplicd
with all kinds of fruits and vegetables from grounds within 12 miles
dillance.
The foil of Englarvd feems to be particularly adapted for rearing tim-
ber ; and the plantations of trees round the houfcs of noblemen and
gentlemen, and even of peafants, are delightful and aftoniflring.
The air in many places is loaded with vapours wafted from the At-
lantic Ocean by wefterly winds ; but they are ventilated by winds and
ftorms, fo that in this refpeft England is to foreigners, and people of
delicate conftitutions, more di.fagreeable than unhealthy. It cannot,
however, be denied, that in England the weather is fo cxceflively capri-
cious, and unfavourable to certain conflitutions, that many of the in-
habitants are induced to fly to foreign countries for health.
The fpring begins fometimes in February, and fometimes in April.
In May the face of the country is often covered with hoary frofh in-
llead of blcffoms. The beginning of June is fometimes as cold as in
the middle of December, yet at other times the thermometer rifcs in
that month as high as it does in Italy. Even Auguft has its viciOi-
tudes of heat and cold, and upon an average September, and next to
it Oftober, are the two moll agreeable mcmths in the year. The na-
tives fometimes experience all the four Icifons within the compafs of
one day, cold, temperate, hot and mild weather. The inconftancy or
the fcafons, however, is not attended with the efFefts that might be
naturally apprehiended. A fortnight, cr nt moft three weeks, gcm-ral-
ly make up the difference with regard to the maturitv of the fruits of
the earth : And it is hardly ever obferved that the inhabitar.ts fuflcr
by a hot fummer. Even the greatefl irregularity and the mofl unfa-
vourable appearances of the feafons, are not, as in other countries, at-
tended with famine, and very feldom with fcarcity.
The champain parts of England arc generally fupplicd with excel-
lent fprings and fountains of water ; though a dilccrning palate may
perceive, tliat they frequently contain feme mineral impregnation.
The conftitutions of the Englifh, and the difeafes to which they arc
liable, have rendered them extremely inquifitive after falubrious wa-
ters, for the recovery and prefcrvation of their health : fo thatEnglaud
contains as many mineral wells, of known efficacy, as perhaps anr
country in the world. The mod celebrated arc the hot baths of Bath
and Rriftol in Somerfctfliire, and of Buxton and Mailock in Derby-
fhire ; the mineral waters of Tunbridge, Epfom, Ilarrowgatc, and
Scarborough.
Fack OF THE COUNTRY AND MOUNTAINS.] Thc induftryof the
Englifh has in a good degree fupplicd the abfcncc of thofc favours
which naturehas fo lavifiily beftowcd upon Tome foreign climates, 'i'hc
cultivated parts of England abour.d in thc mofl beautiful fccncs. Bar-
ren fpots are not witliout their verdure ; but nothing can give us a Iiigh-
cr idea of thc Englifh indiiflry, than obferving that feme of thc plcaf-
anteft counties in the kingdom are naturally the moft barren, but rcii-
dered fruitful by labour, l^crhaps it may he l"afc4y ;;fnrmcfJ, that no
country in Europe furpaffes England in the beauty of its profpcfcls, or
the opu4cr.cc cf its inhabitants.
ThoupJj
U ENGLAND^
Though England is full of delightful hills and rifin* grounds, yetf it
contains few mountains. The moft noted are the peak in Derbyfhire,
and the Endle in Lancafliire. Wales, and the northern parts may be
called mountainous.
Rivers AMD lakes.] The rivers in England add greatly to its
beautv, as well as its opulence. The Thames, a noble river, rifes on
the confines of Gloucefterfliire, a little S. W. of Cirencefter, and after
receiving the many tributary dreams of other rivers, it pafTes to Ox-
ford, then by Abingdon, Wolingford, Reading, Marlow, and Wind-
for. Fro-n thence to KingHon, where formerly it met the tide, which,
iince the building of Wcftminfter bridge, is faid ;|to flow no higher
than Richmond ; thence it flows to London, and after dividing the
counties of Kent and Eflex, it widens in its progrefs, till it falls into
the feaat the Nore, whence it is navigable for lai-ge fhips to London
bridge : For manv ages, there were but two bridgesover the Thames,
thofe of London and Kingflon. Tlie great increafe of riches, com-
merce, and inland trade, is however now multiplying them, and for
commodioufnefs, architecture, and workmanfliip, thofe lately erefted
at Weflminiler and Black Friars, are equalled perhaps by none in the
woild.
The river Med way, which rifes near Tunbridge, falls into the
Thames at Sheernefs, and is navigable for the largcft fhips as far as
Cliatham. The Severn, reckoned the fecond river for importance in
England, and the firft for rapidity, rifes at Plinlimmon-hill in North
\N^ales ; becomes navigable at Welch-Pool ; and diieharges itfelf into
the Briftol channel, near King-road ; and there lie the great fhips
which cannot get up to Briftol. The Trent rifes in the Moorlands of
StaiTordPnire, and running foutheaftby Newcaftle-under-line, divides
that county into two parts ; and being joined by the Oufe, and feveral
other rivers towards the mouth, obtains the name of the Humber, fall-
ing into the fea fouth-eaft of Hull.
TJie other principal rivers in England, are the Oufe (a Gaelic word
fignifying water in general) which falls into the Humber, after receiv-
ing the water of many other rivers. Another Oufe rifes in Bucks,
and falls into the fea near Lynn in Norfolk. The Tine runs from
weft to eaft through Northumberland, and falls into the German fea
at Tinmouth, below Newcaftle. The Tees runs from weft to eaft, di-
viding Durham from Yorkfhire, and falls into the German fea below
Stockton. The Tweed runs from weft to eaft on the borders of Scot-
land, and fulls into the German fea at Berwick. The Eden runs from
fouth to north through Weftmoreland and Cumberland, and palhng-
by Carliile, falls into Solway Frith below that city. The Lower Avon
runs weft through Wiltfhire to Bath, and then dividing SomerfLtfhire
from Glouccftcrfhire, runs to Briftol, falling into the mouth of the
Severn below that city. The Derwent, v/hich runs from eaft to weft:
through Cumberland, and paffing by Cockermouth, falls into the Irifti
fea a little below. The Ribble, which runs from eaft to weft through
Lancafhirc, and pafRng by Prefton, difcharges itfelf into the Irifli fea.
The I\Ierfey, whicli runs from thcibuth-eaft to the nortli-wcft through
Chefhire, and tlien dividing Cheftiire from Lancafhirc, paflcsby Liver-
pool, and falls into the Irilh fea a little bt low that town ; and the Dee
rifes in Wales, and divides Fliulfiiire from Chefhire. falling into th*;
Jrifh channel below Chcftcr. Tlie
ENGLAND. 81
The lakes of England are few ; though it is plain from hiftorv and
antiquity, and indeed, in feme places from the face of the countrv,
that meres and fens have been freqlient in England, till drained and
converted into arable land. The chief lakes remaining, :ire Scharrt
mere, Wittlefea mere, and Ramfav mere, in tnc lile of £lv, in Cam-
bridgefhire. All thefe meres in a rainy feafon are overflowed, and foriri
a lake of 40 or 50 miles in circumference. Winauder mere lits in.
Weftmoreland, and fome imall lakes In Lancafliirc go by the name of
Derwent waters.
Fores I S.J The firll Norman kings of England, partly for political
purpofes, that they might the more cffefiualiy enflave their new fub-
jefts, and partly from the wantonncfs of power, converted immcnfr.
trafts of grounds into forefts for the benefit of hui\ting, .ind thefe were
governed by laws peculiar to thcmfelves : So that it was neced'.iry,
about the timj of palling the Magna Charta, to form a code of the forcft
laws ; and juftices in Eyre, fo called from their httmg in U">e open air,
were appointed to fee them ohfcrvcd. By degrees thofe vail trafts
were disforeiled ; and the chief forefts, properly fo called, remainini*
out of no fewer than 69, are thofe of \Vindfor, New Foreft, the I orclb
cf Dean, and Sherwood Foreft.
Me PALS AND MINERALS.] Among thc minerals, the tin mines of
Cornwall defervedly take the lead. Thev were known to the Greeks
and Phoenicians, the latter efpccially, fome ages before that of the
Chriflian ^ra ; and fince the Englifh have found thc method of m;;nu-
fafturing their tin into plates, and white iron, they are of inm-.cnfc
benefit to the nation. An ore called Mundic is found in the beds cf
tin, which was very little regarded till about 70 years ago ; Sir Gil-
bert Clark, difcovercd the art of manufafturing it, and it is faid nov,'
to bring in 150.0601. a year, and to equal in goodnefs thc befl Spanifh.
copper, yielding a proportionable quantity of lapis calaminaris for
making brafs. Thofs tin-works are under peculiar regulations, by
what are called the ftannaiy laws ; and the miners have parliamcr.ts
and privileges of their own, which are in force at this time. 'I he
number of Cern.iih miners are faid to amount to 100. 000. Seme mincj
of copper have lately been difcovered in Wales, which are of coniidci-
able ext *nt, yield great profit, and have much reduced thc price of
that metal. Some gold has likewife been difcovered in Cornwa!!. and
-the Englifh lead is impregnated with lilver. ihe Englilli coined Jilvec
is particularly known by rofes, and thut of Wales by that prince's cap
of feathers. Devonfhire, and other counties of England, produce
marble ; but the befl kind, which refemhles Egyptian granite, is cx-
iceffively hard to work. Quarries of frceftone ate found in many
places. In Northumberland and Chcfliire are allum and fait j>iis.
The Englifli fullers eartli is of fuch coufcqucnce to the clothing trade,
that its exportation is prohibited under fevere pen.ihlcs. lit and fea
coal is found in many counties of England : but ttie city of London,
to encourage tlie nurfcry of feamen, is chiefly fupplied from the jiiii
of Northumhcrland, and the bifhopric cf Durham. The cargoes art:
fhipped at Newcaftlc and Sunderland, and the exportation of coals 10
other countries is a valuable article. — See article U'tal:h and Covunarce.
Vegetable AND ANIMAL PRO- "1 Notiiing can be laid with ny
• uerioNS BY SEA AND LAN'Q. J Certainty concerning the quanti-
ties of wheat, barlcv, rye, peas, beevon and Ilercfordfhire, when kept, and made of proper apples,
and rn a par'.icular manner, is often preferred by judicious palates, to
French wldte wine. The Englifli have made the different fruits of
the world their own, fomelimes by fimple culture, but often by hot
beds, and other means o'f forcing nature. The Englifli pine-apples are
delicious and now plentifid. The fame may be faid of other natives of
the Eafl and Weft Indies, Perfta, and Turkey.
Woad for dying is cultivated in Bucks and Bcdfordfliire, as hemp
and flax are in other counties. In nothing, however, have the Englifh.
been more fucceisful than in the cultivation of clover, cinquefoil,
trefoil, faintfoin, luccrn, and other meliorating graifcs for the foil.
With rcffard to axmmal productions, we ftiall begin with the
quadrupeds. Tlic Englifh oxen are large and fat, b.ut feme prefer for
tne table the fmaller breed of the Scotch and the Welch cattle, after
grazIniT in Englifii p iftures. The Englifli horfes arc among the bcfk in
the wojld, whetiier we regai'd their fpirit, ftrength, fwiftnefs, or docility.
Incredible have been the pains taken, by all ranks, for improving the
breed of this favourite and noble animal, and the fuccefs has been
anfwer|Lb)e j for they nov/ unite all the qualities and beauties of In-
dian, i'erfjan, Arabian, Spanijh, and other foreign horfes. The irre-
:;.lLible fpirit and weight of the Englifli cavalry, render them fuperior
*o aliothors in war : And an Englifh hunter will perform incredible
iincfs ill a fox or ftag chace. ' Thofe whicli draw equipages on the.
:Liect^of Epndon, are often particularly beautiful. The. exportation
cf horfes has of late become a conhderabb article of commerce. The
lirccd of adcs and mules begins likewife to be improved and encouraged
■.1- Engl:uKl.
The ilnglifli fheep are of two kinds; thofe that are valuable for
their ilccce, and thofe that are proper for the table. Theforrner are
very large, and their fleeces confluute tlie original flaple commodity
of Enorland. The large fat flieep are very rank eating. It is thought
tliat in England, twelve millions of fleeces are fliorn annually, which,
at a medLuiii of 23. a tleece, makes j,2oo,oool. «
T1;l* Englifh mafliffs and bull-dogs arc faid to be the (Irongefl and
ficrccfl; of the canine fpecics in the world.
W-ith regard to rfcpiiles, fuch as adders, vipers, fnako?, and worms ;
' :d inl'c6h, fuch as ants^ g^nats, wafps, and flies, England is pretty
,.,;jch upon a par with the reft, of Europe.
1 opu L.-s. 1 1 o.s, iN'HA]>rr.\N r,s, man-"! For the population of Eng-
Ni-.i^.'i, CUSTOMS, AND D I V E Rs I o N s. J land tlicrcader is refcncd to
riie Table. .
Englirnnien, in their jK'vfop.s are generally well fizcd, regularly
featured, commonly fair latiier than otherwife, and florid in their
co!Mpiexious. It is, however, to be prefumcd, that the vaft numbers
of foreigners tliatave intermingled and intermarried with the natives,
}i:ivc given a call to their perfons and complexions uifFerentfrom thofe
of their anceflors 150 years ago. The women, in their iliapcs, fea-
tures.
ENGLAND. 6'^
tures, and complexion, appear graceful and lovely. But bcfide thsir
external graces, they are flill more to be valued for tl\eir thorou^li
cleanlinels, and all the engaging duties of dotncftic life.
TheEnglifh are remarkable for their, cleanlinefs. Their nerves are
very delicate, and people of both fexes are fometimes even moitully
affcfted by imagination. This over4"en()bility has been conftdered ai
one of the fources of ihofe Angularities, which fo flrongly charattL-rii;
the Englifli nation. 1 hey fomcumes magnify the Iliglueft appearance*
into realities, and bring the mod diftant dangers immediately home to
themfelves ; and yet when real danger approaches, no people face it
with greater refulution, or coaftancy of mind. A gronndlefs para-
graph in a news-paper, has been kmowii to aflcft the Pcocks, and con-
icquently public credit, to a confidorat)lc degree ; ai^d tli^ir credulity
gees fo far, that Engfand may be termed the paradife of q^uacks and
empirics, in all arts and profeliioas. In ftiort, many of the Enulilh.
feel, as if it really exifted, every evil in mind, body, and cftdtc,^
which they form in their imagination. At particidar intervals, ihcy
are fenfiblc of this abfurdity, and run into a contrary' extreme, driv-
ing to baniflf it by diflipation, riot, intemperance, and divcrfions,
Tiaey are fond, for the fame reafon, of clubs and convivial allocia-
tions ; and when ihefe are kept within tlie bounds of temperance ;ku1
moderation, they prove the beft cures for thofe mental evils, wliicli
are fo peculiar to the Englifh, that foreigners have pronounced tiieiu
to be national.
The fame obfervations hold with regard to the higher orders of lire,
which have undergone a remarkable change fince the acceflion oi ihc
Houfe of Hanover, efpecially of late yearS. The Englifh nobility
and gentry of great fortunes, nov/ ainmilate their manners to ttjole
of foreigners, Ayith whom they cultivate a more frequent intevcourfc
than did their forefathers. They do not now travel only as pupils, to
bring home "the vices of the countries they vifit, under liie tuition
perhaps of a defpicable pedant, or family dependant ; but ihay travel
for the purpofes of fociely, and at the more advanced ages of life,
while their judgments are mature, and their paflions regulated. Ih-S
has enlarged fociety in England, which foreigners now vifit as com-
monly as Englifhmen vifited them, and the eft'efts of the in*ercourle
become daily m.ore vifiblc, efpecially as it is not now, as formerly,
confined to one fex.
Such of the Englifli noblemen and gentlemen, as do not drlke into
thofe high walks of life, affcd rather what we call a fnug, ll.an a
fplendid vfay of living. They fludy and underdand con eniency in
their houfes, gardens, equipages, and cdates, and thcyfparenoc.dk
to purchafe it. it has, however, been obferved, that this turn ten-
ders them lefs communicative than they ought to be : But, on the
other hand, the few connexions they form, aie fincere, cheerful, and
indilfoluble. The like h::bits defcend pretty faririto the lower ranks,
and are often difccrnible among tradefmen. This love of inugnefs and
tonveniency may he called the rvilin.; palTion of the Englilh pcopU^
and is the ultimate end of all their gieat application, and fcvcrc la-
hours and fatigues. A good cEconomift, with a briikrunof trade, is
generally, when turned of 50, in a condition to retire from bufmcfs ;
that is either to purchafe an edate, or to fettle his money in the funds.
He then commonly rcfides ia a comuortaLlt houlc iu the country, of-
f 2 ^'-'^
84
N G L A N
ten his native country, and expefts to be treated on the footing 6f rf
gep.tleman ; but his flylc of living is judicioufly fuited to his tircum*
ilanccs.
Wcndeborn in Kis view of England obferves that '• There are ni n©
country fuch large contributions raifed for the fupport of the poor, ai
in F.ne fecn. Ail do their beft to wear fine clothes ; and thole
■who cinnot purchafe them new, buy the old at fecond-hand, that they
niay at lealt have the appearance of fuier^'. Servants in general, live
nearly as v/ell as their mailers and miftrcircs ; and when fervant men
or maids marry, they frequently begin the married ftatc with a life of
more cxpcnfe, or rather profufion, than their circumflances will admit,-
and continue the fame, until children and want force them to apply
for biead to their parifti. The Englllh thieves and rogues ufually iayy
ENGLAND. 85
f we can be but hanged at lad.'' Irt like manner, fervafits and others,
who, hy their extravagance and mifmanagcrncnt, bring povci ty upon
themlclvcs, feci as little contrition, und fay, " the parilh muft maintain
us." Sush inftances, however, of worthlcffnefs and. depravity, render
the wealthy and induftrious not very willing to contribute to the iup-
port of the poor ; And the p6or themfelves generally thank, neitlier
God nor man. for the charity that feeds them.
The number of tliole wlio are born poor, and of thofe who from mif-
fortunc or mifco!idu£l become fo in time, is very great. The firft are
brought up by charities ; the latter are maintained, and at laft buried
out of the fame fund. No perfon, therefore, need wonder that the
taxes which are yearly collected under aft of parliament for the fupport
of the poor, Ihould, in England alone, amount to three millions fieri-
ing ;.* a fum which muft appear altogether extraordinary, when it is
coufidered, that the revenues of many kingdoms do hardly, by half,
amount tofo much. At the fame time it ought to be remembered that
jfhe extremely neccffitous poor only, are fupported by it ; that the
flreets of London, notwithftanding all this, are crowded with beggars ;
that the poor blind, led by dogs, beg charity, and that this is tc^ually
the cafe, in proportion, in the countrv-
It is fuppofed, that a million of poor people are maintained at the
public expenfe ; but I fhould think there were a gveat many more :
Their number increales every year. From a very accurate calcula-
tion, made in the year 1680, it appears, that the annual fum, rcquifite
to provide for the poor, amounted' to 665,392 pounds flerling. In'thu
year 1764.- it had rifen to upwards of 1,200,000 pounds ; and, in the
'773' ^^ exceeded, as before-mentioned, three millions ; buf even thi?
("um was not fufficient for the purpofe.
People who live on the continent, when they fee a. traveller who
fpeaks either good or broken Englifli, generally fuppofe him to be a
Briton, whole pockets are lined plentifully with money. They ho\Y
to him, and make him pay, if an opportunity offers, accordingly. But
1 can affure my countrymen, if what 1 have laid before has not already-
altered their opinion, that there arc numbers of Bi-itifh-born fubjefts,
fijch as the inhabitants of fome of the weftern iRands, v^^ho are unac-
quainted with any coin: nay, others, who, perhaps, (luring their whole
lives, never taH-ed a morfel of bread. An old man from one of the Ork-
neys, arrived on the northern coaft of Scotland, and tafting there fome
bread, which he found, according to his palate, veiy delicious, cried
out, " Oh ! how luxurioufly the people live here !" Is there any one,
even of the poorclt, in Gcrmanv, of whom the lame could he laid, as
of this old man, who, in all probability, had gone through life as hap-
pily as many London epicures, and grown old, without th*fe diflem-
pers that attend luxu/y. He, according to his way of living, hardly
flood a chance of becoming a beggar ; and even, as fuch, he could not
be very burdenforae to his community.
lamalmoflof opinion with do6lor Franklin, t'lat this enormous
fum, collefted ?.nnually for the poor ir^ England, increafes their num-
ber as well as their wretchednels, and that, perhaps, it might be for
* Sir John Sinclair, in Iiis hiftory of ths public revenue of tV.e BritiHi empire, pnge 115,
fpeakingot the poor-rate, lays it is *' a grievous burden, wliich, uis luppofcj, amounts, at
ftticat, to ^t leali three ir.ill'ioiis per arjn."
^ ^ the
$G ENGLAND.
thebrncfitof the nation, if poor-rates were entirely abolifhcfl, zvA
the niOribiition of charities left to eveiy man's own difcretion."
The EnoliOi' are r'v.pcs in feveral rcfjicfts. They attend to projcc-
trrs, and no fchcme i>. fo rid'.culous that will not find abettors in Eng-
land, The\' liflen to the voice of misfortunes in trade, whether real
or oreicnded, tieferved or accidental, and gcneroufiy contribute to the
Jehef of the parties, foinetimcs even by placing them in a more cred-
itable condition than ever ; but they ol'ien make an oflentatious dif-
play of their own merits, which diminifhes their value. There is a-
m^nj^ the £;eneralKv of the Englifh of all ranks, an unpardonable
prei'eVencc given to wealth, abov£ mofl other confiderations. Riches,
belli inpublick and private, ardibften thought to compenfate for the
abfence of slmofb every good quality. This offenfive failing, arifes
pirtly from the y:>eopl8 being fo much accuftomed to trade and com-
merce, the great objcft of v/hich is gain ; and partly from the^demc-
cratieal part of their conflitution, which makes the pofTefuon of
nropcvty'a qualification for the Icgifl.iture, and for almoft every other
fpecies of mngiftracy, government, honours, and diflinftions.
Men of learning, and genius, while living, often meet not witli
fnitiihle regard even from the Patrons of literature : And it is not un-
mTii^I for thrmi to throw afidethebefl produftions, if they are not ac-
qyainted with tbe author. We fcarcely have an inflance, even in the
munificent reign of Queen Anne, or of her predeccfTors, •fhe late and the pre-
ceding wars, the immenfe acquifitions of territory by the peace of
i-^..>. and above all, the amazing increafe cf Territorial as well as
commercial property in the Eaft Indies, introdi:ced a fpecics of people
among the Englifh. who have become rich without induflry, and by
clim.inifliing the value of gold and nivcr, have created a new fy Rem of
"Jniances in tlie nation. The plaiv^, frtigal manners of men of bufmefs,
vhich prevailed fo lately as the acdcflion of t^e prefent' family to the
crown, are now diucgardcd for taflelefs extravagance in drefs and
equipage,
ENGLAND.' 87
• equipage, and the mofl expenfive amufemcnts and diverfions, not on-
ly in the capital, but all over the trading towns of the kingdom.
Even the cuU.oms of the Englifli have, lince the .bcgianing of this
century, undergone an almoft total alteration. Their ancient hcfpi-
tality fubfifts but in few places in the country, or is revived only up-
on cleftioneering occafions. Many of their favourite diverfions are
now diuifed. Tiiofe remainining, are operas, dramatic exhbitions,
ridorios, and fomclimes mc-fqucrades in or nea» London ; but con-
certs of mufic, and card and dancing afiemblics, aic common iill over
tiic kingdom. 'I he barbarous diverfions of bojcin^ and prize-fightinj;,
lliough prohibited, are as frequent in England, as the fliews of gladi-
ators were in Rome. The game ?.fts have taken froni the common
people a great fund ^diveriion, thouj;h without anjwering the pur-
pofcsof the rich : For tlie fanners and country people dellroy the
game in their nefl;s, which they dare not kill wilh the gun.
The people of England love rather to be neat llian fine in tlicir ap-
parel, Jew even of the lowcfl tradcfmen, on ^i^i'^days, carry about
them lefs than lol. in cloiliirg, and even many beggars in the flreef»;;
appear decent in their drefs. In flrorl, none but the moft. abandoned
of both fcxes are otiiciwife ; and the appearance of an artifan or
manufafturer on holidays, is commonly an indication of his induH-ry.
Rki.igiok.3 llie ciiablifhed religion in that part of Grcat-Brit-
a.in called England, is the epifcopal chuich of England, a particuL^r
branch of protcftantifm, which in its liturgy, and flill more in its
government, differs from the continental proteftant churches. It bar.
prcforved much more of the ancient hieriirchy of the Roman Catholic
church, together with its dignities and jurifdiftion. The king is the
head of the ciiurch, but lie has no fpiritual powers ; he has the right
of calling together and diifolving the convocation, or ecclcliuftical
parliament, by which the church was formerly governed, but v/hich
has, for many years paft, not been allowed to meet. England is di-
vided into l\v •> ecclefidflical provinces, tlvat of Canterbury and Yoik:
The archbilhop of Canterbury, who is primate of England, h?s 21
bilhoprics belonging to his province ; and three b'.P.ioprics a-ic under
the arclibifnop of "i ork. . AH thefe prelates are lords of parliament,
in which they reprefent the clergy ; they have their feat,, in the Iloufc
of Lords. There is, bcfides, the bifiiop of Sodor and Man, belong- v
'ing to the province of Yoik, v/ho has no feat in the Iloufe of Peers.
The other dignitaries of tlie church are the deans i:nd prebendaries t-i
the chapters, archdeacons, and rural deans ; the inferior clergy con-
fifl of priefls and deacons, who, according to tii'j church bcueiiccs
they occupy, are called redors, vicars, and curates of parifhcs.
The reveni^es of the church of England are huge ; the prefent vakve
of the fees and livings is f;ippofed to amount to 3. 000. cool, flcrling.,
This income arifes cliiefly from tlie tythes, the value of which iucreafes
with the improvements of lands.
All other denominations of Chriftians, called Dilfentcrs and Jews,
a.ve very liber<:Vy tolerated. There are many other Proteflant feels in
England, among whom the Unitarians, Baptifl;s, (2uakers, and i.Ieth-
odills, are the mofl confpicuous. The nLj,raber of Roman Catholi-cs'
in England is eflimatcd at 60.000 ; they have about 550 priefls ; foma
peers of the kingdom, and icvcral other ancient and opulent families
bclor.?
S8 E N G L A K B.
belong to thst commimfon, v^liofe exercife of religion is under gentle re-
ft tiftiohs ; theirnupiber is faid tobe decreafing. There are about 60. ooo
Quakers :ind i2.-opoJe\V!ni families. The numerous French and Ger*-
man inhabitants in London form feveral Lutheran and CalvinifticaJ.
parifhcs.
Learning.] Witji refpeft to the ftate of knowledge and fcience,
l^npland is entitled to an eminent rank among the firft nations of Eu-
rope. It muft, however, be owned, that its fuperiority with refpe£^
to fcicnccs was more confpicuous in the beginning of the prefent cen-
tury than now ; though it has, upon the whole, not gone backwards
:n the fclenres, it has not been able, amiclft the great exertions of oth-
er countries, to leave them behind at the fame diftance. England has
but two tmivcrfitics, or rather collections of univerfities, at Oxford
and Cambridge, in which the wealth and fplendor of the foundations
is defcrving of admiration, and is a proof of the eftimation in which
learning has always been held in this country. It cannot be denied
tliat thefe univerfities, thcnigh gradually much reformed, prefer^e
{till too much of thefpiritof the age of Alfred, and that tliey have loft,
]oi!g ago, the lead in fcience and national literature, which is at pref-
ent transferred to tl-uc metropolis. Schools are very numerous in
^England : Befides fome colleges pf ancient foundation, there are many
private fchools and academies. As government does not in the lealy
concern itfelf ii^ the education of youth, any perfon, however qual-
ified, is at liberty to open a fchool, a liberty which docs often a great
There are alfo in and near this city lOO alms-houfes, about 20 hofpit-
aU and infirmaries, 3 colleges, 10 public prifons, 15 iitCa markets; 1
maikft for live cattle, 2 pther markets more particularly for herbs;
and ;>3 other markets for corn, coals, hay, &c. 15 inns of court, 27
public fquares, beiides thofe w.ithin fmgle .buildings as the Temple. &c.
3 bridocb, 49 halls for companies, 8 public fchools. called free-fchools ;
and 131 charilyfchools which provide education for 5034 poor child-
ren ; 207 inns, 447 taverns, 551 coffee houfes, 5975 alehouies ; 1000
hackney-coaches ; 400 ditto chairs ; 7000 ftreets, lanes, courts, and
allevs, and 150000 dwelhng-houfes, containing, as has been ahead/
c'ofcrved. about 1,000 000 inhabitants, who, according to a late eili-
mate, confume annually liie following articles of proviiions.*
Black CatTle ' — — — 92,244
Sheep and L^ambs — — — 711,123
Calves — — * — — 104,760
Swine — — — 186,932
• Pi^.s — — — — 52;00O
Poultry, and wild fowl innumerable
Mackarel iolfl at Billingfgate — — ■ 14;740.003
Oyllers, buflaels — — — ''■^5^53'^
Small boats with cod, haddock, whiting, &c.over"1
and above tlioie brought by land-can iage, and I ^:39^
great quantities ©f river and falt-riih J
BuUcr, pounds weight, about — - — i6_ooo.ooo
Cheefe, ditto, about ■ — — — 20.000.000
Gallons of milk — — ■ — 7,000,000
Barrels of ftroug beer — — 1.172,494
Barrels of imall beer — — — . 79^:']S5
Tons of foreign wines — — 30.044
'Gallons of rum, brandy, andotherdiPLllled waters, above 11.000.000
I'ounds weight of candles, above — — ij .000,000
I,ondon Bridge comlfts of 20 arches, and is 900 feet long, 60 high
and 74 fcit broad. Lwndon Bridge was firft built of timber, iibout the
year 554, by a College of Priefts — It was repaired or new-built in
1163. The floac bridge was begun by king ilenry, in 1 176, and
finifhcd
• " The population of London has been greatly over-ratcd, and is Kct yet csaflly deter,
mined ;, but it i* probable that the iclitSents 111 Loiidoa, Weainintlcr, Souihwariv and ail die
out pdtiltics, Uii Ihoi-t ofdosjoco louls."
a:: !:m's » ' Jirghnd Dclir.Qy.cd. ■•' FubltJInd inijU.
E 1^ G L A N D, 95
finiflie
it now (lands, under all its difndvantagcs, its fymmetry, and o«iamentS
aie in the highefl flile and execution of architefture.
Weftminfter-hall, rhough on the outfide it ma?:es a mean, and no very
advantaL';coLis appearance, is a nohle Gothic building, and is faid to be
thelargcft room in the world, whoferoof is not fupported with pillars,
it being 200 feet long, and 70 broad. Its roof is the finei^ of its kind
that can be feea. Here arc h^«'d 'he coronation feafls of our kings and
queens ; alfo the courts of chancery, king's-bench, and common-pleas,
and above flairs, that of the exchequer.
That beautiful column, called the Monument, erefled at the charge
of the citv, to perpetuate the memory of its being deftroyed by fire, is
juftly worthy of notice. This column, which is of the Doric orderj
exceeds all the obehfks and pillars of the ancients, it being 202 feet:
hifh, with a fl/iir-cafs in the middle to afcend to the balcony, which is
alx>ui ■^o feet fhort of the top, from whence there are other fleps, made
for pcrfons to look out at the top of all, which is fafhioned like ari
urn, with a flame i'Tuing from it. On the bafe of the monument, next
the flrect, thedeftruftion of the city, and the relief given to the fuffer-
ers bv Charles II. and his brother, is emblematically reprefented in
bafs relief. The north and touth fides of the bafe have C-ich a Latin
infcription, the one dcfcri-bing its dreadful defoLition,* and the other
its fplcndid refurrctlion ; and on tlie ealt lide is an infcription, fliew-
ing when the pillar was begun and fiiiilhed. The charge of erefting
thismonument, which was begun by Sir Chriftopher Wren, in 1671,
and finifliedby him in 1677, amounted to upwards of 13,000!.
The Royal Exchange is a large noble building, and is faid to have
cofl above 80.000I.
The terrace in the Ad^lphi is a verv fine piece of architefture, and
has Uid open one of the finefl profpefts in the world.
We might here give a dcfcription of the Tower, + Bank of England,
the new Ticafury, the Admiraliy-OfEce, and the Horfe-Guards at
Whitehall,
• Which may be thus rendered : '* Ira the year of Chrift, 1666, S°pt. 2. eaflward
froTi hfnce, a', the dinince nf 20a feer (the height of this column) a terrible fire broke
out about midnight 5 which, driven on by a high wind, not only wafte(i the adjacent parts,
but a_ifi> very remote places, with incredible cracklinf! ml fury. Itconfumed ijg churches,
the city yates, Guildhall, many public ftruiftures, hoffiitils, fchools, libraries, a vaft num-
ber of ifjt-!y edifices, lyooo tlwcli n>;-hoiifes, and 4C0 ftreets. Of the 26 wards it utterly
?
fire ; for thefe plu^s are no fooner opened than there are vafV qjanti-
tics of water to fupply tlie engines.
This plenty of water has been attended with another advantage, it
has giv^en rile to fevcral companies, who infure houfes and goods frorn
fire. The premium is fmall, and the recovery in cafe of lofs, iseafy and
certain. Every one of thcfe officers keep a fet of men in pav. who arc
r>--adv at all hours to give their afTiftdncQ in cafe of fire ; and who arc
on all occafions extremely bold, dexterous, and diligent.
Before the conflagration in 1666, London was totally inelegant, in-
convenient, and unhealthy, of which latter miifari'.me many mtlan-
cholv proofs are authenticated in hiftory, and which, without doubt,
•proceeded from the narrownefs of the ftreets, and the unjccountable
projeftions of the buildings, that confined the putrid air, and joined
with other circumftances, fuch as the want of water, rendered the city
feldom free frc-M pefluenlial devaftation. The fire which confumed
the greatefl part of the city, dreadful as it was to the inhabitants of
that time, was produftive of confequenees, which made ample amends
f r the loffes fuftained by individuals ; a new city arofe on the ruins
of the old ; but though more regular, open, convenient, and healthful
than the former, yet it isever tobe lamented (fuch was the infatuation
of thofe times] that the magnificent, elegant, and ufcful plan of the
great Sir ChriPtoplier V/rcn. was totally difregarded and fjcrificed to
the mean and felfifli views of private property. Views which did ir-
reparable injury to the citizens themfelves. and to the nation in general ;
for had that great arciiitec^'s plan been followed, what has often been
alferted, mull have been the rcfult ; the metropolis of this kingdom
would incontellably have been the mod magnifitent and elegant city
in tlie world.
In fine, London unites in itfelf all the benefits arifing from naviga-
tion and commerce, with thofe of a metropolis at which all the public
hufincfs of a great nation is tranfa£led ; and is at the fame time the
mercantile and political head of the whole Empire, it is aKo the feat
of many confidcrr^ble mannfaftures. The moft i.mportant of its pecu-
liar manufaftures is the filk weaving, eftablifhed in Spital-fields by
refugees from France. A variety of works in gold, filver, and jewelry ;
the engraving of prints ; the making of optical and mathe.Tiatical inflru*
iTicnts, are likcwife principally or folely executed here, and fome of
them in greater perfe6lion, than in any other country. The porter
brewery, a bufinefs of very great extent, is alfo chiefly carried on in
Lotidon. To its port are likcwile confined forne branches of foreign
commerce, as the vaft Eafl-India trade, and that to Turkey and
Hudfon's Bay.
Briflol citv, in Somerfetdiire, is fituated at the confujx of the river
Avon, with the fmall flream o-f the Froom, at the diflance of about
10 miles from the place where the Avon empties into the Severn's
mouth, in point of wealth, trade and population has long been reckon-
cd.fecond to London, within this kingdom. The great trade of Briftol
is lupparted by its extenfivc inland com.munications with the Severn
and all its branches, the Avon, the Wye, and various other flieamr..
Hence it enjoys t!\e export and import traffic of a large part of the
kinB|dona, and is enabicd to find a maiket for a great variety of its own
manufafluves^
ENGLAND. 99
tnanufaftures, fuch as glafs xvare, hard foap, hats. Irather, white lead,
gjn powder, earthen ware. &c. The reining of fugar, winch they
im.iort from the Weft-Indies, is one of the principal manuf :6t.ircs of
Er-ilol. They have 70 or 80 fhips conftintlv employed in the Well-
lai'd trade. The city is compaftly huilt ; but is now extendiag itfclf,
like other lar*ecitie.s, into itsfuburbs, by new and more airv Itreets.
The city of York has always been coufiJerc-l as the capital of iha
north, and in point of rank, as the f:cond in the kim^dom. Its minifler
or cathedraljs one of the mofl elegant gochic ftrufljresin the kingdom.
From its top is feen a vaft extent of country. This cily has a ftone
bridge, wuh five arches over the river Oufe. Though in wealth and
populoufnefs, this city falls behind frivoral newer trading towns, it flill
lupports a confiderable degree of confequence, and is inhabited by
many genteel families. It is in the county of Yorklhire.
Exeter, the capital of Dcvonfhire, is the principal city for fize and
confequence in the weft of Engi^ind, and the feat of an extenhve for-
eign and domeftic commerce. The trade of Exeter confifts principally
in the cxoortation of coarfe woollen goods n-janufaft ircd in the coun-
ties of Devon, Cornwall, and part of Someifet. Thefe are fold as the/
come from the. l-)om, to the merchants at Exeter, who ptocure them to
be m-ll-d, dyed and finifhed, and then export them. Th;fe eocds
xonfift chietlv of articles little confumed in England, as rirug-rets,
duroys, longells, and ferges. The markets for them i:re firft Italy,
then Spain, Germany, Holland, Portugal, and lately France. The
aver-jge annual value exported is reckoned 3t £.foo.cco ftorlinr.
Bcfides which /". 10 i.ooo worth of longells are purchufc'd by the E^.ft-
India company. For making thefe woollens, about 40OO bags :f wool
aie imported from Kent.
Gloncefter, the capir.d o^ Glouccfterfhire, ftandson a pleafant hill,
and has lately been mich improved. Its four principal ftrccts have
been much admired for the regularity of their jw.ftion in the cetJtre
of the town. A nin-manufaftury affords tire principal employment to
the inhabitants of this ritv. It has alio feveral Glafs houles. 'i'lie liv-
er Severn wafhes it on one fide, by which it carries on a confiderable
traffic.
Birmingham, is fituatod in the north weftern part of Warwickflitre,
and IS noted for its vaft variety of ufeful and ornamental articles., f;.ch
as metal buttons, buckles, plated goods of all kinds, japanned and pa-
per Wire, and other hard ware mancfaflures ; in co: f quence 06
which it has rifcn to be faperior in populo ifnt-fsto ar.y ( thci of ihenod-
ern trading towns in Englnnd. and has fjUeil the furrcun ling country
with its induftriou.s inhabitants. It is pizntifully fupplied with coals
by means of a canal to W'edncfbury in bt..rt"or'Jfl-iire ; ap.d it has a com-
munication with the great trunk from the 'i rem to the ftevtrji, bv
inf*ans of a branch pafling by \Vft|verhamptor'. TU«i i->irnungluiTa
^oods are difperfed about thckingdum, but chicJlv feiit to Loudon, by
lard carriage, Thev are exported in great q ia.-ititics to foreign col;:.-
tries, where, in point of chcapucfs and fiiow united, they arc uiirivi-l-
cd ; fo *hat Birmingham has beco.me, according to the c.mphatical cx-
preftion of a great Orator, thQ-tof-JJiop of Europe.
Poole, in Dorfetfhire, is fituated en a perjr.fula. rrojciflir.g ;.-.to «
Capacious bay, branching into many creeks, .vid furr:;:-.^ ievcrai ilbr.ds,
G 2 ' 'ihe
,60 E N G L A rr D;
The Karbour admits veflels of moderate fize only, but for them it is yc^
ry ferure. Poole rofe to fome confequence feveral centuries ago. when
the ancient town of Wareham fell into decay. It now ranks high
nmong the fcaports of England, and its trade and population are rapid-
ly increafmg. The principal branch of bufinels here, is the New-
foundland f.rucry, to which it fends annually a large number of velTels,
%vhich carry out provifions and commodities, and bring back cargoes
of fifh, caught on the great cod banks, which are carried to Spain, Por-
tugal and Italy. This port has alfo a large importation of deals from
i^orwav and a general commerce to America, and various parts of Eu-
rope. Great quantities of corn are fent from it in coafters, and it im-
Dorts Ncv.caftle coal for all the eaftcrn part of the country. Near the
mouth of Poole harbour lies an Qyfter bank, upon which are employ-
ed, during the feafon, a number of fmacks, which carry away vafl
auantit-ies of them, to be fattened in the Effex and Thames Creek for
the LoTjdon market.
Burton, upon the river Trent, at the head of its navigation, in
Staftordfhire, is noted for the excellence of its malt liquor, great
quantities of which are fent down the river to Hull, and thence ex-
ported to other parts of the kingdom and abroad. The longed bridge
in England is that over the Trent at this place, built by Barnard, Ab-
bot of Burton, in the I2th century. It is all of fquared free-flonr,
and 1545 feet long, confifting of 34 arches. This, however, comes
far fhort of the wooden bridge over the Drave, a river of Germany,
vvhieh, according to Dr. Brown, is 5 miles long.
Dover, in the county of Kent, formerly a place of the greateft im-
porcancc, and accounted the key of the ifland, is at prefent known
chiefly as the flation of the French and Flemifli pacq,uets, and the
fhorteil paifage to the continent. The diftance from Dover to Calais
is but 27 miles ; and in the narroweR part of the firaits the two lands
are only 2t miles apart.- The harbour of Dover is formed by a gap in
the cliffs, which are here of fublime height, though fomewhat exagge-
rated in the moft picturefque dcfcription of Shakefpearc. Dover is
the principal of thofe ancient port towns, called Cinque ports, former-
ly of great confequence, now become almoft inlignificant. The
country Inland fiom Dover, conhfts chiefly of open downs, excellent
for the feeding of fheep.
The city of Bath took its name from fome natural hot baths, for
the medicinal waters of which this place has been long celebrated,
c.nd much frequented. The feafons for drinking, the Bathwaters are
the fpring and autumn : The fpring feafon begins with April, and
ends with June ; the autumn feafon begins with Septem.ber, and lafls
till December, and fome patients remain here all the v;inter. In the
fpring, this place is mod fiequented for health, and in the autumn
f«>r pleafure, when at lead two-thirds of the company, cotifvding
rhietly of perfons of rank and fortune, come to partake of the
amufcmcnts of the place. In fome feafons there have been no lefs
than 8000 perfons at Bath, befides its inhabitants. Some of the
buildings lately erefted here are cxtremelyelegant, particularly Queen's
Square, the North and South Parade, the Royal Forum, and the
Circus.
No nation in the world can (hew fuch dock-yards, and all conve-
;iicnrirs for thp c9nftruftion »nd repair of the royal navy at Portfmouth
(the
ENGLAND. loi
{\he mofl regular fortification in England) Plymouth (by far the beft
iock-yard) Chatham, Woolwich, and Dcptford. The royal hofpital
at Greenwich, for fupcrannuated feamen. is fcarcely exceeded by any
royal palace for its magnificence and expenfe.
Wealth, commerce, revenue and \ Thetwodivifions of Creat-
NAViGATiON Of G R eat-Br iTAi N. /Britain, England and Scot-
land, differ exceedingly with refpcft to their natural fertility and to
the wealth of tlieir inhabit3nts. South-Britain, or England, abounds
■with all the ufcful produftions of thofe countries of Europe which
are lituated in the fame climate with it, wine, filk, and fome wild ani-
mals excepted. The genius and induftry of the inhabitants have in-
creafed and improved many of the natural produftions to a degree
which leaves the eflbrta of all neighbouring nations at a diftancc.
Agriculture, the art of gardening, the cultivation of ail thoic plants
wliich are molt ufeful for feeding cattle as well as breeding horfcs and
fheep, are carried in England to an aftonilhinr height. Of about
42,000,000 acres, which England contains, only 8,500,000 produce
corn ; the reft is either covered with wood, or laid out in meadows,
gardens, parks, &c. and a conliderable part is ftill wafte land. Yet
out of the crops obtained from the fifth part of the lands, there have
been exported, during the fpace of five years, from 1745 to 1750,
quar.tities of corn to the value of 7,600.000!. ftcrlir.g. About tlio
year 1766 it was found, that the exportation of corn was carried too
far, and proved prejudicial to the country; it was confcquently en-
tirely prohibited, and the importation of corn permitted. The net
produce of the Englifli corn-land is eftimatcd by Mr. Young at
9,ooo,oool. (lerling ; the rents of paflure-ground, meadows, woods,
commons, &c. at 7.000 oool. the number of people engaged in and
maintained by farming is Hated by him to amount to 2,800000 per-
fons. Among the other ufeful plants, hops, fatfron, wood, and
madder, are become very important articles of commeice. Malt-
liquor and c\der are brought in England to a veiy high degree of
perfeclion, and render wine a fuperfluity ; yet luxury deems the lattev
effentially necefiary.
The counties of Chefliire, Lancafiiire, Yoikfhiie, Leiceflerfliire,
Derbyfhire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent, Glouceflerniire, and Somer-
feifhire, are moll diftinguiflied for their excellent cattle. The city of
Chefter exports annual! v 22,000 tons of cheefe, i^.qqo of v.'hich are
fent to London. One of the greatcll fources of the riches of England
is wool, the great ftaple commoditv of this countrv. Tlie flock of
the beft fort of the piefcnt Englifli fheep came over fiom Spain ; Ed-
ward the IVih had 3000 Spanifli fliecp brought over, which he Or-
dered to be dillributed among the fevcral pariflics of E.ngland ; anou:;i-( neither gold nor fdver is found in the Engl'fli mines, or
onlv in quantities too inngnificant to be mentioned, yet the other
ynineiaU arc great fources of wealth. Copper, tin, lead, and ron, are
found in great abundance, and the nrft two m.atals of the vcrv beft
G'.talitv. 1 he copper annually obtained from the mines of Cornwall
is enrmatcd at 4000 tons ; the number of Cornifli miners is faid to a-
TTomit to 80 000 people. The tin of Cornwall is valued at 200.000K
f'.eilii;^ annually. Northumberland, Durham, Lancafhire, Cumber-
land. Shroffhire. Staffbrdfhire, Wales, and Devovifliire. produce
large qnan"ities of iron, which is, however, of an infer'or quality
totheiioi of Sweden, Stiria, Carinthia, and Ruflia •, it is therefore
TiccGir:ry to'mpoit from thrfe countries upwards of ?5 coo tons, for
the ma'-ijfdftures of finer tools and hardware. 1 he moil imy.oriant
ri;:)nufaftures of the latter fort ate at Sheffield, where it is fuppofed
'jr^"ards of 0,000 workmen are employed by about foo owners and
tranufaclure'5. One company of iron mdnuf.;fturers in Shtopftiire
v.fe every d,ty ■■00 tons of coals in t! c'r woiks. In Great-Britain
there is madi?^'ery year aq — 6p,ooo tons of pig-ircn, and no — 30;00Q
tons of bar- iron.
i- n:;land poiriiTes a very great tre.ifure in its inexhauflible coal mines,
•^vhici are wo-kcd chiefly in the northern counties, from whence they
are convevcd by fea and by the inland canals to every other part of
thckingriom. The mines of Northumbct land alone fend every year
•upwarHsof 600000 chaldron of coals to Loudon, and jrooveflel*
are em])loved ni Carrying them to that harbour, along tlie eafcerr, ccaft
of Enc;lan' , THis trade and na\-igation is one of the great nurferies
of feimen, and, in that refpeft, of the utmofl, imponarice to the
commercf and prefervation of the empire.
Manufaftures in England have been carried to higher perfeftion
than in anv other country. An enumeration of them would compre-
licnd almoft every contrivance of mechanifm in its moft improved
il ite. v/hich ever vas invented by the ingenuity of any age or coun-
try for the convenience and ufe of man. Their' furpriling perfcftioiv
Tvjft be accounted for Irom many circumfl-ances, which liO where co-
incided fo happily to promote their progrcfs as they do in this ifland.
3t feems they are nearly equally indebted to the national chaTi.a.cr. to
the lunation of the country, and the excellence of its conflitufion,
iVothmg could be more favourable to the progrefs of the mechanical
arts, than the Zn^lifn reflexion and perfeverance, and the cxclufive
attention they are able to beAow on favourite purfuits. often with
the negleft of every other concern, and their enterprifing fpirit, not
t upwards of 42,000. oool, llerl. — As the quantity ot cir-
culating fpecie may in feme ire ifure indicate the extent of commerce,
we may judg- of the increafe of the latter, by compaiing the fums
which the three laft monarchs found neccffary to coin. By George I.
8,725,921!. fterling were coined. In the long reign of Ueorge ii,
1 i,gb^.t^yG\. flerling, and in the fiift 24 years of his prefrnt majelly's
reign, the fums coined amounted to 03.080,274!. ilerling.
'Jhe coafting trade is laid to give cmproymcnt to about ioo,coo
people ; but this number fccms to be exaggerated. YcL lome branch-
es of the tifheries require a great number of hands. About io,oco
people arc employed in the oyfler-fifhery along the coafts of England.
On the coafts cf' Scotland great fifheries are carried on; there have
been fometimes upwards of 300 vciTcls employed in the herring-hfne-
ry. About 40,000 tons of herrings are annually imported into the
pert of Yarmouth by 1100 v^^lTcls .■■ the whole a:)uual auuiiUty or
104 ENGLAND,
falt-herrings and cured pilchards amounts to 150,000 tons. From
Newfoundland there have been carried to foreign markets 591,276
quintals of fifh in 1785; this fifliery is another great nurfery of fea-
nen. The Englifh whale-fifhery on the coafts of Greenland em-
ploys more fhips thaa are fent thither for the fame purpofe by the
Dutch.
By far the moft important part of foreign commerce is carried on by
privileged trading companies, anoong which the Eaft-India Company
is the mofh diflinguifhed, by i(» very brilliant and extraordinary fuc-
ccfs, and by its influence on the general interefts of the whole em-
pire. It dates its origin from the time of queen Elizabeth ; its prog-
rcfs was for a long time gradual and difputed by a rival company,
with Vv'hich it was at length incorporated, and obtained the fanftion
of parlijment for an exclulive trade to the Eaft- Indies and China,
for a limited number of years, in conlideration of a large fum ad-
vanced to the public. Thefe privileges were afterwards renewed.
Within thefe lad thirty years the company has made vaft territorial
acquilitions in India, v/hich increafed in an extraordinary manner
the trade, power, and importance of this company. Its trade em-
ploys 110 {hips and about 8000 men; the articles exported to A fia
confi ft in woollens of all forts, bullion, hardware, lead, and quick-
lilver ; the imports in gold, diamonds, raw filk, fpices, tea, falt-
pctrc, arrack, and China porcelaine. The revenues of the company
arc laid to amount to upwards of 3.000,000!. fterling annually ; but
the expenfe of governing and defending their acquifitions ; the wars
in which they are often involved, and the peculations of their fer-
vants. have been very great drawbacks upon their profits. The af-
fairs of the Eaft-India Company are under the management of 24 di-
redors, refidiog in England, and chofen by the court of proprietors
of Eaft-India ftock. 1 he direftors formerly appointed their fervants
iibvoad ; but tlie conduft of thefe fervants, and the large dominions
acquired by the company, covering upwards of 2bo,ooo fquare miles,
and containing 30 millions of inhabitants, rendered an alteration in
the coiiftitution of this great commercial body, and the interference
of government in its affairs, neceftary. An aft of parliament, pafled
in 177,3. ainong other regulations, gave the prefidency of Bengal a
fiipcriorily over the other prehdencies in India, vefted the right of
nominating a governor-general in tlie crown, and eftablifhed a court
of juftice in India. Yet this regulation was found infufficient to an-
iwer the intended purpofes, and to reprefs the enormous abufes com-
mitted by the company's fervants. After the failure of Mr. Fox's
plan for the government of the Eaft-India Company in 1783, an aft
of parliament paffcd in 3784, which eftablifl-ied a board of control
in England, to be nominated by the crown, which was calculated to
conncft the civil and military government in India with that over the
wliole cmpir:, to fuperintend the regulations and orders made by
the directors of the company, and to call the conduft of its fervants to
account. I'iinc mull llicw, whether the piovihons of Mr. Pitt's bill
will be an adequate cure of the evils which have affcfted the prolperity
and flabilityof this extraordinary commercial fociety.
Th.c Levant Company is at prefcnt of no great confequence, a? the
trade to the Levant has been laid open, and as the !■ reach have acquired
a great lupcriority in the commerce of the Mediterranean,
#^ The
N G
N D.
=»5
The South-Sea Company is only nominally a commercial company ;
it is rather an incorporated fociety of flockholders, to whom govern-
ment is indebted. Its affairs are managed by a governour, two fub-
governours, and one arrd twenty direftors.
The Hudfon's-Bay Company carries on an extenfive trade in peltry
with very confiderable profits : But in all probability its intcrcfts will
be materially affcfted by the reparation of the American colonics from
Great-Britain, and by the late commercial fchemes of the French in
the Pacific Ocean, efpeciallv between Kamtflcatka and North-America.
The Bank of England was incorporated in 1694 ; this company
daals, by the i'anftion of parliament, in bills of exchange, it buys and
fells bullion, and manages government annuities paid at its office. The
credit of this company is the moft extenfive of any company in Europe.
It i^ one of the principal creditors of the nation ; and the value of the
{hares in its flock runs very high. There are befides eight infurance
companies in England,
State of the Trade of England at different periods zvitk the fever at Nations
of the World, [^Extraded from Playf air's Talus.']
I R E L A
Years Imports
270.000
300.000
340,000
475,coo
660,000
870,000 ;
,230..000
1700
1710
1720
1730
J740
»750
1760
3770
J780 1,470,000 1,8
N D.
Exports
240,000
270,000
370,000
600.000
760,000
95®, 000
,450,000
.870,000
90.000
Baltic & the Eaft Country.
1710
1720
1730
J 740
1750
1760
X770
1780
I
Years
1700
1710
1720
i730
1740
1750
17^0
1770
>78o
Imports
136,000
130.000
188,000
198,000
230.000
2^0,000
£ 1 0;^000
220,000
280,000
U S S I
Imports
109,000
140,000
195,000
235,000
33.5-00O
^40,000
570,000
890,000
,i85.c«o
Exports
110.000
85,000
86,000
118,000
133.000
154.000
175.000
135.000
70,000
A.
Exports
135,000
100.000
50,000
46,ooo
75.C00
85,000
98,000
133,000
c.qOjCce
Guern. Jerf. & Aid.
Imports Exports
30,000
25,000
20.000
18,000
39-OO0
55000
57,000
51,000
6l;000
9,000
25,000
27,000
45'000
50,000
40,000
50 000
46,000
64.000
Dcnm. & Norway.
Imports Exports
GERMAN Y.
Imports Exports
575,000 995:000
610.000 895.000
620,000 ljOOO,000
680,000 1.105,000
700,000 1,155,000
715,000 1,405,000
705,000
680,000
670,000
i,bi5,0oo
1,820,000
1,240,000
70,000
35^000
81.000
£9,000
96,000
76,000
97,000
65.000
93.000
67,000
C,0 000
79,000
79.010
115.0CO
85, coo
163,000
93.000
185,000
GREENLAND.
imports
Exports
i:oo
100
2.000
50
2,800
10,000
200
1 6,000
? 0
22,000
7'o 137.000
>,3.coo
1770 !'.'.() 000 89. coo
1780 142,000 109,010
W E S T I N D I E S.
Yepirs Imports Exports
1:0a 5?o 000 CO coo
1710 70 000 33- ,000
17 o 1.0 0 000 .^3-000
1730 1,21 o oco ^£0 0 o
17.0 I,?(Of.O0 51;,. CO
170 l./^ O.' 00 770 OCo
J7'-0 0.0 ceo Ebr, CO<)
17-0 ■• 9 c ccc i,iro ooo I
J7B0 2,^*0^000 l,220,CCO
FRANCE. 1
Port jgal & Maaeira,
Imoorts
Exports
imports
Exports
coco
30006
25©, 000
6300 0
50 coo
75500
70000
475000
46,500
18,000
135 000
625.000
59,500
Mooo
^0,000
675,000
50,000
J 4,300
80 oco
535-OW
56,000
i8,50O
tOOOQ
425,00©
64,000
50,000
2O.C0O
50000
71,000
72,500
300
8^,o&o
J5 60O
815OOQ
APR
I C A.
EAST-JNDIES.
Imports
Exports
Imports
Exports
14 ' 03
11,000
440.000
J 40,000
1^ OJO
-, ,000 •
5Q5.O00
95, 00
30 000
12,000
880 000
J20.C0O
50.000
iS.ooo
965,000
145 OCO
32.000
15.000
970,000
360 000
r 7,000
16.CCO
930,000
700 0 JO
43.COO
30. 000
1,005,000
880 .000
53 oco
48,000
1,515,000
1.330,000
73^000
SSOOQ
r,550,ooo
840,000
Spanifi^W. Indies.
BERMUDA.
Imports
Exports
Imports
_ Exports
600
500
600
1,900
3.;. coo
8.i.cco
1 ,OOQ
3.000
37,000
83,000
1.500
2,200
J 2,000
r 1,000
800
Jt5oo
i,6co
7, "CO
j ^3.000
1. 000
i,8co
IQQCQ
j 26,000
3000
1,700
13,000
1 28,000
7,oco
i370o
J5',O0Q
SlATflt
ENGLAND,
State or thb Trade or England Contikvet).
J07
/ll North America.
SCO. coo
Vcars Imports
1700 280 000
3;o.0C0
5 0000
6;;o 000
7 Bo 000
80000
9-0.0001,7,-0000
1770 i,^So 000^,550000
j^Jso 3oojOooij3o5>ooo
U. S. of America.
Kxpons impoiis
2,t
30.000
1710
1720
1730
t7o coo
5^*0 000
7^0 000
no. GOO
<)40;000 1,610 000
900,000 1,660 000
540,000 IjO^OjOOO
250 000310,000
3^00001^50,000
500 000 5PO 000
6;o 000700 000
930 000 760.CCO
ALL AMERICA.
Years Impoits Exports
770 1,480.000 ^.Sb^^coo
1771 1,430:000 /, (-30,000
772 1,445,000 3,6co.oco
1773 i»4^5000 25/165. oco
1774 ij^SS-ooo 3,8.;c.ooo
1775 2,065.000 985. ceo
1776 845.000 >, 190,000
230.C00 1, 880. coo
265,000 1>1£0 OCO
205. coo 1.370,000
300. OCO i;8c5.-ooo
385.C00 i.S-lS'Coo
295,000 905'<^o«>
'777
1778
»779
1780
1781
1782
ToTAi Trade with ali, the World.
Years Imports Exports Balance
1700 4,550,000 6.300,0001,950,00c
J7IO 4,900,000 7,000,000 2, ICOjOO
>7-o 5«360»ooo 8,6oo,oo(7 3.350,occ
J 730 7,500,' 00 10,900/003,400,000
1 740 7,550,0c® 12,000,0004,450,000
17.50 7,250,000 Ti, 650, f"co 5,400,000
J 760 1 0.3 0,000 1^1,250,000 3, q5C,®cc
1 77O £ 1 ,850.000 1 6,300,000 4 ,650,00c
178010,750,000 I2,^-©.000 l,6^Oj00C
Years Imports Exports Balance
771 12, 800, OCO 17,150.0004-350.000
^77^^ 13:300,000 16,150,0002,850,000
1773 11,400,000 i4,75C,cco3-350'000
1774 i3,250,roo i5,9ro,coo 2,650,000
1775 i3.5AO,oco 15,^00,000 1,650.000
1776 1 1.780,000 13.700,0002,000,000
177711,850, CO 12, 650,0000,800. OCO
1778 10,250,000 1 1,550,000 1.300. COO
177910,650,000 12,650,0002,' 00.000
178010,750,000 12,550,000 i,8co,coo
1781 11,900,000 iO:55o..oco 1,350. OCO
1782 9,500,00® 12,350:000 2, 8£O,0CO
Wefliall conclude this article, with the following comparative view
of {hipping, which till a beirer table can be fovmtd, may have its ufcs.
If the (hipping of Europe be divided into twenty parts, then,
Great-Britain, 'Sec. is computed to have •"" * *"" ^
TliG L^nited Provinces -.— —,.,>_ 6
Denmark, Sweden, and Ruflia — -.^2
The trading cities of Germany, and the Aullrian Netherlands 1
Frncc — — — — — — s
Spain and Portugal «_._,--.-_ -r
ItaK-, and the reil of Europe -~ ..^ -_ j
In a pamphlet, entitled " A brief examination into the increafe of
the revenue, commerce and na\igat'ion cf Great-Britain," (puLlifhed
I702)— Arr.ong other caufes which have cor.tributcd to the profperity
of the nation fii.ce the peace of 1 783, the writer mentions r^n Aft for
audiriiig public i.ccour.'s. " Lolies to an immerle .-.mount." he ob-
krvej-. 'had been fuflained hy the pubh'c, from peifons to whom
leige fums of rroney had been ilfLicd, and who had not rrr.dcrcd any
account ;* A very lar(;e proportion of them had never been called
upon ;
* The fate crrr m'.flir.r.frs of the Public Accoi"-t? (»3te, in their Sth Repor', rha:
£. I26.cco,00O, ;n"L.e.- ,-f) various Public Accc^untants in l6 vears, to Ocli'bct 17SC, ex-
c'.ofjV' o' tie ufifrtrleoDfbt ot I- rH H^AUno, vrre unaccourited tor ;— and in their rotK
Rcpoit, thai between 17^.6 and 1733 thecc weie (64 rerfont, Sob.«rcour.tants t"rAnTiy
toS ENGLAND.
upon ; the few who were, with thofe who voluntarily tendered them*
felves, paflTed their accounts for millions, before a deputy or clerk, ap.
pointed by an auditor, who always confidered his own office as a
finecure. To remedy this evil, an aft was pafled in 1785, for better
examining and auditing the public accounts of the kingdom ; fince
which, they have been examined with attention and fcrupulous exaft-
nefs.t The elTefts of this law will not, however, be felt in its full
extent, till a period, which it is to be hoped is a very diftant one, when
we may have the misfortune to be again embarked in a war. Sums
beyond all belief to perfons not experienced in fuch matters, would
have been faved, if fuch an inflitution had been provided previous to
the two laft wars."
" It muft be in the recolleftion of every one," continues this writer,
*' hov/ univcrfal a perfaafion prevailed, that the feparation of the Ame-
rican Colonies from Great-Britain would be felt as a great and fevere
wound, injuring our refources, and lefTening 'our navigation. We
cannot, therefore, but contemplate with fome degree of pleafure on the
elfefts produced by the meafures before alluded to, and by various
other caufes which have contributed to the general profperity of the
country. To compare the revenue at different periods, before and
fince the feparation, would not alone be admitted as a criterion, when
new taxes have been fince added to a large amount ; although it is no
equivocal proof of the energy of the country, that, under an immenfe
accumulation of debt ani taxes, it has been able to elfeft moft fucceff.
fully what was never b^re attempted, the gradual and certain reduc-
tion of the debt.
A more direft argument will however arife from an inquiry into the
ilate of our navigation and commerce during the years of our greatefl
• profperity in the lafk ];)cace, and at this time. In this inquiry there
occurs fome difHculty as to the navigation ; it is to be lamented, that
previous to 1786, no fhips were regiflered in Great-Britain, except
thofe which traded to the Plantations ; Entries of fhips outwards were'
till then made very loofely ; there was no fort of check on the maflev
or owner, who invariably reprefented the vcifels of a lefs burthen than
the real tonnage, to lave the payment of light duties and other charges ;
notwithftanding which, a tolerable judgment may be formed of the
increafe of our navigation, by comparing the numbers of the fliips
" cleared out at the different periods, having in view that, previous to
the feparation of the Colonies fiom Great-Britain, all American fhip-
ping was deemed Britifh, and that the Hze of our fhips is now larger
thiin at that time. Number
Services, who remained accountable to the Public for the fum of )C'38>933'92° ;— cf the
Jatcer, 117 have rendered Accourkts to the new Board of Corr.miiijuners tur taking and
flaring che Public Account.-, to the amount of upwards of ^T. 31,000,0005 befides all th;
Accountants in ihe ordinary courfj. — It is not however meant to. fugged, that by tnucii
tiie greater part of the Totals ftated by the late Commiffioners fur Public Accounts,
though not accounted for, were not in a great proportion properly expended j the Fa6t
pfbubiy is, that rhey were fo : But on the o'her hand it is highly iniproper, that the
whole /hould not have undergone a regular Inveftigation in due time; and i< is inconteft •
ably true, that, large fums have been lull to the Public, from the Parties, who failed to
account for the fame, having in fome inftances become infolvent ; and in others, from
their property having defcended in a manner not now to be traced, which in moft of the
Cafis would render jny Attempt, at this time, to recover the balances due, perfedly def-
perate,
f Sums amounting in the whole to ^. 761,000 have been re-paid into the Exchequer bj;
Accountants, or tl-.eir Reprefentatives, between January 5, 17S4, and Januarys, 179:,
ariljng from ibe Inveftigation of thenewBoaid of Accounts, and of tiie Comptrollers uf
Army Accounts; including foir.e Balances re-paid by Agents in confrauci;ce o! 3 ^.X'.fX
Eiaini;!3'.ion SfaJc by th:sc GeiukrzKn ai>r.oiiUtfd f.r tha: PurpL-fst
ENGLAND.
lej
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s lebcntures have been fatisfied to the amouai of,^, 636, aoo, which may be
casfuiered as a further redu£t;oa of Uie debt ta that amouat.
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What
ENGLAND, u^
What has been the total improvement of the Revenue from the year
1783 to the prefent time, will appear from the following flaiement ;
Produce of all the PERMANENT TAXES.
From 5th January 1783 to 5th January 1784 - *IO,»94,259
178410 - - 17S5 - 10,856,906
178510 - - 1786 - +12, 10.^,, 798
178610 - - 1787 - :i:i 1,867,055
178710 - - 1788 - 12,923,134
1788 to - - 1789 - 13,007,642
178910 - - 1790 - iS'^aS'O^'S
179010 - - 1791 - 1114,072,978
I791 to - - 1792 - 14,132,000
From the above it appears, that the revenue has almoft gradually
rifen, in the courfc of the lafl nine years, from £.10,194,259 to
£.14,132,000.
Government.] The government of Greaf-Britain may be called
a limited monarchy. It is a combination of a monarchical and
popular government. The king has, or at leafl: is underftood to have,
only the executive power ; the legiflative is fhared by him and thq
parliament, or more properly fpeaking, by the people. Notv/ithftand-
ing the limitations of vegal power provided by the eonflitution, the
ja-erogative of the king is ftill very great, in confequence of pof-
jfeiling the executive power of the ftate, he appoints his privy council
and his minifters, by whom the national bufmefs is to be carried on ;
he has the right of calling together and dilfolving the parliament ; he
can withhold his affent from any bill v/hich has paffed both houfcs,
and by that means prevent it from pafling into a law ; his perfon is
facred and inviolable; he cannot, in the eye of the law, do wrong,
but the blame of his meafures falls always on his minifters and adviT-
ers ; he nominates all the great officers of the ftate and church ; he
confers honours, dignities, and titles, efpecially that of the pieerage ;
he pardons criminals ; he is the fupreme commander of the army and
navy, and the head of the church. His income is very ample, amount-
ing annually to 900.000I. ftcrling.
The crown is hereditary ; both male and female defcendants are
capable of fucceffion. By a fundamental law the king muft profefs
the Proteftant religion.
The legiflative power belongs to the king and parliament, or the
gteat fenate of the nation. This parliament iscompofed of the peers
and commons, and divided into two affemblies, called the Houl'e of
Lords and the Houfe of Commons. The HOufe of Lords is compo-
fed, 1. Of the temporal peers, Or the hereditary nobihty of the
kingdom of England, diftinguiflied by the different rjiiiks of dukes,'
marquifcs,
* The adlual ptymentj into tlie Exchequer in this year wer?;C.^2-?,o;3 left than thi« fum ;
4ut it is added here, as duties of culloms to that amount, due by the tjitlulia Company',
were poltponed
t Deducing ^ 401,1 18 duties of cuftomt! paid by the gdft JnJja Companj within thi?
year, which bccjme due in a former one.
^ Dedudin?;^. 522,500 of ditto.
-£.233,098 01 cuiloiii duties due by the E:ift' tndii Company had been fuTfended in i7?2.
(j From thi5 fum fhould be dedufted ^. 193,000, beingihe amouat of a 5jd VVeeiilyf-y-
ment, whic.^i weald leave the produte ot the jear^. 13,879,000.
H
M4' ENGLAND*
marquifes, earb, vifcounts, and barOns ; wHo have by birth-right dr
creation, a feat in the Houic of Lords, and are hereditary couniellors
of the king. a. Of the fpiritual lords, or the two archbifhops and
24 bifhops of England, \vho have feats in the hOufe by virtue of their
ti^nities. 3. Of 16 Scotclr peers, the reprefentatives of the peerage
cf Scotland. The Houfe of Commons is compofed of fuch pcrfons
of fortune and intcreft, as are chofen reprefentatives for the fcveral
counties, cities and boroughs of the kingdom. The number of thefe
reprelentatives is 558, chofen in the following manner ;
For the 40 counties of England, two members for each Bo
Tor the 12 counties of Wales, one for eaah — — la
For the counties o-f Scotland — — _^ gr>
For the cities m England
50
For the boroughs in England — — — — 239
For the two univerfities
For the cinque ports — — — — 16
For tlie boroughs of Wales — — — 12
For the boroughs of Scotland — — . — __ 15
This plan of rcprcfentation, founded on the ancient ftatc of the
Icingdom, is at prefent liable to many objeftions. Among the places
which are reprefented in parliament, there are many which were
formerly flourifning, but which are at prefent funk into infignincance;
and many tov/ns, now opulent and populous, which at that time were
not yet rifen into confequence, have not acquired the right of fending
reprefentatives. Se\eral borouglis are become private property ; in
others the number of cleftors is ver)' fmall, and of courfe eafily influen-
ced by powerful individutils ; fo that upon the whole the reprefenta-
tion is very vmeqiial and defeftive : But its prefent flate is fo nearly
conncfted with the rights of private property and the interell of the
^rcat families, that it is a very difficult matter to render it equal and
indepcndant. The duration of parliaments is at prefent extended to
feven years, after the expiration of which a new general eleftion of
reprefentatives takes place. Many of thofe who are zealous for the
rights of the people, wifli to fhorten the fcptennialparliaments, becaufe
experience teaches that they give two m.uch influence to the crown
over the members, and diminifli that of the conflituentsover their rep-
relentatives. To be chofena reprefcntxtive, certain qualifications are
neceffary, as the polTefTion of landed property of the annual value of
,3Col. if it be for a borough, and of 500I. a year if it be foracounty.
No foreigner, though naturalized, can be chofen a member of the
Houfe of Commons. In the Houfe of Lords the lord chancellor pre-
fidcs ; in the Houfe of Commons an eleftive prefident, called the
Speaker, Any member of either houfe has the right of bringing in A
bill ; which, before it can pafs intb an adl of parliament, and obtain
the force of a lav.", muft be agreed to by a majority of both houfcs,
and afterwards receive the affcnt of the lung. Bills relating to taxa-
tion, revenue, and its adminiftration, originate always in the Houfe
of Commons, who, by the invaluable privilege of granting or refu-
fmg fupplies, have the power of promoting or flopping any meafurr
of-
ENGLAND, j^r?
of government : The Commons have llkewlfe the privilege, that none
of their money bills can be altered or amended by the Lords. The
upper houfe of parliament have the fupreme judicial-authority in th<;
ftate, to which appeals maybe made from the decifions of the courts
of Weftminfter. The power of parliament is tlie higheft in the ftate
and is unlimited ; it has even altered" more than once the eftablifhe4
reljgion, and the order of fucceffion to the crown .
In confequence of the mixed charafter of the Englifh conftifution •
there have been, fince the time of the Stuarts, two parties in the na-
tion of oppofite political principles ; one of which favours the power
of the crov/n, and the other the dcmocratical, or ariftocratical power
in the conftitution. They were originally diftinguiflied by the names
of Cavaliers and Roundheads ; afterwards they were called Tories and
Whigs, and at prefent the Court Party and the Oppofition. The mu-
tual jealoufy of thefe parties, when founded in principle, is beneficial'
to the conftitution ; but their diffenfions mufl often be attributed to'
private views, difappointed ambition, and ftruggle for nowcr : Yet,
iiotwithftanding tlie divifions of party, the influence which the king
has over the parliament', by his conftitutional prerogative, and the nu-
merous favours and rewards he has it in his pov/er to beflrov/, is e>:->
ceedingly great.
Befides the parliament, the king has the alTiftance of !lis miniflers,'
or privy-counfellors, nominated by himfelf, and refponfible for fhcir
advice and cohduft. Among thefe privy-cnunfellors are the great:
officers of the ftate, who hold their places during the king's pleafurc^
and who retain the dignity of privy-counfellor.", though removed from
their offices. The offices of Lord Chamberlain and Earl Marffial are:
hereditary to the ducal families of Ancafter and Norfolk. Among the
privy-counfellors, thofe minifters who compofe the cabhiet are the
principal ; the Lord Chancellor, the firft Lord of the Treafury, the
Chancellor of the, Excheqlier, v/ho, when he is at the fame lime firft
Lord bf the Treafury, is confidered as the firft minifter, the two Secre-
taries of State for the northern and fouthern department, the Lord
Prefident of the Council, and Lord Privy Seal, to which muft be added^
the firft Lord of the Adniiralty ; Thefe minifters are prefidents of the
principal ftate departrrients. Scotland has its own officers of ftate and
^ive bail for his appearance to anfwer to the charge ; and, in capital
cafes, he commits him to prifon. Before the party is brought to a trial>
the accufation undergoes a fecond difcuffion bv the grand jury of the
county, confifhing of more than 12, and lefs than 24, perfons of charac-
ter and refpcftability ; if twelve or more of them are of opinion that
the charge is well grounded, the prifoner is indifted. He is then
brought to the bar of the court to take his trial, in a public manner,
before the judge and petty jury. The latter is compofed of twelve
impartial perfons of the fame rank with the prifoner, any of whom,
as far as twenty perfons fuccefTively, the prifoner may challenge, if
he has any objeftion to be tried by them ; and this jury are finally to
judge the prifoner, according to the evidence produced in the triaU
When the jury have taken their oaths, the indiftment is read to the
prifoner, who pleads either guilty, or not guilty, to it. In the firft
tafe, no trial is neccffary ; in the other, the evidence of the witneffes,
who are on their oath, is produced in prefence of ihe prifoner, who is
allowed to queftion them himfelf, or by his GOunfel, and to bring wit-
JielTe* in his defence. When the evidence is befoie the court, the
judge, in z fpeech, fums it up, points out the precife flatc of the quef-
tion, and gives his opinion concerning the evidence and the point of
law. By this opinion the jury arc no further bound than as it coin-
cides with their own ; and they agree among themfelves on the deci-
fion or verdift which they are to give, and which muft be unanimous ;
it is either that the prifoner is guilty, or not guilty, of the hR of which
he (lands accufcd ; If th^r acquit him, he is immediately difcharged
from prilon ; if he is found guilty, the judge pronounces the fentence
of the law incurred by the crime, and the prifoner is fent back to prilbn
till the fentcncc is put in execution. If any extenuating circumflancc*
appear iri the trial, the jury may recommend the convift ro mercy;
and the king has the power either to grant him a free paxdon, Or to
mitigate the rigour Of his punishment.
Such are the proceedings of ciiminal judice in England, whicV
manifeft the grcatcfl attention to the liberty and life ofihe fubjeft,
which remove every fear of cpjprcllion from tbe po©feft and weakeft,
and
ENGLAND.
U7
and which give innocence the fairell chance of vindicating itfelf from
Vnjuft and malicious accufation.
The laws of Scot Lind are difFerejit from thofc of England ; and they
partake much more of the principles and forms of the civil law. The
trial by juiy in Scotland may, perhaps, be confidered as an improve-
ment on that mode of trial : It differs from that in England, by re-
quiring only a majority of two-thirds, not a unanimity of the jury, in
order to give a decifne verdift.
The government of Ireland refemblas, in every rcfpeft, that of Great-
Britain, with which it has now no other connexion than that of being
fubje£l to the fame king. Ireland has its own parliament, framed on
the fame plan with the Britifn ; its officers ofilato, courts of juftice,
iScc. but it is protcfted by the I5riti{h army and navy.
Army.] In time of peace the Army confi/ts of about 40,000 m&n^
Cavalry.
Horfe Guards, 2 troops.
Horfe Grenadier Guards, 2 troops«
Royal regiment of Horfe Guards.
4 Regiments of Horfe.
3 Regiments of Dragoon GuardSo
6 Regiments of Dragoons.
13 Regiments of Light Dragoons.
I N F A N T R Ya
3 Regiments of Foot Guards.
J3 Regiments of Foot,
Artillery Regiment in England,
. Ireland,
Engineers in England.
Ireland.
Marines.
Invalids.
In time of peace, moft regiments confift oFonly one battalion, com*
pofed often companies ; in time of war additional companies are raif-
ed, and the number of regiments increafed. The whole of the army
laft war, including the foreign troops in EnglHh pay, amounted to
about 135.000 men. Twelve regiments of cavalry, and vo of infantry,
are ufualiy in Ireland, and are maintained by that kingdom, amounting
to about 12,000 to 14,000 men : For the fervice of Great-Britain, the
garrifons, and colonies, about 17,000 men are voted annually by par-
liament, exclufive of marines.
A militia of about 40,000 men.
Navy.] The number of Ships in and out of commifTion, building,
&c. in 1787, were as follows, viz.
Ships of the line — — 157
Fifties — — .i — 19
Frigates — — — 143
Sloops — — . — 11*3
Total 447
Ships aftually in commiflion, in 17S6, as guard-fliips in the princi*
pal ports, and on the fevcral Itations, the Channel, North Sea?, Weft*
iif ' E N G L A N D.
Jndles, America, Eafl-Indies, Africa, and the Mediterranean, fitting
t>ut, &c.
Ships of the line — = — 12
Frigates — — — 27
Sloops — — ' — 6g
The ufual complement in time of peace, yoted by parliament, 18,000
feamen, including about 3,500 marines.
The principal ports of the navy are Portfmouth, Plymouth, and
Chatham, v/here there are excellent dock-yards.
In times of war, as in 1782, the {hips fit for a£lual fervice ^yere^
According to the Admiralty Lift,
Ships of the line — — 114
Fifties — — . — 11
Frigates — — — 111
Sloops — — — 42
Guard-Ships — »_.—. 24
Total 302
The whole of the fleet carried upwards ©f 20,000 guns, and wa$
S5ianned by 116,546 feamen.
The Royal Navy of Great-Britain, as it Jlood at Augnjl, 31, 1784.
jR.ates of Ships. Complement of Men. Weight of Metal,
Guns. No. of eac
h rate. Men.
Metals.
aft. 100 and upwards 5
—
875 to 850
— 42 24 12 6
2d. qS to qo — 20
—
750 to 700
■ — 32 18 12 6
3d. 80 to 64 — 130
—
650 to 500
— 32 18 9 6
4th. 60 lo 50 — 27
—
420 to 380
— 24 12 6&18 9 ft
Mh. 441032 — 102
—
300 to 220
— 18 9 6&12 6
/Stho 30 to 20 — 50
—
200 to 160
— 94
334
Sloops, 18 to 14 . — 143
125 to 110
jBp.n~bj, Fircfhips, &c. j 9
Total 4xj6
In .commiflion 2,5 of the line, 7 fifties, 36 frigates, and 105 floopSj,
When a fhip ©f war becomes old, or unfit for fervice, the fame name is
.transferred 1 o another, v/hich is built, as it is called, upon her bottom^
Whileafinglc beam of the old fhip remains, the name cannot be
Ranged unlefs by a£t of parliamexit.
,'The pay of the Officers of the Royal Navy in each Rate. Flag Of-
riCERs, and the Cap CAINS to Flags.
Admirals an4 Commanders in Chief of the Fleet -
An Admiral —
Vice Admiral «^ « , ■ —
JRear Admiral . .
Firft Captain to the Commander in Chief —
Second do. and Captain to other Admirals —
' to V. Admirals 1 if firft or fecond Rates, to'
IsT if
Is/hs
Per day.
£-5 0
0
3 10
P
2 10
0
i 15
0
i ^5
0
1 0
0
p 16
0
0 13
6
« jto R.Admirals / have the Pay of fuch Rates
History.] For this interefting article, the reader is referred to
Jiuwe. Goldrmith, Macauley orloma other profelTed Hiftorian. I
ihall
E N G L A N D. n^
fiiall here fet down a chionology of Englifh kings, from the time that
this country became united under one monarch, in the penon of Eg-
bert, who fubdued the other princes of the Saxon heptarchy, and (^ave
the name of Angle-hind to this part of the ifland, the Saxons and An-
gles having about four centuries before, invaded and I'ubdued the an-
cient Bri'vCnSj whom they drove itito Wales and Cornwall.
Began to
reign.
800 Egbert | 871 Alfred the Great
838 Ethclwulf 90 r Edward the Elde
I57 Ethdbald | 925 AthcUlan
03
860 Elhc'ibert j 941 Edmund
866 Elhclred j 94S Edrcd
.1
■J 01 7 Canute, king of Denmark
1035 Harold \ Danifii.
■S039 Il^rdicanute
lojtx Edward the Confe^or
106.^ Harold
955 i---^^vy
959 Ed^ar ] g
97.5 Edward theMar. L •
978 Ethclrcd IE [7
1016 Edmund IE or • |"
(Ironiide. j 2
r (Commonly called the conqueror) duke of Norman-
1066 William I. < dy, a province facing the louth of England, now aii-
[ nexed to the French monarchy.
soGy William II. 1 „ /• i o
^ ,, . y Sons of the Conqueror.
1 ICO Iienry I. j *■
a 135 Stephen, grsndfon to the Conqueror, by his 4th daughter Adela.
["(Plantagenet) grandfon of Henry I. by his daughter
1154 Henry II. ■< the emprcfs Matilda, and her 2d hufband, Gcoffro^i
(^ Plantagenet.
1189 Richard I. ^ c r tn tt
^ T , > Sons or Henrv II.
1199 John /
i2i6 Henry III. Ion of John.
1272 Edward I. ion of Henry III..
1307 Edward Il.fon of Edward L
1327 Edward III. fon of Edward II.
n- i. J TT r erandfon of Edv.Mrd III. by.his eideil fon, the
1377 Richard II. <^ °,3, , -^ • • > -^
^T ^^j f Son to Tohn of Gaunt, duke of ^
1399 Henry IV. | Lancaaer,4th.fonto Edw.lH !
1413 H-enry V. fon of Henry IV.
1422 Henry VI. ion of Henry V. J
. .(^.T^ a TIT- ^ defcended fj-om Edward III. by ^
i4DjEdward IV. V , • 1 1 • j r ^ \
J Lionel his 3d Ion. \ ^. - r ^, ■,
1483 Edward V. Ion of Edward IV. ^^°"'"- °* ^ °'-'-
1483 Richard III. brother of Edward IV. J
r (Tudor) Ion of the coun-1 Houfe of Tudor, in
1485 Henry VII. <^ tcls of Richmond, of the whom were united
[^ Houfe of L;;ncailcr. j the Houfes of Lan-
1509 Henry VIII. fon of Henry \'II. )- caller and York, by
1547 Edward VI. fon of Henry VHl. I Henry VII. 's n)arri.
J. Houfe cf Lancafler.
^55;^ I^Iarv 1 r* ,, _r tt imr 3?c with Elizabeth,
, o trr u .u VDaughtersof Henry VIII. {' ^r ,,■ j .,,r'
?5no Elizabeth J * ' J daug. 01 Edward 1\ .
1603
■r
N G L A N D,
Great grandfon of James IV. king of Scotland, by
l6(53 James I. J- Margaret, daughter of Henry VII. andfirftof th^
Stuart family in England.
1625 Charles I. fon of James I.
Commonwealth, and prote£lorate of Cromwell*
1640 Charles II. 1 c c /^i. 1 r
.c? T rr > Sons of Charles I.
1605 James II. J
,roo r William III. nephew and fon-in-law of James II.
* \ and Mary \ Daughters of James II, in whom ended the Prot»
* 762 Anne / eflant line of Charles I. for James II. upon his
ahdicating the throne, carriedwith him his infant
fon (the late Pretender) who was excluded by
aft of parliament, which fettled the fucceffion in
the next Proteftant heirs of James I. The furviv-
ing iffue of James, at the time of his death, were
a fon and a daughter, viz. Charles, who fucceed-
ed him, and the Princefs Elizabeth, who married
the Eleftor Palatine, who took the title of king
of Bohemia, and left a daughter, the Princefs
Sophia, who married the Duke of Brunfwick
Lunenburgh, by whom fhe had George, eleftor
of Hanover, who afrended the throne, by aft of
parliament, exprefsly made in favour of hi$
mother,
S714 George L ' ' ")
1727 George II. fon of George L )-Houre of Hanover,
lyGp George IlJ.grandfonof George II. J
WALES.
THE principality of Wales, long an independent and feparate
country from England, and (lill entirely differing from it in language,
and, in fome rcfpe(in>s, in maniiersand cuftoms, is ftrongly marked out
by nature, as a detached di drift. chara61erifed by an almoil continue4
range of mountains more or lefs wild and lofty, and interjacent vallies
moie or lefs extenfive and fertile. It occupies all the central part of
tlic tveftern coafi;, and the country inland to a moderate diftance ; hav-
ing its northern and fouthern limits well defined by the projcfting line
of coafl from the Dec to Anglcfea on the one hand, and the wide en-
trance of the Briftol channel on the other. The ancient internal di-
)nen(iohi of Waics have been contrafted, ty taking from it the whole
county of Monmouth, and a part of the feveral adjacent Engiifh coun-
ucs. At prdcnt it confi{l:sof 12 middle fized counties ;* fix of which
.Tire reckoned to belong to north, and fix to fouth Wales. In general
population and fertility the latter divifion has the fuperiority. All
*:he Wclih counties, except three, touch the fea coafl in fome part of
their boundary. ' . • '
Extent and Situation.
Miles. Degrees.
Length 130 I , r 51 a"^ 54 No'^b latitude.
Breadth y6 f ^^etwecn ^ ^^^^ ^^^j ^^^^ ^^,^^^^ longitude.
Area in fquare miles 7011,
Name
« For their names, fee England.
ENGLAND. i£t
Name AN> tANCtiACE,] The Welch, according to the bcft anti-.
quaries, are defcendants of the Belgic Gauls, who made a fcttlcment in
J&ngland about fourfcore years before the firft dcfccut of Julius Cxfar,
and therebv obtained the name of Galles or WalUs(the G and W being
prornifcuoufly ufed by the anciert Britons) that is, Strangers. Their
language has a flrong affinity with the Celtic or Phoenician, and is
highly commended for its pathetic and dcfcriptive poA'crs by thofc
who underftand it. [For Divifions. fee England.]
CtrMATE, SOIL, AND WATER.] The fcafons are prcfty much the
fame as in the Northern parts of England, and the air is fharp, but
Wholefome. The foil of Wales, efpecially towards the North, is
mountainous, but contains rich vallies, which produce crops of wheat,
rye and corn, Wales contains many quarries of free-ftone and (late,
feveral mines of lead, and abundance of coal-pits. This country is
well fupplied with wholefome fprings ; and its chief rivers are the
Clvwd, the Wheeler, the Dee, the Severn, the Elwy, and the Allen,
which, near Mold, finks under ground, and is loft for a fhort fpacc.
Thefc rivers furnifh Klintfliire with great quantities of hfli.
Mountains.] It would be cndlefs to particularize tlie mountains
of this country. Snowdon, in Caernarvonfhirc, and Plinlimmon,
which lies partly in Montgomery and partly in Cardiganlhire, arc the
moft famous ; and their mountainous filuation greatly aihftcd the na*
tives in making fo noble and long a flruggle againft the Roman, An-
glo-Saxon, and Norman powers.
PoPiLATiON, INHABITANTS, "I The inhabitants of Walcs are fup-
MANNERSAND CUSTOMS, J pofcd to amount to about 300.000,
and though not in general wealthy, they are provided with all the
neceffaries, and many of the convcnicncics of life. The Welfh are, if
poflible, more jealous of their liberties than the Englifli ; and tijcy arc
remarkable for their fincerity and fidelity. The Welch may be called
an unmixed people, as may be proved by their keeping up tlic ancient
hofpitality, and their ftrift adherence to ancient cuftcms and manntrs.
This appears even among gentlemen of fortune, who in other countries
commonly follow the flream of f^ifhion. We are not however to im-
agine, that many of the nobility and gentry of Wales do not comply
with the modes and manner of living in England and France. All
the better fort of the Welch fpeak the Englifli language, though num-
bers of them underftand the Welch.
Religion.] The Welch clergy, in general, are but poorly provid-
ed for ; and in many of the country congregations they preach both in
Welch and Englifh, Their poverty was formerly a vaft difcourage-
mcnt to religion and learning, but the mcafurcs taken by the fociety for
pi'opagating chriflian knowledge, have in a great degree removed the
reproach of ignorance from the poorer {ort of the Welch. In the
year 1749, a hundred and forty-two fchoolmaflcrs were employed, to
remove from place to place for the infivuftion of I he inhabitants ; and
their fcholars amounted to 72,264. No people have diftinguifiicd
themfelves more, perhaps, in proportion to their abilities, than the
Welch liave done by afts oi national munificence. They print, at a
vaft expenfe, bibles, common-prayer?, and other religious hooks, and
diftribute them gratis to the poorer lort. Few of their towns arc un-
provided with a free-fchool. The eftabllfhcd religion is that of Eng.
land, Le.'.rkmkg
ifti ENGLAND.
I-cARKiKC AND LEARNED MEN.] Walcs was a fcat of learning at
a very early period ; but it fuffered an eclipfe by the repeated maffa-
cres of the bards and clergy. WicklifiEfm took fhelter in Wales, when
it was perfe.cuted in England. The Welch and Scotch difpute about
the nativity of certain learned men, particularly four of the name of
■Gildas. Giraldus Cambrenfis, whofe hiflory was publifhed by Cam-
den, was certainly a Welchman ; and Leland mentions feveral learned
men of the fame country, who llourifhcd before the reformation.
With regard to the prefent ftate of literature among the Welch, it is
f ufiicicn^t to fay, that feme of them make a coniiderable figure in the
lepublic of letters, and that many of their clergy are excellent fcholars.
Cities, TOWNS, «ORTS, AND OTHER "1 Wales contains no cities
EDIFICES, PUBLIC AN D^p R I VAT £. J or towns that are remarkable
cither for populoufncfs or magnificence. Beaumaris, a neat well built
place, is the chief town of Anglefey,* and has a harbour for fhips, and
H caflle founded by Edward I, It has no trade. Brecknock has a
trade in the woollen branches. It is moderately large, well built, and
inh^^bited by feveral families of gentry. Cardigan is a large populous
luwn, Iving in the neighbourhood of lead and filver mines, en the
iuouth of the river Towy. Caermarthen has a larg-e bridge, i? well
buiit and populous, and is reckoned the firft town in South Wales.
its river, the Towy, admits of vcffels of moderate burden, which gives
it a coniiderable trade. Pembroke, fiiuated on a creek which commu-
nicates with Milford Haven, is v.'cll inhabited by gentlemen and
tradcfincn, but on the decline, the navigation to it being injuried by
ihe rubbifh ofthe lime ftone quarries near it. Apart of the country
>6 fo fertile and plealant, that it is called Little England.
A N' T I n u iTi £ £ AND c u F. I o s I T i E s, "\ Wales abouuds in remains of
XAiuRAL AND ARTIFICIAL. J antiquity ; but the remains of
■die Druidical inftitulions, and places of worfiiip, are chiefly difcerni-
b!c in the iile of Anglefey, the ancient Mona, mentioned by Tacitus,
who ddcribes it as being the chief leminary of the Druidical rites and
rehgioiu Among
•'■' 'l>.e iile of Anglefey, w'^ich is the moft weftern county of NorthWales, is furrounded on
;,!! fides by the Inlh fea, except on the fouth raII, where it is divided from Britain by a nar-
vow [\v.M, called the N{cnJi, which in fome places may be palled on foot at low v;ater ; the
iilunsi is of a shoinhioidal (hape, and from point to point the length is about 22 miles, and the
^■r^adili 20. It coi:t>ias7-V piiiftes. Tiie part of the ilbnd bordering the Menai is iinely
wooded, recalling to the rruiid its, ancient ftate, whea it was the celebrated feat of the Druids,
:^hs I'emfic rites of whofe religion, were performed in the gloom of the thickell groves.
i.\.ade moun.4,b.and he;ipi of flea-, fuppofed to bo Druidical remains, are yet to be feen here.
\ little \ray within, liowever, tlie whole country changes its afpeft into a naked trad, with-
./ut trees or even htd^e.-, rifing in fmnU hills, watered by numerous rills, and fertile in grafs
,iid corn. Tlie pryduits of A'lglefey are corn and cattle. In favourable feafons large quan-
uiies of Uarley and oats are exported iy fea, and feveral thou land head of cattle, befides muU
tinilos of (i.ieep and hpgSj annually crofs the ferry of the Mcnai to the main land. Its
teriiiity is of .siioient repmaiion, tor it hid long ago acquired chs title of loe nuvjing mother
.■fiVaUs. Uut the wsiUh and population of Anglvifcy have lately received a great increafe
tiom tlie difcovery of the famous copper mine on Pa>y's 'iwu/ilai/i, the largeft bed of ore of
vh.itmoul probably linovvn in llie v,jriJ. li is wrought not in the common manner of fub"
terrancoa< mines, but like a Hone quarry, open 10 the da^ ; and the quantities of ore raifed
.ire prodigious. The or« is poor in quality, and very abundant in fulphurs : Quantities of
.:;.;rjy pu'-e copper are obtained from the waters lodged beneath the bed of ore, by the inter-
vention of iron. A lead ore rich inlilver is alfo fdund in the fame mountain. In the
iuTth well part of the iflind ;» a q'-iirrv of pr^cn mirble, interiniKeJ w idi that curious fi^b,
'^.MK'lS. ijcftos.
'ENGLAND. t23
Among the natural curiofities of this country, are the follov/ing.
In Flintfhire is a famous well, known by the name of St. AVinifred's
well, at which, according to the legendary taks of the common people,
miraculous cures have been performed. The fj^ring boils with vaft
impetuofity out of a rock at the foot of a high hill, and is foniied into
a beautiful polygonal well, covered with a rich arch fupported by pil-
lars, and the roof is moft exquifitely carved in flone. Over the fpring
.is alfo a chapel, a neat piece of Gothic architcfturc, but in a very ru-
inous ftate. This fpring is fuppofed to be one of the fineft in the
Britifh dominions, and is now applied to the purpofe of turning fcveral
mills, for the working of copper, making brafs wire, paper and fnufF,
and fpinning cotton ; which branches give great employment to the
town and neighbourhood, and by two different trials and calculations
lately made, is found to fling out about twenty-one tons of water in a
minute. It never freezes, or fcarccly varies in the quantity of water
in droughts, or after the greatefl rains. After a violent fall oif rain, it
becomes difcoloured by a wheyifh tinge. The fmall town adjoining
to the well, is known by the name of Holywell. In Caernarvonfliire
is the high mountain of Penmanmawr, acrofs the edge of which the
public road lies, and occafions no fmall terror to many travellers i
from one hand the impending rock feems ready evejy minute to crulh
them to pieces, and the great precipice below, which hangs over the
fea, is fo hideous, and, till very lately, when a wall was raifed on the
fide of the road, wasib dangerous that one falfe ftep was of difmal con- >
fequencc. Snowdon hill is by triangular meafurement 1 240 yards per-
pendicular height.
There are a great number of pleafing profpefts and pifturefque views
in Wales ; and this country is highly worthy the attention of the
curious traveller.
Commerce and Manufactures.] The Welch arc on a footing,
as to their commerce and manufactures, with many of the weftern and
northern coun-tiesof England. Their trade is muftly inland, or with
England, into which they import numbers of black cattle. Milford
haven, which is reckoned the fineft in Europe, lies in Pcmbrokefhirc ;
but tlie Welch have hitherto reaped no great benefit from it, though
of late conliderable fums have been granted by parliament for its forti-
fication. The town of Pembroke employs near 200 merchant Ihips,
and its inhabitants carry ®n an extenfivc trade. In Brecknocklhire
are feveral woollen manufactures ; and Wijes in general carries on a
great coal trade with England and Ireland.
CoNS-fiTUTiON AND GovER.VMENT.] Walcs was United, and in-
corporated with England, in the 27th of Henry VIII. when, by aft of
parliament, the government of it wai modelled according to the Eng-
lifh form ; all laws, cuftoms, and tenures, contrary to thofe of England,
-being abiogated, and the inhabitants admitted to a participation ot all
the EngliHi liberies and privileges, particularly that of JLudiue; incm-
.bers to parliament, viz. a knight for every fliiie, and a hurgcfs for every
fhire-town, except l^^erioneth.
Re.venue.] Astoihe revenues, the crown has a fmall propertyj
in the product of the fdver and lead mines; but it is laid that the
jevenuc accruing to the prince of Wales f 10m his principality, doet
not exceed 7 or 8;oool. a year. The land tax of Wdes bvOu;jht iv.
Xeveral vcars ago libuut £'.43,700 a year, ^
lIliTORY.J
*24 ENGLAND,
H1STORY.3 Tlie ancient hiftorv of Wales is uncertain, on account
of the number of petty princes who governed it. That they were
fovereijrn and independent, appears from the Englifh hiftory. It was
i'onnerly inhabited by three different tribes of Britons ; the Silures,
the Dimeta;, and the Ordovices. Thefe people appear never to have
been entirely fubdued by the Romans ; though part of their country,
from the ruins of caftles, was bridled by garrifons. The Saxons con-
quered the counties of Monmouth and Hereford, but never penetrate
ed farther, and the Welch remained an independent people, govern*
cd by their awn princes and their own laws. About the year 870,
Roderic, king of Wales, divided his dominions among his tliree fons ;
and the names of thefe divifions were, Demetia, or South Wales ; Po-
vefia, or Powis-Iand ; and Venedotia, or North Wales. This divifion
gave a mortal blow to the independency of Wales. About the year
1112, Henry I. of England, planted a colony of Flemings on the fron-
ciers ef Wales, to ferve as a barrier to England, none of the Welch"
princes being powerful enough to oppofe them. They made however
many vigorou£ and brave attempts againftthe Norman kings of Eng-
land to maintain their liberties ; and even the Englilh hiftorians ad-
snit the injuPcice of their claims. In 1237, '^^ crown of England was
firft fupplied witli a handle for the future conquefl of Wales ; their
old and infirm prince Llewellin, in oixier to be fafe from the profecu-
tionj of his undutiful fon Griffyn, having put himfclf under fubjedion
and homage to king Henry III.
Hut no capitulation could fatisfy the ambition of Edward I. who
rcfolved to annex Wales to the crown of England ; and Llewellin^
ptince of Wales, difdaining the fubjcflion to which old Llewellin had
iubniitted, Edward raifed an irrefifiihle army at a prodigious cxpenfe,
with which he penetrated as far as Flint, and taking poflTeflion of the
in,c of Anglefey, he drove the Welch to the mountains of Snowdon^
and obliged them to fubmit to pay a tribute. The Welch, however,
made fcveraj efforts, under young Llewellin ; but at laft, in 1285, he
was killed in battle. He was fucceeded by his brother David, the lall
independent prince of Wales, who, falling into Edward's hands
ilii-ough treachery, was by him mofl barbaroufly and unjuflly hanged j
;ind Edward from that-time pretended that Wales was annexed to his
vrmvn of England. It was about this time, probably, that Edward,
perpetrated the inhuman malTacre of the Welch bards. Perceiving
that his cruelty was not fufFicient to complete his conqueft, he ferit
his<>ueen in the year i282yto be df^livered in Caernarvon caflle, that
the Welch having a prince born among themfclvcs, might the more
readily rccognife hii authority. This prince was the unhappy Ed-
ward II. and from him the title of prince of Wales has always fince
dcfcendcd to the elded fbns of the Englifh kings. The hillory of
Wales and England, from this period, becomes the fame. It is proper,
however, to obferve, that tlie kings of England have always found it
.heir intcrcft to loothc the Welch with particular marks of their re-
.^ ;ud. Their cldcft fons not only held the titular dignity, but aftually
vcpt a court at I.udlow ; and a regular council, with a prefident, was
named by the crown, for the adminiftration of all the affairs of the
riacipality. This was thought fo necelTary a piece of policy, that
Jicn Henrv VIII. had ::o fun, his daughter Mary was created priu-
;;lsot Walc5. " SCOTLAND,
SCOTLAND, t?5
S*C O T L A N D.
Extent and Situation.
Miles. Degrees.
Length 300 1 u_.^__ r 54 and 59 North latitude.
Breadth 190/ ''etween | ^ ^^^ 6 Weft longitiidc.
.. -,npHE word Scot is no other than a corruption of Scuyth, or
Name. J j^ Scythian, bein^ originally from that immenie country,
called Scythia by the ancients. It is termed, by the Italians, Scotia ;
by the Spaniards, Efcotia ; by the French, EcolTe ; and by the Scots,
Germans, and Englifh, Scotland.
Boundaries.] Scotland, which contains an area of 27,794 fquare
miles, is bounded on the fovuh by England ; and on the north, cait,
and wefl, by the Deucaledonian, German, and Irifh fcas,or,more prop-
erly, the Atlantic Ocean.
Divisions AND subdivisions.] See England.
Climate, SOIL, AIR, AND water.] In the northern parts, day-
light, at micifummer, lafts eighteen hours and five minutes. The air of
Scotland is more temperate than could be expefted in fo northerly a
climate. This arifes partly from the variety of its hills, vallics, rivers,
and lakes ; but flill more, as in England, from the vicinity of the fea,
which affords thofe warm breezes, that not only foften the natural
keenefs of the air, but, by keeping it in perpetual agitation, render it
pure and healthful, and prevent thofe epidemic diftcmpers that pre-
vail in many other countries. In the neighbourhood of fome high
mountains, however, which arc generally covered with fnow, the. aif
is keen and piercing for about nine months in the year. The foil in.
general is not fo fertile as that of England ; and in many places lef.-
fitted for agriculture than for pafture. At the fame time, there an
particular plains and vallics of the molb luxuriant fertility. The finer
particles of earth, incefTantly waflied down from the mountains, and
depofited in theie vallies, afford tl'Cm a vegetative nourifhmcnt, which
is capable of carrying the flrongefh plants to perfeHion : Though ex-
perience has proved, that many vegetables and horiulane produftions
do not come fo foon to maturity in this country as in England. There
is, indeed, a great variety of foils in Scotland, the face of which )•;
agreeably diverfified by a charming intermixture of natural objefts.
The vaft inequalities of the ground, if unfavouraiblc to the labours of
the hufbandman, are particularly pleafing to a traveller, and afFord
thofe delightful fituations for counlry-houfes. of which many of the
Scottifh nobility and gentry have fo judicioully availed themfclvcs. It
is their htuation. more tlian any expenfive magnificence, that occafions
the feats of the dukes of Argyle and Athol, of Lord Hoptcn, and ma-
ny others, to fix the attention of every traveller. 1 he water in Scot-
land, as every where clfe, depends on the qualities of the foil thiouglv
which it paffes. Water paffing through a heavy foil is turbid and
noxious, but filtrating through fand or gravel, it is clear, light, and
falutary to the fl:omach. This lafl is in general the cafe in Scot-
land, where the water is better than that of more fouthcrn climates, in
•proportion as the land is wcrfc.
Mountains.] The principal mountains in Scotland arc the Gram-
pian hills, which run from eaft to weft, from near Aberdeen to Cowjtl
in Argyleflaire, almofl the whole Ureadlh of the kingdom. Ancthrr
r.hai'i
xaO 5 C O T L A N £>,
cliain of moutains, called the Peiitland hills, runs through Lothian and'
joins thofe of Tweeclale. A third, called Latnmar-Muir, rifcs near
the caftein coaft, and runs wcflward through the Merfe. Befides'
thofe continued chains, among which we may reckon the Cheviot or
Tiviot Hills, on the borders of England, Scotland contains many de-
tached mountains, which, from flieir conical figure, fometimes go by
the Celtic word Laws. Many of them are ftupendoufly high, and of
beautiful forms ; but too numerous to be particularized here.
Rivers, lakes, and forests.] The largefl river in Scotland, is the
Forth, which rifcs in Monteith near Callendaf, and paffing by Stirling,
after a number of beautiful meanders, difcharges itfelf near Edinburgh
into that arm of th6 German fea to which it gives the name of Frith of
Forth. Second to the Forth is the Tay, which ilTucs out of Loch Tay^
in Broadalbin, and running fouth caft, paffes the town of Perth, and
falls into the fea at Dundee. The Spey, which is called the mofl rap-
id river in Scotland, ilFues from a lake of the fame name in Badenoch,
and, running from foutli-wefl to fouth-eaft, falls into the fea near El-
gin ; as do the rivers Dec and Don, which run from wefh to eaft, and
difembogue fhemfclves at Aberdeen. The Tweed rifes on the borders
of Lanerkfhire, and, after m.any beautiful ferpentine turnings, dif-
charges itfelf into the fea at Berwick, where it ferves as a boundary
between Scotland and England, on the cafJiern fide. The Clyde is a
large river on the weft of Scotland, end falls into the Frith of Clyde,
oppofite to the ifle of Bute. Befidcs thofe capita' rivers, Scotland con-
tains manv of an inferior fort,' well provided with I'almon, trOuf, and
other fifhcs, which equally enrich and beautify the country. Several'
of thofe rivers go bv the narnc of Ejki which is tlie old Celtic name for
water. The greateft improvem.ent for inland navigation that has been
attempted in Great Britain, wasundertaken at a very confiderable cx-
penfe, by a fociety of public-fpirited gentlemen, for jcfining the river?
Forth and Clyde together ; by which a communication has been open^
ed between the eaft and weft feas, to the" advantage of die whole king-
tiom.
The lakes of Scotland (there Called Lochs) are too rriany to be; par-
ticularly defcribed. Thofe called Loch Tay, Loch Lomond, Loch-nefs,
Loch Au, and one or two more, prefent us with fuch picturefque fcene.>
as are fcarcely equalled in Europe, if we extiept Ireland. Several of
thcfe L'ikes are beautifully fringed with woods, and contain plenty of
frefh-water fifh. The Scots fometimes give the name of a lo^h to an
arm of the iea ; for example, I-och Fyn, which is 60 miles long and'
four broad, and is famous for its excellent herrings. TJie Loch of
Spinie, near Elgin, is remarkable for its number of fwans and cygnets,
\vhich oftfn darken the air with their flights ; owing, as feme think, to
the plant olorina, which grows in its waters, with a flraight ftalk and
a cluftcr of feeds at the top. Near Lochncfs is a hill almoll two miles
perpendicular, on the top of which is a lake of cold frcfh water, about
go fathoms in length, too deep ever yet to be fathomed, and which
n^vc)- freezes ; whereas, but 17 miles from thence, the lake Lpchanwyn,
or Gi-een Lake, is covered with ice all the year round. Befides thefe
rivers and lochs, and others two numerous to mention, the coafts of
Scotland are in many parts indented with large, bold, and navigablf^
bays or arms of the fea ; as the bay of Glcnluce and Wigtown bay •,
S' C- O t - L A N - 0.- iz'f
i^metlmes they are called Friths, as the Solway Frith, which fcparatc*-
Scotland from England on the weft ; the Frith of Forth, Murray Frith,
and thofe of Cromarty and Dornock.
The face of Scotland, even where it is mofl; uninviting, prefcnts us
with the moffc incontrovertible evidences of its having been formerly
over-run with timber. The deepeft moraffes, contain large logs or
wood; and their waters being impregnated with turpentine have ii
preferring quality, as appears by the human bodies which have been
difcovered in thofe moralTcs. Fir trees grow in great perfeftion al-
moft all over Scotland, and form beautiful plantations. The Scotch
oak is excellent in the Highlands, where fome woods reach 20 or 30
miles- in length, and four or five in breadth but without being of much
emolument to the proprietors, being at too great a diftance from water
carriage.
Metals AND MINERALS,] Though Scotland does tiot at prefcnt
boaft of its gold mines, yer it is certain, that it contains fuch, or at
leaft that Scotland formerly afforded a confiderable quantity of that met-
al for its coinage. James V. and his father contrailed with certain
Germans for working the mines or Crawford-Moor ; and it is an un-
doubted faft, that when James V. married the French king's daughter,
a number of covered difhes, filled with coins of Scotch gold, were
prelcnted to the guefts by way of defert. The civil wars and trou-
bles which followed, under his daughter, and in the minority of his
grandfon, drove thofe foreigners, the chief of whom was called Corne-
lius, from their works, which fince that time have never been re«>
covered.
Several landholders in Scotland derive a large pfofit from their
lead mines, which arc faid to be very rich, and to produce large quan^
titles of filver ; but v/e know of no filver mines that are worked at-
prefent. Some copper mines have been found near Edinburgh; and
many parts of Scotland, in the eaft, wePc, and nothern counties produce
excellent eoal of various kinds, large quantities of which are exported,
to the vafl emolument of the public. Lime-ftone is here in great plen-
ty, as is free-ftone ; fo that the hoiifes of thebctterfort are conftrufted
of the moft beautiful materials. The indolence of the inhabitants, of
many places in Scotland, where no coal is found, prevented them
from fupplving that dcfeft by plantations of wood ; and the peat-mof •
fes being in many parts, of the north efpecially, almoft exhaufted, the
fnliabitants are put to great difficulties for fuel ; however the talle fof
plantations, of all kinds, that now prevails, will foon remedy that in-
convenience.
Latais lazuli is faid to be dug up in Lancrkfhire ; alum mines have
beea found in BamflTl-iire ; cryftal, variegated pebbles, and ether
tranfparent ftones, which admit of the fineft polilh for fcals, arc four.d
in various parts ; as are talc, flint, fca-fhcUs, potters clay, and fuller?
earth. The ftones which the country people call elf-arrow heads, and
to which they affign a fupernatural origin and ufe, were probably the
ilint-heads of arrows made ufe of by the Caledonians and ancient
Scots. No country produces greater plenty of iron-ore both in mines
and ftones, than Scotland ; of which the proprietors nov/ begin 10
partake of the profits,
Veqstabl.*-
328 SCOTLAND,
Vegetable and animal pro-I It is certain, that the Toil of
DUCTiONs EY sea'and LAND. J Scotland, may oC rendered, in ma-«
X\y parts, nearly as fruitful as that of England, It is even faid, that
fome trafts of the low countries at prefent exceed in value Engliih ef-
tates of the fame extent, becaufe they are far lefs exhaufted and wotn
out than thofe of the fouthern parts of the ifland ; and agriculture is
now perhaps as well underffood, both in theory and praftice, among
many of the Scotch landlords and farmers, as it is in any part of Eu-*
rope.
The merchants of Glafgow, who are the life and foul of that
part of the kingdom, and into whofe hands a very confiderable
part of the landed property has lately fallen, while they are daily in-
troducing new branches of commerce, are no lefs attentive to the prog-
rcfs of agriculture, by which they do their country in particular, and
the whole ifland in general, the moft effential fervice. The aftive
genius of thefe people extends even to moors, rocks, and marfhcs,
^vhich being hitherto reckoned ufelefs, were confequently jieglefted,
but are now brought to produce certain fpecies of grain or timber, for
which the foil is bed adapted.
But the fruits of {kill and induftry are chiefly perceivable in the
counties lying upon the river Forth, called the Lothians, where agri-
culture is thoroughly underftood, and the farmers, who generally rent
from 3 to 500I. perann. are well fed, well clothed, and comfortably
lodged. The reverfe, however, may be obferved of a very confiderabl?
part of Scotland, which flill remains in a ftate of nature, and where
the landlords, ignorant of their real interefb, refufe to grant fuch leaf*
cs as would encourage the tenant to improve his own farm. In fuch
places the hufbandmcn barely exift. upon the gleanings of a fcanty
farm, feldom exceeding 20 or 30U per ann. the cattle are lean and fmall,
the houles mean beyond expreflion, and the face of the country ex-'
Libit; the moft deplorable marks of poverty and opprelTion. Indeed
from a miftakcn notion of the landed people in general, the greateft
part of the kingdom lies naked and expofed, for want of fuch hedge-
rows and planting as adorn the country of England. They confidcr
Iiedges as ufelefs and cumberfo.me, as occupying more room than what
they call ftone inclofures, which, except in the Lothians already men-
tioned, are generally no otlier than low paltry walls, huddled up of
loofe Hones, without lime or mortar, which have a bleak and mean ap-
pearance.
The foil in general produces wheat, rye, barely, oats, hemp, flax, hay,'
and pafture. In the louthern counties the fineft garden fruits, partic-
ularly apricots, neftarines, and peaches, are faid to fail little, if at all,'
fliort ot thole in England ; and the fame may be faid of the common
fruits. The uncultivated p.irtsof theHighlandsabound in various kinds
of fdlubrious and ple^.fant-tafted berries ; though many extenlive trafts
are covered with a ftrong heath. The fea-coaft produces the alga ma-
rina, dulfe or dulifh, a muft wholefome nutritive Weed, in great quanti-
ties, and other marine plants,
'i he Scots have improved in their fiflieries as much as they have in
their manufafturcs and agiitulture : Eor focieties have been formed^
which have carried that branch of national weahh to a perfeftion
that never was before kno^.n in that country ; and bids faw" to emu<
J.atg'
S C O T L A N
129
late the Dutch themfclves in curing, as well as catching, their fifh.
In former times, the Scots feldom ventured to fifh above a Icapac's
•diftance from the land ; but they now ply in the deep waters as bold-
ly and fuccefsfully as any of their neighbours. Xhcir falmons, which
they can fend more early, when prepared, to the Levant and fouthcra
markets, than the Englifh or Irifh can, are of great fervice to the na-
tion, as the returns are generally made in fpecie, or beneficial commod-
ities.
The numbers of black cattle that cover the hills of Scotland to-
wards the Highlands, and fhcep that are fed upon the Ijcautiful moun-
tains of Tweedale, and other parts of the fouth, are almofl incredible,
and formerly brought large fums into the country ; the black cattle
efpeciallv, which, when fattened on the fouthern paftures, have bceu
reckoned fuperior to Englifli beef. This trade is now faid to be on the
decline, in confequence of the vaft increafc of manufafturers in Scot-
land, whofe demand for butchers meat muft leffen the exportation oF
cattle into England. Some are if opinion, that a fnfficicnt ftock, by
proper metflods, may be raifed to fupply both markets, to the great
emolument of the nation.
Population, inhabitants,^ If we confult the moft ancient
MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS. J and Creditable hiftories, the popu-
lation of Scotland in Uie thirteenth century, muft have been exccihve,
as it afforded fo many thoufands to fall by the fwords of the Englifh.
For the prefent number of inhabitants in Scotland, fee the General
Table of Great Britain.
The people of Scotland are generally raw-boned ; and a kind of 3
charafteriftical feature, that of high-cheek bones, is obfervahlc in their
faces ; they are lean, but clean limbed, and can endure incredible fa-
tigues. Their adventuring fpirit was chiefly owning to their laws of
fuccefTion, which inverted the elder brother, as head of the family,
with the Inheritance, and left but a very fcanty portion for the other
fons. This obliged the latter to fcek their fortunes abroad, though no
people have more affeftion for their native foil than the Scots have in
general. It is true, this difparity of fortune among the fons of one
family prevails in England likewife ; but the refources which young-
er brothers have in England are numerous, compared to thofe of a
country fo narrow, and fo little improved, either by commerce or agri-
culture, as Scotland was formerly.
It remains perhaps a queftion, whether that lettered education, for
which the Scots were noted among the neighbouring nations, v/as not
of prejudice to their country, while it was of the utmoft fervice to ma-
ny of its natives. Their literature, rendered them acceptable and
agreeable among foreigners ; but at the fame time it drained the na-
tion of that order of tnen, who are the bcil fitted for forming and exe-
cuting the great plans of commerce and agricultuie for the public
emolument.
With regard to gentlemen who live at home, upon cftatcs of 300I.
a year and upwards, they differ little or nothing in their manners, and
ftileof living, from their Englifli neighbours of the like fortunes.
The peafautry have their peculiarities ; their ideas are confined ;
but no people can conform thci-r tempers better than thcv do to tlieir
ilations. They are taught from their infancy to bridle tiitir puiTions,
iSO S C O T L A N D,
to behave fubminively to their fuperioirs, and live within the houndsf*
of the mod rigid economy. Hence they fave their money and their
conftitutioiis, and few inftances of murder, perjury, robbery and other
atrocious vices, occur at prefent in Scotland. They feldom enter fing-
ly upon any daring enterprise ; but when they aft in concert, the
fccrefy, fagacity, and refolution, with which they carry on any defpe-
rate undertaking, is not to be paralleled ; and their fidelity to one
another, under the fkrongefl; temptations arifmg from their poverty, is
flill more extraordinary. Their mobs are managed with all the cau-
tion of confpiracies ; witnefs that which put Porteus to death in 1736,
in open defiance of law and government, and in the midfl of 20.000
people ; and, though the agents were well known, and fome of them
tried, with a reward of 500I. annexed to their convi6lion, yet no evi-
dence could be found fufRcient to bring them to punifhment. The
fidelity of the Highlanders of both fexes, under a ftill greater tempta-
tion, to the young Pretender after his defeat at Culloden, could fcarce-
ly be believed were it not well attefted.
The inhabitants of thofe parts of Scotland, who- live chiefly by paf-
ture, have a natural vein for poetry ; and the beautiful fimplicity of
the Scotch tunes is reliflied by all true judges of nature. Love is gen-
erally the fubjeft, and many of the airs have been brought upon the
Englilhftagewith variations, under new names, but \vith this difadvanto-
age, that, though rendered more conformable to the rules of mufic,
they are raoiUy altered for the worfe, being ftripped of that original
fimplicity, which, however irregular, is their moll effentral charafter-
jflic, which ii fo agreeable to the ear, and has fuch powers over the
human breaft. Thofe of a more lively and merry ftrain have had better
fortune, being introduced into the army in their native drefs, by the
fife, an inllrument for which (hey are remarkably well fuited.
Dancing is a favourite amufement in this country, but little regard-
is paid to art or gracefulnefs ; the whole confifls in agility, -and in
keeping time in their own tunes, which they do with great exaftnefs,-
One of the particular diverfionspraftifed by the gentlemen, is the Gofl,
which requires an equal degree of ait and flrength ; it is played by a
bat and a ball ; the latter is i'maller and harder than a cricket ball ; the
bat is of a taper conftruftion, till it terminates in the part that flrikes
the ball, which is loaded with lead, and faced with horn. The diver-
fion itfelf refembles that of the Mall, which was common in England
in the middle of the laft century. An expert player will fend the ball
an amazing diRance at one ftioke ; each party follows his ball upon art
open heath, and he who^ilrikcs it in fewell ftrokes into a hole, wins
the game» The diverhon of Curling is likewife, I believe, peculiar to
the Scots. It rs performed upon ice, with large flat fiones, often from
twenty to two hundred pounds weight each, wliich they hurl from ^■
c'jmmon ftand to a mark at a certain diftance ; and whoever is ncar-
eH. the mark is the viftor. Thefe two may be called the (landing fuin-
mer and winter diverfions of Scotland. The natives are expert at all
the other diverfions common in England, cricket excepted, of which
they have no notion ; the gentlemen confidering it as too athletic and-
mechanical.
Langu.^gk.] The language of the Higl;landcrs,efpecially towards
I.ofhabcr «nd Badenecli, is radically Celtic.
RKIIGiOK.j
N D.
^3*
Religiok.] Ancient Scottifh hiftorians, with Bcde, and other
writers, generally agree that Chriftianity was firfl tauglu in Scotland
by fome of the difcipks of St. John the apoftle, who tied to this nor-
thern corner to avoid the perlccution of Domitian, the Roman omjie-
ror ; though it was not publickly profefl'cd till the begiiniing of the
third century, when a prince, whom Scotch hiftorians call Donald the
Firft, his queen, and ieveral of his nobles, were iolemnly baptifed. It
was farther confirmed by emigration from South Britain, during the
perfecutions of Aurelius and Dioclefian, when it became the cftabliih-
ed religion of Scotland, under the management of certain learned and
pious men, named Culdees, who focm to have been the firll regular
clergy in Scotland, and were governed by overfeers or bifliops cholcu
by themfelves, from among their own body, and who had no pvo-cmi-
nence or rank, over the reft of their brethren.
Thus, independent of the church of Rome, Cluiftianity fecms (o
have been taught, planted, and finally confirmed in Scotland as a na-
tional church, where it flouriflied in its native fimplicity, till the arrival
of Palladius, a prieft fent by the bifhop of Rome in the fifth century,
who found means to introduce the modes and ceremonies of th(S Rom-
jfh church, which at laft prevailed, and Scotland became involved in
that darknefs which for many ages ovcrfpread Europe ; though their
dependance upon the Pope was very flcnder, when compared to tlic
implicit fubjeftion of many other nations.
The Culdees, however, long retained their original manners, and re-
rnaiiied a diftinft order, notwithftanding the opprelhon of the Roman
Clergy, fo late as the age of Robert Bruce, in the 14th century, when
they difappeared. But it is worthy of obfcrvalion, that the oppolition
to the old Religion in this iiland, though it cealcd in Scotland upon tlici
extinftion of the Culdees, was in the fame age revived in England by
John Wickliff^e, a man of abilities and learninig, who was the forerun-
ner, in the work of reformation, to John Hufs, and Jerome of Prague,
as the latter were to Martin Luther, and John Calvin.
The reformation in Scotland began in the reign of James V. made
great progrefs under that of his daughter Nfary, and was at Icngtii
completed through the preaching of John Knox, who had adopted the
doftrines of Calvin, and in a degree was the apoftle of Scotland.
The bounds of this work do not admit of entering at large upon the
doftrinal and oeconomical part of the church of Scotland, It is fufii-
cicnt to fay. that its firft principle is a parity of ecclefiaftical authority
among all its preftjyters ; and it is modoUed principally after the Cal-
vinift'ical plan eftablilhed at Geneva. The power of the Scotch clergy
is at prefcnt very moderate, or at leaft very moderately exercifcd. They
have been ever fince the Revolution, firm adherents to civil liberty,
and the houfeof Hanover ; and afted, with remaikable intrepidity dur-
ing the rebellion in 1745. They ^rcfs without clerical robes; buL
fome of them appear in the pulpit in gowns, after the Geneva form,
and bands. They make no ufe of fct forms in worfliip. '1 he rents of
the bifliops, fince the abolition of cpifcopacy, are paid to the king, who
commonly appropriates them to piouS purpofes. A thoufand pounds a
year is always fent by his majefty for the ufe of the proteftant fchools
creftedby a£l of parliament in North Britain, and the Wcficrn Iflcs ;
and the Scotch clergv, of late, have planned out fund* for tiie fupport
1 2 <>f
102 S C O T L A N D.
of their widows and orplian?. The number of parifhes in ScotTancJ
arc cl^ht huidred and ninety, whereof thirty-one are collegiate
churches, that is, where the cure is ferved by more than one minifter.
The hi^^hcft ecclefiallical authority in Scotland is the general aiTem-
bly, which we mav call .the ecclefiafhical parliament of Scotland. It
coniids of commidioners, fome of which are laymen, under the title of
ruling elders, from preChyteries, royal burghs, and univei fities. A pref-
"bytery, confifting of under tv/elve miniftcrs. fendi tv/o minifters, and
one ruling elder: if it contains between twelve and eighteen minifters,
it fends three, and one ruling elder : If it contains between eighteen
and twenty-four miniiters, it fends four mini flers and two ruling el-
ders ; but if the prcfbvtery has twenty-four miniflers, it fends
five rainift^rs and two ruling elders. Every royal burgh fends one
ruling elder, and Edinburgh two ; whofe eleftion muft be attefted by
the relpeftive kirk-felTions of their own burghs. Every univerhty
fern's one commitnoner, ufually a minifter of their own body. The
commilTioncrs are chofen yearly, fix weeks before the meeting wf tho
fciTcmbly. Th^ ruling elders ' are often of the iirft quality of the
country.
The king prefi-des by his commiffioner (who is alv/ays a nobleman)
in this affembly, which meets once a year ; but he has no voice in their
deliberations. The order of their proceedings is regular, though the
number of members often creates a confufion ; which the moderator,
who is choicn by them to- be ar» it were fpeaker of the houfe, has not
fufficient authority to prevent. Appeals ars brought from all the other
ecclefiaftical courts in Scotland to the general Affembly ; and no ap-
peal lies from its determinations in religious matters.
Pro'/incial fynods are next in authority to the general Alfembly.—
Tliey arc compofed of a number of the adjacent prefbytcries, over
whom tl^ey have a power ; and there arc fifteen of them in Scotland :
Eut their a6l-s are reverfible by the general AlTembly.
Subordinate to the fynods,. are prefbyterics, fixiv-nine of which arc
in Scotland, each confifting of a number of contiguous parifhcs. The
miniiiers of thefe piirifhes, with one ruling elder, chofen half-yearly
out of every kirk-feflTion, compofe a prcfbytcry. Thcfe prcfbyteries-.
meet in the head town of that divifion ; but have no jurlfdift on be-
yond their own bounds, though v/ithin thefe they have cognifance of
all ecclefiaftical caufcs and matters. A chief part of their bufinefs is
the ordination of candidates for livings, in v.'hioh tliey are regular an,d
folemn.. The patron of a living is bouiid to nominate or prefent in fix
months after a vacancy, o'Jierv.'ife the prcfbytcry fills the place jure
dcvoluto ; but that privilege does not hold in royal burghs.
A kiik-fcfiion is the loweft ecclefiaftical judicatorv in Scotland,
and its authority docs not extend beyond its own parifh. The mem-
bers confift of the miniftcr, elders, and deacons. The deacons are
laymen, and have the fuperintendency of the poor, and take caie of
other parochial affairs. The elder, or, as he is called, the ruling elder,
is a place of great .parochial truft, and he is generally a lav perfon of
quality or intcreft in the parifi-i. They are fuppofed to aft in a kind
of co-ordinancy with the minifter, and to be affifting to him in many
of his clerical duties, particularly i-n catcchiSng, vifiting the fick, and
».l the Gommuuion-table, The
O T L A N D.
*33
Th« ofiice of roinifiers, or preaching prcfbyters, includes the ofRces
•of rleacons and ruling-ciders ; (hey alone can preach, adminiflcr the
facraments, catccliife. pronounce church rcnfures, ordain dca<-nns and
ruling-elders, afhlt at the impohtion of hands upon other minifters, and
jnoderaic or prefidc in all ccclcfiaftical judiratoiies.
The other fcfts of dtlfenters in Scotland are cpifcopalians. a few
quakers, many Roman Catholics and fome feftarics, who are deromi-
iiated from their preachers. Epifcopacy, from the timxC of the r?,ftora-
tion in 1660, to that of the Revolution in 168R, was the eftahlifhcd
church of Scotland. The partifans of the duke of York, retained
the cpifc.opal religion ; and king William's government was rendered
{"o unpouular in Scotland, that in quccu Anne's time, the cpifcopalians
were more numerous in fome parts than the Prefliyterians ; and their
meetings, which tliey held under the aft of Toleration, as well attend-
ed, A Scotch epifcopalian thus hccoming another name For a Jacohitc,
they rcccvcd fome checks after the rebellion in 1715 ; but they re-
covered themlalvcs fo well, that at the breaking out of the rebellion
in 174,5, they became again numerous, after which the government
found means, to invalidate the afts of their clerical order. Their meet-
ings, ftill fubfift. but thinly.
Scotland, during tlie time of epifcopacy, contained two archbifliop-
ricks, St Andrews and Glafgow ; and twelve bifhopricks.
Learning and learkf.d men.] For this article we may refer to
the literary hifiory of Europe for i/ioo years paft. The wcficrn parts
,^nd iiks of Scotland produced St. Patrick, the celc^brated apofllc of
Ireland ; and many others fincc. whofc bare names would make a long
article, Charles the Great, or Charlemagne. moH: unqueflionably held
a correfpond^-nce by letters with the kings of Scotland, with whom
he formed a famous league ; and employed Scotchmen in planning,
f^e-ttllng. and ruling Irs favourite univerfities. and other fcminarics of
learning, in France, Italv, and (Germany. It is an undoubted truth,
though a feemingly paradoxical faft, that Barbour, a Scotch poet, phi-
lofopher, and hiltorian, though prior in time to Chaucer, having flour-
ifned in the year 1638, wrote, according to the modern ideas, as pu\-e
Englifli as that bard, and his verhfication is perhaps more harmonious.
The deflruftion of the Scotch nfonuments of learning and antiquity
]iave rendered their early annals lame, and often fabulous: but the
Latin ftyle of Buchanan's hillnry is, to this day, the mod clafTical of all
modern produftions. The Letters of the Scotch kings to th.e neigh-
bouring princes, are incomparably the finefl compofitions of the times
in which they were written, and are free from the barbarifms of thofc
ient thcrain anfwer. This has been confidered as a proof, that clalTi-
cal learning was more cultivated at the court of Scotland, than at any
other in Europe,
The difcovers' of the logarithms, a difcovcry. which in point of in-
genuity 'and utility, may vie with any that has been made in modern
times, is the indifputablc right of Napier of Merehifton. And fince
his time, the mathematical Iciences have been cultivated in Scotland
^vith great fuccefs. Kcil, in his pliyiico-malhemalical v/orks, to -the
clearncfs of his rcafoning, has added the colouring of a poet, which is
the more remarkable, not only as the fubjcft is little lufceptiblc of or-
nament, but as he wrctc in i-n ancient language. Of all writers on al-
tronomyj
131 S C O T L A N 0.
tronomy, Gregory is allowed to be one of the moft perfe£l and elegant;
Maclaurin, the companion and the friend of Sir Ifaac Newton, was
endowed with all that precilion and force of mind, which rendered
Jtim peculiarly fitted for bringing down the ideas of that great man to
the level of ordinary apprehenfions, and for diffufing that light
through the world, which Newton had confined within the fphere of
the learned. His Treatife on Fluxions is regarded by the beft judges
in Europe, as the cleareft account of the moft refined and fubtle fpecu-
lations on which (he human mind ever exerted itfelf with fuccefs.
While Maclauiin purfued this new career, a geometrician, no lefs fa-
mous, diftinguiOicd himiclf in the fure, but almofl deferted track of
iuitiquity. This was the late Dr. Simfon, fo well known over Eu-
rope, for his illuflration of the ancient geometry. His Elements of
.Kuclid, and above all, his Conic Seftions, arefufficient, of themfelves,
to eflablilh the fcientific reputation of his native country.
This, however, does not reft on the charafter of a few mathemati-
cians ami aftrotiomers. I'he fine arts have been called fifters to de-
note their affinity. There is the fame connexion between the fcien-
ces. particularly thofe which depend on obfervation. Mathematics and
phyllcs, properly fo called, were in Scotland accompanied by the oth-
er branches of ftudy to which they are allied. In medicine, partic-
ularly, the names of Pitcairn, Arbuthnot, Monro, Smellie, and Whyt,
hold a diftinguiflicd place.
Nor have the Scots been unfuccefsfid in cultivating the Belles Let-
t'Ts. Foreigners v/ho inhabit warmer climates, and conceive the nor-
thern nations incapable cf ttnderncfs and feeling, are aftonilhell at
the poetic genius and delicate fenfibility of Thomfon.
But of all literary purfuits, that of rendering mankind more virtuous
cind happy, which is the proper objcfl: of what is called morals, ought
JO be regarded with peculiar honour and refpeft. The philofophy of
Dr. flutchefon,* not to mention other works more fubtle and elegant,
but lefs convincing and leis inftruftive, defcrves to be read by all who
know their duty, or who would wifli to praftife it. Next to Locke's
J'-llay on the Fluman Underitanding. it is peihaps the bed dine6tion of
the lujman mind, that liath appeared in modern times ; and it is like-
wife the mollufefid fupplementto th'at cffay.
It would be cndlefs to mention all the individuals, who have dif-
liiiguiflicd tliemf:;Ives in the various branches of literature ; uarticu-
laily as thofc who arc alive (ibnie of them in high cflcem for hillorical,
ethical, and fermonic compofition') difj^utc the palm of merit with
tl.c dead, and cover their countrv with unfading laurels.
U:%i'.*lRsrf lES.J The univevhciesof Scotland avefour, viz. St. +An.
drews,
* Ireland r.li'o tlaims (he honour of giving birth to this Gentleman, and upon, (.ipparcat-
,, - gooil iiutliorily .
t St. Andrews has a Chancellor, two Principals, and eleven Profeflbrs in
Greek. Moral Philofophy, Church Hiftory,
Humanity, Natural Philolbphy, Divinity,
Hebrew, Mathematics, Medicine.
I.o^ic _ _ Civil Hiitory,
This IJhlv/rfity pofleflesfeveral very great advaninj^es for the education of youth. The
air is pure and faliibrious ; the place for-extrcife dry and extenfive ; the exercifes them-
Jclves are healthy and innocent. , It is fituated in a pcninfulatfd country, remote from coni^
mcrce vyith,t''ie world, the haunt of d.liipation. from the fmallncfs of the Society, every
Student
S C O T LA N D. 133
drews, founded in 1411. — Glafgowl about 1453. — Aberdeen, C. 1494.
—And Edinburgh, II 1582.
Society.] A Society was incorporated by patent, in the year
1708, for erctling fchools in North-Britain and the lUes ; and in 1716J
an aft paffcd for their eftablifhmcnt, and a fund of/ .20,005 was ap-
propriated, and made a flock, for carrying on the delign. The Socie-
ty applied to George II, for an additional charter to ereft workhoulcs
for employing children in manufaftures, houfe wifery and huibandry,
in the Highlands and Hies, and obtained from him not only a patent,
but a revenue of /^. 1000 a year, and they have now upwards 100
fchools, in which between 4 and 5000 boys and girls are educated.
C I T I £ S ,
Student's charaiflcr is perfeiftly known. No little irregularity can be comn;ilted, but it
is foon dii'covereJ and checked : Vice cannot gain confequence in this place, for the incor-
i igible are never permitted to remain the corruptors of the reft.
'j Glafgow has a Chancellor, Redor, Dean of Faculty, Principal, and fourteen Profeflbrs in
Greek, Moral Philofophy, Divinity,
Humanity, Natural Philofopliy, Civil and Scotch Law,
Hebrew, Matlicmatics, ' Medicine,
Oiiental Languages, Pradlical Allronomy, Anatomy.
Logic, Hiltory,
* .Aberdeen has properly two colleges, viz. King's College, and Mirifchal College, King's
College has a Chancellor, Reclor, Principal, and fcvcn Protellors la
Greek, Philofophy, Civil Law,
Humanity, Divinity, Medicine.
Oriental Languages,
Marifchal College has a Chancellor, Redor, Principal, and kvin Piofeffbrs in
Creek, Natural Philofophy, Divinity,
Oriental Languages, Mathematics, ^^eulcine.
Moral Philofophy&; Logic,
II Atprcfent (1790) the Scnatus Acadrmicus ef this Univcrfily confilh of the follo,vin^
members, arranged according to the diftereut facuUfs.
Faculty nf-Jh,\-l,gy.
William Robertfon, D. D. Principal of the Colleg.;.
Andrew Hunter, P. D. Protelior of Divinity.
Thomas Hardy, D.D. Regius PiofelTor ot Church Hiftory.
James Robertfon, D. D. Profeilbr of Oriental Lingaases, and Emeritus Secretary an! ■ -
Faculty of Lave, - [brari.ii.
Robert Dick, Advocata, Piofeflor of Civil Law.
Allan Maconochie, do. do. of Public I-aw.
Alexander Frafer Tytlcr, do. do. of Univerfal Civil Hiftory, and of Greek and Roman .'Vp.-
David Hume, do. do. of Scots Law. [riquif.e:.
Faculty of Medicine.
Alexander Monro, M. D. Profcilor ot Medivine, of Anatomy and Surgery.
Jimes Gregory, M. D. do. of the Pradice of Phylic.
iofeph Black, M. D. do. of Medicine and Chenuftry.
i rancis Home, M. D. do. do. and iMateria Medica.
Andrew Duncan, M. D. do. of the Theory of Phyfic.
Daniel Rutherford, M. D. do. of Medicine and Botany.
Alexander Hamilton, M. D. of Midwifery.
Faculty rf Alts.
George Stewart, L. L. D. Emeritus PiofeiTorol Humanity.
Adam Ferguflbn, L. L. D. do. do. of Moral Philofophy, and joint Profeffor of Mathcmatie:,
Hugh Blair, D. D. do, do. of Rhetoric and Belies Leitres.
Andrew Dalzie:, A. M. Piofeffor of Greek, and Secretary and Librarian.
John Robifon, A. M. Prouirorof Natural Philofophy.
■Dugald Stewart, A. M. do. of Moral Philolophy.
John Hill, L. L. D. do. of Humanity.
John Bruce, A. M. Joint Prolellor of Logic.
John Walker, D. D. Regius Proielfor of Natural Hiftory and Keeper of the Mufeuni^
William Gieenfield, A. M. ProfelVor of Rhetoric und Belles LcUks.
John Playfair, h. M. do. of Mathematics.
Kobert Blair, M. i:<. Regius Profeilbr of Praftical AftronoRiy.
Jjmf9
iS6 S C O T L A N D.
Cities, towns, akd other T Edinburgh, This city is fitu-
TTiFiCEs yuBLic AND PRIVATE. J atcd in \V.^ long. 3**, N. lat. 56',
r.cjr the fouthcin bank ol the river Forth, upon a fleep hill, rifing
from E. to W. and tenr.inating in a high reck, on which the Caftle
•ilands. It is the metropolis of Scotland. It has lately been embel-
liihed with a great number ot fine hoiifcs in modern tafte. Its chief
iireet is the noblcft in the world : It is broad enough for five coaches
to pafs abreaft. This ftrect is exceedingly well paved, and rifes in
the micdle. with canals on each fide. The houfes are veiy lofty ef-
"cccially in the High-ftreet ; fome arenot lefs than fourteen flories in
Jicight. This is owning to their being ftraitencd for room, which be-
^ng two fraall for great foundations, they are forced to make up for
tliut fcantincfs by the fupenlrufturcs. Mofl of the koufes being part-
ed into tenements, they have as many landlords as flories. without de-
pendence on one another. The exceifive height of buildings has late-
ly been prohibited. The citv is watered bv leaden pipes brought
from a neighbouring fpring. It contains befides churches, feveral
magnificent buildings, among which are, the caftle already m.entioned
fit^ated.n the wefl end cf the city, irjacceffible on the north, fouth,
and wefl, and at the entrance from the citv is defended by an outwork,
and a rcuiid batrer\' : It is furnifhed with water by two welis in a
rock. In this place arc kept the regalia and records of State.
The hofuital. founded by* George Herriot, dands to the fouth-weft
of the caftle, in a noble fituation. It is the fineft and moft. regular
ipccim.en which Ignio Jones has left us of his Gothic manner, and fav
exceeding any thing of that kind to be feen in England. It was built
for the maintenance and education of poor children belonging to the
icitizens and iradcfmen of Edinburgh, and is under the«direction of the
city magiflraies.
The Parliament So;:are. or, as it is there called, Clofe. was formerly
*he moil ornam.ental pan of this city ; it is formed into a ver%^ noble
glc.
A-irtvc Coventry, M. D. Froteflor of Agrxiiture.
The number of Students duru:? the IMfion of the Cc'lege coir.mcnclng C£l. ic, I7S9»
sndencins M'v 6th. i-cc, xvas nearly as !o!;owi :
too
440
Ctztii'. Car..?, . . • . 420
la all 1C90
The cM bLiiai-^?? )i2\Irg fallen Into ceray, have oeen partiy raker, down, and a new
building is now eiedir.^, the fourdation ef which was ]i'id \.;th gieat ceieirccy, Df c. it-,
37S9. 1 he eatl and wrft poinu of ihiis cile extend 255 feet, and tliC fcuth and corih 358
i-^et. The rooms for the Library and Mufuiin, art each tt be 68 feet in length; and the
cLaecCons of the Hail for cee^eci and pubhc Eiercifes are about 90 feel by 30.
Lmcxfi. Brit. ertuU EJiitiurgL—m-u: ^uirji:t:gin Edinlurgh.
5 C O T L A N D.
chancery, fiiricvahv, and magiftrzcy or Edinburgh ; and in it is
kept the valuable library of the lawyers. 'Jliis equals any thir.g of
the like kind to be found in England, or perhaps ;n an\ part of Eu-
rope, and was at firft: entire'y founded and fi-rnir.ied by lawyers. —
The number of printed books it contains is amazing ; and the collec-
tion has been male with great »afle and judgment. It contains like-
wife the mofl valuable man-jfcript remains of the Scotch hiftory, char-
tularies, and other panersof antiquity, with a fcries of medals. Ad-
joining to the library is tlie room whrre the puhlick records are kept ;
but both It and that which contains the library, thougli lofty in the
roof, are miferably dark and difmal. It is f=»id »ri-»t preparations are
now Carrying on, for lodging both the books and the papers in rooms far
better fuiicd to their importance and Vuluc.
The modern edifices in and ne^r Kdinburgh, fu-ch as the exchar.g;e,
public ofncej, its hofpitali, bridges, ar.d the like, dcmonftrate the vaft
zmproycmcnt of the tafte • f the Scots in their public work.";. Parallel
to the city of Edinburgh, on the north, the nobility, gentry, and
others, have begun to build a new town, upon a plan which docs hon-
our to the prcfcnt age. T^e ftrceti and fquares are laid out with the
utmnft regularity, and the hcufes are to be built of ftcne, in an eipgant
taftc. 7 he froi.ts of fome are fuperbly finiilicd in all the beauties of
archit-fture, d:fpl=iying at the fame time the judgment of the builder,
and ihe public fpirit of the proprietor.
Between the old and the new tcv/n, is a narrow vale, which, agreea-
bly to the origiiiil plan was to have been formed into a fheet of water,
borccred by a terrace walk, and the afccnt towards the new town
covered with plcafure gardens, fhrubberics, &c. But this elegant dc-
f;gn was fruftrated, through the narrow iccaa of the magiftrates, v.ho,
finding greater benefits by letting the grounds to inferior tradefman up-
on building leafes ; th-s fpot, formed by nature as an agreeable open-
ing to a crowded city, became a nuifar.ce to ihofe gentlemen who had
been fo liberal in ornamenting the buildings upon the fummit. A de-
cifion of the Houfe of Lords (in which a certain great luminary' of the
law, equally diftinguifned for his tafte and good fenfe, heartily con-
curred) put a flop to thcfe mean evefticns. At the weft, or upper end
of this vale, the caftle. a folid rock, not lefs than twenty ftones high,
looks down with awful magnificence. The eaftern extremity is bound-
ed by a lofty bridge, the middle arch being ninety feet high, which
joins the new buildings ?o the city, and renders the defcent on each
tide the vale (there being no water in this place) more commodious
for carriages.
Edinburgh contains a play-houfe, which has now the fanction of an
ack of parliament ; and concerts, aflembhcs. balls, mufick-meetings,
and other polite amufemenfs, are as frequent and brilliant here, as in
any part of his majefty's r' .'minions, London and Bath excepted.
JEdinburgh is governed by a lord provoft, four baiilies, a dean of
guild, and a trcafurer, annually cljofen from the common-council.
Leith, though near two miles diftant, may be properly called the
harbcur of Edinbvrgh, being under the fame jurirdiftion. The neigh-
bourhood of Edinburgh is adorned with noble feats, which are daily
increafing ; fome of them yield to few in England ; but they arc too
pume:ous to be particularized herr. About four miles from Edin-
burgh
,36 SCOTLAND;
burgh is Rodin, notei] for a ftately Gothic chapel, confidered as ont
cfihe moft curious pieces of workmanfhip in Europe: Founded
in the year 14^0; by William St. Clair, prince of Orkney, and duke
cf Oldenbuigh.
Glafgow, in the fhire of Lanerk, fituated on a gentle declivity, (lop-
ing towards the river Clysl'', 4 4 miles v^eft of Edinburgh, is, for popu-
lation, commerce, and riclies, the. fecoi;d city of Scotland, and, con-
liderihg its fize, the firft in Great-Britain, and perhaps in Europe, as
to- elegance, regularity, and the beautiful materials of its buildings. — .
The flreets crofs each other at right angles, and arc broad, flraight,
well paved, and confequently clean. The houfes make a grand ap-
pearance, and are in general four or five ftories high, and many of
them, towards the centre of the city, are fupported by arcades, which
fi>rm -oiazzas, and give the whole an air of magnificence. Some of the
modern built churches arc in the fined ftyle of architefture ; and the
cathedral is a ftupendous Gothic building, hardly to be paralleled in.
chat kind of architefture. It contains three churches, one of which
ftands above another, and is furniflied with a very fine fpire fpringing
from a tower ; the whole being reckoned a mafierly and a matchlels
fabric. It, was dedicated to St- Mungo or Kentigern, who was bifhop
of Glafgow in the 6th century. The cathedral is upwards of 600
years old, and was prcferved from the fury of the rigid Reformers by
the rcfolution of the citizens. The tou"n-houfe is a lofty building,
■itnd has very noble apartments for the magiftratcs. The univerfity is
cllcemcd the moft fpaciou* and heft built of any in Scotland, and is at
prcfent in a thriving ftate. In this city are fevcral well-endowed hof-
pitals -, and it is-particularly well fnpplied with large and convenient
•MIS, The number of inhabitants in this city has been eflimated by
jme, at 30.000, by others, at 50,000, and others, at 60,000.
Aberdeen bids fair to be the third tov/n in Scotland for improve-
ynent and population. It is the capital of a fhire, to which it gives its
iiame, and contains two towns, Nev.' and Old Aberdeen. The former
is the fhire town, and evidently built for the purpofe of commerce. It
is a lar^e well-built city, arid has a good quay, or tide harbour : In it
arc three churclies, and feveral epifcopal nieeting-houfes, a confidera-.
bic degree of foreign commerce and much fnipping, a well frequent-
ed univerfity, and above 12,000 inhabitants. Old Aberdeen, near a
mile diftant, though almofl joined to the New, by means of a long vil-
lage, has no dependence on the other.; it is a moderately large mar-
ket-town, but has no haven. In each of thefe two places there is a
well-endowed college, both together being termed the univerfity of
Aberdeen, although quite independent of each other.
Perth, the capital town of Perthfliirc, lying on the river Tay, trades
to Norvvay and the Baltic : It is finely fituated, has an improving linen
manufatlory, and lies in the neighbourhood of one of the moft fertile
(pots in Great-Britain, called the Carfe of Gowry Dundee, by the gen-
eral computation, contains about 1 1,000 inhabitants : It lies near the
mouth of the river Tay ; it is a town of confiderable trade, exporting
rnui:h,l.nen, grain, herrings, and peltry, to foreign parts ; and has
tlu-ec churches, Montrofe, Aberbrothie atid Brcchinlie ; alfo, in tlie
v^ounty of Angus : The nrft has a large and iucrsafing trade, and tlic
mijnufuftures of tlic other two are llouriflxing.
SCOTLAND. 131)
Two Piflifh monuments, as they are thought to he, of a vcr}' e^ttraor-
uinary conftruftion, were lately (landing in Scotland ; one of them at
Abernethy in Perlhfhire, the other at Brechin in Angus ; hoth of liiem
are columns, hollow in the inlide, and a flair-cafe without : That of
Brechin is the moft entire, being covered at the top with a fpiral roof
of flone, with three or four windows above the cornice : It confifls of
lixty regular couries of hewn freeftonc, laid circularly and regularly,
and tapering towards the top. If thefe columns are really PiftiHi, that
people muft have had among them architcfts that far exceeded thole
of any coeval monuments to be found in Europe, as they have all the
appearance of an order ; and the building is neat, and in the Roman
ftyle of architefture. It is, however, difficult to afhgn them to any
but the Pifts, as they Hand in their dominions ; and fome fculptures
upon that at Brechin, denote it to be of Chriftian origin. It is not
indeed impoffible that thefe fculptures are of a later date. Befides
thefe two pillars, many other Piftifli buildings are found in Scotland,
but not in the fame tafte.
The veftiges of crc61ions by the ancient Scots, are not only curious
but inft.ru6live, as they regard many important events of their hiflory.
That people had amongfl; them a rude notion of fculpture, in which
they tranfmitted the aftions of their kings and heroes. At a place
called Aberlemno, near Brechin, four or five ancient obclifksaic flill
to be feen, called the Danilh ftones of Aberlemno, They were erefted
as commemorations of the Scotch vitlorics over that people ; and arc
adorned with bas-reliefs of men on hoifeback, and many emblematical
figures and hieroglyphics, not intelligible at this day. There is a flone
near the town of Forres, or Fortrofe, in Murray, which far furpall'es
all the others in magnificdRce and grandeur, " and is (fays Mr. Gor-
don) perhaps one of the moft flatcly monuments of that kind in Eu-
rope. It riles about 23 feet in height, above ground, and is. as 1 am
credibly informed, no lefs than i 2 or 15 feet below ; fo that the whole
height is at leafl 35 feet, and its breadth near five. It is all one fingle
and entire ftone ; great variety of figures in relievo are carved thereon,
and fome of them ftill dillinft and vifible ; but the injury of the
weather has obfcured thofe towards the upper part."
At Sandwick, in Rofs fliirc, is a very fplendid ancient obelifk, fur-
rounded at the bale with large, well cut flag flones, formed like flcps.
Both fides of fhe column are covered with various ornaments, in well
ilnifhed carved work. The one face prefents a fumptuous crofs, with
a figure of St. Andrew on each hand, and fome uncouth animals and
flowerings underneath. The central divifion on the rcverfe, exhibits
a variety of curious figures, birds, and animals.
Befides thefe remains of Scotch antiquities, there are many Roman,
Piftifh, and Danifh remains, and nrany Druidical monuments and tem-
ples are difceinible in the northern parts of Scotland, as well as in the
ifles, where we may fuppofe that paganifm took its laft refuge. They
are eafily perceived by their circular forms ;. but though they are equal-
ly regular, yet none of them arc fo frupendous as the DruiJiciil erec-
tions in South-Britain. There is in Pcrthfhirc a barrow wliich fecms
to be a Britifh ercftion, and the mcfl beautiful of tl.e kind perhaps in
the world ; it cxuftly refembles tlie figure of a fhip, with the keel up-
pcrmofi:, The common people call it Teruay. which iomc iulciprct
%lp
N 13.
;o be terra navis, the fhip of earth. It feems to be of the moft remote
antiquity, and perhaps was ere£ted to the memory of feme Britifh
prir.cc, who afted as auxiliary to the Romans ; for it lies near Auch-
terardcr, not many miles dillant from the great fcene of Agricola's
operations.
The traces of ancient V'olcanoes are not unfrequent in Scotland.-*
The hill of Finrhaven is one inftance ; and the hill of Bergonium, near
I^u iftafTage taftlc, is another, yielding vafl quantities of pumice or
{"coria of different kinds, many of which are of the fame fpecies with
tho(z of the volcanic Iceland.
Commerce AND manufactures.] In addition to wl^at we havfc
faid on this iirt'cle in the account of England, we obferve that
Scotland, in refpcfct to her commerce and manufaftures, has, for
fome years paft, been in a very improving (late. The expedition of
the bcots to take poffeffion of Daricn, (of which we gave fome account;
in the general dcfcripticn of America) and to carry on an £aft and
"Wed- India trade, was founded upon true principles of commerce,
nnd (To far as it went) executed with a noble fpirit of cnterprife. The
mifcarriage of that fcheme, after receiving the highefl and moll folemn
fandions, is a difgrace to the annals of that aeiga in which it happen-
ed ; as the Scots had then a free, independent, and unconnefted par-
iiamcnt. We are to account for the long langour of the Scottifli com-
merce, and many other misfoitunes v/hich that country fuftained, by
the difguit the inhabitants conceived on that account, and fome inva-
fions ot their rights afterwards, v/hich they thought inconfiftent with
the articles of union.
The bo-antics and encouragement granted to the Scots, for the bene-
fit of trade and manufafturcs, during .\#. Pelham's adminiflration,
made them fenfible of their own importance. Mr. Pitt, a fucceeding
jniuifler, purfued Mr. Pelham's wife plan ; and jullly boafled in par-
liament, that he availed himfelf of the courage, good fenfe, and fpirit
of the Scots, in carrying on the moft extenfive war that Great Britain
ever was engaged in. Let mc add. to the honour of the Britifh govern-
ment, that the bcots have been fuffered to avail themfelves of all the
benefits of commerce and manufaftures they can claim, either in right
of their former independency, the treaty of union, or pollerior a£ls
of parliament.
I'he increafe of their fliipping within thefe3o years pafl, has been
very conhdcrable. The exports of thofe fhips are compofed chiefly of
Scotch manufa5;nres, fabricated from the produce of the foil, and the
jndufl:rv of its inliabitants. In excliange for thefe, they import tobac-
co, rice, cotton, fugar, and rum, from the Britifh plantations, from the
United States of America, and from other countries, their produce, to
the immenfe faving of their nation. The profperity of Glafgow and
its neighbourhood hath been greatly owing to the connexion and trade
with A'irginia, and I'ome other of the American States.
The fiiheries of Scotland are not confined to their own coaft, for
they have a great concern in the wliale fiflici y, carried on upon the
c.oaft. of Spitfbergcn ; and 1 heir returns are valuable ; as the govern-
ment allows them a bounty of 405. for every ton of fhipping employed
in'tliat article.
Thence daily fliews, that if the foil of the northern and weftern
illands till of late were barren, cold, and uncomfortable, it was owing
to their want of culture ; for fuch fpots of them as arc now cultivat-
ed, produce corn, vegetables, and garden fluff, more than fufHcient for
the inhabitants ; and even fruit-trees are now brought to maturity.
Tin, lead, and filver mines ; marl, flate, free-Hone, and even quarries
of marble, have been found upon thefe iflands, They are not deflitute
of fine freflr water ; nor of lakes and rivulets that abound with ex-
cellent trout. At the fame time it mud be owned, that the prefcnt
face of the foil is bare, and unornamented with trees, excepting a fevir
that were reared in gardens.
Trade .\ND MANur.s.CTURES,] Thefe are all in their infancy Jn
thefe iflands. The reader can eafily fuppofe, that their flaple com-
modities confifl of fifli, efpecially herrings, which are equal to any in
the world, and, when properly cured, are equal even to thole of the
Dutch. They carry on likewise a confiderable trade in down and
feathers *, and their fhcep afford them wool, which they manufacture *^
into coarfe clotlis ; and even the linen manufactures make no fmaU#
progrels in thefe illands. They carry their black cattle alive to thg/
adjacent parts of Scotland, where they are difpofed of in fale or bar-
ter ; as are large quiiiititics of their mutton, which they fait in the
hide. Upon the whole, application and induflry, with iomc portion
of public encouragement, are only wanting to render thefe iflands at
once ornamental and beneftcial to their mother-country, as well as to
their inhabitants.
Horses. 1 The Shetland ifl<:s arq famous for a fmall breed of horf-
cs, which are incredibly atllvc, ftrong and hardy, and frequently Teen
in the (Irects of London^ yoked to the fplendid caiiiagcsof the curious
©r wealthy,
RakIties
S C O T L A N i). i^j
Rarities A^D CURIOSITIES, \ Thefe i Hands exhibit many P'og-
ARTiFiciAL AND XA! URAL J nant pioofs, in their churches, the
veftigcs of old forts, and other buildings both facred and civil, of vvlut
hath been already obferved, that they vrere formerly more populous
that^ they are now. The ufe and conflru^lion of fomc of fhofc works
arc not cafily accounted for at prefent. In a gloomy valley bclougiua;
to Hoy, one of the weftern iilands, is a kind of hermitage, cut out of
a ftone, called a dwarf-ftone, 36 feet long, 18 broad, and nine thick ;
in which is a fquarc hole, about two feet high, for an entrance, with a
floneof the fame fize for a door. Within this entrance is the rclcm-
blance of a bed, with a pillow cut out of the ftone, big enough for two
men to lie on : At the other end is a couch, and in tlie middle a hcailh,
with a hole cut out above for a chimir^y.
The gigantic bones found in many burial-placf-s here, give ro'Jm to
believe, that the former inhabitants were of larger fizc than ihc pref-
ent. It is likcwife probable, from fomc ancient remains, particularly
catacombs, and nine filver fibulsc or clafps, found at Stennis,onc of the
Orkneys, that the Romans were well acquainted with thefe paits.
The cathedral of Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkneys, is a fine
Gothic building, dedicated 16 St. Magnus, but now converted into .i
parifh church. Its roof is fupportcd by 14 pillars an each fide, and
its fteeple, in whicli is a good ring of bells, by four large pillars. Th'^
three gates of the church are chequered v.'ith red and white polifhcd
flones, emboffed and elegantly flowered.
The Hebrides are ftill more diitinguiftied than the Orkney or Shet-
land ifles, for their remains of antiquity ; and it would far exceed iha
bounds allotted to this head, were we e^en to mention every noted
monument found upon them, dedicated to civil, religious, or warlike
purpofes. Innumerable are the infcripiions of ancient cuftoins anci
ceremonies that arc difcernible upon this ifland ; and which give
countenance to the well-known obfcrvation, that v/hen Icarmng was
nearly extinO; on the continent of Europe, it found a refuge in Scot-
land, or rather in thefe iflands.
But fomc of the moft aftonifhing appearancc3 in nafure have re-
mained undefcribed, and, till lately, unobferved even by the natives of.
thefe iflands. A difcovery lefcrved for tlie inquihtive genius of Sir
Jofeph Banks, who, in relating his voyage through the Hebrides,
in tfyii hys, '-We were no fooner arrived, tlian we. were flrucl;
with a feene of magnificence which exceeded Our expectations, tliougli
foundet^-as we thought, upon the rnoft. fanguinc foundadioh.- ; the.
•whole of that end of the iiland I viz. Staffa, a mile in length, and halt
a mile in breadth) fupported by ranges of natural pillars, moflly above
fifty feet high, ftanding in natural colonnades, accordirt^^ as the hays
or points of land formed thcmfelves : Upon a lirm balis of foiid, un-
formed rock, above thefe. the ftratum v»hich I'eachcs to the foil or fur-'-
faCeof the ifland, varied in thickncfs as th« ifland iuclf formed into
hills or vallies ; each hill, which hung over the columns heloW, form-
ed an ample pediment ; fomedf thefe, above flxty feet in thicknef,;
from the hafe to ih^ point, formed by the floping of the hill on cacii
fide, almoft into the fhape of thofe ufed in architecture.
" Compared to this, what are the cathedrals or palaces built by man ^
Mire models or plav-things. Imitations as diminutive, as hii w.oik^
k 2r Wlii
ra?> S C O T L A N B.
will always be, when compared to thofe of nature. Where is nOW
the boaft of the archlteft ? Regularity, the only part in which he fan-
cied himfelf to exceed his miftrefs, Nature, is here found in her pof-
IcfTion ; and h(?rc it lias been for ages undefcribed. Proceeding far-
tlier to the N. W. you meet with the higheft ranges of pillars, the
magnificent appearance of which is paft all defcription : Here they
are bare to their very bafes, and the flratum below them is alfo vifible."
Mr Banks particularizes fundry other appearances in this and a
Ti.eighbouring ifland, which is wholly compofed of pillars without any
iliratum. In feme parts of Staffa, inftead of being placed upright, the
pillars were obferved to lie on their fides, each fcn-ming a fegment of a
circle ; but the mod ftriking objeft in this field of feenery is Fingal's
Cave, which Mr. Banks describes in the following manner : " Witht
our minds full of fuch refleftions, we proceeded along the fhore,
treading upon another Giant's Cau/ezvay, every flone being regularly
formed into a certain number of fides and angles ; till, in a fliort time,
v/e .rrived at the mouthof a cave, the moft magnificent, I fuppofe,
that has ever been defcribed by travellers.* The mind can hardly
form an idea more magnificent than fuch a fpace, fupported on each
iide by ranges of columns, and roofed by the bottoms of thofe which
have been broken off in order to form it : between the angles of which
a yellow flalagmitic matter has exuded, which ferves to define the an-
gles precifelr, and at the fame time vary the colour, with a great deal
of elegance ; and to render it ftill more agreeable, the whole is lighted
from without ; fo that the farthefl extremity is very plainly feen from.
without : And the air within being agitated by the flux and reflux of
the tide, is perfectly dry and wholefome, free entirely from the damp
of vapours with which natural caverns in general abound."
Mr. Pennant, who alio made a voyage to thefe iflands in the fame
year, had a glance of Staffa, in his pafTage from lona to Mull, but was
prevented by ftormy weather from approaching it. " On the weft,"
l"y, learn, Ijnd. &c. ii mult l;c a itoney clay, a Itoncy loam, a gravelly
i
the greatea fleets ; aretching out their P^-'^^^" ^'"S^'^' ^ "n fa"
the pompous ornament of regal navies or ^^^ ^^^^^^^ j"^ "^ 3^^^^
extended commerce. Thefe, however, have been - g J'^'^^^ ^^
unfrequented, as the illiberal fpint of trading jealouly l?jf ' /° ?. ;>^
a.es. with fuccefsful injuaice, rendered all thelc '^^^^^J^^f ^l^^^
of Providence of no value, except to the ^.d^'^"^"["'^; . "^,^'^;h;
v/hom diarefsor tempea had driven to experience then f.alonable.
protcaion. It
i{ Mr. Young.
%^2 IRELAND.
It would be difficult to enumerate the many bays, havens, harbour^
and creeks, which indent every part of the coaft. The following are
the piincipal : W'aterford, Carlingford, and Strangford-havens, the
bav of Carrickfergus, on the eail ; Lough-Foyle and Lough-Swillv,
Ship-haven, Killybegs-harbour, Donegal-haven, on the north *, Gal«
way-haven, the mouth of the Shannon, Sherwick or St. Marywick-
haven, Dinglc-bay, on the well ; Kenmare-bay or river, Bantry, Dun-
manus, and Baltimore-bays, Cafllc-haven, Glendore-haven, Kinfale,
and Cork-havens, on the fouth and fouth-eaft. Thcfe are the princi-
pal unbarred havens. There are likewife a great many barred havens,
fome of which have been much improved by A£ls of Parliament, par-
ticularly that of Dublin.
1 he Lakes cr Loughs of Ireland have fo many properties, in fome
rcfpefts peculiar to themfelves, that their fingularities, their extent, or
their beauties, have long engaged the pens of the traveller, and the
poet ; and have attrafted the curiofity and excited the admiration of
people of tafte from every part of Europe. The mod remarkable are
the Lake of Killarncy, Lough-Erne and Lough-Neagh.
The Lakes of Killarney hold the firft place. They are three in
number. The northern or lower Lake, is fix miles in length, and
from three to four in breadth. The Town of Killarney is fituated on
its r.oithern fliorc.
Ihe upper lake is four miles in length, and from two to three in
breadth — it is alm.ofh furrounded with mountains. The idands in this
lake are numerous, and afford an amazing variety of piGurefquo
views.
The third, or centre lake, communicates with the upper— it is but
fmall in comparifon of the other two. The eafhern boundary is form-
ed by the bafe of Mangerton, down the fleep fide of which defcends
a cafcade, vifible for a hundred and fifty yards. This fall of water is
fupplied by a circular lake, near the fummit of the mountain, called
the Bcvirs Punch-Bowl ; which, on account of its immenfe depth,
and the continual overflow of water, is confidered as one of the greatefl
curiolities of Killarney.
"Ihcre are various iituations, on this and the neighbouring moun-
tains, that command extennve profpefts of the lakes, with their
1 Hands, Bays, and Promontories — thefe views are \viid aiid grand to
an afl.onifhing degree.
Lough-Erne is the largeO. lake in Ireland, being forty milesip length
^nd m fome parts fifteerTin breadth. In this lake is an ifiand on which
'andsthe I'own of Innifkillcn — the communication with the main
;;.nd being preferved by two bridges. No town in Ireland can boaft
• M fuch an advantageous fituation for inland commerce, the lake af-
lording it an intcrcourfe, by water, with feveral counties ; and this
circumftarcc in its favour might be further improved, by cutting a
canal and building locks, from Bclleck to Bally-Shannon, which
>vould open a paffagc into the Atlantic Ocean.
Lough-Ncaoh is of iin oval figure, but confiderably indented on its
fides :, it is near twenty miles in length, and about ten in breadth ;
and abounds with a variety of fifh, particularly the Fullein, or, as fome
call it, the frefn-water herring, t'lcatly admired for the uof on.mon
-delicacy cf its flavour.
I R E L A N D. 151^
Tins Loup;h is diftinguifhed for the mineral and petrify ing qualities
^vhich it is luppofed to poffeis.
Whether the petrifying quality imputed to this lake, exifts in the
xvater, or the foil, has been a fubjeft of much inquiry ; that it exifts
in one or the other is generally believed from the numerous fpccimens,
which areconftantly difcovered on the fhores, of different (pecics of
wood, either wholly converted into flone, or wliicii are found to be
partly in one Rate and partly in the other ; which latter afl'ord the
moft conclufive evidence of the exiftence of this petrifying property.
It has been juftly obferved that whatever particular quality water is
impregnated with, muft be derived from the foil through which it
runs ; now, in the neighbouring grounds, even at the diflancc of two
or three miles, and in fituations confidcrably higher than the Lough,
fpecimens of wood, perfeftly and imperfeftly, converted into ftone are
frequently found ; fometimcs on the banks of many of thofe ftreanis
which fall into the lake, andfometimes in fituations more remote. —
On the fhores are alfo frequently found a variety of beautiful peb-
bles, cornelians, agates, and other valuable ftones, which have lonp-
been objefts of curiofity to the vlrtuoii.
Caves and Giens.] About two miles from the city of Kilken-
ny, in the neighbourhood of the Pprk-houfe of Donmore, are a number
of caves, which are fuppofed to be equal to any in the world ; thofc
of Antiparos, in the Archipelago, excepted. Tlie following defcrip-
tion of them, being written by a gentleman on the fpot, we ihall give
it in his own words : " After a difiicult defcent of about one hundred
feet, the entrance into this fubterraneous world is gained. The ap-
pearance of the firft cavern is uncommonly awful, and gives rife to
an idea of a grand Gothic fhufture in ruins. The folemnity of this
place is not a little increafed by the gaiety of thofe fcenes that prefent
themfclves on eveiy fide, previous to our entering it. The floor is
uneven, and Rones of various fizes are promifcuoufly difperfed upon
it. The fides are compofed of ragged work, in fome parts covered
with mofs, andin others curioufly frofted : and from the roof, which
is a kind of arch, feveral huge recks projeft beyond each other, in fuch
a manner, that thev feem to threaten inftavit ruin. The circumference
of this cave isnotlcfs than two hundred feet, and its height about fif-
ty. Here is a fmall, but continually dropping water from the ceiling,
and a few petrifaftions refembling icicles. This place is not dcflitutc
of inhabitants, for immediately on entering into it, you are lurprifed
with a confufed noifc, which is occafioned by a multitudcof wild pid-
geons. Hence there is a pafiagc towards the left, where, by a fmall af-
cent, a kind of hole is gained, much larger, but in form greatly refem-
bling the mouth of an oven, which introduces the fpeftatov to a place,
where, by the help of candles (day-light being entirely excluded) a
broken and furprifing fcenc of monftrous floncs, heaped on each oth-
er, chequered with various colours, inequality of rocks over hcr.n. nvd
an infinity of ftalaftical ftones, prefents itfelf. Here tl-- tra\ellcris
threatened from a thoufand vail rocks rudely piled on each other, that
compofe t!\e fides, which feem bending in, and a n i.hitudeof no fm.dl-
er fizc are pendent fiom the 1 oof in the moft extraordinary tnan'-cr ;
add to this, that by one falfe flep, he would be daflicd from precipice
■"" precipice : Indeed it would Lc msltcr of much difficulty, or rathor
imprafticahl.
J54 I R E L A N D,
imprafticable. to oo
feems denied by an immenfe conical mountain, wliich rlfes out of the
glen, and fecms to fill it up. The fccncry is of a moft magnificent
charaftcr.
The Darglc is a narrow vale, formed by the fides of tM'o oppofitc
n-.ountains ; the whole thickly fpread with oak at the bottom: It is
narrowed to the mere channel of the river, which tumbles from rock
to rock. The extent of wood that hangs to the eye in cvcrv dircftion
is great, the depth of the precipice immenfe, which, with the roar of
the water, forms a fcene truly intercfling. In lei's than a quarter of a
mile, the road pading through the wood leads to another point of
view to the right ; it is the c; o;vn of a vaft projcfting rock, from which
you look down a precipice abfolutely perpendicular, and many hund-
red feet deep, upon the torrent, which finds its noify way over large
fragments of rocks. At fome diftan<;c below is a vafl chafm in tlic
rock, M'hich feems torn afundcr, to let the torrent through, that comes
tumbling over a rocky bed far funk in a channel cmbofomcd in wood-
In a hollow, formed of rock and wood, the torrent breaks forth from
fragments of rock, and tumbles tinougli the chafm, rocks bulging over
it asif ready to fall into the channel. The flnade is fo thick as to ex-
clude the heavens ; all is retired and gloomy ; it is a fpot for melan-
choly to mufe on.
Forests, or woods.] Tradition and hiflory both inform us, that
few countries of equal extent, were better tunbered than Ireland i
her woods were fo abundant,* as to occafion her being called by fome
of the ancient writers //j^r' 7/7^;^^;^ ..• and their quality was ofiucli
repute as fo become an article of traffic, ar.d olien employed in the
mofl confpicuous buildings of the fiflcr kingdom. But the natives, re-
peatedly harraifed by the inroads and encroachments of the Englifli,
frequently found an afylum in their forefls. Iheie became thcrcfoie
an objeft of equal jealoufy and vengeance, and the dcllroying axe gen*
erally accompanied the fword. in the joint extirpation of woods and
men, till the ifland became cilmofi: distorelled. I'or many ages it has
remained in this flate. The encouragement of the Dublin Society,
however, and the example of many noble individuals, proniifc again to
clothe the land with its moll valuable ornaments.
ViGF.TARiE AXD ANi.MAL I'ROUfC- 1 i hefc ale in general fimilar
TiOKs BY LAND AND SEA. J to tholc in Great- jiritain.
Wolf-dogs (once fo ufeful and celebrated) were perhaps peculiar to
Ireland ; but that I'pccics is now nearly cxtinft. Altliough the coafts
of the neighbouring ifiands mav be furniflicd willi the lame varieties
of fifli ; yet thofe of Ireland have them in much greater abundance,
and of a larger and more excellent quality.
Metals, minerals, .\nd medicixal waters] The mines of
Ireland, until the deflruftion of her woods, were worked to a very
great extent. At prcl'ent, although abundance of the various Ipecies
of iron, lead, filvcr, and copper ores are to be Jound in c\ cry ciiretiion
through
* " Through every pirt of Ireland in which I l;zvc been, one hundred rontiguous aci i
aiC not lo be tcund, without eviilcnl ligHs, that lUcy vvcre cnce woou, or at Ic^rt very He;|
Wooded. A vaft number oi the Irifli names for l.nls, ji.ot:ntains, vallie;., and piiiiiii, have
forclls, woods, groves, or trees tor the flgniticalion." Vouac's Touk.
irjG I R E t A N f>,
through the kingdom, yet the want of capital, or fkill, or enterprize
is fuch, that few are worked to any important extent or profit, if we
except the great copper mines of the county Wicklow, which are in
the hands of an Englifh company.
In feveral counties are noble quarries of the fineft marble, thofe of
Kerry are of various colours, green, red, yellow, and white ; and thofe
of Kilkenny black and white ; each of which takes the moft elegant
polilh. and are calculated for all the purpofes of building or ornament.
Many parts of the kingdom abound with free flone, fome of a bright
fparkling colour, others of a grey or alh colour, and fome approaching
to a blue. Thofe of Ardbracken, Garrycorris, and the mountains of
"Wicklow and Dublin, are particularly admired, and much ufed in
public buildirigs 5 but the want of inland water carriage, prevents its
being fsnt to the metropolis, in fuch fizes as are neceffary for large
columns, &c. which induces a confiderable expenie for the import of
Portland ftone.
Various fpccies of coal, and in the greateft abundance, are to be
found in different parts of the kingdom. The pits of Kilkenny yield
a coal pofleffmg many peculiar properties ; it is very hard, burns free*
ly, emits little or no fmoak, is of a bright black, and is found to bs
admirably adapted for malting, and various purpofes of manufafture.
The pits of Ballycaflile (in the county Antrim) produce abundance of
coal, yet the want of a fafeand conimodious harbour to fhip them, pre*
vents their being worked to an extent fully equal to the fupply of the
nation. The collieries of Tyrone produce a very fine fpecies, and arc
of confiderable capacity ; they lie in the heait of a populous and great
jnanufafturing country, where other fuel is very fcarce ; but the want
of a mare perfeft inland water carriage contrafts the operation of the
numerous benefits which the fituation of thefc collieries prcfents. The
]jits of Lough Allen are probably of moft importance, as they are of
iuch magnitude, and fo happily circumftanced by fituation, are of lo
fmc a quality, and fo intermixed with ilrata of the purefb iron and
other ores, as prcmife, with attention and capital, to be a fource of
great profit and jsdvantage to the nation — placed at the head of the
bliannon, which is almoft navigable to the fea, were canals opened
from the capital and other parts, communicating with this river, they
would, in a few years, render the cutting of bogs unneceffary, fave
large fums now annually fent for foreign coals, and eftablifh manu-
fafturcs on different parts of thefe lines of the greateft value and
extent.
rvIiN'ERAiL Wateks.] There are great numbers of mineral fprings
in this kingdom of the various claffes recommended for medicinal pur-
]ioIcs : Sucli as the vitriolic, alkaline and abforbent, faline and pur-
i:ati\c, fulphureous, chalybeate, and fulphurcae chalybeate waters, of
M'hich thofe of the two latter kinds are moft powerfully impregnated
})y tlie benevolent hand of Providence, as efhcacious remedies againll
one of the moft prevalent endemics of its northern and moiftclimatej
the fcurvy ; of thele the moft generally reiorled to, from their experi-
enced good effcdls, are tlie waters of Swanlinbar and Drumafnave in
the noith vycft qviartcr, and cf J.rc :ui, T. miles from the capital. There
■ are
f- il EL A N • 9; v^f
afe alfo fome tepid fprings here, the temperature of which, however,
is very moderate, that of Mallow in the county of Cork, the warmcfl
of them, not raifing Farenheit's thermometer above the 68'* ; but from
its mild, foft, and fpecifically light nature, and being conhdcrably im-
pregnated with an abforbent carch, and a portion of other medicinal
matter, has been found fcrviccable in fcvcral clalTcs of difeafes.
Antiquities and Curiosities,] The natural curiofities of Ire- .
land have long occupied the attention of travellers and philofophers.
The Giant's Caufeway being the moftdiftinguifhed, we fhall give the
following account of it as the moft recent and accurate.
The Caufeway itfelf is generally del'cribed as mole or Quay, projefi;-
ing from the bale of a deep promontory, fome hundred feet into tlie
fea, and is formed of perpendicular pillars of bafaltes, which fland in
contafl with each other, exhibiting an appearance not much unlike a
a folid honeycomb. The pillars are irregular prifms, of various de-
nominations from four to eight fides ; but the hexagonal columns are
as numerous as all the others put together.
On a minute examination, each pillar is found to be fe|)arable iato
feveral joints, whofe articulation is neat and compaft beyond exprcf-
fion -, the convex termination of one joint, always meeting a concave
focket in the next ; befides which, the angles of one frequently
fhoot over thofe of the other, fo that they are completely locked to-
gether, and can rarely be feparated without a frafturc of fome of their
parts.
The fides of each column are unequal among themfclves, but the.
contiguous fides of adjoining columns are always of equal dimenfions,
fo as to touch in all their parts.
Though the angles be of various magnitudes, yet the fum of the con-
tiguous angles, of adjoining pillars, always makes up four right ones.
Hence there are no void fpaces among the bafaltes, the furface of the
Caufeway exhibiting to view a regular and compa6l pavement of po-
lygon flones.
The outhde covering is foft, and of a brown colour, being the earthy
parts of the (lone nearly deprived of its metallic principle by the
aftion of the air, and of the marine acid which it receives from the
fea.*
Thcfe are the obvious external charaftersof this extraordinary pile
of bafaltes, obferved and defcribed with wonder by every one who has
feen it. But it is not here that our admiration fhould ceafc : v/hatev-
er the procefs was by which nature produced that beautiful aiul cu-
rious arrangement of pillars fo confpicuous about the Giant's Caule-
way ; the caufe, far from being limited to that fpot alone, appears to
have extended through a large trad of country, in every direction, in
fo much that many of the common quarries, for feveral miles around,
fecm to be only abortive attempts towards the produftlon of a Giant's
Caufeway.
From want of attention to this circumftance, a vafl; deal of time and
labour have been idly fpent in minute examinations of the Cauleway
itfelf ; — in tracing its courfe under the ocean — purfuing its columns
into
♦ This coating contains iron which has loft its phlogifton, and is nearly reJjccd to a fi*'?
«( calx ; for with a very moderate heat it bcco.-ccs of a bright red oclue co'.oui, tlic aUfOvidfi
cf an iron earth.
J58 I R E L A N D.
into the rfround — determining its length and breadth and the numterf
of its pillars — withnumerous wild conjcftures concerningits original;
all of which ceafc to be of any importance, when this fpot is conlider-
ed only as a fmali corner of an immenfc bafalt quarry, extending wide-
ly over all the neighbouring land.
The baialtcs of the Giant's Caufeway i& a black, ponderous, clofc-
grained ftone ; which does not efFervcfce in any of the mineral acids.
Itsfpecific gravity i^ to that of water, nearly in the proportion of
2, go to 1,00 — and to that of the finefl marble as 2,00 to 2^70.
Though its texture be compaft, it is not abfolutely homogeneous,
for if ground to a fmocth furface, its bright jet-black polifh is disfigur-
ed by fcveral fmall pores.
It flrikes fire imperfeftly with a fteel.
When expofed to a moderate heat in a common fire, it afTumesared-
difh colour, which is more vivid on its natural outfidc- covering, and
loies about 1.50th part of its weight.*
In a more intenfc heat it readily melts, and is, as the chymills ex-
prcfs it, i' uiihle per fe.
With the aHiflance of an alkali flux it may be vitrified, and forms
an opake glafs of a black or blueilh colour.
Its principal component parts are iron in a metallic ftate, combined
chiefly with filiccous and argillaceous earths.
Its metallic principle may be demonftrated by a very fimple experi-
ment. Let a fmall fragment of balaltes, in its natural flate, be brought
into contaft, or very near to a good niagnetical needle, and it may be
made to detain the needle at a confiderable diftance from its meridian.
Let this fragment be touched by a magnet, and it \yill acquire a pretty
ilrong polarity, capabk of attrading or repelling the needle at the dif-
tance of an inch or more. From hence it is proved to contain iron in
a metallic flate, becaufe the calx of that metal is incapable of producing
any magnetical phacnomena whatever. -
To determine the quantity and quality of each conftituent part, re-
quites a very flow and laborious operation, which would be almoft
equally tedious in the defcription. I fhall therefore juft mention the
relults from the experiments of that able chymift, Sir Torbsrn- JSerg^-
aian.
Bafaltes 100 parts.
Contains filiceoils
earth
50
Argillaceous earth
r
15
Caicareoiis earth
;
8
Magneiia —
—
—
2
Jron — '
—
—
•^5
From thefc elements we flxall eafJy be enabled to account fot fcvef-
3I of its properties.
Hence it comes to pafs that its fpecific gravity is fo confider'ablCj
exceeding that of many flones, vrhich, when poliihed, appear much
moro'
* Thislofs probably arifes from water expelled by the heat. For in the courfe of twen^ty-
four hours after, it will have nearly reovered its former weight, particularly if it be nloiftj.
eaei.
t R E L A N a 159
inore compaft, the quantity of phloglfticated iron cafily making com-
penfation.
We fee alfo why it anfwrcrs fo well for a touchflone, the hardnefs of
its iron particles eafily rubbing and fretting off the parts of any fofter
metal which may be applied to it, and its biacK ground Serving to dil-
play thefe to greater advantage.
Hence too arifes its fufibility without addition ; for thous^^h flint,
clay, and calcareous earth are fepa.rately refraftoiy, in any degree of
artificial heat, yet when mixed together they are readily fufible, and
ftill more eaftly when united with phloglfticated iron.
From the metallic ftate of its iron element we are enabled to infer, a
priori, that the columns of the Giant's Caufeway are all natural mag-
nets, whofe lov/er extremity is their north-pole, for having ftood
during many ages in a perpendicular pofition, they mufl have acquired
that polarity which is peculiar to all iron fubftances, in a fimilar fitua-
tion ; and like natural magnets, every fragment, when broken, will
have its north and fouth-pole. And this has been found true bv ex-
perience ; each pillar of the Giant's Caufeway, and each fragment of
a pillar, which was applied near to the needle, having its attra6tivG
and repellent point.*
Population.] Few kingdoms have experienced greater variation
in population than Ireland. At fome remote period there are reafons
to believe that its inhabitants were extremely numerous. In tcveral
parts of the ifland (in rough or mountainous ground) difRcult of ac-
cefs, and now in a barren ftate, are evident traces of cultivation ; but
at what time it prevailed, tradition or hiftory does not inform us.
At the commencement of the prefent century the numbers in Ire-
land were thought to be about two millions, whereas in 1672, there
were, according to Sir William Petty, no more than 1,100,000. —
The fc^owing data are afforded, from which we may alcertain the p rel-
ent number.
From the accounts laid before the Houfe of Commons in 1786 (as
returned by the hearth-money collcftors) the number of houfes in Ire-
land amounted to 474,234. Now, adding to that the incrcate fince,
and alfo the numbers intentionally or unavoidably overlooked in fuch
returns, we may reafonably conclude that the prelent actual amount i&
500,000.
We are noxt to confider what average number of perfons we fhould
allow to each houle. In the peafants cottages in Ireland (perhap:j the
mofl populous in the world) IVIr. Young in fome parts found the aver-
age 6 and 6| ; others have found it in different places to be 7 ; and
Dr. Hamilton, in his account of the ifland of Raghery, enumerates the
houfes, and difcovered the average therein to be 8. In the cities and
principal towns, the houfes, particularly in the manufacturing pari»,
generally contain leveral families ; and from differetit accounts, the
numbers in fuch are from ten up io high as feventy.t The averages,
however, of different writers on the population of cities vary betweea
10 and 13. '
From
• See Dr. Hamilton's Lettersonthe County Antrim.
+ Dr. TiWal enumeratad the inhabitants of two pa lifhes in Dublin in 1731 1 and average*
the number m each hoafe al il j-i». The numbers vaiied Irani is to ;».
iGo I R E L A N D;
From fuch data then, it will not perhaps be erroneous, if we fix the
average for the whole ifland at eight perfons to each houfe, which mul-
tiplied by the number of houfes, makes the population of Ireland
amount to four millions.
Language.] The antiquarians and critics agree, that the uncor-
rupted native language of the Irifh is the Gaedhlic, or Scotic, the pur-
eft and m.ofl ancient of all the Celtic diale£ts. It appears from unquef-
tionable tellimony, that arts, navigation and letters were firft taught
in Europe by the Phcenicians, who had a very early intercourfe with
the Iberian Spaniards. From that nation the Gaedelian or Scottifh'
colony derived their original, who amongfh other arts, introduced the
elements of letters into the ifland, at a remote period before the chrif-
tian /Era. This fad will eafily account for the early ufe of letters in
Ireland, where great fecurity from foreign conquefl: retained them, and
where the manners of the people and the form of government rendered
the cultivation of them neccllary.
Agriculture.] The agriculture of Ireland, though greatly ex-
tended and improved within thefe twenty or thirty years paft, is ftili
in a very backward ftate : For though the quantity of corn has in-
creafed to fuch a degree, that infl:ead of depending, as formerly, on a
precarious importation of foreign grain, for the fupply of the inhabit-
ants ; they only have a fufficiency for home confumption ; but are ena-
bled to export large quantities ; yet the mode of cultivation is very
defective, the Iriih not having yet introduced thole improved fyftems
of culture, which have long been purfued with fuch advantage, in'
England, and lome other parts of Europe.
Fisheries.] Ireland has advantages in the feveral fiflieries not'
enjoyed by any other country ir^ Europe, particularly in fituation, and.
in her numerous creeks and harbours. Her flT^ores are fLore J with all
the varieties of filli, her fifliermen a hardy and adventurous race, and
the opportunity of curing on contiguous ftiores, gives them a decided
fupcriority. *
The north-weft and weftern coaRs of this kingdom abounding, in a
fuperior degree, v^ith herrings, have long attrafted the national atten-
tion and legiflativc encouragement. In 1786, no lefs than 17, i88i
barrels of herrings were exported from Ireland. The fame year 37c
velicls, \^hore tpnnage amounted to 15.33S, v/ere employed in this
Uflicry.
Learnixg and learked mek.] The corroborating teftimonies
i natives and foreigners reprelcntthe ancient Irifn as a people equally
learned and piou?, and v*'ho were reforted to by men of the mofl diftin-
guiihed ranks of diftant nations. Camden, Bede, and other writers,
«;i.iunierate tiie benefits d i If u fed through various parts of Europe by
the numbers of learned men from Ireland, v^'ho imparted the early
lights of fcience and of chriftianity, and founded monafteries in vari-
ous parts of Britain, France, and Italy. It is obfcrvable, that the pat-
ron faints of feveral nations on the continent are acknowlegcd to be
Irifli, as were the firft profeflbrs in the univerfity of Paris, and alfo
thofe placed by Alfred in his newly-founded college of Oxford.
Few of the writings of the ancient Irifh have reached the prefcnt
simes, from the long continuance of civil difcord amonft them j fuch
fev/-
IRELAND. ?6i
ftv,' however as have been publifhed or remain in the hands of Lhe cu-
Hous, confirm the reputation of their genius and learning. The po*
ems of Cohimb-cil, fcveral mifcellaneous pieces tranflatcd by the learn*-
ed Colonel Vallancey and otliers, but above all the poems of OfTiaii
(which are unqueflionably tlie original produ6lion of this country)
place the ancient literary fame of Ireland in the higheft rank.
A long night of mental darknefs, owing to various caufes, fucceeded
this luminous period. In modern times, however, the genius of the
natien, encouraged by peace and harmony, appeals again in the repub-
lic of letters.
The limits of our work, will not permit us to give a minute detail
of Irifh writers and their works, and therefore we fhall prefent the
reader with the following fketch.
Ufher was a fcholar, fecond to none thefe iflands can boaftof, unlefs
we except Scldcn. Berkley, bifliop of Cloyne, was a writer of very
fuperior talents. He has been called the Irifh Plato. His Minute
Philofopher is among the ftandards of the Englifh language. His effay
on Vifion has extended the boundaries of fcience. King, archbifhop
of Dublin, was a Icfs fanciful, but a more confiflent, philofopher than
Berkley. His book upon the Origin of Evil, is a mafter-piece. He
was a man of wit, and of a farcaftic vein. Dr. Dodwell, the famous
Camden profelTor of hiftory in the univerfity of Oxford, was of this
country. He' was a man of univerfal erudition, but of an cnthufiaflic
turn of mind. Leflie of Glaflough, was a man of great reading, pro-
digious memory, and voluminous compofition. His fhort and eafy
method with the Deifts, is efteemed one of the beft pieces extant on
the fubjeft. Toland was a writer of oppofite principles. A catholic
prieft originally, he became a deift in religion, and a republican in
politicks. His fcholarfhip has been arraigned by his antagonifts, but
he is commended by Mr. I.ocke as a man of parts and learning. Clay-
ton, bifhop of Clogher, wrote an eflfay on Spirit, an Analyfis of the
Works of Lord Bolingbioke, and other books. Mr. Molyneux* (the
friend of Mr. Locke, and champion for the independence of his native
country) was aphiloibphcr and mathematician, and reckoned among
the firfl. of that fcientific age. His Dioptrics are highly commended
by Dr. Halley. Dr. Helfaam publiilicd an elegant and learned courfe
of leftures, upon the feveral branches of phyficks and mechanicks. — ■
Dr. Brian Robinfon wrote an effay upon that Ethereal Fluid to which
Newton alludes in his queries : And alfo a treatife on the Animal
Economy, in which he appears happily to have applied his great math-
ematical knowledge to the extention of medical fcience. Sir Hans
Sloane, no lefs remarkable for his mufeum than his genius. Dr. Mac-
bride, who has fo fuccefsfully applied the theory of fixed air to prac-
tice in the cure of the feafcurvy. Dr. Young's inquiry into the prin-
cipal phaenomena of Sounds, is a work of great fcientific knowledge.
Dr. Hamilton, whofe philofophical account of the county of Antrim,
and its Bafaltes, is highly efteemed. O'Gallagher, author of an elfay on
the Firft Principles of Nature. Dr. Sullivan's tveatiie on the Feudal
Law
'* This was the writerof that celebrated vindication of his country's rigiifs. Tie Gafe of
ff eland, publiflied at the clofe of the laft century, which alarmed the Englith government lo
'^Ki'b, that ;t was ordered to be b-jrnt by the hands of the common hasgmai,
r52 IRELAND.
Law and Conftitution of England, is making its way in the good opin-
ion of the world ; notwithilanding this avenue to fame had been pre-
occupied by Dr. Blackftone's Commentaries. Dr. Hutchefon is the
principal Ethic writer of this country. Whilil a teacher of an acade-
my in Dublinrlie wrote his books on the origin of our ideas of beauty,
and on the pailions. Thefe raifcd his reputation fo high, that he was
invited to accept the moral chair in the univerfity of Glafgow, which
he filled with iuch celebrity, as to lay the foundation for that fame
which Glaigow-now enjoys as an Ethic fchocl. T%vo of the ableft
divines of this country were dilfenters from the eflabhfhcd church,
Mr. Abernethy and Dr. Leland. 1 he fermons of the former upon the
Attributes arc held to be one of the belt fyftems of natural theology.
He was deputed by the dillenters of Ulfter to addrefs the Duke of Or-
'mond in a tour he made when Lord Lieutenant ; and his Grace was
afterwards heard to fay, that, of all the men who ever approached him
on like occahons, he was moft pleafed with '• the young man of An-
trim." And Dr. Leland's view of Deiflical Writers, and other works,
are equally known and admired. Dr. Duchal wrote prefumptive ar-
guments in favour of Revelation, and leveral volumes of lermons,
which have been well received. The writers who have done the na-
tion moft honour in theology are, Synge, Story," Biown, Delany, Law-
ion, Orr, Skelton, and Ryan, author of " The Elfe6ts of Religion on
Mankind." Bifliop Synge is faid to have been a man of gre.it parts
and learning ; he was author of the Religion of a Gentleman. Story,
bifhop of Kiimors, publiihed only fome occafional fermons, but in his
treatilc on the Prieflhood, deep erudition and chriftian moderation are
equally confpicuous. Brov;n, bilhop of Cork, publifhed fome vol-
umes of fermons ; he is, however, more celebrated for his delivery
than hiscompohtion. Delany's fermons on the Social Duties, are ex-
cellent. Dr. Lawfon was a tnolt celebrated preacher. His Lectures
■upon Oratory, which he delivered in Trinity College Dublin, he gave
to the world himl'eU ; they Ihew a nice claffical tafl^, a fine poetical
vein, and a thorough knowledge of the art of preaching.
Swift, whofe liteiary charatter is well known, was a native of Ire-
land. 'Ehe other principal mifcellaneous writers in this kingdom are,
Rofcommon, author of the ingenious Ellay on tranflated verfe, and an
excellent tranlUtion of Horace's Art of Poetry. Farnell, the very
ddici(E mujariim, of whole poetry, above all others, it may be faid decics
repetita pLacebit. Burke, on the fublime, &c. Lord Moleiworth. —
Lord Orrery. Eavl Nugent. Mr. and Mrs. Millar. Dr. Arbuckle,
wnt';r of Hibernicus's letters, &c. MoUoy, author of a periodical
paper in London, called Common Senfe, &c. Ogle, who moderni:icd
Chaucer's I'ales. Dr. Dunkin, author of a quarto colkftion of humor-
ous poems, fome of ^vhich are in three languages, Greek, Latin, and
Knglilh. \'Vood, who publiihed Ruins of Falmyra imd Balbec, and an
Lll'ay on the genius and writings of Homer, Robertfou, author of an
attempt to explain the words nafon, fubjiancc, &e. Sterne, biihop of
Clogher, of a book dc vijUctume injirinorum. Sterne, the inimitable
Sterne, whofe Sermons, Triltram-Shandy, and Sentimental Journey,
will be admired whiill feeling and fenliment remain among mankind,
Webb, who inquired into tlie beauties of painting, &c. O'Leary,
c'lUthor of feveral admired Tra6ts, theological and poetical, Pilkington,
vho
IRELAND, 163
who puWiflied a Diftioiiary of Painters. Cunningham, author of fever-
al poetical pieces, particularlv his riiUural and defervedly admired
Paftorals. Prefton, author of fevcral inifcellancous poems : His " Ir-
regular ode to the moon," claims a firfl rank in linglifli poetry. D)\
Clancy, author of the Templum Veneris, &c. iiulh, of Socrates. — .
Johniton, author of Chrylal. Brooke, of the Farmer's Letters, Fool
of Quality, Guftavus Vafa, &c. Dr. Sheridan (in whofe family genius
feems as hereditary as the name) author of feveral pieces for the im-
provement of the Englifh language, particularly a pronouncing Dic-
tionary ; he alfo Dublilhcd a Life of Swift. His fons are not lefs cele-
brated ; Brindllcy's genius, unconfined to the praife of having rivalled
the Ciceros and Demofnienes of antiquitv, has added new trcafurcs to
the Drama, in his Duenna, School for Scandal, &c. and Charles Fran-
cis, his brother, has acquired great credit for his Hiftory of tl;e lat'S
Revolution of Sweden. Uflier, author of Clio, a very ingenious Effay
on Tafle. To thefe we might add a lift of female writers ; Mrs. Sheri-
dan, Mrs. Pilkington. Mrs. Gricrfon, Mrs. Barber, Mrs. Davies, Mrs.
Grifhth, Mifs Brooke, &c,
Ireland now produces a catalogue of celebrated fcenic writers. — •
Of her late writers in this line are fome, whofe names are not yet for-
gotten ; and others whofe works will laft as long as the Englifh flagc
fliall hold the mirror up to nature : Earl of Orrery ; N.Tate ; Con-
cannen ; John Kelly, author of the Married Philofopher, &c. Dr-
Midden, of Themiftocles ; Jones, of the Earl of Eflex ; Morg.m, of
Philoclea; Hartfon, of the Countefsof Salifoury, Sec. A Philips ; Mrs,
Centlivre ; Sir R. Steele ; Farquhar ; Southerne, Congreve, Brooke,
and Kelly.
It would perhaps be injurious to the memory of Dr. Goldfmith, fo
draw his poetical charafter from his theatrical pieces, though they avi^
replete with the true vis comic a. His fame mull he founded upon
his Traveller, Deferted Village, Vicar of Wakefield, and Citizen of
the M^orld.
University.] Ireland contains but one univcrfity, which is called
Trinity-College. It was founded in 1,501, in the reign of Llizabelh ;
but its original conftitution being found impcrfeft, in 1637, it received
a new charter, and another fet of ftatutcs. compiled by archbiflio'.j
Laud. This prelate made feveral effential alterations in the conilitLi-
tion. of the college, the moft material of which was the depriving tno
fellows of the eleclion of their provoft, the appoinlrrent totlut impt^rt-
ant office being ftom thenceforth rcfervcd to the crown. 'lo make the
fellows fome amends for the lofs of their firft piivilege. it was appointed
by the new charter that they fjiould be tenants for life in their tellov/-
(hips, if they remained unmarried, or unprovided with a benefice ui
more than lol. in the king's books, whereas by the firll charter the'*'
were to quit their office in feven year.-; after they became of iraflcr ;
ftanding. At the fame time the number of f.'Uov/s was enlarged irom
feven to fixteen, diftinguilhed into feven fenicr fellows and nine j'jn:-
or, and the number of fcholars was augmenicd to feventy. The gov-
ernment of the college was placed in the prcivolt and m'jor part of
the fenior fellows, from whofe decifions an appeal >v«s given to tlic
vifitors, which are the chancellor of the univcrlily, or liis vice-chan-
cellor, and the archbifhop of Dublin. The provollhas aacj^ati^c voi'c.
'L 2 ii'
■K>4 I R i£ L A N D,
in all the pioceedings of die board offeniors ; and to him is alio coh!*
mitted the extraordinary power of nominating any candidate to a fel-
lowfhip (who fhall have fuftained the whole previous examination)
even againil the unanimous fenfe of the other examnicrs.
The number of fellowfiiips fixed at prefent, is twgnty-two, feven
fenior, and fifteen junior. The emoluments of a fenior fellowfhip
are fuppofed at prefent to exceed bool. yearly.
A fpirit of emulation to excel in their Iludies is fcarcely in any place
oi: education fo well fupported as among the fludents of Dublin Col-
lege, owing to the excellent inftituticn of public quarterly examina--
tions. Three of the four terms of the year are clofed with a vacation
of from three to four weeks each, and the fourfii with a long vacatioa
of four months, during v/hieh the fludents have time to prepare them-
selves for a public examination, that begins the bufinefs of the next
enfuing term. Two days are allotted to this examination, four hours
each day. The examiners are the fellows under the degree of do£lor,
and the refident mafters ; the examined are all the undergraduates,
dillnbuted into four clalfcs, and each clafs into divilions of twenty or
thirty perfons, according to the number of fludents and examiners. —
The fubjefts of examination are all the fqiences in which the examined
have been inftrufted to that time, togethC-r with the particular portion
of the Greek and Latin elaflicks appointed to be read by each clafs
tiuring the term preceding the examination : A Latin theme is alfo
demanded of each perfon, the fecond morning of the examination, on
a fubjcft given out by the examiner the evening before. The examin-
ers are furnifhed with lifts of the names of the perfons they are to ex-
amine, wilh feparate columns for every branch of the examination, in
which columns they dillinguifli by technical marks the refpeftive an-
fwering of the ftudents, and after the examination make a report of the
fame to the fenior lefturer. Thefe reports, which are civlled Judg-
ments, being fubmitted to the infpeftion of the board, are read publick-
Iv, a few days after the examinations in the college hall, when they
operate pov/erfully to the ctedit or difgrace of the parties concerned.
Some of thife judgments are of fo humbling a nature, that the perfon
who has deferved them is not accounted as having anfwered an exam-
ination for that time, a certain number of which examinations he mufl
fuflain before he is admitted to the firft degree in arts. In Hillary
term, thebefl anfwerer in each divifion receives a premium of books,
flamped with the college arms, to the value of forty fhillings : In the
Other three examinations, if the perfon who has before obtained a pre-
mium in that year, appears to be the befl anfwerer again, he is honour-
ed with a certificate on vellum in lieu of a premium, which is then ad-
judged to the fecond befl in the divifion, in order to I'pread the flame
of emulation more widely. The efFe£l of this judicious diflribution of
rewards and ccnfures is great, almofl beyond conception : Nor does
anything feem wanting to the perfeftion of fuch a fyftcm, befides a
provifion for augmenting the number of examiners in proportion to
the daily incrcaling demand for them. The whole number of under-
graduates in Dublin College fcarcely ever falls fhort of four hundred,
(the entire number of collegiates on the books being ufurdly above fix
hundred) and of the undergraduates, if more than twenty be thrown
into a divifion, it becomes difficult, if not impoffible, to appreciate:
their merits jullly within the time allotted to the e;j4amination.
IBefidcs
IRELAND, i6j
Befidcs the two and twenty fcllowfliips, there are on the foundation
five royal profefforfliips, divinity, cornmon law, civil law, phyftc and
Greek; behdes profeirors of mathcmalics, Oriental tongues, modern
languages, oratory, hiflory, and natural philofophy. The lave Sir Pat-
rick Dunn, knighr, bequeathed a coniidcraKIc efhate for the fupport c
three profeifors in medicine, viz. theory and practice of phyfic, furge
ry, and midwifery, pharmacy, and the materia niedica. The ftudenta
are clalTed under three ranks, fellow-ccmmoncis, penf.cners, and fi-
zars. The necelfary annual expenfe of a fellow-commonner, clothing
and books included, is about lool. of a penfioner about 70I. A fizar
receives his commons and inflruflions gratis : The number of theft
laft is commonly about thirty.
As to the college edifice, it is unqueflionably one of the noblcfl: o-
the kind in Emope. It extends in front above 300 feet, and in depth
boo, and is divided into two nearly equal fquares. The principal
front, oppofite College-green, which was erc£led in 1759, is in the
("Corinthian order, and built of mountain ftone, as are all the buildings
i-n the firfl fquare, the eafl fide of which is intended to be ornament-
ed with an elegant fteeple and fpire near 150 feet high. On the north
fide is the refeftory, or dining hall, a fpacious room, with the front
ornamented with Ionic pilafters. Connefted witli this, and project-
ing into the fquare, there is now building a chapel, whofe front is in-
tended to correfpond with that of the oppofite theatre. This chapel is
connefted with the weft front by a regular range of buildings for the
iludents ; as are thofe on the fouth fide, till joined with the theatre,
which projefts into the fquare. Tlie front of this theatre is ornameni-
ed with four columns in the Corinthian order, and pediment, and i--.
greatly admired for its delicacy and elegance. It is intended for lec-
tures, examinations, &c. The ornaments of the inner part, particu-
larly the ftucco work, arc much admired, and in ten compaitments
therein are placed full length portraits of their prefent majefties,
Oueen Elizabeth (the foundrefs) Primate Ufiier, Archbifhop King,
Bifhop Berkeley, Dean Swift, Doftor Raldv.-in, Mr. iSIolyneux (au-
thor of the Cafi! of Ireland) and Mr. Grattan.
The inner fquare is partly compofed of plain brick buildings con-
taining apartments for the ftudents. The fouth-fidc is entirely taken
up by a luperb library, fupported by a piazza erefted in 1732. The
infidc of the library is beautiful and commodious, and embelllflied
with bulls in white marble of Plato, Socrates, Arillotle, Cicero, De-
mofthenes. Homer, Shakcfpeare, Milton, Bacon, Newton, Locke,
Boyle, Swift, Uflier, Earl of Pembroke, and the doftors Delany, Law-
fon, Gilbert and Baldwin.
Few public bodies have been fo much indebted to the munificence
of their members, as the univerfity of Dublin has been to the two laft
mentioned gentlemen, who Vv-erc contempories for many years in the
refpeftive olRccs of provoft and vice-provoft. Dr.Baldwin, after gov-
erning the college for the fpace of two and forty years, died in 1758,
aged upwards of ninety. By his will he bequeathed to the college in
real and perfonal property, to the amount of near loo^oool. out of
which his executors fhorlly after purchafed, for the ufe of the body,
two advowfons, and founded two new fcUowfhips. Dr. Gilbert en-
iiched the library by a beaueft of his books. 1 2,000 volumes, chofen b/
hivnfeS
i€6 IRELAND.
liimrdf in a long courfe of years for this purpofe, M'ithout regard to
expenfe, by a valuable collcftion of MSS. prints, and medals ; and
laftly, by 14 marble bufts (enumerated above) of ancient and modern
\vorthics, executed by the beft mafters at a confidevable coft. The
fhelves of the library will contain by computation 60,000 volumes :
Two tliirds of them are at prefent full, containing, befides Dr. Gil-
bert's (which is the bed) the entire libraries of the great archbifhop
Ufher, one of the original members of this univerfity, and about 5000
volumes, part of the colleftion of another fellow of the college, the
late Right Reverend Dr. Pallifer, archbifliop of Cafhel.
The printing office is a neat ilrufture, built in the modern tafte.
The anatomy houfc is worthy of infpeftion, as among other curiofi-
ties, it contains a fet of figures in wax, reprefenting women in every
ftate of pregnancy. They are executed from real fkeletons, and are
the produft of almod the whole life of an ingenious French artift.
They were purchafed by the late Earl of Shelburne, who made a pref-
ent of them to the college.
The RovAL Irish Academy of Science, Polite literature, and Ar.-
tiquitics, was incorporated by letters patent in 1786, under the patron-
ao;c of his luajeRy, and is compofed of fome of the moft learned and
iiigetiious men in the kingdom. They have publifhed -two volumes
of their Iranfaftions, which confift of fever?l curious and valuable pa-
pers, on various fubjefts, prefented by different members; which
ha^'e been received by the literary world with much applaufe. This
inftitmion certainly forms a new Jera in the Kiftory of Irifli Literature,
and will doubtlefs be produftive of the rnoft difi.inguifhed confe-
tjucnces, in the promotion of fcience and general erudition amcngft us.
Character and manners,] '1 he Iridi are inferior to none iii
hcdily flrength and beauty, they are equal to any in pliability and agilr
ity of limbs.
Always inclined to manl)' and martial c:;cicircE, tl.cy readily con-
front any undertaking ; their bodies are fitted to any climate, or to any
difficulty, and fiom the fame fourcc might perhaps be derived, that
f;^)ivit of heroifrn which has fo eminently charafteriied them.
Strong iiitelle£is, warm fancies, and acute feelings, have generally
carried them beyond the line of mediocrity ; and whether the depths
of fcience were to be explored, the heiglits of heroifrn attained, o.-
fympathy awakened in the inmoft foul, Irifhmcn would be equal lo
the talk. In virtue too tliey take an uncomrfion range, and in the
paths of vice they are not How or backward. Even the blunders with
which they have been charged by their good neighbours, may have
I'orr.e foundation in truth, if by blunders we are to underftand, thofe
quick fallies by which the regular concordance of words is broken
and overleaped for fomelhing bold and expredive in the tliought.
But whnt peculiarly diftinguifiies the Irifh character is, a comprehen-
iion of qualities which aie feldom found compatible. Sudden ardour ;
Tinabating pcrlcverance ; univerlal aptitude ; firm adherence ; irr.pa-
ticnce of injury ; along rememl^rance of it ; ftrenglh of refolution ;
tendcrnefs of affcftion. I'hcfe outlines of the Irifh charafter, may be
filled by the full grown lineaments, which the writers of different a-
ges, and of different countries, have affixed to it. The Ivifli have been
icureiented, ilrongly aftuatcdby a thirfl of glory ; Prodigal of life,
impetuous,
r R E L A N D. 167
!i-npetuous, vindiflive, generous, hofpitable. curious, cicdulous, alive
to the charms of mufic, conftant in love or hatred.
• A refpeftablc Englifh traveller,* gives the following charafter of
the Irifli nation, which, as it appears to have been written with great
fairnefs, and impartiality, we are happy to afford a place in this work.
'• It is but ail illiberal bufinefs for a traveller, who deffgns to pub-
lifli rem;irks upon a 'country, to fit down cooly in his cloiet and
right a fajire on the inhabitants. Severity of that fort n'lufl be enli-
vened with an uncommon fliare of wit and ridicule, to pUafe. Where
very grofs abfurdities are found, it is fair and manly to note them ;
but to enter into charafter and difpofition is generally uncandid, fincc
there are no people but might be better tlian thev are found, and none
but have virtues which del-:rve attention, at leaft as much as their
failings ; for thefe reafons this fettion would not liave found a place
in my obl'ervations, had not fome perfons, of much more flippancy -
than wifdom, given very grols mifreprefentations of the Iriflr nation.
It is with pleafure, therefore, that I take up the pen, on the prcfent
occafion, as a much longer refidcnce there enables me to exhihic a.
very different picture ; in doing this, I fhall be free to remark, wherein
I think the condufb of certain clalfes may have given rife to general
and confequentiv injurious condemnation.
" There are three races of people ia Ireland, fo diflin£V, as to flrikc
the lead attentive traveller : Thefe are the Spanifli, which are found
in Kerry, and a part of I.iv.ierick and Cork, tall and thin, but well
made, a long vifage, dark eyes, and long black hair. The time is not
remote when the Spaniards h^ J a kind of fettlerceiit on the toafl of
Kerry, whicJi fccmed to be overlooked l)y government. 'I'here were
many of them in Queen Elizabeth's reign, nor were they entirely driv-
en out till the time of Cromwell. There is an iiland of V'alenlia on
that coafk, with various other names, certaiiily Spanifh. The Scotch
race is in the north, where are to be found the features which are fup-
pofed to mark that people, their accent, and many of their cufloms. in
adiflrift,nearDublin, but more particu'larly in the baronies ofi3argiear.d
Forth in the county of Wexford, the Saxon tongue is Ipokcn without
any mixture of the Irifli, and the people have a variety of cuftoms,
which diflinguilh them from their neighbours. The Milelian race of
Irifh, which may be called nafivc, are fcattercd over the kingdom, but
chiefly foup.d in Connaught and Munfier; a few coniiderabic fami-
lies, whofc genealogy is undoubted, remain, but none of them with
coniiderable pofTeflions, except the O'Bi icns, and Mr. O'Kcil. O'l la-
va and M'Dermot are great names in Counaught, and O'Donnohue a
confiderable one in Kerry ; but the O'Connors, and O'Dnfchals in
Corke, claim an origin prior in Ireland to any of the Milelian race.
'• The only diviiions which a traveller, who paifed through tlic
kingdom without any refidcnce, could make, W3ul;i_bc into people of
conlidcrable fortune and mob. The intermediate Jivihon of the fcale,
fo numerous and refpc6lable in England, would hardly attratt the lealk
notice in Ireland. A refidencc in the kingdom convinces one, how-
ever, that there is another clafs, in general of fmall fortune — country
gentlemen and renters of land. The manners, habits and cufloms of
people
* Mr. Vjung, in his late tour in IreUnd,
a6S IRELAND.
people of confidErable fortune, are much the fame every where, at
ieaft. there is very little difference between England and Ireland, it is
among the common people one mufl look for thofe traits bv which we
difcriminate a national charaftcr. Tlie circumftances which {truck
me moR. in the common Irifli were, vivacity, and a great and eloquent
volubility of fpcech. They are infinitely more cheerful andlively than
any thing we commonly fee in England, Having nothing of that inci-
vility of fuUen filence, with which fo many Englifhmen feem to wrap
tlienifelves up, as if retiring within their own importance. Lazy at
7tjork, but fo fpiritedly aftive at play, that at hurling and other manly
exercifes, they fhew the greatcfl feats of agility. Their love of focie-
ty is as remarkable as their curiofity is infatiable ; and their hofpital-
ity to all comers, be their ov/n poverty ever fo pinching, has too mucl)
merit to be forgotten. Pleafed to enjoyment with a joke, or witty
repartee, they will repeat it with fuch expreffion, that the laugh will
be univerfal. Warm friends and revengeful enemies ; they are invio-
lable in their fecrecy, and inevitable in their rerontment ; with fuch a
notion of honour, that neither threat nor reward would induce them
to betrav the fecret or perfon of a man, althougli that man v.'erean op-
prefTor. Hard drinkers and quarrelfome ; but civil, fubinilhve and
obedient. Dancing is fo univerfal among them, that there are every
•where itinerant dancing-mailers, to M'hom the cotters pay fix pence a
quarter for teaching their families. Befides the Irifh jig, which they
can dance with a mofl luxuriant exprelhon, minuets and country danc-
es are taught ; and I even heard of cotillons coming in. Many ilrokes
in their charafter are evidently to be afcribcd to the extreme opprelT-
ion under which they live. If they are as great thieves and liars as
they are reported, it is mofl certainly owing to this cauie.
" But I muft now come to another clafs of people, to whofe con-
du£l it is almoft entirely owing, that the charafter of the nation has
not that luflre abroad, which I dare aflert, it will loon very generally
inerit : This is the clafs of little country gentlemen,* tenants who
drink their claret by means of profit rents ; jobbers in farms ; bucks ;
your fellows with round hats, edged with gold, who hunt in the day,
get drunk in the evening, and fight the next morning. I fliall noS
dwell on a fubjeft fo perfeftly difagrecable, hut remark that thefe are
the men among whom drinking, duelling, raviPning, &e. &c. ars
found as in their native foil ; once to a degree that m^ade them the peft
of fociety •, they are grov/ing better, but even now, one or two of
them got by accident (where they have no bufinefs) into better com.-
pany, are funrcient to derange the pleafures that refult from a libera]
converfation. A new fpirit ; new fafliions ; new modes of politenefs
exhibited by the higher ranks are imitated by the lower, which will it
is to be hoped, put an end to this race of beings ; and eitlier drive
their fons and co'-.fms into the army or navy, or fink them into plairt
tradefmen or farmers like thofe in England, where it is common to fee
men with much greatej property without pretending to be gentlemen.
* This expvefljon is not to be taken in a general fenfe. God forbid I fliould give thia
eharafter of all country gentlemen of fmall fortunes in Ireland : I have myfelf been acquaint-
ed with exceptions. — I ineaa only that in general they are not the moll libera! people in the
kingdom. >
1 U E L A K D. 169
I repeat it from the intelligence I received, that even this clafs are very
dilTerent from what they were twenty years ago, and improve fo fail
that the time will foon come when the national charafler will not be
degraded by any fct.
" That charadcr is upon the whole refpe£lablc : It would be unfair
to attribute to the nation at large the vices and follies of only one clafs
of individuals. Tliofe perions from whom it is candid to take a general
cflimate do credit to their country. I'hat they are a people learned,
lively and ingenious, the admirable authors they have produced will
he an eternal monument, witneis their Swift, Sterne, Congreve, Boyle,
Berkeley, Steele, Farquhar, Southerne, and Goldfmith. Their talent
for eloquence is felt, and acknowledged in the parliaments of both the
kingdoms. Our own fervice both by fea .land, as well as that (unfor-
tunately for us) of the principal monarchies of Europe, fpeak their
iteady and determined courage. Every unprejudiced traveller who
viiiis thcin will be as much ]deared with their cheerfulnefs, as oblig-
ed by their hofpitality ; and will hnd them a brave, polite, and liberal
people."
Religion.] The eriablifiied religion of Ireland is the Protc{lant ;
its ecckfiaftical djfcipline is fimilar to that of England, and is under
four archbin:iops and eighteen bifhops. The four archbifhoprics, are
Armagh, Dublin, Cafhal, and Tuam ; and the eighteen bifliopricsare
Clogher, Clonfert, Cloyne, Cork, Derry, Dov.-n, Dromore, E'phin,
Kildare, Killala, Killaloe, Kilmore, Leighlin and Ferns^ Limerick,
Aleath. OiTory, Raphoe, and Waterford.
The difienters are almoft as various here as in England ; but the
moft prevailing are the Roman-Catholics,. Prefbvterians, Quakers, An-
abaptiflsj Moravians, and IVIethodills, all of whom arc tolerated by
law.
CoxsTiTariON and laws.] Ireland is «t prefent a diftinft inde-
pendent kingdom, and its imperial crown is infcparably annexed by
au Irllh aft of parliament, to that of Great-Britain, From the time of
the acceflion of the fovereignty of Ireland, to the kings of England,
until the tenth year of the reign of Henry VII. the mode of enafting
laws within the Englifh pale in the parliaments of this country, Avas
nearly the fame as in England; the king's viceroy fummoning and
holding parliaments at plcafure, in which were enafted inch ftatutcs
as were then thought expedient or neceflary. But an ill ufe {as it was
then termed) having been made of this power, a fct of afts weic paff-
cdin the reign of Henry VII. one of which, viz. 10 Henry VII. c. 4.
provided, '• That no parliament be hereafter fummoned or holden,
unlefs the king's lieutenant then being, Ihall previouHy certify to the
king, under the great feal of Ireland, the caufes and conhderaticns
thereof, and the articles propofcd to be paffed therein ;. and that after
thc king in his council of England, fliall have confidered and approv-
ed, or altered faid afts, or any of them, and certified ihem back under
the great feal of England, and fhall have given licence to fummon ana
hold a parliament, then the fame fliall he Summoned and held, and the
faid acls fo ccrtiiied,and none other, fliall be therein introduced, prided,
or rcjcfted.
By another law, viz. 10 Henry VII. c. 22. it was ena6led that " aU
itatutes boforc that time p«fl"ed in England, fhould be of force in I:c.
^ ° ' land."
370 IRELAND.
land." From the making of which law, all fubfequent Englifii flatutes
■were abfurdly luppofed to have bound Ireland, if therein named, or
included under general words.
About the beginning of the reign of George I. in confcquence
of its being a quellion, whether England had a right to make laws to
bind this country, which M'as ready to be difputed by the Irifli ; an
att was j-afied in the Britifh parliament (6th of George I. c. 5.) where-
by it was declared, " That the kingdom of Ireland ought to be fubor-
dinate to, and dependent upon, the imperial crown of Great-Britain,
as being infeparably annexed and united thereto, and that the king's
niajeily, with the confent of the lords and commons of Great-Britain
i;i parliament affemblcd, hath power to make laws to bind Ireland."
However, this illiberal andunjufl ufurpation of the legiflative rights
of Ireland was of fhort duration. For after the emancipation of the
trade of this kingdom in the year 1779, the 10th ftatute of Henry VII.
c. 4. before mentioned, was very much altered, by an aft palled in the
Irifli parliament, in the twenty-firft and twenty-fecond years of his
prel'ent majefty George III, &c. namely, ftatute the twenty-firft and
twenty-fecond Geo. III. cap. 47. By which it is enacled, " That the
lord lieutenant and ccurcil of Ireland fhall certify under the great
feal of the fame, to his majefly, without addition, alteration, &c. all
fuch bil'ls, and no other, as the parliament of Ireland fliall judge to be
expedient ; that all bills fo certified and returned back again under
the great feal of England, without any alteration whatever, and none
other, fhall p?fs in the Irifh parliament." " And that no bill /hall
be certified into Great-Britain, as a caufe or confideration of hold-
ing any parliament. Provided ahvays that no parliament be l"um-
moned or holden, until a licence be obtained from his majefly, for
that purpofe." And this aft of the Irifh legiilature was followed by a
declaration of rights under the form of an addrefs to the throne, not
a little ftrengthened by the fpirited and united efforts of the whole
Irilh nation, who, with one voice, and with the very arms in their
iiands with which they defeiided themfelves from the enemies of the
empire, when dellitute of their own eflablifl:-ed forces, who at that
time were bleeding in every quarter of the v.'oild in the fupport of the
Britifl^ ftandard, firmly demanded and infilled on, from the Britifh
parliament, the refloration of thofc riglits which the tyrannic oppref-
hon of their predecefTors had wrelled from them. While on the other
hand, thot fenate reflored to the Irifh their legiflative, as they had be-
'fore done their commercial rights, not only repealing the 6th Geo. I.
c, g. but paniii;:^ an aft renunciatory of their former groundlefs claim
to what they now declared to be tJie rights of their hitherto oppreffed
and injured neighbours.
At profent, tlierefore, as was before mentioned, the Irifli nation is
governed by parliaments of its uwn, which confift of the king in his
legiibtive capacity, the lords fpiiitual (22) and lords temporal (now
165) who together with the king (or his viceroy) lit in one houfe ; and
the commons (300) compofed of knights, citizens, and burgeffes (eleft^
cd by the people) who fit in another ; and thcie in conjunftion form
tlic irifli parliament, wliich alone is empowered with, alone exerts,
aiid alone hath right to e.xert the privilege of making new, or altering
or repealing thofe laws already made, for the government of this realm,
Ir,
IRELAND. 171
In wKicli tlic manner of proceeding from the firfl introduclion of a
bill into either houle till it is Iranfmitted to England by the lord lieu-
tenant in order to receive the royal ailent, is nearly the fame with that
of thcBritifh parliament.
In refpcft of duration, the parliaments of the two countries difFci-,
the parliament of Ireland is at prefent oftennial, a::d before the be-
ginning of the reign of his prefent majefly, v/as perpetual : Whereas
that of Great-Britain is feptennial.
The common law of England was adopted here by the council of
Lifmore, in the reign of Henry II. and ever finte has been the com-
mon law of Ireland ; between which and that of England there is hard-
ly any difference, except where the alterations made in it by the fhat-
iite law of either country, may have produced a llight variation. But,
to fpeak generally, the principles of both are the fame, and the dcci-
fions of ;he courts at Weflminftcr. are of high authority in guiding the
determinations (in fimilar cafes) of the king's courts at Dublin, v.'hich
in number, fuperiority, and extent of jurifdiftion are limilar to thole
at Wcftminfter, fome few and trivial deviations, in th.e peculiar prac-
tice of each court, excepted.
In confequence of the above mentioned reftcration of the conflitu-
tional immunities of this country, a writ of error no longer lies from
the King's Bench in Ireland, to that at Weflminftcr, and the ultimate
appeal mufl now be brought before the Irilli Houfe of Peers, whole
fentence is fuial and irreverhblc.
There are likewife ecclefiafliral, and admiralty courts here, as in
England, alfo for the general diilribution of juftice. 'f he kingdom is
divided into five circuits ; the principal couuty towns in each of
thcfe are vifited twice a year by two of the twelve judges who l:t as
judges of allize and gaol delivery alternately, for the hearing and
deciding of fuits by Niji Frius, and for tlie trial of prifoners.
To attempt to enter more minutely nito a fubjctl, which the ingenuity
of the mofl able lawyers, that have wrote on it, could fcarcely contratt
into a few volumes, would at prefent be inconvenient, or rather im-
polTible, in a work of this kind, wherein a dehre to give a general
view of many branches will net permit any enlargement on one.
Inland Navigation.] The important confequcnccs arifing from
the extcnfion of inland water-carriage fcem now to be generally felt
and promoted in Ireland.-
Among the canals completed or now profecuting in Ireland, the
moft diflinguiflied in confequence and extent (and the only one which
the limits of our woik will permit us to notice particularly) is that
called the Grand Canal. Thi$ canal was commenced in the year 1756,
under the dircftion of pailiair.cnt and the i^.avigation board, and differ-
ent grants were made from time to time for carrying it on. But after
fome years it was ohlerved tiiat little efleftual progrefswas made there-
in, which led the legiflaturc to liold out encouragement to yx'wzic
fubfcribers to undertake the profecution of the work, by granting an
aid of one fixth part of the fum which fliould be necelfary to cxpcnc^j^
thereon. Accordingly fevcral noh?cmen and gentlemen I'ublcribcd a
capital of one hundred thoufand pounds, and were incorporated by
parliament in 1772, by the nam.e of the com-pany of Undertakers of the
Grand Car.al, who M'cre put in poilcflion of all the woiks which bad
been
i/ii I P. £ L A M n.
htcr. previoufly clone at the public expenfe, and inveflicd vvitK ampie
■powers for the better carrying into execution this important objeft, — .
After combating a variety of difficulties, enlarging their capital, railing
further aids by loan, &c. the line was completed from Dublin to Ivion-
allereven in 1786.
This noble canal proceeds from the wefi; end of the metropolis,
paffes through Sallins, Roberts-town, and Rathangan, and in the ncigh-
Lourhood of fevcral other towns and villages. It croiies the Liffy 011
an .'i.quediicl bridge of feven arches (conftrnfted on the mofb ingenious
-nd pei;manent principles) pierces the hill cf Downirigs fevcral hun-
dred yards — runs through a great part of the Bog of Allen — and falls
:;nto the River Barrow at Monafhereven, after a courfe of 31^ miles. —
.'t is navigated by boats of from 30 to 50 tons burthen ; and fupplied
vvith water throughout the different levels from numerous ftreams or
iivers. viz. the Black-wood-mill, Loughlcwhelnan. Brockafs. and
Fo'jraunfan flreams on the North ; and on the South by the Great
Bog, Miler's-fown and Donore ftreams, and the Mill-town river,
Vfhich ir, made- niivigablc four miles from the great trunk, and
terminates near the Curragh ; but that which fupplies the capital
with fuch abundance of moft excellent water, is the Great Morrell,
taken in at the fifteenth Jock about twelve miles from Dublin. There
are 26 locks on this navigation (6 double and 10 fingle) the falls in
which vary from 4 feet 3 inches, to 19 feet 7 inches. The fummit
level is i:o2 feet 4 inches above the James's-ftrcet harbour ; 82 feet 9
inches above the river Barrov^' at Monaftereven ; and 265 feet above
the tide in the Lifl'y at Dublin.
Thefe works have been principally condufted acid efFefted by Rich-
ard Evans, Efq. engineer, whofc integrity and zeal have been rivalled
only by the ingenuity and rcfources he difplayed in the courfe of one
of the moiL arduous undertakings in the hillory of inland navigation.
From this canal a collateral cut to Naas is completed by the Kildare
company, and fevcral othci.s are meditated ; particularly one to the
Profperous — another to Aliiv, and the tide water in the Barrow — and
another towards the Shannon at Baiiagher by Edenderry, Sec.
The completion of this canal has communicated the moll effential
advantages to the counLiv through vi^hich it palies, and its vicinity,
and through a confiderable, extent of the adjoining countries, reclaim*
ing large trads of land and bog, increafing their value, extending agri-
culture and manufaftures, and conveying the important f.ipplies of
flour, corn, coal, turf. &c, &c. by a cheap and expeditious carriage
to the. metropolis ; from whence it tranfports in return thofe neceffa-
ries which render the intercourfe of the city and country of fuch re-
ciprocal benefit. — To thefe advantages are to be added, the many
ronvenicncies afforded to travelling, &c. by the eftablifhing of com-
.nodious pacquet boats on this line, v/hich palTrng rapidly to different
liages every day at flated hours, afford one of the cheapefl, moft expe-
ditious and fecial modes of conveyance yet known in any part of Eu-
From the tolls on this navigation, and the profits arifing from their
pacquets, a very confiderable revenue accrues to the company, whofe
fortitude and perleverance in effefting this great national work, un-
der the moft: difcouraging circumftances, claim the praife and grati-
tude
tude of their countrymen. Their fucccfs has at length proved from
experience, that the efFeftual mode of condu6ling canals, is by compi-
nies, fubfcribing ratcably to the expenfc, and procuring from parlia-
ment fuch aid a» their importance and utility may entitle them to
claim.
Dublin Society.] Ireland has the honour of having formed the
fiift agricultural fociety in Europe, and has continued to maintain the
precedence of its merit alfo unrivalled. This focrety originated about
the year 1731, and v/as fuppcrted folely by the voluntary fubfcriptions
of its members, amounting to about loool. per annum ; with this fund,
and the animating zeal of feveral individuals, particularly Dr. Madaii,
and Mr. Prior (two of the moft valuable patriots which any country
has produced) they communicated many of thofe benefits to v/hich the
prefent improving appearance of the nation is in a great degree in-
debted. For feveral years part, the legiflature have given them the
mofl liberal grants, which have enabled them to extend their views as
well to arts and manufaftures as to agriculture. The fchool for por-
trait, ornament, and arcliitc£t drawing, under the dirtftion of this fo-
ciety, has proved a prolific nurfery for the fine arts ; having produced
a number of genuiues, the boaft and ornament of their country, and
the admiration of foreigners.
Trade AXD MANUFACTURES.] This fubje6l has at length become
of confequence to the people of Ireland. Through the concurrence
of various favourable circumflances, the revolution in America, and
the embarralTment of Great-Britain, Providence feconding the courage
and virtue of the people, broke the chains, whicli trading jcaloufy and
national ir.juflice, had i'o long impofed upon this country. Whilfl
the fun of com.mcrce and power in \'^enice, in Genoa, in Holland, the
Netherlands, and other countries rofe and fct ; the kingdom of Ire-
land, more fruitful in foil, more powerful in people, more fortunate in
lituation, and more ftrong in natural refources, was compelled for fev-
eral hundred years to look on thefe events a joylefs and indilFcrent
Ipeftator. During that long night of mifcry to Ireland, where her
fields fl.aincd with the blood of infurreftions rapidly treading on the
heels of each other ; raifed either by a fenfe of oppreirion, or foment-
ed by the interefted artifices of Englifl:! minifhers and their creatures. —
Thefe produced perpetual change and confequent infecurity of proper-
ty ; and confifcation being ofi.cn the objeft, was generally the effect
of excited diforder. In a country fo ciiflrafted, manufaftures could
not take root, and commerce could not flourilh. Thefe arc llie oiT-
fpring cf peace and fettlement, which were here experienced but for
Hiort intervals till the revolution.
From the latter part of the reign of William III. to tiie late eman-
cipation of the trade of Ireland in I 779, this unfortunate country ex-
perienced 3 ferles of the mofb wanton and impolitic reflriftions* from
England, cqr.ally injurious to the intercourle and profperity of
both.
In 1698 the lords and com.mons of England add.'-efTcd King William,
to emolov his influence in Ireland to " iiipt)refs the woolien manu-
f^aur^
^ Bef.vsen ihe years 1740 and 1779, ther*: w^r? r.o lef-. Uian t'vrr.ty-fo ;r f mbar'oe? ia
're'and, one of whick Ui^ed tbre; ye .r?."
174 IRELAND.
faftare therein ;" to which he anfwered the lords, " that his majefly
will take care to do what their lordfhips have defired"— and to the
commons he anfwered ■' I fhall do all that in me lies todifcourage the
woollen trade in Ireland" — And indeed fo fuccefsfully was this baneful
influence employed upon the legiflature, tliat they paffed an aft laying
heavy duties on the export of their woollens to E"ngland, where a lav/
was alfo made in the following year prohibiting our exports to other
countries, fo that between rlie two legi features the manufafture was as
completely annihilated as it could be by law.
The immediate confrquences to Ireland fhewed the value of what
fhe loft ; many thoul'md manufafturers were obliged to leave this king-
dom for want of employment ; many parts of the fouthern and wef-
tern counties were fo depopulated, that they have not yet recovered a
reafonable number of inhabitants ; and the whole kingdom was reduc-
ed to the greateft poverty anddiftrefs.
In confid^^ration of this lofs, the Irifli were to get full and unrivalled
potrellion of the linen trade ; as if one manufafture was fufficient for
the employment of a whole nation, efpccially where a large majority
of it were totally ignorant of the procefs or habits of the trade, and
pofTefring but little of the neceffary material ; whilfl in the other, the
hands were formed even to enviable perfeftion, and the materials were
polTelfed at home in abundance. The Irifh women were to become
fplnners for the Engliili manufafturers, and the richer were to become
the clothiers for the poorer nation.
Several years had elapfcd before thepromifed encouragement to thtf
linen was granted ; and lo wretched a ftate was it in, in the year 17OQ,
that the exports of linen amounted in value but to 14,1121.
The people of Ireland, deprived as we have mentioned, of the
Woollen, were obliged to confine their fole attention to the manufac-
ture of Linen. As with individuals fo with nations, when the pub-
lic mind is exclufivcly bent to one objcft, it cannot avoid fucceeding
in its purfuit to a coniiderable degree. An Aft of Parliament was palT-
ed in Ireland in 1709, enabling the Lord Lieutenant to appoint truf-
tees for the difpofal of the revenue granted for the encouragement of
the linen manufafture. From this Board, called the Tr u flees of tke Lin-
en and hcmpin marmfaCiures in Irdinid^ has the important objeft of their
appointment received the mod zealous and unremitting attention ;
and to them this kingdom is principally indebted for the flourifhiinj
ftate to which the manufafture has attained, and fcr the charafter it
maintains in all countries. The province of Ulfter was the firft
wherein it was extended ; here it was aftively taken up by the induf-
frious defcend.mts of the hardy Scotch Colonies letiled therein, and
ftill it continues the principal feat of the manufacture. The other
provinces have but a fmall comparative Ihare, although that of Con-
naught has been making confidcrablc advances in the coarfer branches
for fome ycars-
To give the reader a more perfeft idea of the progrefs and import-
ance of this manufafture, we have annexed a view of the quantities
exported at dilTerent periods ; and, as the export of Linen-Yarn is in.
fome degree connefted with the fubjeft, we have alfo given a fimilar
view of it,
EXPORTS.
3C R E L A N D,
EXPORTS.
Years.
Linen Cloth.
Linen Yarn.
Yards.
Ct. qrs.
lb.
17^3
1, 819,816!
11, 802 2
>7
I7--3
4^378,545
15,672 3
i?
1733
4.777,07^
13:357 s.
£1
1743
6,058,041
14,169 1
10
1753
^OA93>^5^
03,238
4
^7%
16,013,105
H^'^i
7
1773
i8,45o,7co|
28,078 3
25
^783
J 6,039,705!
35,812 3
23
1784
24,961,898
33.013 2
^5
^78,5
26,677,6^7
28,842 1
5
1786
28,168,866
31,062
20
1787
1 ,^0.728. 728
31.04Q 2
0
The Lawn, Cambrick, and other finer branches of manufafture,
mod of them are in a flourifhing flate.
The Woollen manufafture has been in poffeffion of this country from
a very early period ; but the reftriftions under which it had laboured
for above a century, has confined its extent to little more than thr:
clothing of the peafantry -, and altliough the emancipation of trade waa
expefted to produce powerful cflxfts upon this manufafturc, yet tho
unreftrained export of Wool and Yarn, and the home market remain-
ing unprotefted, have caufcd, and muft continue to caufc, this valua-
ble trade to remain in a very torpid ftate. Confidering however the;
number of difficulties under which the manufafture flruggles, it is fur-
prifing to obferve the pitch of excellence to which it has arrived. — •
The bell Broad-Cloths of Ireland are little inferior to the Englilh, and
her Druggits are much admired. Her Blanketing and Flannels are in
high efteem, and the Worfted branches have been brought to great
perfe£lion, and many become fit articles for extenfive exportation.
Another branch of trade is in the produce of Cattle, which brings
very large returns into this kingdom. The exports in this line con-
fift of beef, butter, cheefe, candles, tallow, hides (tanned and untanncd)
bullocks and cows, hogs, bacon, hog's-lard and perk. — The laft article
is one of the moft incrcaiing and valuable expoitj, it is the principal
among the very few refources of the numerous poor pe?.{antry, as it is
almoft the only article which brings them money, and being reared
without expenfe, trouble or attention, the returns muft be confidered
as fo much clear gain to the nation. The average export for five years,
ending 1767, was about 40,000 barrels. — The like ending 1774, was
46,924 Barrels. — The like ending 1782, was 87.085, and in the year
1787 it rofe to 101,859.
The filk manufafture is of great importance, but principally confi-
ned to the metropolis, probably from its connexion with the fafhions.
Several branches have been brought to the highcft perfeftion ; their
damafks and lutcflrings are excellent, and their handkerchiefs are net
only fuperior to Englifh. but arc alfo unrivalled by any naticn in Eu-
rope.
};f> Ireland;
rope, liie mixed goods, or tabinets and poplins, have been Isng cel-
ebrated.
The cotton manufafture is of late introduftion, but yet has arrived'
at great perfeftion and confiderable extent. Confiderable fums have
been expended on the ereftion of noble mills and machinery.
The glafs manufafture has arifen to confiderable confequence within
a few yeai-s.
The manufafture of paper has been advancing by filcnt, but fteady
fleps, to great improvement and importance ; and from the number of
a materia
hands it employs, and the fmall proportion the Villuc of th
bears to the labour, it is certainly of the £rft confequence to a manu-
fafturing nation.
Thefe are fome of the principal manufactures of Ireland ; mod of
which appear, from the bed evidence, to be daily increafing in extent
and improvement.
Having enumerated the leading manufaftures, exports, of this king-
dom &c. it is neceffary to oblerve on the principal articles which com-
pofe her imports ; thefe generally come from or through Great-Brit-
ain,* andconfiftof her manufaftures of various denominations, wool-
lens, filks, cottons, mixed goods, haberdafliery, manufatlures of iron,
{leel and other metals, groceries, hops, bark, earthen-ware, beer, coals
and an infinite number of other articles ; belides the produce of the
Eaft and Weft Indies to a confiderable amount. The table annexed
will fhew the comparative value of this intercourfe ; but whilft it flatcs
the balance to be generally in favour of Ireland, there muft be thrown
into the oppofite fcale, the remittance* to abfentces, intereft of money lent
on Irilh eliates, penfions, freight and infurance of fliips, remittances to
regiments on the Irifh cftabiilhment, &c. &c. amounting in all to
above a million and a half, or perhaps two millions flerling.
The annexed table is extrafted from the Irilh Cuflom Ploufe ac-
counts,
* The people of Ireland continue to complain loudly ofthe want of reciprocity in their
trading intercourfe with Great-Britain as well on the fubjed of malt and beer as a multitude
«t" other articles, not lefs remarkable.
Vain
>; D.
»77
Value- of Goods Exported to^ and Imported from Great-Britain, at different
periods.
Ex
ports
Imports
£'
J-.
d.
£.
s.
d.
1700
814,745
15
&
792,473
3
2|
\7°5
5^^,77^
17
0,^
497,794
1
9j
1710
7»2,-i97
2
6|
554,247
12
4
n'5
1,529,765
14
li
972,688
9
11^
1720
1,038,381
7
li
891,678
5
6|
^7^-5
1^53:782
13
1 1 J
819,761
13
3k
>73o
992,832
7
ot
929,896
1
2
»735
1,248,4)0
16
oi
935 = 849
8
9l
1740
1,259,853
6
8|
849,678
7
loi
^745
15390,930
8
9f
949,603
»5
10
1750
1,069,864
1
-a
9^0,340
17
of
*755
1,312,176
2
6|
1,039,911
10
4i
1760
i;450,757
8
6^
1,094,752
12
'^'
^7^5
1,693,197
5
7
1.439,969
4
8i
1770
2,408,838
12
2|
1.878,599
6
11
»775
2,379.858
9
8|
1,739,543
18
4l
,780
2,384,898
16
7f
1,576,635
13
5l
1781
2,187,406
'5
04-
2,432,417
13
10
1782
2,709,766
18
1?
2,277,946
10
8'-
1783
1,989,290
6
9
2,320,455
18
7l
1784
2,337,273
1 1
io|
2,400,456
16
'^f
^7^5
2,764,753
1
Hi
1,949=074
0
11^
1786
3039,531
3
5i
2,346,024
1
H
1787
3.299.523
12
io|
2.326,756
19
2^
Since the opening of the Irifii trade, the intercourfe with the Unit-
ed States of America, the Britifli colonies, and alio to the W'efh-India
illands, has been an acceffion of confiderable confequence. To thes
latter the exports are principally compofed of produce, and manufac-
tures of various forts, and is a trade that proraifes to increafe to a great
extent, if not reftrained by the illiberal conftruftion of the navigation
laws, which prevent their fending the redundancy of their imports in-
to the Englifh markets. The trade to the Britifh colonies is compof-
ed of fimilar exports as to the iflands, and will probably rife to equal
importance ; but with the American Stales it is expeftcd to bedfcch
fuperior. ^
The trade to Portugal is one of the mo ft important to the kingdom,
and conftanily produces a confiderable balance in her favour : In fome
years the export of butter alone has been equal to tlic whole of her
imports from that country, which principally confiflof wine, fait,
fruit, oil, pot-afh and cork ; for which are fent in return butter, beef,
pork, tallow, cheefe, fhoes, new and old drapery and fine linens, &c.
The trade with Spain confifts of nearly the fame articles of import
and export aj to Portugal.
The exports to France generally confiftof beef, butter, pork, hides,
randies, tallow, wheat, flour, bifcuit,' linens, woollens, fhocs, and fun-
M ■ dry
syS
N D.
dry other manufaftures ;— and the imports of wine, brandy, paper,
capers, oil, cork, fait, gloves, cambrick, &c. The balance of this
tr.ule, thouifh fliifkmtiiiT^ has been generally in favour of Ireland.
The trade with Holland and Flanders, confifls principally of an ex«
port of beef, butter, hides, tallow, linen, new and old drapery, i^^an-
ncls, frize, woollen yarn, &c. and the imports of llax, thread, linfecd,
and linfced oil, paper, garden feeds, Geneva, fuuff, drugs, dying-
fluffs, &c.
The trade with the Ead Country, includlnjr Denmark, Norway,
Sweden, Ruflia, the Jialtic, conlills of an export nearly fimilur to ths
preceding, and the imports, of iron, timber, deals, tar, train-od, hemp,
ilax, bark, Sec.
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Coins.}
R E L A N D.
179
Coins.] The coins of Ireland are at prcfent of the fame denomi-
nations and the like fabric with thofe of England, only an Engliilx
ihilling palfcs in Ireland for ihuteen pence, and fo in proportion u\
the other coins.
Bank, oi' Irei.an'd.] The fubfcribcrs to the national bank were
incorporated by charter in 1783,- by the name of the Governor and
Company of the Bank of Ireland, and proceeded to builncfs on the
i-5th June, in the fame year, upon a capital flock of 6oOjOOol. which
con(i{ledof4 per cent, government debentures depofitcd at par, —
Thefc debentures were cancelled by government, .igreeably to atl of
parliament, and an annuity at the rate of .\ per cent, granted in lieu
thereof. In addition to their capital they borrowed (.'o,oool. previ-
ous to the opening of the bank, for v\'hich tliey iifued debentures at 5
per cent, and in 1 78 ^ a further fum of 40.,0g>c1. on the like terms.
In this bank are depolited. certain monies received into his majefly's
treafury ; and by an a6l palfcd in 1784, all money lodged in the court;?
of chancery and excl)eq.;cr arc alio to be depofitcd in the bank.
The governors, dirctlors, and officers are annually clctlcd in the
month of April. Of the 15 directors ,5 muf'tbe new. The qualifica-
tion of the governor, is the atlual poffcflion of 5000I. flock; of the
deputy governor .3000I. and of each of the direftors ?.oool.
Under the direttion of this company, an ofHce was opened in June
1787, for purchafing light guineas and half guineas, on terms fo high-
ly advantageous to the public, that it has proved of the utmofh utility.
Military sxRtNGiH.J The military eftablilhmcnt of Ireland
Ccnfifls of
Four regiments of dragoon guards 684 mea
Kight regiments of dragoons 1416
Twenty-eight regiments of foot > 3 1 3 2
Total 15,232
To this is to be added the ordnance, which is on a diftinftcftablifh-
.Tient, and is compofed of 6 companies, of 50 men each, making in the
\vholc fjoo.
Of this force, Great-Britain may employ fcvcn regiments (or 3283
men) on foreign fervice at the expenfe of Ireland ; but during the late
War the principal part of the army was withdrawn, fo that in the year
1 -^jy there were little more than 30CO men left for the protetlion gf
the kingdom.
Cities, pnatic edificks, &c.J Dublin, the capital of Ifcliand,
?5, in e::tent, beauty and number of inhabitants, the lecond cky in the
Britifh dominions. It is luuatcd on the call fide of the ifland, on the
river LifTey, near its junftion with the fea, in i«titu»^c 53* 20' and is
about 270 miles N, W. of L,ondon. ''
Dublin is equal in magnitude to above onQ.fhurth of London. It
is two miles and a half long, and its greatcft breadth is nearly equal ;
fo that the circumference may be about pfght Irifh miles. Jt lies moflly
on a lovol, or rather low, in reipeft to the adjacent country ; a great
part of the old tov/n being built pn a maifliy foundation, Itiincroafe
thcfc laft twcnw years, i: almoft incredible : In the year iys^, the re-
t-.'rnof hcufcj wai I2,857j.aud in :766, it was »;^.I91. It nov/ con-
M y tains
xSct t R E L A M IJ.
tains at a mod^Tate computation, about 15.000 houfes, moRly full of
inhabitants, who are cftinialed at near 200. oco Ibuls, and is daily in-
creafing both in extent and population.
Dublin would liave had a coiiunodioKi and fecure (lation for fliip-
ping, if the entrance o) the bay had not been fo choaked up, that vef-
Icls of great burthen c -luiot come over the bar : But tlic dcft£\s of the
harboiu- are greatly remedied, by a prodigious work of Hone and piles
of wood, extending about three mi^cs into the bay.
At the end of the piles, there is a lighthoufe eretled, curloufly con-
ftrufted of hewn ftone. 'i'he approach to the city from the harbour
exhibits a mod beautiful prufpeft. It is a fpacious amphitheatre,
bounded moflly by a high Ihore ; and the country all round is inter-
fperfed with whits vilUb, which liave a pleafrng effetl.
The river Idflcy. though navigable tor fliips of a moderate burden,
as far as the old Cuftomdioufe, is but narrow, the breadth being in
fome parts 250 feet, in others only 140. It runs for two miles ahnoft
ftraight through the city, dividing it nearly into two equal parts, form-
ing fpacious quays, walled in the whole length ot the city. At the
breadth of a wide flrect from the river on each hde, the houfes are
built oppofite each other, which, has a grand efleft. Over the Liffey
are ercfted five bridges, two of them, Kil'ex and the Queen's, are ele-
gant flruftures ; the other three, Ormond, Arran, and bloody bridges,
have but little to recommend them, bchdes affording the convenience
of paffage.
Ibis city is the fee of an archbifliop, and fends two members to par-
liament ; and the univcrlity fends two more. Behdcs two cathedrals,
(Chrift's and St. Patrick's) there are eighteen parifl^ churches, hx
rneeling-houfesfor Prclhyterians, one for Baptifls, three for Metho-
di (is, one for Moravians, two for Quakers; fifteen Reman-catholic
chdpels, three nunneries, one Jewifh lynagogue, and fourteen hofpitals.
The linen and vasn halls, fifteen public markets for every fpecies of
provifions, of which Ormond market is perhaps the firft in Europe,
tvnd fcven public prifons. The Four Courts, confilling of the High
Court of Chancery, King's-bench, Common-pleas, and Exchequer, are
held here, as alfo Courts of Prerogative, Delegate, Coniiftory, and
Admiralty ; feveral halls for corporations, &c. one theatre, feven
coffee-houfes, befides a number of elegant hotels for the accommoda-
tion of foreigners.
The eafl end of the town on each fide of the Liffey is extending faft-,
by IttVeral new (heets, on a noble icale •, and when the bridge which
is'in c0?4emplation for uniting the line from Grafton to Sackville-
flreet is binlt, and the'various avenues intended to be opened thereto
are completed, j")ublin will be unrivalled in Europe.
The manicipal government of the city of Dublin is veRed in a lord
mayor, 2.} aldermen, siheriffs, and 97 common council, who areelefted
by the feveral corporations. The various departments of its p«lice
are partly in the hands of ihis corporation, and partly in feveral boards
inflituted for the purpofe within thele few years. In the former is
the care of the water, which they are to fee carefully and conftantly
difliibuted to every part of the metropolis, from two principal fources^
one from a bafon at the weft end of the city, on the fouth fide of Jamej'-
Ilrect, which affords a noble hcdd of water, being chiefly fupplied by
the
IRELAND. i5,
the grand canal ; and the other from the I.iffey at Iflnnd-bridgc, where
a forcing engine is employed to raife the water to a proper level for
the better fupply of the north fide of the ci-ty : From thcfe fources it
isfupplicd, in a degree, perhaps, fuperior to any other in Europe.
Cork is the fccond city in the kingdom, and capital of the province
of Munftcr, governed by a mayor and other magiflrHles, and fends two
members to ])arliameiit. It is feated on an ifl md in theriver Lea,
■which branching into two arms about a mile above the fcite of the city,
one runs on its north and the other on its.fouth fide, over which arc
placed neat bridges, by whicli the communication with the oppofitc
continents is prefcrved. The ifland is interfered by fevcral canals,
cither natural or ai'tificia],Av]iich beino; !)aiiked in, bring up fliips ainion:
to every ilrcet. and greatly facilitate their trade. The fituation of the
city is partly On a riling ground on the north and fouth. and the middle
ON a icvcl ; it is three miles long and near two broa.d, and is uncx)m.-
mo-ily populous for its extent, cmtaiaing above 80.000 inhabitants,
Foimcrly the flreets and houfcs were as narrow and inelegant as ihoic
of eq.ial antiquity in Ireland; l)ut the public and private buildings of
late years arc ni the ililc of modern elegance, and alike declare the im-
proved talle, fpirit. and riches of the inhabitants, w-ho have been at all
times dillingviilhed for their liberal hofpitality and agreeable luavity of
manners. Here arc feven Protcflant churches, eleven Catholic chap-
els, and four dilfcnling mceting-houfes, belonging to Prefb)'tcriaiji',
Baptifts, Quakers and French I'roteftants. 'Fhe CuO.om hoiife, Kx-
change, M^rkcthoufe, CouMty-(^ourt-houfe and the Theatre, are hand-
Ibmc buildings ; and the charity fchools and (imil.ir foundations are
numerous and well I'upporfed ; upon the whole, this city very jullly
ranks as the fecond in tlic kingdom, and is 124 miles S. W. of Dublin.
The trade of Cork is very confiderablc, and its exports arc in fnme
a-rticlcs much fuperidr to thofe of the metropolis. In time of war it is
the great market for provifions, from whence the Britifli naw draw an
incxhauftible fupply. The other articles of export confift of corn,
wool, hay and woollen varn, camblets, ferges, hides, buttci-, candles,
foap, tallow, herrings, &c. Wool-com.bing is carried on to fuch ex-
tent in this countv, that half the wool of Ireland is faid to be combed
here ; the manufaflurcs confifl of camblets, ferges, ratteens, frizes,
druggets, narrow cloths, coarfc linen, (lockings, &c. but when agri-
culture and manufactures are more widely difl'ufed through this fruit-
ful province, tlicir trade wdl be more valuable, as being dejivcd from
the enlarged induftry and ingenuity of the people.
Limerick is htuatcd on the Shannon, one of the noblell rivers wliich
any European ifland can boafl, and placed in one of the mofl fertile
counties of the kingdom. It is a flourdhing city, and compofed of
what is called the Irifh and the Englifli town. The latter ftands upon
the fouth part of a piece of ground three miles in circumference, call^j-d
the King's Ifiand, formed by the Shannon, which divides ilfelf about
half a mile above the city. The Irifli town is on the fouth or oppofuc
fide of the river, and both are imited hv an old bridge, called iiaal's. —
Thefe towns in their ancient flatc confiftcd but of one wide well built
ftreet, cut at right angles by many narrow lanes ; at prcfcut the city
ir. large, populous and regular ; three miles in circumference ; is fup-
pofed to contain above 40,000 inhabitants, and is g?. mileiS. W.b/ W,
froti:
i>2 IRELAND.
from Dublin, and about 60 miles from the fca. It is governed by ft
nnyor, flicritFs and other magi ftrates ; is a city and coutUv in itfelf,
and fends two members to p-irliamrra. Its trade is contidcrablc, par-
ticvilarlv in the export of beef, pork, butter, hides, rape feed, &c. &c.
and the manufaclurcs of linen, woollen and paper are carried on to
lome extent ; that of gloves is no lels celebrated abroad than at home,
lor their uncommon delicacy and bcautv.
BeUaft, thoujh a feu- years fince of inferior or fecond rate confc-
.'juence, now ranks am.ongft the firft towns in Ireland; to which im-
portance it has arrived bv the moft rapid pro^refs, and for which it is
indebted to the enterprising afti\ ity of iis merchants, the uncommon
induflrv of its people, and from its fituation, being the medium through
which are conveyed the imports and exports of a populous and great
manufafluring country. Belfall is in the county of Antiim. on the
river Lagan, at its juuttiou with the Lough of Belfaft, is fuppofcd to
contain at leaft 30.000 inhabitants, governed by a Sovereign and 12
liurge'des, fends two members to parliament, and is 80 miles north fiom
Dublin. The Ihects c«re broad, tlic houfes generally modern and well
built. The F.xchangc, Hall, and other piiblic buildings are fuited to
the purpoies of their ercttion, and worthy the confequcncc of the
town. Their trade has rilcn (and is daily rifing) into confiderablv
value; the exports of linen, manufafturcd cotton, glals, corn, beef,
pork, and fundrv cihcr articles, are great : and their various manufiic-
turcs form fome of the ir.oxi important in the kingdom.
W'alerford ftands on th« fouth lido of the Suirc, a brviad and rapid
river without any hi id ;e, and about four miles aird a half from its junc-
tion with the Xore and Barrow, all which united form the harbour. —
This citv is about C'ght miles from the fca, and 74 miles fomh-fouth weft
from Dublin ; it is a mod convenient port for foreign tratlic. and its har-
bour runs almoft 1 2 miles up the country, nearly rn a flrait line, all the
wav deep and clear. This city is the capital of the county of tb.e fame
name, governed by a Mavor and other magiftrates, and fends two mem-
bers to pavliame nt : there arc, ac-ithcuial of great evlent and elegance,
three churches (one of which is extremely beautiful and fpacious, and
rivals any which even the capital can boaft) four Catholic Chapels,
and places of worlTiip for French Proteftants, Prefbytcrians, Quakers,,
and Baptii^s. The Bifnop's palace is a fuie building of hewn flonc,
with two fronts. The Court-houfe. Exchange, Cuftom-houfe, and
Barracks, are neat handfome buildings, and the new Theatre and A(-
fembly Rooms are fitted up in a verv fine talle. There arc feveral
charity fchools and humane foundations, well fupported. The white
glafs and other manufaftures of Waterford are in a flourifhing ftatc ;
and its export of beef. pork, butter, hides, tallow, corn, &c. is conl'idcv-
able ; to which the extcnfive inland navigation it has by means of tl.e
Nore, Suire. and Barrow greatly contributes ; as they alfo do to the
imoort trade, from the demand for foreign commodities in tlie feveral
rich counties and flourifliir.g towns through which thcie rivers fiovv".
The trade it carries on with Newfoundland, and of \vhich it enjoys the
principal (hare, is of the utmoil importance, as upwards of feventy
fail of Ihipping arc employed in the fupply of the b?nks with provi-
fions, &c. and return from thence and the Weft-Indies with fifli, rum,
fugar, cotton, &c. Sco^z idea of the provifion trade here may be form-
ed
I R Z Ij A y D. i?3
e<* by the vaft nuitber of large }.r. ; i ■,..:. . . c ; . i r-c ir.r ts ut>»arai»lin.
J: is £:OTer::ed In' a ^la'.-or. Recorder, and Aldercsen. it ccmtwifc*
two 'owns, K:»k.c::::v, fo called, and Iriui-Toun^ each of wh,ch f^n-i*
two rr.erriers 10 pcr^iaTJcr.: : and. to^tther, are conap-Jted »o o(?n'.>';r.
about zo.ooo iahibiianti. It hai two c'l arches, ar.d rcT.'erzl CV.rx'..c
chapels — Thccail.ecr^I rlancs in a fecufftezcd dtuation, i* 2 venerable
Gcthicpilc and Sj:!: -'--or- nrr h-iadr;i vearsago : cle&to:t is o^ecf
thofe remark at: ? r ; fo rcuch m^actd *r'r ?*.£ci:-
t'on cf tTzvelltn. : bridfcscf cut ir:-t\l- over
tbe Nore ; ]r=:jirer-. nsijabcrr
hood —
f.
s.
d.
2G.249
9
6|
516605
4
H
39^93
3
4
14171
Q
4
25301
8
X
864
16
5
233
18
8
738
14
2i
1500
0
0
6308
9
4l
i84 IRELAND.
Lood. — Drogheda, feated on the river Boyne, which is navigable fof
fhips of burden to the Quay ; 23 miles N. from Dublin, governed by
a-Mayor, Sheriffs, Recorder, and Aldermen ; is a county in itielf, and
fends two members to parliament, — Wexford, capital of the counfy of
the fame name, 67 miles S. from Dublin ; governed by a mayor and
other magiftrates, atid fends two members to parliament ; built near
the fea, upon the river Slaney. — And Armagh, which is not only one
of the greatcfl markets for linen, but is perhaps unrivalled by any
other of equal extent, for the beauty of its public buildings, for which
it is indebted to the unexampled munificence of its primate.
Revenue and Expenses.
liereditary Revenue - - -
Additional duties on Cufloms and Excife in-
wards and outwards . . _
Duties on ftamped paper and parchment
Revenue arifmg from the Pod Office
Pells and Poundage received at the Treafury
Surplus from the public coal yards
Lottery offices licences
Rent of new Geneva County Waterford
Regimental Balance . - _
Absentee Tax - - r -
867956 13 6f
Expenfes of Ireland for one year, ending March 25, 1787.
Civil Lifl: -
Military Eftablifhment
Extraordinary Charges
The Total Grofs Expenfe
From whence deducing lot
tery payments
The militia ex'penfe of one year 20000
And fums repaid out of the pro-
duce of the tillage duties
The Aftua} Expenfe
National Debt.*] The debt of Ireland is confidered as having
"originated in 1715, when a vote of credit for 50,000!. was paffed, on a
threatened invafion of the kingdom. — From that period its progrefs,
though irregular and fluftuating, was confiderable ; and in the year 1749
it amounted to 20 -,1171. However, through the exercife of unufual
oeconomy, or an lacreafe of revenue, this debt was extinguiflied, and
the nation was in credit from the year 1750 to 1760, when the nation
again engaged in debt, which, accumulated from £ .223,438, the debt
in 1761, to /^. 2,, 302,1 46, the debt in 1 787.
History.]
• * Extrafted from the Journals of the Houfe of Commons.
- ■ -
1977.7
501289
6
8
^1
7i
-
533221
1
oi
penfe
1232237
15
10
160000 0 0
20000 0 0
42.8 ^'J 111
184228
'7
^U-
-
I048008
^7
^o|
ISLE OP MAN. iR-
HisTORY.] See Leiand's Iliftory of Ireland — O'Conor's Difierta-
tions on the Hirtory of Irclaiid — And Hiftorical Trafts by Sir John
Davis, Attorney-General and Speaker of the Iloufe of Commons i i
Ireland.
ISLE OK MA N.
THE Mona, mentioned by Tacitus ■^vas the ifie of Anglcfea, not this
Ifiand. It lies in St. George's Channel, and Is almoft at an equal dif-
tancc from the kingd(Mns of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Its,
length from north to fouth is rather more than thirty miles, its breadth
from' eight to fifteen ; and the latitude of the middle of the ifiand is
fifty-four degrees fixteen minutes nor(h. It is faid, that on a clear
dav the three Britannic kingdoms may be fcen from this ifiand. The
air here is wliolcfonic, and the climate, onh' making ailowance for the
fituation, pretty much the fame as that in the north of England, front
which it -docs not differ much in ether refpcfts. The hilly parts arc
barren, and the champaign fruitful in wheat, barley, oats, rye, flax,
hemp, roots, and pulfe. The ridge of mountains, which, as it were,
divides the ifiand, both protefts and fcrtili?.e's the vallies, where there
is good pafluragc. The better lorts of inhabitants have good lizeablc
liorfcs, and a Imall kind, which are fwi ft and hardy; nor are they
troubled with any noxious animals. Thccoalls abound Vvith fea-fovl;
and the puffins, which breed in rabbii-holes, are almofl a lump of fat,
and eflcemed very delicious. It is faid, that this illand abounds with
iron, lead, and copper mines, though unwrought ; as arc the quarries
of marble, Hate and flonc.
The Hie of Man contains feventeen pgriflies and four towns on the
fea-coafls. Caftle-town is the metropolis of the ifiand, aiid tlie feat of
its government ; Pecle, which of late years begins to flourifli ; Dou-
glas has tlie befl market and befl trade in the ifland, and is the richefl;
and moft populous town, on account of its excellent harbour, and its
fine mole, extending into the fea ; Ramfcy has likewife a confuicrabjc
commerce, on account of iis fpacious bay, in which fliips may ride
fafe frcm all winds excepting the north-caft. The reader, by tlirow-
ing h'"^ eyes on the map, may fee how conveniently this illand is fitnat-
ed for beii?g the florehoufe of fmugglcjs, which it was till witliiu
thefe few years, to the inexprefTible prejudice of his m,aj.cRy's rev- /
enue.
The crown of Great-Britain purchafcd this ifiand 1765 from the
Athol familv to whom it then belonged, for 70,000!. 'il'.e Duke of
Athol, however, retains Ins territorial property in the ifiand, though
the form of its government is altered ; ami the king has now tlie fam.e
rights, powers, and prerogatives, as the duke formerly enjoyed. The
inhabitants, alfo, retain m.any of their ancient conftitutiohs and cuf-
toms.
Th** eRabliflied religion in Man is tiiat of the Churcli (;f England.
The L.'ib.o!-) of Sodor and Man enjoys all the fpiritual rights ar«d pre-
em- •.■ces of other bifhops, but does not fct in the Britiih houfe of
pe. 'its fee never having been crefted into an Englifh barony. —
O- ic moft excellent prelates who ever adorned the epifcopal
charafter.
7.86 I S L E o f W 1 G H T.
cliaracler, was Dr. Thomas Wilfon, bifliop of Man, who prcfidcd over
that (liocci'c upwards of lifty-feven years, and died in the year 1755,
aged nincty-thrcc. He was eminently diftinguilhed for the piety and
exemplarincfs of his life, his benevolence and hofpitality, and his
unremitting attention to llic happincfs of the people enlruii^fl to liis
care. lie encouraged agriculture, eflablifhed fckojls for the inftruc-
tlon of the children of the inhabitants of the ifland, tranlUted forne of
his, devotional pieces into tiic Mank's language to render them more
generally ufcful to them, and founded parochial libraries in every par-
i[h in his diocelc. Some of his notions refpefting goveinment and
church difcipline were not of the moft. liberal kind; i:iut his failings
■were fo few, and liis vJrturs To numerous and confpicuous, that he was
a great blelTingto the lilo of Man, and an ornament to human nature.
Cardinal ^Icury had fo much veneration for his charaftcr, that out of
regard to him, Ix obtained an order from the court of Fiance, that no
privateer of that nation fhould ravage the Ifle of Man.
The cccleiiafLical government is well kept up in this ifland, and tho
livings are comfortable. The language, which is called the Manks,
and is Ipoken by the common people, is radically Erfe, or Irifh, but
with a mixture of other languages. 'j"hc New Teflament and Com-
mon Piaver I^ook have been tranflated into the Manks language. The
natives, who amount to above 20.000, are inoffenfive, charitable, and
holpitablc The better iort live in ilone houfcs, and the poorer in
thatched ; and their ordinary bread is made of oatmeal. I'heir pro-
du6ts for exportation confift of wool, hides, and tallow ; which they
exchange with foreign ihipping for commocitics they may have occa-
Jion for from other parts. Before the fouth promontory of Man, is u
little illand called the Calf of Man : It is about three miles in circuit,
and feparatcd from Man bv a channel about two furlongs broad.
This ifland affords forne curiofities which may amufe an antiquary.
They conhd chiefly of Runic fepulchral infcriptions and monuments,
of ancient brafs daggers, and other weapons of that mclai, and partly
of pure gold, which arc fometimes dug up, and iecni to indicate the
I'plcndouj- of its ancient poireffors.
S L E OF W I G H T.
rom
THIS ifland is fituated .oppofite the coafl of Hampfliirc, fu
which it is feparated by a channel, varying in breadth from two
to feven miles ; it is confidered as part of the county of Southampton,
end is wilhin the diocefc of Winchefter. Its greatefl: length, extend-
ing from eaft to wefl, mcafures nearly tv.'cnty-three miles ; its breadtk
from north to fouth about thirteen. 'J he air is in general liealthy,
particularly the ibuthern ar.rts ; the foil is various, but fo great is its
fertility, it was many years ago computed, that more wheat was grown
here in one year, than <^ould be confumed bv the inhabitants in eight :
And it is fuppofed that its prefent produce, under the great improve-
ments of agriculture, and the additional quantity of laud lateily brought
into tillage, has more than kept pace with the increafe of population.
A range of hills, which alFords fine pafturc for flicep, extends from eaft
'^o well, through the middle of the ifland. The interior parts of the
ISLE ot WIGHT, SCILLY, JKRSlilY, GUERNSEY, &c. xB/
jfiand, as well as its extremities, afFoul a great number of beautiful and
pifturcfque prolpcfts, not only in the paftoral, but alio in the threat
and romantic ftyie. Of thcfe beauties, the gentlemen of the illand
have availed thcmfelves, as well in the choice of (ituation of tlieir
houfes, as in their other improvements. Domcftic fowls and poultry
are bred here in great numbers ; the outward-bound fliips and \ci'-
fcls at Spithead, the Mother bank, and Cowcs, commonly furniflaing
themfclves fiom this ifland.
Such is the purity of tlie air, the frtilitv of the foil, and the beauty
and variety 6f the landfcapcs of this illand, that it has been called the
^^arden of England ; it has fomc very lino gentlemen's feat's ; —
and it is often vidtsd by parties of plcai'ure on account of its delight-
ful fcenes.
Tlie illand is divided into thirty patiOics : And, according to a very
accurate calculation made in the year 1777, (he inhabitants then a-
jnounted to eighteen thoufand and twenty-four, exclufive of the
troops quartered there. Moft of the farm-houfcs are built w:ih
{lone, and even the cottages appear neat and comfortable, having each
its little garden.
The town of Newport flands nearly in the centre of the ifland, of
■which it may be cwnfidered as the capital. The river Medina empties
xtfelf into the cliannel at Cowes harbour, diftant about five miles, and
being navigable up to the quay, renders it commodious for trade,—
The three principal ftrcets of NcwpcMt extend from eafl 10 weft, and
arc crofl'ed at right angles by three others, all which are fpacious, clean
and well paved.
Carifbrooke caflle, in the Ifle of Wight, has been rendered remark-
able by the confinement of king Gharles I. who taking refuge here,
was detained a prifoner, from November 1647, to September 1648.--
After the execution of the king, this caille was conveited into a y)ldC'-
of confinement for his children ; and his daughter, the princel's Eliza-
beth, died in it. There are ibvcral other forts in this ifland. v.hich
were all erefted about the 36th year of the reign of Henry YHI. v«'liCii
ir.any other forts and blockhoules were built in different parts of th-
coaft of England.
The SCILLY ISLES, anciently the SILURES, are a ciufler of dan-
gerous rocks, to the number of 140, lying about 30 miles from the
Land's End in Cornwall, of which county they are reckoned a part.
By their fituation between the Englifli channel and St. George's chan-
nel, they have been the deftruftion of many fnips and lives. Some ot
the iflands are well inhabited, and have large and fecurc harbours.
In the Englilh channel are four iflands fubjcft to England : Thcfc
are Jerfey, Guernfev, Alderne)-, and Sark -, which, though they lie
much nearer to the coaft of Normandy than to that of England, are
within thediocefe of Winchefter. They lie in a clufter in Mount St.
Michael's bay, between Cape la Kogue in Normandy, and Cape Fic-
belle in Brittany, The computed diflance between Jcrley and Savk
is four leagues ; between that and Guernfey, fevcn Icag^ics ; and be-
twecn the fame and Akierney, nine leagues,
JERSEY,
1^8 ISLE OF WIGHT, SCILLY, JERSEY, GUERNSEY, &c.
JERSEY, anciently C.ESAREA, was known to the Romans ; and
lies farthefl: within tlie bay, in forty-nine degrees feven minutes north
latitude, and in the fecond degree twenty-fix minutes weft lonijitnde,
eighteen miles weft of Nomandy,and eighty-four miles fouth of
Portlan-d. I'he north fide is inaccefTible through lofty cliffs,
the fouth is almoft Ic. cl v.'ith the water ; the higher land,
in its midland part, is well plaiUed, and abounds with orcli-
ards, from which is made an incredibld quantity of excellent
cyder. The vallies are fruitful and well cultivated, and coniain plen-
ty of cattle and flieep. The inhabitants ncgleft tiila;'e too much, bein^
;ntent upon the culture of cyder, the improvement of commerce, and
particularly the manufacture of fhockings. The honey in Jerfey is
remarkably fine : And the ifland is well fupplied with fifh and wild-
fowl almod of every kind, feme of both being peculiar to tlie ifland,
and very delicious.
The ifland is not above twelve miles in length ; but the air is fo
falubrious, that, in Camden's time, it was faid there was here no bufi-
ncfs for a phyfician. The inhabitants in number are about 20,000,
and are divided into twelve piiiflies. The capital town is St. Helier,
or Hilary, Avhich contains above .;oo houfes, has a good harbour and
cafrle, and makes a handfome appearance. The property of this ifland
belonged formerly to the Carterets, a Norman family, who have been
always attached to the royal intereft, and gave protcftion to Charles II.
both when king and prince of Wales, at a time when no part of the
pjiilirii dominions durfl recognife him. The language of tlie inhabit-
rints is French, with which mofl of them intermingle Englifli words.
Knit flock ings and caps fvirm their ftaple commodity ; but they carry
on a confiderablc trade in filh with Newfo'indland,' and difpofe of
iheir cargoes in the Meditei ranean. T!ie governor is appointed by the
ciown of England, but the civil adminiffration refls with a bailiff,
alTiftedbv tv.-elve jurats. A§ tliis ifl.ind is the principal remain of the
duchy of Normandy depending on the kings of England, it preferves
the old feudal forms, and particularly the affembly of flates, which is
as it vvcrc a miniature of the Brilifh parliament, as fettled in the time
of Edward I.
GUEilNSEY, is thirteen milesand a half from fouth-wefl to north-
eaft, and twelve and a half where broadefl, eafl and weft ; has only
ten pariflies, to which there arc but eight miniflers, four of the parifhes
being united, and Alderney and Saik, which are appcndagesof Guern-
Ics'. having one a-piecc. Though this is a much finer ifland than that
of Jerfey. yet it is far Icfs valuable ; becaufe it is not fo well cultivated,
nor is it fo populous. It abounds in cyder ; and the inhabitants f'peak
French : But want of firing is the greateft inconveniency that both
iflands labour under. The only harbour here is at St. Peter le Port,
which is guarded by two forts ; one called the Old-Caflle, and the
other Caflle-Cornct. Guernfey is likewife part of the ancient Nor-
man patrimony.
ALDERNEY is about eight miles in compafs, and is by much the
ncarcft. of all thefe iflands to Normandy, from which it is feparated by
a narrow flrait, called the race of Alderney, which is a dangerous paf'-
:'ai?c in flcrmy weather, when the two currents meet ; otherwife it is
fafe,
G E R M A N R. iS^
fafe, and has depth of water for the largeft fhips. This ifland is healthy,
and is remarkable for a fine breed of cows.
SARK is a fmall illand depending upon Guernfcy ; the inhabitants
are long-lived, and enjoy from nature all the conveniencies of life ;
theirnumber is about 30:). The inhabitants of the three lalt-mentiuned
iilands together, arc thouglit to bo about 20.000. The religion of ali
the four iflands is that of the church of England.
GERMANY.
Siru.\TioN AND Extent.
Miles. Degrees.
Length 600 I ^^ r 5 and 19 E. long
£readth5uo/ I 45» 4 *nd 54, 40 N.
}
Sq. Miles.
lat. r9''57^
t, -I npHE empire of Germany, properly fo ca led, 14
Boundaries. I 1 11. .. r- /' r r / ' > '»
-■ JL bounded by the German ocean, Denmark, and
tlie Baltic, on the North •, by Poland and Hungary, including Bohemia,
on the Eall ; by Switzerland and the Alps, which divide it from Italy,
on the South ; and by the dominions of France and the Low Coun-
tries, on the Weft, from wiiich it is feparated by the Rhine, Mofelle,
and the Macfe.
Grand divisions.] The divifions of Germany, according to
Zimmermann, are as follows :
Pop u hit.
Divifions.
\reas in Square
Population.
for every
Milfs.
•.'q.Mile.
I. Upper Saxony
3.^,000
3,700,000
i»5
2. Lower S.ixony
20,480
2,:oo,ooo
102
3. Weftphalia
20,000
2,300.000
115
4. Upper Rhine
8.000
1,000,000
225
5. Lower Rhine
7,3 '^^
1;1CO.OOO
163
6. Burgundy
7504
1,880^000
255
7. Franconia
7-7-^4
1,000,000
^25
8. Swabia
11,664
1,800 coo
154
9. Bavaria
i6,3?o
1,600 000
9«
10. Auflria
3'h3^o
4,i8j.oGo
121
11. lioliemia
^5-37^
2,266,000
148
12. Moravia
6,335
1,137,000
^79
13. Silefia
11,520
1,800. 000
»57
14. Lufatia
2,880
!4
to the Dutch ; the mountains of Saxony and Iranconia conuin excel-
lent granite, porphyry, and marble quarries.
Notwithftanding the northerly fuuation of Germany, vines profpci
in the grcateft part of it, viz. in both the circle:^ cf thR Rhin'^, bwabia,
N }';arconia,
194 GERMANY.
Franconia, Upper Saxony, Weflphalla, Bohemia, and Auftrla.
Among the German wines, thofe of the Rhine and Swabia claim the
firft rank ; the beft ibrts are that of Hochheim, commonly called old
hock ; that of Johannefberg, Rudcfheim, and Bacharach, Sec. Excel-
lent fruits are found in great abundance in the fouthern provinces ;
thus, for inftance, Lankheim. a fmall village in the circle of the Rhine,
fells fometimes in one year, dried plumbs to the amount of 50,000 flor-
iris. The apples of Leipzick, are a confiderable article of exporta*
lion. Tobacco is cultivated in large quantities : The Palatinate, ex-
ports to the amount of 800,000 florins annually Baireuth 50,00a
cwt. of the fame article. The richeft corn countries are both Saxon-
ies, Holflein", Mecklenburg, Bavaria, and Pomerania : Flax and hemp
are produced chiefly in Lower Saxony, Weflphalia, and Silefia. The
great value of this branch of trade is too well known to need any par-
ticular mention. The greatefl: trading towns of Germany are at pref-
ent, in general, the Imperial cities, Hamburg, I,ubeck, Bremen,
Frankfurt on the Main : none of them a feaport town ; yet they are
fituated on large rivers, and the three firft not far from the fea. For-
merly theiz three cities commanded, in a greater meafure, the trade of
all Europe, while they were at the head of the famous Hanfeatic
league ; and though their prefent pov/er and opulence is no longer
equal to their influence in former ages, they flill may be confidered as
the greateft faftories or emporiums of Germany. A confiderable in-
land trade is carried on at the fairs of Leipzic, Brunfwic Frankfurt on
the Oder, and Frankfurt on the Main. As to the national indullry,
we obferve, that there are fcarce any articles of trade, convenience,
and luxury not manufaftured in Germany. If the Germans are infe-
rior to the Englifh in the manufafture.s of cloth, hardware, and in the
articles of luxui-y, t-he caufes muft perhaps entirely be looked for in
the political fituation of this country : The great number of princes,
the variety of the forms of government, the diflereiU interefls and mu-
tual jealoufy of the petty ftates, are great checks on the commerce and
profperity of the whole. The great number of courts require large
fums of money, which might be appropriated to ufeful purpofes, and
the encouragement of induffcry ; they keep up a predileftion for a
court and military life among the nobility and gentry, and a contempt
for the employments of a tradefman and a manufafturer. The jealoufy
of furrounding neighbours can greatly confine the market of a fmall
country, whofe induftry is greater than theirs ; and the difficulty of
obtaining their concurrence in meafures of general utility, is frequent-
ly the caufe why there are fo few canals and good roads, to facilitate
travelling and inland trade.
Cities. TOWNS, FORTS, AND OTHER EDIFICES, 1 This is a co-
puEi.ic AND private; with occafional cfti- V pious head in
mates of REVENUES A(JD POPULATION. J all countrics, but
more particulaily fo in Germany, on account of the numerous inde-
pendent flates it contains. The reader therefore mull be contented
with the mention of the mod capital places, and their peculiarities.
Though Berlin is accounted the capital of all hisPrufTian majefty's
dominions, and exhibits perhaps the moll illuftrious example of fud-
den improvement that this age can boaft of ; yet during the late war,
it was found a place of no ftrength, and fell twice, almoft without re-
fiflance,
R M A N Y.
'95
fillance, into the hands of the Auftiians, who, had it not been for the
politencfs of their generals, and their love of the fine arts, which al-
ways prefcrves mankind from barbarity and inhumanity, would have
levelled it to the ground.
Berlin lies en the river Spree, and, befides a royal palace, has many
other fuperb palaces ; it contains fourteen Lutheran, and eleven Cal-
vinift churches, befides a Roman Catholic one. Its ftreets and fquarcs
are fpacious, and built in a very regular manner. But the houfcs,
though neat without, are ill-furniflied and ill-finifhed within,
very indifferently provided with inhabitants. Tii? king's palace here,
and that of prince Henry, ate very magnificent buildings. The ope-
ra-houfe is alfo a beautiful ftru6lure : And thearfenal, wliich ishand-
fomely built in the form of a fquarc, contains arms for 200,000 men.
There are fundry manufaftures in Berlin, and feveral fchools, libraries,
and charitable foundations. The number of its inhabitants, accord-
ding to Bufching, in 1755, was 1 26.661, including the garrlfon. lu
the fame year, and according to the fame author, there were no fewer
than 443 filk-looms, 149 of half-filks, 2858 for woollen {luffs, 453 for
cotton, 248 for linen, 454 for lace-work, 39 frames for filk (lockings,
and 310 for worfled ones. They have here manufafturcs of tapeflry,
gold and filvcr lace, and mirrors.
The eleftorate of Saxony is, by nature, the richeft country in Ger-
many, if not in Europe: It contains 2 to walled towns, 61 market-
towns, and about 3000 villages, according to the lateft accounts of the
Germans themfelves ; and the revenue, eftimating each rix-doUar at
four fhillings and fix-pence, amounts to 1,350,000!. This fum is fo
moderate, when compared to the richnefs of the foil, which, accord-
ing to Bufching, produces even diamonds, and almofl all the precious
ftoncs to be found in the Eaftlndies and elfewhere, and the variety of
I'plendid manufadlures, that the Saxon princes muft have been the
irioft moderate and patriotic of any in Germany.
\Vc can fay little more of Drefden, the eleftor of Saxony's capital,
than can be faid of all fine cities, that its fortifications, palaces, pub-
lick buildings, churches, and charitable foundations, and, above all, its
fuburbs, are magnificent beyond all expreflion ; that it is beautifully
fituated on both fides the Elbe ; and that it is the fchool of Germa-
ny for ftatuarv, painting, enamelling, and carving ; not to mention its
Tnirrors, and founderies for bells and cannon, and its foreign commerce
carried on by means of the Elbe. The inhabitants of Drefden, by the
lateft accounts, amount to 1 10,000.
The city of Leipfic in Upper Saxony, 46 miles diflant from Dref-
den, is fituated in a pleafant and fertile plain on the Pleiffe, and the in-
habitants are faid to amount to about 40,000. There are alfo large
and well-built fuburbs, with hahdfome gardens. Between thefc fub-
virbs and the town is a fine walk of lime-trees, which was laid out in
1 he year 1702, and encompaffes the city. Mulberry-trees are alfo
planted in the town-ditches : but the fortifications fecm rather calcula-
ted for the ufe of the inhabitants to walk on, than for defence. The
ftreets are clean, commodious, and agreeable, and are lighted in the
night with feven hundred lamps. They reckon 436 merchants houles,
and 192 manufactures of different article';, as brocades, paper, can.s,
&c. Lcinfic has long been diftinguifhrd for th? liberty of « onfcitmce
]^ ?, ' ullovv-cd
ir,6 G E R IvI ANY,
allowed here to pcrfons of difFercnt fentiments in religious matters.-^
Here is an unjverfity, which is ftill very confiderable, with fix churches
for the Lutherans, theirs being the eflabliftied religion, one for the
Oalvini{];s, and a chapel in the caftle for thofe of the Romifli church.
The uaiverfiry-lifcrary con fiRs of about 26,000 volumes, 6goo of which
are folios. Here is alio a library for the magiftrates, which conilfts of
about 36,000 volutnes.and near 2000 manufcripts, and contains cabinets
oF urns, antiques, and medals, with many curiolities of art and nature.
The Exchange is an elegant building.
The cUy of Hanover, the capital of that elcftorate, {lands on the
river Leine, and is a neat, thriving, and agreeable city. It contains
about twelve hundred houfes, among which there is an eleftoral pal-
ace. It carries on fome manufaftures ; and in its neighbourhood lie
tiu; palace and elegant gardens of Herenhaufen, The dominions of
the clt£lorate of Hanover contain about feven hundred and fifty thou-
fand ceople, who live in fifty-eight cities, and fixty market-towns, be-
fides villages. The city and fuburbs of Bremen, belonging by pur-
chafe to the faid eleftor, contain about fifty thoufand inhabitants, and
have a confiderable trade by the Wefer. The other towns belonging
to this elcftorate have trade and manufafbures ; but in general, it mufb
be remarked, that the eleftorate has fuffcred greatly by the acceffion
ol the Hanover familv to the crown of Great-Britain. Ofnaburg, the
chief city of the bifhopric of Ofnaburg, lying between the rivers We-
fer and Ems, has been long famous all over Europe for the manufafturc
known by the name of the dutchy, and for the manufacture of the beft
Weftphalia hams. The whole revenue of the bifliopric amounts to
about 30.000I.
Bredau. the capital of Silefia, which formerly belonged to the king-
dom of Bohemia, lies on the river Oder, and is a fine city, where all
feels of Chriftians and Jews are tolerated, but the magifhracy is Luthe-
ran. Since Silefia fell under thePruITian dominion, its trade is greatly
improved^ being very inconfiderable before. The manufaftiu-es of
Silefia which principally centre at Breflau, are numerous. The reve-
nue of the whole is by fome faid to produce for his PrufTian majefty,
near a million fltrling : but this fum feems to he exaggerated ; if, as
ether authors of pood note write, it never brought in to the houfe of
Auflria above 50O.000I. yearly.
Frankfurt is fituated in an healthful, fertile, and delightful country
along the Maine, by which it is divided into two parts, diftlnguifhed
bv the names of Frankfurt and Saxenhaufcn. The former of thefe,
beino the largefl:. is divided into twelve wards, and the latter into two ;
and laoth are computed to contain about three thoufand houfes. —
Frankfurt is the ufual place of the eleftion and coronation of the kings
of the Romans, and is alfo a free and imperial city. It is of a circular
form without any fuburbs ; but the (Ireets are generally narrow, and
tlie houfes are moflly built of timber and plaifler, and covered with
llite • thou>di there arc fome handfome private flruftures, of a kind of
red iriarblei^that dcferve the name of palaces ; as the buildings called
the C.ompeflel and Fronhof, the Trierfhof, the Cullenhof, the German-
houfe, an auc^ufl edifice, fituated near the bridge over the Maine, the
J-kffe-Darmlladthof, the palace of the prince de la T«urs, and the
houfes
MAN Y.
'97
houfes of the counts of Solms, Schauenburg, and Schonborn ; and
there are three principal fquares.
Government, LAWS, COURTS, &c.] The German empire, which, till
the year 843, was connefted with France, now forms a ftate by itfelf, or
jnay be coniidered as a combmation of upwards of three hundred fove-
reignties, independent of each other, but compoftng one political body
under an ele£live head, called the emperor of Germany, or the Ro-
man emperor. Otho the Great, who poffefled feveral Italian provinc-
es, formerly parts of the wcftcrn empire, left to his fuccelfors the title
of Roman emperor infeparably annexed to the kingdom of Germany •,
and in confequence of the ancient refpcft entertained for the Roman
name, all the other fovereigns liave allowed (he emperor the firft, rank
among the European monarchs. Eight princes of the empire, called
eleftors, have the right of electing the emperor. By a fundamental
law, known under the name of the Golden Bull, the number of elec-
tors was limited to only feven ; two new cleftorai dignities have been
added afterwards, one of which is cxtinft fince the year 1777- T)w
elcftors are divided into ecclefiaftical and temporal : Thectcleliartical
cleftors are the following, t. The archbifhop of Mentz, great chancel-
lor of the empire, and direftor of the eleftoral college. In confe-
quence of this prcGdency, he has the prerogative, on a vacancy of the
Imperial throne, to give notice of the death of the emperor ro the
flates of the empire, to convoke the diet during the interregnum, and
to proclaim the new-cleftcd fuccelfor. 2. The archbifhop of Treves,
great .chancellor of France and Arelat, a dignity, which, fmcc the fcp-
aration of France from the empire is merely nominal. 3 The arch-
bifhop of Cologne, great chancellor of Itai)-, a mere title alfo. The
temporal elcftors arc, ^. The king or eleftor of Bohemia, cup-bearer
of the emperor. 5. The elcftor of the Palatinate and of BaVaria, great
fleward. 6, The eleftor of Saxony, great-marfhal. 7. The elcftor of
Brandenburg, gveat-chamberlain. 8. The eleftor of lirunfvvic (Han-
over) arch-treafuvcr of the empire.
As foon as an emperor is ekfted, he is obliged to confirm bv oat?! the
capitulation he has ligned, ^nd which is propofed to him by the elec-
tors : He ciigages likcwife by oath to prorcft th« Roman Catholic re-
ligion and the Holy See. It is not abfohitely necclfdry that die em-
l^eror fliould lie a Roman Catholic, though hitherto no Protcflnnt has
been icatcd on (iic Imperial throne. The prerogatives the empe-
ror acquires by his acccflion to that dignity, and v.'Iiich are called his
r-jjirvata, arc cliielly the following : He is the Inpreme lord pay4-
rn ount of the Roman empire, of whom the princes are IjppoiVd' 10
hold their dominions in fee : He has the power of calling togetlicr the
diet, over which he prelidcs in perfon, or by his commifiary, and :A
ratifying th'^ir refolutions by his conlirmaiion. He is the fu|>ionic
judge, in wiiole name jullice is adminil'terc.d in the high courts ol liie
empire : lie can, however, exempt, the lubordinate ftatcs from ihej.i-
1 ifdiftion of thefe tribunal.;, by granting them the privilege di iwn dp'
pdlanJo. lie is the fountain of honour, and has tlic power of coneginning
of a new reign. III. The peace of W'edphalia, concluded in the year
1649, which iervcs for the bafis of all fubfequent treaties of peace,
aricl, in a great m.eafurc, for the foundation of the prefcnt political fyf-
tem of Europe. This famous aft determines likewife, with great prc-
cifion. the civil, political, and religious rights of each individual ilatc
in Germany.
Therearc two fuprcmc courts of judicature, v^-hich have a concur-
ring jurifdi^l;ion in the Roman or German empiie. 1. The Imperial
Chamber, eilabliflied in 1495, and kept at picfenl: at Wctzlar, an Impe-
rial city in the circle of the Upper Rhine. The emperor hasth&right
of nominating the firfl judge and the two prefidents of this court ; 27
affcRors or counfellors are nominated by the flates of the empire.- —
2, Ihe Aidic Council, depending entirely on the -emperor, is cflablifhcd
at Vienna, the imperial refidence. It conftfts of a pieudent and 18
jcounfellors, and is divided into a noble and a learned bench. Seven
of the members of this council are Piotertjnts. The judges of the
Imperial Chamber receive their falarics from i.he flate.'? of the empire,
\vho have appropriated to their maintenance a particular tax, whicii
amounts annually to about 90,000 tlorins. Th: J'ldges of the Aulic
Council are paid by the emperor. In all cafes wlxerc the ftatute or
fundamental lav/s of the empire are defeftive, thefe two courts adopt
the regulations of the Roman law, Vt^hich is in general introduced into
the German courts of jufticc, except where it is limiicd or fupcrrKdcd
by the particul.;r llatutes of each fiatc. To both courts appeals may
l)e made from the dccifions of the courtsof jufticc, or of the fovcreigns
of the (ierman dates. In criminal cafes, in matters of religion, and
in pecuniary lawfuits, in which the contefted property docs not ex-
ceed the fum of 400 rix-dollars, the decifion of the territorial courts
or of ti\e fovereign is final. In thefe cafes, however, the party who
'i^jinks hiirf-.-lf aggrieved by a fcntence. is allowed to f-ibm'-t the decif-
ion.
fiOO GERMANY.
ion, <:!;Ivcn by the judges of his own country, to the examlnat'on of the
juridical faculty of one or more impartial German univerfities, by
which the decrcf may be confirmed or reverfed. In the dominions
of the elcdors and other princes, who are exempted from appeals to
the iupreme courts of the empire, courts of appeal arc eftablifhed, in
which the decrees of the courts ofjuftice, efpccially in caufes between
the fovereign and the fubjcft, may be revifed, and if exceptionable,
may be fct ahde.
The dates of the empire, confidered in their feparate capacity, enjoy
fovereign power in tlieir refpeftive dominions, limited only by the
laws before-mentioned, and the jurifdiftion of the Imperial Courts,
from which, however, the chief among them are exempted. The
conftilution of the different ftates is very diiTerent ; moft of them are
governed by fniglc perfons, as the eleflorates, principalities, counties,
&c. and fome have a republican form of government, as the Imperial
cities. As to the exercife of power, t[ie fovereigns are limited by the
Hates of thciir countries, who muft give their confent to taxes, and to
new lavv-s ; and who may appeal to the high courts of the empire, or
to the courts of appeal within their own country, in cafe of any dif-
ference between them and the fovereign. In extreme cafes, the ftates
may lay their complaints before the diet. This mode of redrefling
grievances, provided by the ccnftitution of the German empire, at a
time when no ftanding armies Were yet kept, is, it mufk be owned, of
little avail in flc.tcs where military power is preponderant ; yet it is a
\cry efFcftual check on the tyranny of petty Ibvereigns. The eleftors
■poilefs lome confiderable political advantages, befides the right of eleft-
ing the emperor ; their concurrence and confent is necelfary to the
emperor, whenever he declares war or concludes treaties ; they have
a particular confederation among themfelves, called the EkBoral Uniortj
thev clainn the honours r.Uowed to kings, and their ambaflfadors in for-
eign courts arc in poffeffion of the next rank after thcfe of kings, —
"^A'itli regard to foreign countries, each independant German fovereign
has the tigh.t of entering into treaties, or engaging in wars with them,
provided it does net ailcft the peace of the whole empire, or of any
other {late of it. The government of mofl of the Imperial cities is a
ntxturc of Democracy and Ariftocracy. TJie be ft governed among
them are Hamburg, Lubcck, and Frankfurt ; in others, efpecially in
A'urnberg, a rigorous oligarchy prevails.
The power of the two grcateft potentates of Germany, whofe relig-
ious and political itUcreils are oppofite, is at prcfent pretty equally
balanced. For thouglr Auftria is certainly in itfelf fuperior in ftrength
to PrufTia, yet the c(t;nbination of the latter, with the mightieft princes
in Germany, gives it a fufficient weight to counterbalance that fupe-
lioriiy. It nay not be improper to obferve, that the connexions of
iome parts of Germany with foreign countries, under one fovereign,
though they icemcri to piOmiie an i'tceftion of power to tlicfc provin-
ces, have commonly proved difadvantagcous, involving Germany in
wars and calamities which would othci wife not have reached it. —
Thus, for inftance, the connexion of Hungary with Auftria has been
the cai:fc of feveral bloody wars with the Turks ; that of Poland with
'liaxony, anii that of England with Hanover, have proved no lefs pre-
judicial "; ':"rr^::!3)-, than to the countries thus united with it.
Infantry.
Cavalry.
5507
2521
2707
1494
1902
J 32 1
800
980
2707
2707
13.1
600
^853
491
2707
1321
2707
1321
2707
1321
GERMANY. aoi
Army op the Empire.] There is, properly fpeaking, no {landing;
army of the empire ; but in time of war the flates of the empire muft
furnifh their refpeftive quotas of foldiers, according to an agreement
made in the year 1681. At ^refent the army of the empire, when
complete, muft amount to 28,00c infantry and 12,000 cavalry. The
quotas for the different circles are regulated as follows :
Circle of Auflria — -
Burgundy — -
Bavaria — - —
■ ■' Franconia — —
*' » Swabia — —
■ Lower Rhine —
■ ■■■■ Upper Rhine —
Weflphalia — -
Upper Saxony —
. Lower Saxony —
Total 27,998 **-997
In cafe I3 million of florins fhould be neceffary to be raifed for the
%var and for the army of the empire, the fhares of this fum ftand tlius :
Florins. Kreutzer.
Circles of Auftria —
Burgundy —
• Bavaria —
Franconia —
Swabia —
— : Lower Rhine —
Upper Rhine —
Weftphalia — '
. Upper Saxony —
. Lower Saxony —
Total i>499;999 -30
Reiigion.] Since the year 1555, the three following denomina-
tions of Chriftians are the eflablifhed religions of the empire : 'J he
Roman Catholic, the Lutheran, and Calvinift, generally calk-d the re-
formed religon. The firfl prevails in the South of Germanv. the L-u-
iheran in the North, and the reformed near the Rhrr.e. In (he fuh-
fequent civil wars, of which religious bi;;Otry Wiis the principal caufe,
the rights of thele rival religions, as enabliflied bv the religious peace
of '555? ^a^ undergone great alterations whenever the provinces had
changed mailers : and the confufion arifing from the claims of the rj)-
prefled parties, and from the encroachments of the viflorirus. was he-
come extreme. It was ?.t length fettled bv tlie peace of "VVeftphalia,
that the r*. ligion of the different flatcs ihould remain as it had been in
the year 1024, which is, on that accoui:t, called ijic dclinitive year.
Annus nirmalis. According to this agreement, the fovcrcign is ohlig-
ea to leave eacii of thefe religions, cnahliflicd, or tolerated, or exclud-
ed, as they were at that period ; yet the light of corrc6ling abufes in
the j-uolic worlhip, \:;.xs, relervcd to him. The Jews are tolerated
306.390
156,360
20
15
gl.261
5
113,481
156,360
25
15
105,654
5
101,41 1
156,360
156,360
156,360
30
^-5
7.02 GERMAN V.
UiroucKout llie empire. There are likewife in the empire fe£larics
of all the denominations mentioned under the article of the European
Veligions. The Roman Catholic church acknowledges the fupremacy
of the pope ; and in confequrnce of an agreement between the Ger-
manic church and the Holy See, the latter acfiuned the right of con-
firming all the prelates of the empire. Their fuperior clergy conlilla'
of eight archbifhops, forty bifliops, and many abbots ; fome of whom,
as well as mofl of the archbifhops and bifhops, are fovcreign princeS;
There is a very great number of Roman Catholic convents, and fevcral
commanderics of the knights of the Teutonic Order, as well as of the
Order of St, John. The grand maflcrs of thcfe Order? mufl be Roman
Catholic noblemen ; the refidenceof the firft is Mergentheim, in Fran-
conia ; that of the latter is Ileiterflieim, in the circle of the Upptv
Rhine.
The Pr Jteftant clergy is governed by affemblies, called Conli (lories,
rinder the control of the fovereign of each (late. It is compofed b^
fuperintcndcntsgeneral,wlio are commonly members of the Confiflory,
fuperintendcnts or infpeftors, and miniflers of the parifhes. All the
Koman Catholics, or the Corpus Catholicorum. is under the direction
of the elector of Mentz ; the Corpus Evangelicorum. Or the Proteflauts,
iinder the dircftion of the eleftor of Saxony. Thele direftcrs manage
the concerns of religion at the diet. To balance the rights and in-
fluence of the Catholics and Proteftants, of which the former have a
majority of votes on the diet, the ftatcs of cither party have the right
of fucceflion (jus eundi in partes.) In confcquence of this right, the
Proteftants or Catholics, if they are afraid that their interefls, as a body,
might be aflc6ted by a majority of votes, may come to afeparate refo-
lutiou, agreed upon amongft tl-.^mfelves, which cannot be annihilated
by the ordinary manner of voting ; and by this n^cans they can defea.t
any attack up-on their rcligiO'US and political rights.,
Cr.KERAL Remarks, BE-5PE€TiKG Tua Mn.itARY, | The German
PoiiTics, AND Literature ok Germany. ^empire, when
Cbnfidcrcd as one fmgle power or flate, at the head of which the em-
peror ftands. is of no great political confcquence in Europe, becaufe,
from the inequality and weak connexion of its parts, and the different
nature of their government, from the infignificancy of its ill-compofed
r.rmy. and above all, from the different views and interefls of its maf-
tcrs, it is next to impoITible its force (Irouid be united, compafl:, and
uniform. 'I'hcre arc, however, in this empire, two potentates entitled
to rank among the firft deciding powers of Europe ; and tl-.e intrinfic
power of Germanv, in fome fenie. is fuperior to that of any Eurppcan
rounti v. The number of foldiers in the fervice of all the German
princes amount to 500,000, even after deducting from the Pfuflian
army 45.000 men for the provinces not belonging to the Gcrnian eni-
pire, and 76. ceo men of the Auftrian army, for the kingdom of Plun-
j^ary and the Italian dominions of Auftria, The aftual revenues of the
German ftatcs (exclufive of the kingdom of Pruffia, and the Auftrian
dominions not belonging to Germany) amoimt annually to near lOO
millions of dollars, or near 18,000. cool, fterling. Confidering the
cheapncfs of victuals and labour in moft parts of Germany, this fun»
is really aftonifliing ; yet the effcfts of fo much national wealth is much
}pfs perceptible, than it would be in France or England, where a large
pietropolii}
GERMANY. 203
liietropolis would colleft it, as it were, into a focus, andafiiil its circu-
lation throughout the provinces. Germany neither has, or can have,
properly fpeaking, a capital, while it is divided among fo great a num-
ber of fovereigns.
The Gentians can boaft. of a greater number of ufeful difcoverics
and inventions in arts and fciences, than any other European nation.
They have the honour of difcovering the Art of Printing about the
year 1450. It would be eafy to enumerate neaily one hundred of their
inventions without filling up the lift with mere improvements in ma-
chines and mechanical arts. Ithprovements of this fort are greatly fa-
cilitated by a concurrence of favourable circumftanccs, fuch as ^n advan-
tiigeous fituation for commerce, long and unir.terrupted peace, great and
eafv influx of wealth, and the concomitant increafe of luxury. An open
and eXtcnAvc market for the produflions of manufafturing indultry,
and the frequent calls of luxury for gratifications of new-imagined
wants, multiply tlie arts ; the latter afnfl; each other in perfefting their
refpeftive inftrumcnts, and afford many opportunities for ingenious
combinations of mechanifm. In a country, whofc commerce is con-
fined by natural and political limits, where the reward of genius and
induftry is not always opulence and fplendour, the national chara6ler
fhares with chance alone the claim to a number of important inven-
tions, fomeof which have been productive of the principal revolutions
of modern life. Literature and the fciences are arrived in Germany
at a very high degree of eminence, both with refpeft to univerfality
and folidity. Within thefe fifty years their improvements have been
rapid and aflonifliing. The German language has been greatly culti-
vated and enriched with many excellent compofitions in all branches
of polite and ufeful literature, which have been marked with the ap-
j'laufe, and tranflatcd into the languages of neighbouring nations. —
Manjf branches of ufeful knowledge, hitherto confined to particular
claffes of men, and difficult to be acquired, have been reduced to a
fcientific form in Germany ; they form indifpenfiblc parts of polite
education, and are publicly taught in the univerfitics. 'J he theory of
trades and mechanical arts, the principles of private and public occon-
cmy, of internal adminiftration, and the fcience of finances ; the
knowledge of the political fituation, refources and wealth of every
ftate, have been added to the eAablilhed lift of academical fciences,
and they employ the talents of a gi£at number of writers, under the
name of Technology, Occonomy, Sci'exTCC of Finances, and Statiftic.
Many other fciences have undergone cojifidcrable changes. Their
principles have been more thoroughly invcftigated, their proper limits
alTigned; they have received great improvements with refpeft to me-
thodical arrangement and praftical utility. The fcience of education
has experienced a total and moil advantageous rcvoiulion. In no
other country this important fcience is fo univerially and fo fucccis-
fuUy altendtd to ; nor can any country boaft of fo many inftitutions
cfedutation. Upwards of 50 writers, pofTefi'ed of laudable zeal and
great abilities, aflifted b)' praftical experience, and cncourag'cd by iomc
of the wifcft and moft patriotic fovereigns, have for feme ycais paft
applied their talents entirely to the improvement of the method of
nidruAing, and to the eftablilhing of inflilutions, Ccjlciilateu to pr( -
mo^e the happinefsof futuic generations, liic benefit i.d labour, or
tiiofo
t!D4 GERMANY.
thefe men extend to the lowefl ranks of focietj'. Several country
fchools are eftabliflied, in which this numerous and valuable clafs of
people are inflruft^d in religion, in the duties of their ftation, and the
proper ufe of their reafon ; and where they are brought up in habits
of induftry, which attach them to their fituation in life. The great
plan thefc friends of mankind purfue, is to render education, fo long
neglefted by ftatcfmen, an effential part of internal politics. They
inculcate the neceffity of beftowing no lefs pains on the formation of
aftive habits, the early impreflion of religious and moral principles,
the developement of the bodily and mental powers, by the eafieft and
moft natural fleps, the prefervation of the health of young people, than
on their progrefs in claffical and fcientifical knowledge.
The progrefs of the Germans in natural philofophy and mathematics
is better known abroad, than their progrefs in metaphyfics and divini-
ty, which has, at leaft, kept pace with the former. The general taftc
for literature and fcientiBc inquiry, which is the bent the genius and
the indudr/ of the nation has taken, in confequence of the lingular
political conftitution, has diffufed a vafl mafs of knowledge through
Germany, efpecially through iis northern parts. In thefe provinces
the number of literati is exceedingly great ; they may be faid to form
a particular republic of letters, dillinguiflied by liberality of manners,
by a cpuCiderable degree of independence, and a veiy perceptible in-
fluence on the government of the flates, by the direflion of the public
«pinio,n. The number of readers in the German empire, and in the
jneighbouring countries, efpecially in the north of Europe, where the
German language has an extenlivc circulation, is large enough to en-
courage the publication of no Icfs than 5000 annual literary produc-
tions, of which two-thirds are original performances, and one-third
rranliations from other languages. It is true, this rage of writing and
of reading lias fome difadvantages ; among which, the publication of
a great number of wretched books is one of the mod confpicuous. — ■
Yet tliefe are cither calculated for a particular public, or tliey are foon
buried in the oblivion they deferve ; while, on the oilier iide, the
beneficial confequences refulting from this univerfal application to
literature are greatly preponderant. Bcfides the obvious advantages
of deflroying ignorance and prejudice, of fprcading liberality of fenti-
ment, it keeps up the connexion, otherwife not fufHcicntly binding,
hctv.cen the different parts of the empire, it excites a fuirit of enuila-
lion, it infpires a Idluiary dread to fovereigns to commit fuch aftions
ns might draw public cenfure upon them, it acquaints the different
claiTos of men with their rights, and gives energy to the voice and the
'.:omplaints of the jKiblic. Tiie fciences in C'crmany appear in no un-
impoitinit point of view, when confidcred as the means of affording
a comfortable labhRcncc to an affonifliing number of people employed
in ^caching, or in writing on the fciences, and to jnany tlioufands of
paper-manufa6turers, printers, and bookfellcrs. The book trade is no
where equally important ; at the Leipzick fair Looks are fold and ex-
changed 1.) tlie value of feveral hundred thoufand dollars.
There are 38 univerfities in German)^, of whicii 19 belong to the
Froteftants, and ij to tlie Roman Catholics ; though the latter ought
to have many more, coiilidcring t;,e propovLioa of their numbers to
thofe
MONARCHY OF PRUSSIA. 205
thofe of the Proteftants, which is as two to one. Of all the German
inftitutions of education, the univerfittes are ftill the moft faulty, con-
fidering the wants of our age ; yet moft of the Protcftant univcrfities
in Germany are the lead exceptionable inftitutions of that kind in Eu-
rope. The number of literary and fcientifical focieties, public libra-
riesj academies of arts, colleftions of piftures, military academies, &c.
is greater in Germany than in any other country.
History.] Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, king of France,
was the founder of the German Empire in A. D. 800. Leopold II.
late Emperor died Feb. 1792. The German Diet was to meet the
4th of July foUo-yving for the Eleftion of a SuccelTor to the crown.
Thofe who wifh to acquaint themfelves with the hiftory of the Ger-
man Empire are referred to the Univerfal Hiftory. See alfo Ency-
clopedia, Brittannica. Article, Germany — Publifliing in Philadelphia,
by Mr. Thomas Dobfon.
MONARCHY of PRUSSIA.
Boundaries AND NAME.] T^^^A"""''^ is bounded on the
-■ X north by part ot bamogUia ; louth,
by Poland proper and Mafovia ; eaft. by part of Lithuania ; weft by
Polifli Pruflia and the Baltics.
The name of Pruflia is probably derived from the Borufli, the an-
cient inhabitants of the country.
The following Table from Zimmerman will furnifti the readcc
with the beft information concerning the Divifions, Extent, PopuU-
tion, and Towns of the Pruflian Monarchy,
} TABLE.
2oG
MONARCHY OF PRUSSIA.
6
3 .
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As the Countries belonging to this Monarchy are
fcattered,and without any natural Connexion, one
cannot afcertain very accurately their boundaries.
The Idtitufie of Pruflia goes to 55** lat. N.
c
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TABLE
MONARCHY OF PRUSSIA.
207
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TABLV:
208
MONARCHY of PRUSSIA.
o
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(4 Towns.)
Fecklenburg —
Lingen — — 1,800
I
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(24 Towns.)
Cleve — 5,300
Wefel — 45600
Duifburg —
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Wl'ALTi^
MONARCHY o? P R U S S I A. 2^9
Wealth, coMMEPvCK, &c.] The different provinces of tha Prirf-
I'lan monarchy are by no means equal to one another witli rcfoeft to
fertility and the articles of their produce. The kingdom of Prufiia,
being the moft northern part of the monarchy, is rich in corn, timber,
mannagrafs, flax and peltry of all forts, and exports thefc articles. —
Amber is exported annually, to the value of 20,000 dollars. Pruflid
wants fait, and has no metals but Iron. The profits of its fillieries are
confiderablc. Silcfia has illvcr, lead, tin, and iron ; but its mines are
Oill in an infant (l.Uc : It has likewife a great plenty of p't-coal, dif-
ferent forts of fait, precious (lones, and quarries of excellent free-done.
The Iheep and goats of this province are remarkably good. Of vege-
tables it produces lartrc quantities of madder, fome tobacco, wme, and
corn, fufficient for the confumption of this province. The Marchc of
JJrandenburg has excellent fliecp, timber, flax, fiik, falt-petre, allum.,
and a very fine fort of clay, ufed in the china manufaflure. Pomcra-
nia exports timber, cattle, and corn. Ilalberfladt and Magdeburg arc
remarkable for corn and lilk, and Wedphalia for corn and minerals.
The provinces of Weflphaiia have iron, calamine, pit-coal, and fome
lead and copper. The induflry of the PruiFian nation, encouraged
chiefly by the late king, the wonder of the age, is at prefent fo great,
that not only^i,20o veifels, and i2,ooo feamen are employed, in the
maritime provinces, wliere trade was formerly at a very low ebb, no
more than 500 fifliermen being employed in the herring fiflicry. but
that the produce of the mines is made to amount to (.300,000 dollars,
a,nd gives bread to 90,000 families. The fum accruing to the king
from the mines amounts to Hoo.ooo dollars, and the profits of private
proprietors to ,500;COo dollars. Before the commencement of the late
reign, Pruflia (according to Count Ilerzberg) had but a few filk man-
ufaftures : At prefent tiiey employ upwards of 5.000 hands ; and the
value of goods .manufaftured, amounts to 2.000,000 dollars annually,
one fourth of which is exported. Of ;o,ooolb. of raw filk, required
for this manufafture, 13,432 lb, are produced in the PrulTian domin-
ions. Large water-mills are crefted for fpinning filk, wool and thread.
The articles fuoplied by thcfc mills arc of very great commercial con-
fequcncc. Prufiia exports linen, to the value of fix millions of dollars^
chieflv to Soain and Italy, and woollens to the value of four millionS3
fome ef which finds its way even to China, through RufFia. Eafleriii
Prufiia exports, aruTually, 10c. oco flcin of flax, 10,000 fleinof hemp,
befides ibme thoufand tons of flax and hemp-feed. WeH Prufiia ex-
ports linen thread to the value of 500.000 dollars, and 19,000 fi-cia
of flax. The iron woiks and foundcries of the county of Maik bring
into circulation about one million of dollars. Thefe articles ?.dded'to
the timber and corn of lirandenburg and Pomerania, each of which
articles is exported to the value of one million of dollars : To the flax
pnd timber of PrufTia, and :othc important PollHi trade carried on by
the way of Koenigfbcrg, Memel, Elbing, Dantzick, and Stettin, turn
the balance of trade confiderably in favour of the Pruilun dominions.
There are in all about 123,000 hands employed in the manufdclures
of cloth, filk, linen, leather, &c. The manufatfure of porcclaine em-
ploy s 5,000 people. The cotton manufafture, with refpeft to the fine-
fiefs ciTjd bcjufy of its goods, is one of the bcft in Europe, Befides
O tii«
£10 MONARCHY of P R U S S I A;
the above, there arc many manufaftures of glafs, white lead, hard-ware,
vitriol, allum, paper, fugar, tobacco, &c. The number of people work-
ing in the principal manufa6>.ures of Pruffia, is upwards of 165000^
and the produc>: of their induftry is ePtimated at upw^ards of 30 mil-
lions of dollars. Tlie Imall manufriftures of ftarch, allum, vinegar,
bleaclied wax, tobacco pipes, arms, tapefhry, gloves, are not included
in this calculation, vet thev produce many millions of dollars. Afc
Embden, anEail-India Company has been eftabliflred with tolerable
fuccefi.
Army.] In 1783, the Army of Pruffia amounted to 224, 43f
ar.cn, viz.
Infantry. Cavalry,
In tiie March — — 46,488 4,187
In PrufTia — — 335947 12,229
In Fomcrania — — 12,670 8,430
In Magdeburg — — . 16,907 3579^
In Weftphalia — — 13j990
In Silefia — — 40,168 l^,B6o
In 178,5 the army amounted to 192^377.
At Berlin there is an Ecole Militaire, and a fchool for cadets ; Each
regiment has its court of juftice. The Pruihan troops are laid to be
the befk difciplined of any in the world.
Finances.] The Finances of PrulTia amount to ag millions of dol -
lars : According to Bufching to 18,500,000 only.
From the Elcftorate or March of Brandenburg — 6|millions
From Prufiia — — . — . — — 4i
From Poinerania — — — — — 2
From Magdeburg and Flalberftadt — — 2
,,v.. From Wellphalia — . — — . — , — a
'W FromSiielia — _ __ __ __ 6
23
According to Bufching.
Pomerania ■ . 2.000.000
PrufTia . . 4,000,000
Sileda ■ 4.500.00a
March, of Brandenburg -^ » 3.300.000
Magdelnirg ■ .
Flaibcrtftadt .
Cleve, Mark, and Mocurs .
Miiiden and Ravenfberir . .
1,400,000
5C0.000
l.OCC.OOO
000
Oftfrienand • '— . 900,000
18.500.000
The revenues arife from demefnes of the king, his duties of cuftoms
and tolls, and the lubfidies yearly granted by the icveral fhates. Amber
alone is faid to bring him in 26,000 dollars annually.
GovERN'MKNT.] His Prulfiau Majeily IS ablolute through all his
dominions : The government of this kingdom iscjtcrciicd by a regen-
cy of four Chancellors of State, viz. i.'The Great Mafler : 2. The
Great Burgrave ; 3. The Great Chancellor : And 4. The Great Mar-
flial. There arc alfo focie other councils, aud i7"Bailiv.ucks. The-
flatea
MONARCHY of PRUSSIA. mi
ibtesconfift : i.Of Counfellors of State : 2. Of Deputies from the
Nobility : And 3. From the Commons. Befides theic inftitutions,
his Majefty has erefted a board for commerce and navigation.
General Remarks.] The prcf^fnt flourifliiniy Hate of PrufTia, a:
country by no means remarkable for its natural riches, is an uftonilh-
ing proof of what a finglc great man is able to efFeft, who unites extra-
ordinary ftrength of genius, wit)i laborious and perfcvering aftivity. — 1
This monarchy refembles a very complicated tnachinc, which, bv its
ingenious and admirable conftruftion, produces the greated cfl\;B:s
with the greateft eafe, but in which the yielding of a wheel, or the
relaxation of a fpring, will put a flop to the motion of the whole. The
united efFefts of flourifhing finances, of prudent occonomy, of accuracy
and difpatch in every branch of admlniflration, and of a formidable
military flrength, have given to this ftate fuch a confcqueiice, that the
tranquillity and fecurity, not only of Germany, but of all Europe,
depend in a great meafure on the politics of the PrufTian cabinet. Tlics
adminiflration of juftice is iikewife admirably fimplified and executed
with unparalleled quicknefs. Upon the whole, the reign of Frederick
the Great may, indeed, be confidered as the mod fpccious argument
in favour of monarchical government. Improvements have been
made in one fingle reign, which, in a country where the governing
powers arc lefs united and more limited, would have required feveraL
ages, and the mod favourable circumftances. Difference of religion
in a ftate, is commonly the caufe of many difturbances : Under the
late king, all profefTions of faith lived peaceably together, becaufe the
eftablifhed religion, which is the reformed, had no power to opprcis
thofe of a different perfuafion. Roman Catholics and Jews are very
numerous in the Pruflian dominions; they enjoy tire mofl. perfcft
freedom in the exercifeof their religion.
The progrefs which the arts and fciences, and efpecially elegant litera-
ture, have made during the reign of this great man, is very confidcrable.
It is no more than about 40 years ago, that the Germans, though great
proficients in every branch of fcieritific knowledge, paid proper atten-
tion to the refinement of their tafte, and the cultivation of their lan-
guage. Yet fuch is the application peculiar to the Germans, and Li
well were they prepared for every fpecies of compofition, by their in-
timate acquaintance with the befli ancient and moJern writers of all
nations, that having once laid afide the fafhion of writing in Latin,
they were able (o enumerate,in a fuort period, matiy excellent poets and
elegant writers in their nati\e language. This is the more to be won-
dered at, as the late kingof Pruflla, greatly neglected in his education,
and afterwards con itant I y furroundedbv foreigners, was unacquainted
with, and indifferent to the energy and copioufnels of his own lan-
guage, and to the progrefs his countrymen made in tade and •oinpofi-
tion. He had, hov/ever, the merit of encouraging the fciences and
fome branches of literature ; and fuc.li is the coiniexion between the
diflerent branches, that if fome of them sre patrni-.izc.d by grca* and
powerful men, all tlie other brandies will partake of the animating
influence.
History.] Pruffii was anciently inhabited by an idolatrous and
cruel people. The barbarity and ravages they were contmually makin<;
lipon their neighbours, obliged Conud, duke of M.i''ovia5 about the
O 2 middle
212 MONARCHY of PRUSSIA.
middle of the thirteenth century, to call to his afliftance the knights of
the Teutonic order, who were juft returned from the holy land. —
Thefe knights chofe a grand mafter, attacked thofe people with fuccefs,
and after a bloody war of fifty years, reduced them to obedience,
and obliged them to embrace chriftianity. They maintained their con-
queft till 1525, when Albert, Margrave of blandenburg, their laft
grand mafter, having made himfelf mafter of all Prufiia, ceded the
weftern part to the king of Poland, and was acknowledged dul
Q
A. Countries belonging to the Gcr
man empire.
i. Circle of Auftria — —
1
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o
Names. Number of inhabitants.
Milan — — 132,000
Pavia — — 27,600
Cremona — — 25,000
Mantua — — 23.000
0000000
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Wealth
A U S T R I A. (215
Wealth, Commerce, &c.] The provinces of the Audi ian mon-
«;rchy are not only favourably fituated as to climate, but they mav he
reckoned among the mod fertile in Eu^rope. There is fcarcc any
valuable product which is not to be met with in them. Bohemia pro-
duces and exports flax, wool, hides, fkins, hops, iron, fleel, tin, cobalt,
vitriol, brimftone, allum, garnets, and other precious ftonss ; it imports
fait, wine, filk, cotton, fpiccs, &c. upon the whole, the value of exports
exceeds tliat of the imports by two millions of florins. Silefia exports
large quantities of linen, and Moravia has a great number of manufac-
tures of all forts, chiclly of cloth, the produce of which amounts to the
value of 13 millions of florins. Auflria is certainly one of the mod
fertile provinces of Germany. The lower divifion of it produces up-
wards of 6o,ooocwt. of fait, value 4 I- millions of florins, the expenies
of the works not exceeding one million. 1'he falTron of this province
is remarkably good. The woollen manufafture at Lintz is very confi-
dcrable, and employs upwards of 25,000 people. There are befides
many other manufaftures, vi/.. of glafs, of hardware, &c. The art of
»aking iron-wire is carried to fuch a degree of perfeftion, that 6130
fifli-hooks, worth 26, florins, are made of half an ounce of metal. — -
Auftria produces 2.000.000 eymers of wine, of which a great part is
exported. I'he exports of Lower Auftria to the Levant, are comput-
ed at fix millions ; but the imports, confifling of the articles of cotton,
gOats or camel hair, fpiccs and coffee, at nine millions. The diflrift
comprehending the provinces of Stiria, Cariiithia, and Carniola, called
by the German geographers Interior Auflria, is famous for its minerals.
Behdcs fome gold, upwards of 1000 lb. of filvet, 300.000 lb. of quick-
lilvcr, one million cwt. of iron, 150 ooocwt. of Idll, 1500 cwt. of falt-
petre, and great quantilies of lead, copper, vitriol, cobalt, brirnftone,
are the produce of thefe rich mines. In Carniola the linen manufac-
tures produce to the value of 400.000 flo.ins of that article. The
centre of the Auflrian trade is the harbour of Trieflc, declared a free
port by the prefent emperor, who is dehrousto cHablifh there an Kaft-
India company. Here is the market to which all the European nations
refort for the produftions of the Auflrian dominions. The province
of Tyrol has alfo rich mines ; it produces wine, and has manufafturcs
of glafs, leather, and filk. Lombardy, the population of which is pio-
dijjous, produces va(ft quantities of filk, to the amount of 4.500.000
florins. It exports alfo corn and rice for 700,000, linen for 400. ceo,
cattle and hori'es for 1.500.000 florins. All the various articles of
produce, fcaitered through the other provinces, are found united, and
in a much greater proponion. in the kingdom of Hungary, which, it
it was not too thinly peopled, would be the richcll country of Europe.
It produces annually 25,000 lb. of hlver, containing gold. In 1779,
the mines of Schcmnitz and Cremnilz yielded 1215 lb. of gold. Ihe
goldwafh of the Bannat yields upwards of 1000 ducats. It is fuppol-
cd, that Hungary and Tranfylvania together produce gold and iilver
to the value of 7,000,000 florins annually. 34,000 cv.t, of copper, be-
lides iron, quickflver, fait, and marble. The value of the mines of
the Auftiian Monarchy is computed to amount to lo.ooo.oco flonn.s.
It is well known that Hungary produces an incredible quantity ot ex-
cellent wines, the moll delicious of which is the famous lokav. ii
feveral forts of the Hungarian wines could be longer kept, and i: ^;' '
2i6 AUSTRIA.
duties on them, and the expenfes of carriage were not fo very high,
the riches accruing from them to this country would be immenfe.-— ?
Among the other valuable produttions of Hungary, we fliall mention
hemp, flax, and even cotton, barilla, rice, and tobacco. In 1779, there
were exported from Triefte 160,759 lb. of inufF, and upwards of
3,oco,ooo lb. of tobacco in leaves, excluftve of 2,500.000 lb. ex-
ported from Fiume and Buhary. This province, rich in every rc-
Ipeft, fells every year 150,000 head of live cattle, and 40,000 hogs. — •
Gallicia, behdes abounding in other minerals, is famous for its im-
menfe falt-works at Wielitzka. This mine of falt-rock has been work-
ed thcfe 600 years paft ; it extends, according to Mr. Coxc, about
669 feet in length, 1115 in breadth, and 743 in depth. It yielded to
the crown of Poland, to which it belonged till 1773, a revenue of
three millions and a half of Polifh florins annually : it has been ceded
to the emperor by the late treaty of partition. The quantity of fait
dug out every year, amounted feme years ago to 700.000 cwt. The
fait works of Sambor and Bochnia are alfo very rich, they yield falf to
the value of one million of florins. The few preceding fafts fhew
clearlv the value of thefe provinces. When population fhall be in-
creafcd, and manufafturcs cftablifhcd, in proportion to the natural
riches of the country, the wealth of the Auftrian Monarchy promifcs
to be fupcrior to that of any nation in Europe. At prefent there is a
great want of navigable canals and other convenicneies for inland com-
nicrce. Many of the fpontaneous produftions are not fufRcicntly at«
tended to, as for inftance, Oil. The Auflrian Netherlands have been
long famous for their fiflierics, corn, madder, and flax of a fuperior
finenefs, of which the Biabant lace is made, which brings a great deal
of m.oney into the country.
Vienna is the capital of the circle of Auftria, and, being the refidence
of the emperor, is fuppofed to be tlie capital of Germanv. It is a Bobls
and a ftrong city, and the princes of the houfeof Aufhriahave omitted
nothing that could contribute to its grandeur and riches. A'^ienna
contains an excellent univerfity, a bank, which is in the management
of her own magiflrates, and a court of commerce immediately fubjcfb
to the aulic council. Its religious buildings, with the walks and gar-
dens, occupy a f^xlh part of tlie town ; but the fuburbs are larger than
the city. It would be cndlefs to enumerate the many palaces of this
capital, two of which are imperial ; its fquares, academies, and libra-
ries ; and, among others, the fine one of prince Eugene, with his and
the imperial cabinets of curiofitie;;. Among its rich convents is one
for the Scotch nation, built in honour of their countryman, St. Colman,
the patron of Auftria ; and one of the fix gates of this city is called the
Scots gate, in remembranceof fome notable exploit performed thereby
the troops of that nation. The inhabitants of Vienna, including the
fuburbs, are computed at about three hundred thoufand ; and the en-
couragement given them by their fovercigns, has rendered this city the
rendezvous of all the nations around.
After all that has been faid of this magnificent city, the mofl candid
and fenhble of thofe who have vifited it, arc far from being lavifh in
its praife. The flreets, excepting thofe in the fuburbs, are narrow and
dirty ; the houfes and furniture of the citizens are greatly difpropor-
tioned to the magnificence of the palaces, fquares, and other public
buildings j
AUSTRIA.
ii;
tuildings ; but above all, the excefliva impofls laid by the houfc of
Auflria upon every commodity in its dominions, muft always keep the
manufafturing part of their fubjefts poor. His late imperial majefty
was fenfible of thefe truths wiiich were plain to all the world but his
predecefTors and their counfellors : He examined things with his own
eyes, and dcfcended from that haughtinefs of demeanour which rendered
theimperial court folongdifagrceablc, and indeed ridiculous, to the reft
of Europe. In general, the condition of the Auftrian fubjefts has been
greatly meliorated fince the acceflion of his late majcfhy to the imperial
throne ; great encouragement hath been given to the proteftants, and
many of the Catholic religous houfcs, convents, &c. were fuppreffed
by him.
Finances.'] The Finances of the Auftrian monarchy amount to.
above 90 millions of florins, exelufive of the revenues of Galicia, Lo-
domiria, and Kuckovvina, viz.
Of Bohemia 15,736,069
— Sileha 557>209
— Auftria 23,014,276
— Moravia — — 5r7935i20
— Stiria 5,889,221
— Carintia 2,386,884
— Carniola 2,089,952
— Friaul 357^3^^
— Tyrol • 3,658,712
— Auftria Interior 2,876,177
— Hungary ■- 18,004,153
— Tranfylvania 3^9-i^i7<^7
— Lombardia 2,909,171
— Netherlands . 3i^^ii^35
— lUyria l,Ooo,©ool
— Buckowina 300,000 \- Schloez.
' — Gallicia and Lodomiria i 2,000,000 J
The debts of the Auftrian monarchv amount to about 200 millions
of florins. In 1 770, the public expenditure amounted to 83I millions,
and was exceeded by the revenue by upwards of lix millions remain-
ing in the treafury.
Army.] The Auftrian army, according to the new regulations of
1779, amount to 283,000 men. The infanfry cenfifts of 37 regiments,
of 3 1 20 men each, or in all 1 77,840 men.
Grenadiers — ■ — i^)^^^
Cavalry — — 44,ioc>
Artillery — — 11,000
Croats "j
Wallachian I — . 400,000
Sclavonian troops J
Pontoniers — — 6od
Mineurs — — 640
Sappeurs — — '.iSo
Tchaikifts — — 120O
Engineers — — 200
There are befides the general, ftaff, or field engineers, &c. Accord-
ing to others 300,000 men (in 1783).
Another
2i8 AUSTRIA.
Another ftalement.
Infantry ■ 170,000
Cavalry • ■ 50,000
Garrifons and other corps — — 60,069
280,000
There is at Wienerifh Neuftadt a famous military academy for 460
cadets : at Vienna an academy of engineers, and each regiment has a
fchool, in which forty fons of foldiers are educated.
General Remarks.] The Auftrian monarchy wants nothing but
a long peace to increafc in population and induflry. In both refpeftg
the country has already gained mucli by the wifdom of one of the late
emperors, who removed one of the greateft obftacles to internal im-
provement, religious intolerance. The Roman Catholic religion is
the cltabliiiicd religion of the monarchy : There are, however, at lead
80,000 Protefkants in the provinces belonging to the German empire.
In Hungary the number of Proteftants is fo great, that iince the aft of
toleration has been publiflied, no lefs than 200 churches have been al-
lowed to them. There are, befides many thoufand Greeks, 223,000
jev/s, and about 50.000 Egyptians or Gypfies, in the Auftrian domin-
ions. At the be^^innmg of the prefent reign, there were upwards of
2000 convents of rnonks and nuns, which are now wilely reduced to
1 1 43. The arts a/id fciences, hitherto greatly neglefted, begin to make
coniiderable progrefs. The emperor Joleph appropriated the greateft;
part of the revenues, arifing from the eftates of the fecularifed con-
vents, to the improvement of the fchools, and the encouragement of
literarv merit. The univerfities of the Auflrian dominions are not
yet equal to thofe of the Proteflant countries of Germany ; they are fix
in number, at Vienna, Prague, Peft, Lemberg, Louvain, and Frey-
bourg, in Brifgau. The government is, in certain refpefts, flriftly
monarchical; however, in the provinces of Hungary, Illyria, Tran-
fylvania, Tyrol, and the Netherlands, the dates have preferved fo much
of their ancient confequence, as to prevent new taxes from being im-
pofed on thofe provinces without their coafent. The cities of BrulTels
and Milan are the feats of the two viceroys, or governor-generals of
the Netherlands and the Italian provinces. Jofeph II. rendered an
elfential fervice to humanfty, in abolifliing the fervitude or viilanagc
©f the peafanls of Bohemia.
:: iNGDOM
B O H E M I A. 210
KINGDOM OF BOHEMIA,
BELONGING TO THE AUSTRIAN MONARCHY.
Situation and Extent.
Miles. Degrees.
Length 478 ) ^^^^,^^^ f 48 and 52 north latitude.
Breadth 322 / \ 12 and 19 caft longitude.
Boundaries.] T>OUNDEDby Saxony and Brandenburg, on the
JLJ North; by Poland and Hungary, on tlie Eaft ;
by Auftria and Bavaria, on the South ; and by the palatinate of Bava-
ria, on the Wcfl ; formerly comprehending, I. Bohemia Proper ; 2,
Silefia ; and, 3. Moravia.
To what we have already fald of Bohemia under the head of Auftria,
we add the following particulars : —
Mountains and rivers.] Bohemia, though almoft furroundcd
with mountains, contains none of note or diftinftion ; Its woods arc
many, and the chief rivers arc the Elbe, Muldaw, and Egcr.
Archbishoprics AND bishoprics. | Prague is the only Bohe-
mian archbifhopric. The bilhoprics are Koningfgratz, Bieflaw, and
Olmutz.
Language.] The proper language of the Bohemians is a dialc£l of
the Sclavonian, but they generally fpeak German and High Dutch.
University.] The only univerfity in Boliemia is that of Prague.
Cities and towns.] Prague, the capital of Bohemia, is one of the
fineft and moll magnificent cities in Europe, and famous for its noble
bridge. Its circumference is lo large, that the grand Prulhan army, in
its laft fiege, never could completely inveft it. I-ortliis reafon it is
able to make a vigorous defence in cafe of a regular liege. The in-
habitants are thought not to be proportioned to its capacioufnefs, be-
ing computed at 80,000. It contains 92 churches and chapels, and 40
cloifters. It is a place of little or no trade, and therefore the middling
inhabitants are not wealthy ; but the Jews are faid to carry on a large
commerce in jewels. Bohemia contains many other towns, fomc of
which are fortified, but they are neither remarkable for ftrcngth nor
manufatlures. Olmutz is the capital of Moravia : It is well fortified,
and has manufaftures of woollen, iron, glafs, paper, and gunpowder.
Breflaw, the capital of Silefia, hath been already dcfcribed.
Commerce and manufactures.] See Auftria.
Constitution and government,], The forms, and only the
forms, of the old Bohemian conftitution'ftill fi.bfift ; but the govern-
ment, under the emperor, is dcfpotic. 1 heir flates are compofcd of
the clergy, nobility, gentry, andj'cprefentativcs of towns.
History.] The Bohemian nobility ufed to eleft their own princes,
though the emperors of Germany fomttimes impofed a king upon them,
and at length ufurped that throne themfclves. In the year 1438, Al-
bert II. of Auflria, received three crowns, that of Ilungai}'. the Em-
pire, and Bohemia.
In 1414 John Hufs and Jerome of Prague, two of the firft reformers,
and Bohemians, were burnt at the council of Conftance, though the
emperor of Germany had given them liis proteftion. This occafioncd
n iiifurrcQiion in Bohemia : The people of Prague, threw the cmT ■-
»2&
HUN
ror*s officers out of the windows of the council-chamber : and the fa-
mous Zifca, aflemblihg an arfny of 40.600 Bohemians, defeated the
emperor's forces iufeverjil engag^cments, and drove the Imperialiftsout
of the kingdom. The divifions of the Plullites among themfejves en-
abled the emperors to keep poileffion of Bohemia, though an attempt
was made to throw off the Imperial yoke, by clefting, in the year 1618,
a proteftdut king, in the perfon of the Prince Palatine, fon-in4aw to
James I. of England. He was driven from Bohemia by the emperor's
o-cnerals, and, being dripped of his Other dominions, was forced tode-
pend on the court of England for a fubhflcnce. After a -war of 30
years duration, which defolated the whole empire, the Bohemiansy
tiucethat time, have remained fubjtft to the houfe of Auftria.
HUNGARY.
BELONGING TO THE AUSTRIAN MONARCHY,
Situation an'd Extknt.
Miles. Degrees.
Length 300 j ^^^^^,^^^ r 17 and 23 eaft longitude.
Breadth 200 J L 45 and 49 north latituuc.
Boundaries.] 'THHAT part of Hungary which belongs to thr.
X houfe of Au'ilria (for it formerly included
Tranfylvania, Sclavonia, Croatia, Morlachia, Servia, Walachia, and
other countries) is bounded by Poland, on the North ; by Tranfylva-
nia and Walachia, Eafl ; by Sclavonia, South; and by Auftria and-
Moravia, Weft.
The kingdom of Huiigary is ufually divided into the Upper and
I.ov/er Hungary.
Upper HUNGARY, North or
THE Danube.
Chief Towns.
Prcfburg, fituated on the Danube,
E. Ion. 17-30. N.lat. 48-20.
Newhaufel, N. W.
Lcopolftadt, N. W.
Chrcmnits, N. W.
Schemniis, in the middle,
Ffperies, N.
Chafchaw. N.
Tokay, N. E.
Zotmar, N. K.
Unguar, N. E.
Mciigats, N. E,
Waradiu Great. E.
Segedm, S, E.
Agria, in the midale,
Peft, on the Danube, oppofite to
Buda.
To which may be added Temefwar. wliich has been confidcred as
diftinft frOHi Hungary, becaufe it was formerly governed by an inde-
pendent
Lower HUNGARY, South of
THE Danube.
Chief Towns.
Buda, on the Danube, E. Ion. 19-
20. N. lat. 47-40.
Gran, on the ijanube, above Buda.
Comorra, on the Danube, in the
ifland of Schut.
Raab, on the Danube, oppofite to
the ifland of Schut.
Atleaburff, W. oppofite to the
ifland of Schut."
Weiikenburg, or Alba Regalis, fit-
uatcd £. of the lake, called the
Platten fea.
Kanifba, S. W\ of the Platten fea.
Five Churches. N. of the river
Drave.
HUNGARY. 22t
pendent king ; and it has fcveral times been in pofTefliOn of the Turks ;
but the Aullrians gaining polFcilion of it, it was incorporated into the
kingdom of Hungary in 1778. The province of Temcfwar is 94 miles
long, and 67 broad, containing about 38.50 fquare miles ; It has bceji
Gtivide-d into four diftri6i;s, Ciadat, Tcme{vvar, Wcrfchez, and Luoos.
■"iemelVar, the principal town.is fituated K.lon. 22-15, ^"^^ ^'^^' 45-54-
AiR, son, AND PRonucE."] The air, and confi^qwcntly the cli-
raate of the fouthcrn parts of Hungary, is found to be unheakhful, ow-
ing to its numerous lakes, ilagnated waters, and marfhes ; but the nor-
thern parts being mounUiiuous and barren, tlie air is fwcct and wholc-
fome. No country in the woi Id can boall a richer foil, than that pluin
which extends three hundred miles from Prefburg to Belgrade, and
produces corn, grafs, efcuicnt plants, tobacco, faffron, afparagus, mel-
ons, hops, pulfe, millet, buck-wheat, delicious wine, fiuits, of various
kinds, peaches, mulberry-trees, chefnuts, and wood : Corn, is in fucb
plenty, that it fells for one fixth part of its price in F.ngland.
Rivers.] Thelc are the Danube, Drave, Save, Teyfie, Merifli and
the Temes.
Water.] Hungary contains feveral lakes, particularly four among
the Carpathian mountains of confiderable extent, and abounding witli
fifli. The Hungarian baths and mineral waters are efteemcd the moft
(bvereign of any in Europe ; but their magnificent buildings, raifed bv
the Turks, when in polTcffion of the country, particularly thofe of
Buda, are fuffered to go to decay.
Mountains.] The Carpathian mountains which divide Hunga-
ry from Poland on the noith, are the chief in Hungary, though many
detached mountains are found in the country. Their tops arc geue-
rally covered with wood, and on their fides grow the richeft grapes in
the world.
Metals axd Minerals.] Hungary is remarkably well (locked
with both. It abounds not only with gold and filver mines, but with
plenty of excellent copper, vitriol, iron, orpiment, quickfilvei,. crvfo-
colla, and terra figillata. Before Hungary became the feat of deftruc-
tive wars between the Turks and Chriftians, or fell under the power
of the houfe of Auftria, thofe mines were furnifheJ with proper woiks
and workmen, and produced vaft revenues to the native princes. —
The Hungarian gold and filver employed mint-houfcs, not only in
Hungary, but in Germany, and the continent of Europe ; but all ihofe
mines are now greatly diminifhed in their value, their works being dc-
ftroyedor demoliIl\ed ; fome of them however flill fubfifl, to the great
emolument of the natives.
Vegetable akd animal producttox's.] Hungary is remarka-
ble for a fine breed of horfes, generally moufe-coloured, and highly
efleemed by military officers, fothat great numbers of them arc export-
ed. There is a remarkable breed of large rams in the neighbourhood
of Prefburg. Its other vegetable and animal produftionsare in goreral
the fame with thofe of Germany, and the neighbouring countries. —
The Hungarian wires, however, particularly Tokav, are preferable to
thofe of any other country, at leaft in Europe.
Population, iNHAniTANTS, MANNERS, "^^ Before the Turks got
cijstomSjAnd diversions. J polVefTion of ConftantinQ-
ple, it is faidj tliat Plungary was one of the moft populous and power-
ful
222 H U N G A R Y.
ful kingdoms in Europe ; and if the houfe of Auftria fhould give tlid
proper encouragement to the inhabitants to repair their works, and
clear their fens, it might become fo again a century hence. Hungary
at prefent, is thought to contain about three millions 170,000 in-
habitants.
The Hungarians have manners peculiar to themfelves. They pique
themfelves on being defcended from thofe heroes, who formed the
bulwark of Chriftendom againft the infidels. In their perfons they
are well made. Their fur caps, their clofe-bodied coats, girded by a
falh, and their cloak or mantle, winch is fo contrived as to buckle un-
der the arm, fo that the right hand may be always at liberty, give them
an air of military dignity. The men fhavc their beards, but preferve
their whifkers on their upper lips. Their ufual arms are a broad-fword
and a kind of pole-ax, befides their fire-arms. The ladies are reckoned
handfomer than thofe of Auftria, and they have a fable drefs, with
fleeves ftrait to their arms, and their ftays faftened before with gold,
pearl, or diamond little buttons. Both men and women, in what they
call the mine towns, wear fur and even flieep-flvin dreffes. The inns
tipon the roads are mod miferable hovels, and even thofe feldom to
be met with. The hog.., wliich yield the chief animal food for their
peafants, and their poultry, live in the fame apartment with their own-
ers. The gout and the fever, owing to the unwholefomenefs of the
air, are the predominant difeafes in Hungary. The natives in general
leave trade and manufaftures to the Greeks and other flrangers fettled
in their country, the flatnefs of which renders travelling commodious,
either by land or water. The diverhons of the inhabitants are of the
warlike and atliletic kind. They are in genpral a brave and magnani-
mous people. Thsir ariceflors, even fince the beginning of the prefenfc
century, were fo jealous of their liberties, that rather than fubmit to
the tv'.annv of the houfe of Auftria, they often put themfelves under
the proteftion of the Ottoman court ; but their fidelity to the late
emprefs-queen, notwithftanding the provocations they received from
her houfe, will be always remembered to their honour.
The inhabitants of Temefwar, a province lately incorporated into
tlic l;ingdom of Hungary, are computed at about 450,000. There are
in this country many faraons, or jjvpfies, fuppofed to be real defcend-
'»nts of the ancient Egyptians. They are faid to refemble the ancient
Egyptians in their features, in their propenfity to melancholy, and in
many of their manners and cuftoms ; and it is aflerted, that the lalcivi-
cus dances of Ifis, the worfhip of onions, many famous Egyptian fu-
perftitions and fpecifics, and the Egyptian method of hatching eggs by
means of dung, are (lili in ufe among the female gypfies in Temefwar.
Rei.icion.] The clLahliihed religion of the Hungarians is the
Roman Catholic, though the major part of the inhabitants are proteft-
ants. or Greeks ; and they now enjoy the full cxercife of their rclig-
ous liberties.
Archbishoprics and bishoprics.] The archbiflioprirsare Pref-
burg. Gran, and Colocza. The biflioprics are, Great Waradin, Agria,
Vefprin, Raab, and live Churches.
Lang t; AG B. 1 As the Hungarians are mixed witli Germans, Scla-
vonians, and Walachians, they have a variety of dialefts, and one of
them ij faid to approach near the Hebrew. The better And middle
ranks
H U N G A R Y.
2=3
ranks fpeak German, and almofl; all even of the common people fpeak
Latin, either pure or barbarous,, fo that the Latin may be faid to be
here flill a living language.
Unmversities.] In the univerfities (if they can properly be fo called)
of Firnan, Buda, Raab, and Cafchaw, are proFeffors of the feveral arts
and fcienccs, who ufed generally to be Jefuils ; fo that the L\itheran&
and Calvinifls, who arc more numerous than the Roman Catholics in
Hungary, go to the German and other univerfities.
Antiouities AND CURIOSITIES,! Thc artificial curiofitics of
NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL. J this country confift of it s bridg-
es, baths, and mines. The bridge of Effeck, built over the Daniibe,
and Drave, is properly fpeaking, a continuation, of bridges, five miles
in'length, fortified with towers at certain diftances. It was an impor-
tant pafs during the wars betwcn the Turks and Hungarians. A
bridge of boats runs over the Danube, half a mile long, betvv'een Buda
and Peft ; and about twenty Hungarian miles diftant from Belgrade,
are the remains of a bridge, erefted by the Romans, judged to he the
moft magnificent of any in (he world. The baths and mines here liave
nothing to diftinguifh them from the like works in other coun-
tries.
One of the moft remarkable natural curiofities of Hungary, is a cav-
ern in a mountain near Szelitze ; the aperture of this cavern, which
fronts the fouth, is eighteen fathoms high, and eight broad ; itsfubter-
raneous pallagesconfift entirely of folid rock, flretching away farther
fouth than has been yet difcovered ; as far as it is prafticable to go, the
height is found to be 50 fathoms, and the breadth 26. Many other
wonderful particulars are related of tins cavern, which is an article in
natural philofophy.
Cities, TOWNS FORTS, AMD OTHER "\ Thefe arc greatly decayed
EDIFICES, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. J fiom their ancicut magnifi-
cence, but many of the fortifications are ftill very flrong, and kept in
good order. Prefburg is fortified. In it the Hungarian regalia were
kept, but were lately removed to Vienna. The crown was lent in the
year 1000 by pope Sylvefter II. to Stephen, king of Hungary, and was
made after that of the Greek emperors ; it isof folid gold, weighing nine
marks and three ounces, ornamented with 53 faphires, 50 rubies, one
large emerald, and 338 pearls. Bcfides thefe ftones are the images of
the apoftles and thc patriarchs. The pope added to this crown a fil-
ver patriarchal crofs, which was afterwards infcrtcd in thc arms ol Hun-'
gary. At the ceremony of the coronation, a bifhop carries it before the
king. From the crofs is derived the title of apoftolic king ; thc ufeof
which was renewed under the reign of theemprefs queen Maria Thc-
refa. The fceptre and the globe of the kingdom arc of Arabian gold ;
the mantle, which is of fine linen, is the work of Gifcle, fpoufe of St.
Stephen, who embroidered in gold the image of Jefus Chrifl crucified,
and many other images of the patriarchs, and apofJes, witli a number
of itdcriptions. The fword is two edged, and rounded at thc pomt.
Buda, formerly the capital of Hungary, retains little of its ancient mag-
nificence, but its ftrength and fortifications ; and the fame may be faid
of Peft, which lies on the oppofite fide of the Danube. Raab is like-
wife a ftrong city, as arc Gran and Cormorra. Tokay lias been alrea-
dy mentioued for thc excellency of its wines,
C O >J M F. R C E.
^24 TRANSYLVANIA, SCLAVONIA, &c,
COMMBRCE AND MANUFACTURES.] See Auftria.
Constitution AND government.] The Hungarians diflikc the
term of Oueen, and even called their late fovereign king Therefa. — ,
Their government preferves the remains of many checks upoa the re-
gal power. They have a diet or parliament, a Hungary-ofilce, which
refembles our chancery, and which rehdes at Vienna ; as the ftadthol-
der's council, which comes pretty near the Britifli privy-council, but
has a municipal jurifdjclion, does at Prcfburg. Every royal town has
its fenatc : and theGelpan chafts refembles the Englifh juftices of the
peace, Belides this, they have an exchequer and nine chambers, an'J
other fubordinate courts.
Military strength and revenue.] See Auftria.
History.] The Huns, after fubduing this country in the middle
of the third century, communicated their name to it, being then part
of the ancient Pannonia. They were fucceeded by the Goths ; the
Goths were expelled by the Lombards ; they by the Avari, and the
Sclavi were planted in their flead in the beginning of the 9th century.
At the clofe of it, the Anigours emigrated from the banks of the
"V^olga, and took poffelhon of tlic countrv. Hungary v/as formerly ar>
alfernblage of different flates, and the firfi; who aliumed the title of
king, was Stephen, in the year 9()7,when he embraced ch;-iftianity. In
his reign, the form of government was eftabliflied, and the crown to
be ele£live. About the year 1310, king Charles Robert afcended the
throne, and fubdued Bulgaria, Servia, Croatia, Dalmatia, Sclavonia,
and many other provinces ; but many of thofe conquefts were after-
wards reduced by the Venetians, Turks, and other powers. In the
i5th century, Huniades, who was guardian to the infant king Ladif-
iaus, brav^ely repulfed the Turks, when they invaded Hungary ; and
upon the death of Ladiflaus, the Hungarians, in 14,38, raifcd Matthias
Corvinus, Ton of Huniades, to their tlirone. Lewis, king of Hunga-
ry, in i5ii6, was killed in a battle, fighting againll Solyman, emperor
of the Turks. This battle had almoft proved fatal to Hungary ; but
the archduke Ferdinand, brother to the emperor Charles V. having
married the fifler of Lewis, he claimed the title of Hungary, in which
he fucceeded, with fome difhculty, and that kingdom has ever fmce
belonged to the houfe of Auftria, though by its conflitution, its crowi:)
ought to be elective.
TRANSYLVANIA, SCLAVONIA, CROATIA,
AND HUNGARIAN DALMATIA.
WE have thrown thofe countries under one divifion, for feveral
reafons, and particularly becaufe we have no account fuf-
ficiently exaft of their extent and boundaries. The beft account of
them follows ; Tranfylvania, belongs to the houfe of Auftria, and is
bounded on the North, by the Carpathian mountains, which divide it
from Poland ; on the Eaft, by Moldavia and Walachia ; on the South,
by Walachia ; and on the Weft, by Upper and Lower Hungary. It
lies between 22 and 25 degrees of caft longitude, and 45 and 48 of
north latitude. Its length is extended about 185, and its breadth I120
miles; and contains nearly 14,400 fquare miles, but it is furrounded
on
TRANSYLV ANI A, SCL A V ONI A, <2:c. 2^5
on all fides by high mountains. Its produce, vegetables and animals,
are almon: the fame with thofc of Hungary. The air is wholelbme and
temperate ; but their wine, thouoh good, is not equal to the Hunga-
rian. Its chief city is Ilcrmilhftadt, and its interior government
ftill partakes greatly of the ancient feudal fyftem, being compof-
cd of many independent dates and princes. They owe not much
more than a nominal fubjoftion to the Auftrians, who leave them in
pofTeHion of mod of their privileges. Catholics, Lutherans, Calvin-
ifts, Socinians, Arians, Greeks, Mahometans, and other feftaries, here
enjoy their fevcral religions. Tranfylvania is thought to add but littla
to the Auflrian revenue, tliough it exports fome metals and fait to
Hungary. The. other large places are Sagefwar, Millenback, and
Nemark. All forts of provilioiis are very cheap, and excellent in their*
kinds. Ilermanftadt is a lar>TC, llrong, and well built city, as are Clau-
fenburg and Weiffenburg. The feat of government is at Hermanfbadt,
and the governor is alhfted by a council made up of Roman Catholics,
Calviniits, and Lutherans. The diet, or parliament, meets by fum-
tnons, and receives the commands of their fovereign, to whom of late
they have been more devoted than forme: ly. They have a liberty of
making remonflrances and reprefentations in cafe of grievances.
Tranfylvania is part of the ancient Dacia, the inhabitants of which
long employed the Roman arms, before they could be fubducd. It
was over-run bv the Goths on the decline of the Roman empire, and
then by the Huns. Their defcendants retain the fame military charac-
ter. The population of the country is not afcertained ; but if the
Tranfylvanians can bring to the field, as has been alfcrtcd, 30,000
troops, the whole number of inhabitants muft be confiderable. At
prcfcnt its military force is reduced to lix regiments of 1,500 man each ;
but it is well known, that during the lad two wars, in which the houfc
of Auftria was engaged, the Tranfvlvanians did great icrviccs. Iler-
manftadt is its only bilhopric ; and the Tranfylvanians at prcfent feem
to trouble themfelves little either about learning or religion, though
the Roman Catholic is the eftablilhed church. Stephen I. king of
Hungary, introduced Chrillianity there about the year 1000, and it
was afterwards governed by an Hungarian vaivod, or viceroy. 'Ihc
various revolutions in their government prove their impatience under
flavery ; and though the treaty of Carlowitz in 1699, gave the love-
reignty of Tranfylvania, as alfo of Sclavonia, to the houle of Auflria^
vet the natives enjoy what we may call a loyal ariflocracy, which their
fovereigns do not think proper to invade. In Oftober, 1784, on ac-
count of the real or feigned oppreflions of the nobility, near 16,000 af-
i'embled and committed great depredations on thofe whofe conduft
had been refented. Several had their palaces burnt, and were glad tf'
cfcape with their lives. The revolters were difappointed in their at-
tempt on Claufenhurg ; and afterwards offered to feparatc and go
home in peace, on the terms of a general pardon, better treatment fronx
the nobility, and a freedom from valfalage. Little is knovvn of thff
termination of this revolt, further than the account of feveral of the
leaders having been taken and executed, and the application of fome
lenient meafures, by which tranquillity was refloren.
Sclavonia lies between the ibili and 23d degrees of eaft longitude,
and the 45th and 47th of north latitude. It is thought to be about
P 200
'.30 T R A N S Y L V A K I A, S C L A \' O K I A, Sic»
260 miles in lengtli, and 60 in breadth, and contains about 10,000
fquare miles. It is bounded by the Drave on the North, by the Da-
nube on the Eaft, by the Save on the South, and by Kiria in Auftria
on the Weft. The reafon why Hungary, Tranfylvania, Sclavonia, and
the other nation, fubjeft to the houfe of Auflria in thofe parts, contain
a furprifing variety of people, differing in name, language, and man-
ners, is becaufe liberty here made its laft ftand againft the Roman arms,
which by degrees forced the remains of the different nations they had
conquered into thofe quarters. Tlie thicknefs of the woods, the ra-
pidityof the riverS, and the llrength of the country, favoured their refin-
ance ; and their dcfcendants notwithfianding the power of the Turks,
the Auftrians, the HungariaYis, and the! Poles, ftill re^in the fame fpi-
rit of independency. Without minding the arrangements made by
the fovereigns of Europe, thev are quiet under the government that
leaves them mod at liberty. That thev are generous, as well as brave,
appears from their attachment to the houfe of Auftria, which, till the
laft two warsj never was fenfible of their value and valour ; infomuch
that it is well known, that they prcierved the pragmatic fan£lion, and
kept the imperial crown in that family. The Sclavonians formerly
gave fo much work to the Roman arms, that it is thought the word
jJave took its original from them, on account of tiie great numbers of
them who were carried into bondage, fo late as the reign of Charle-
magne. Though Sclavonia yields neither in beauty nor fertility to
Hungary and Tranfylvania, yet the ravages of war are ftill vifible in
the face of the country, which lies in a great meafure unimproved. —
The Sclavonians are zealous Romrai Cacholics, though Greeks and
Jews are tolerated. Here we meet with two biflioprics ; that of Pofe-
ga, v/hicli is the capital of the countiy, and Zagrab, which lies on the
Drave ; but we know of iw univcrlities. ElTek is a large and ftrong
town, remaikable, as before noticed, for a wooden bridge over the
Drave, and adjoining marfhes five miles long, and fifteen paces broad,
built by the Turks. Waradin and Pcterwaradin are places noted in
the wars between the Auftrians and Turks^ The inhabitants are
compofed of Servians, Radzians, Croats, Walachians, Germans, Hun-
garians, and a vaft number of other people, whofe names were never
known even to the Auftrians themfelves, but from the military mufter
rolls, when they poured their troops into the field during the tM'O laft
wars. In 1746, Sclavonia was united to Hungary, and the ftates fend
rcprcfentatives to the diet of Hungary.
Croatia lies between the 15th and 17th degrees of eaft longitude,
and the 45th and ,47th of north latitude. It is 80 miles in length, and
70 in breadth, and contains about 2,500 fquare miles. The manners,
government, religion, language and cuftoms of the Croats, are fimilar to
thofe of the Sclavonians and Tranfylvanians, who are their neighbours.
They arc excellent irregular troops and as fuch are famed in modern
hiftorv, under the name of Pandours, and various other defignations.
The truth is, the houfe of Auftria finds its intereft in futFering them,
and the neighbouring nations, to live in their own manner. Their
towns are blended with each other, there fcarcely being any diftinftiou
of boundaries. Carol (ladt is a place of feme note, but Zagrab is the
capital of Croatia. Ail the fovereignty exercifed over them by the
/vuibians teems to confift in t-he milit^iry arrangements for bringing
them
rOLAND INCLUDING LITHUANIA. iif
Vhem occafionally into the field. A viceroy prefides over Croatia,
jointly with Sclavonia, and
Hungarian Dalmatia : This lies in the upper part of the Adriatic
fea, and ccnfuls of live diftrifts, in which the mo[l remarkable places
are the two following : Segna, whifch is a royal free town, fortified,
both by nature and by art, and is fituatcd near the fea, in a bleak,
mountainous, and barren foil. The bifhop of this place is a fuffragan
to the archbifhop of Spalatro. Here are twelve churches, and two
convents. Tnc governor refides in the old palace, called the Royal
Caftle. 2. Ottofchatz, a frontier fortification on the river Gatzka.
'I'hat patt of the fortrefs where the governor, and the greateft part of
the garrifon refide, is furrounded with a wall, and fome towers : But
the left of the buildings, which are mean, ure ereftcd on piles in the
water ; fo that one neighbour cannot vifit another without a boat.
Near Segna dwell tlie Ufcocs, a people, w4io being galled by op-
prelfion, efcaped out of Dalmatia, from whence they obtained the
name of Ufcocs, from the word Scoco, which fignifies a defcrter. They
are alfo called fpringers, or leapcrs, from the agility with which they
leap, rather than Walk, along this rugged arid mountainous country.
Some of them live in fcattered houfes, and others in large villages.
They are a rough, favage people, large bodied, courageous, ^nd given
to rapine ; but theit vifible employment is grazing. They ufe the
Walachian language, and in their religious fentiments and mode of
worfhip approach neareft to the Greek church ; but fome of them are
Roman Catholics.
A part of Walachia belongs alfo to the emperor^ as well as to the
Turks, which lies to the eaft of Tranfylvania, and its principal towns
are Tregonitz, Buchareft, and Severin.
POLAND, INCLUDING LITHUANIA.
SilUATJON AND ExTENT.
Miles. Dcg
r^es.
Length 700"! , . f 16 and 34 eafl lonsfitude.
T). J ^ CO f between < r j ^ t 1 • 1
Breadth boo J , L 4° 30 and ^j 35 north latitude;
fiouNDAKiES.] TJEFORE the late extraordinary partition of thlg
XJ country, the kingdom of Poland, with the great
duchy of Lithuania annexed (anciently called Sarrnatia) was bounded
on the North by Livonia, Mufcovy, and the Baltic fea ; on the eaft by
Mufcovy ; on the South by Hungary, Turkey, and Little Tartary ; on
fhc Weft by Germany : And had the form of its government been as
perfect as its fituation was compaft, it might ha7e been probably one
of the moft powerful kingdoms in the world. Its grand divifions are
exhibited in the following Table,
.A B L E,
22^
POLAND iNCLUDii^G LITHUANIA.
o
u
s
3
C •"
"■IS
il
o
y
o
CO
c
o
Warfaw, 50,000 inhabitants
(8,000 Diindents B.)
Pofen, 4,650
Fraufladt, 4,000
Gnefen,
563 houfes B.
Krakow, 18 — 20,000
with the fuburbs B.
Sandonicerz, 2,060
Lubbin, 26,614
Chelm, ' 875
Koreflc, 2,000
Kaminiek, 1,120 B.
? 8 ^^^^
>oo
0 cT m" «" »r
f3 = C L^ -
S 2 It^-S
:2 ^
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.9
.2
s
.3
'-^
^ SO
d d' d
•o o o
CO o o
oo'oo" d
H
o
o
c»
•1
0
O
CO'
8
0^
CO
ei
c
o
■ ">
Q
c
PS
a
u
i
3 ^
■^ =^
"* 4
\c
o
J
o
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1
1
a
z
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o
o
bO
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i. Great Poland, divided into iz Diflrifts called
Woidwodfhips
b. Little Poland, divided into
1. Three Woidwodfhips
2. Polachia, properly Podlachin, divided intc
3 Counties
3. Chelm, the remaining part of Red RuflTia
4. Podolia and Bratzfaw
5. Kow
6. Volhynia
£5. Lrreat Duchy of Lithuania —
1. Lithuania, properly divided into two Woid
wodfhips
2. White Ruflia, only 2 Woidwodfliips remain-
ing after the partition
3. Black Ruflia, divided into 3 diftrifts
4. Polefia
5. Duchy of Szamaite
The
POLAND iKcif a:.vc LITHUANIA.
229
Tlie following ftatcs are alfo generally confidered as belongintr to
Poland, notwithflanding they are not its fubjefts.
1. The Republic of Danzig. 33 villages. The town contains about
50,000 inhabitants.
2. The Republic of Thorn, 42 villages, almoft all under tlic fover-
cignty of Pruifia. The town contains 20,000 inhabitants.
3. The Duchy of Courland and Scmgallen.
Square
Miles.
Population.
Population
for every
fquare mile.
Towns.
i. Curlandia "I
2. Scmgallen J
4,112
300,000
73
Goldingen
Liebau
Mitau, the refi-
dence, has
11,000 inhabit.
There are in Poland
Noblemen's eftatcs
Abbeys —
Convents of Monks
. Nuns
2,377 villages
22,032
37
579
86
1,674,328
1,243,000
500.000
Houfes in general -^ —
Peafants — — —
Jews — — —
Climati-..] The air of Poland is fuch as may be expefted from fo
f xtcnfive but level a country. In the north parts it is cold, but
healthy. The Carpathian mountains, which feparate Poland from
llungarv, are covered with everlafling fnow, which has been known
to fall in the midfl. of fummer. Upon the whole, however, the climate
of Poland is temperate, and far from being fo unfettled, either in win-
ter or fummer, as might be fuppofed from fo northerly a fituation, but
the air is rather infalubrious by rcafon of the numerous woods and
morafles.
Soil, rKOtn^CE and waters,] Poland is in general a level coun-
try, and the foil is fertile in corn, as appears from the vaft qiantities
that are fent from thence down the ^'^iflula, to Dantzic, and which are
bought up by the Dutcli, and other nations. The paflures of Poland,
efpccially in Podolia, are rich bevond cxprcflion : and it is faid one
can hardly fee the cattle that graze in the meadows. Mere are mines
of fdver, copper, iron, fait and coals. Lithuania abounds in iron
ochre, black agate, feveral fpccies of copper and iron pyrites, and red
and grey granite ; falfc precious ftones, and mnrine pctrcfa6llons. 'i he
inferior parts of Poland contain fovefls, \\ hich furnifli timber in fuih
great quantities, tliat it is emplo)cd in houfc building, inflead of
bricks, flonc, and tiles. \''arious kinds of fruits and herbs, and Jo-.nc
grapes, are ])roduccd in Poland, and are excellent when they meet
with culture, but their wine fcldom or never comes to pcrfcftior.
Pohnd producci various kinds of clays fit for uipes arid earthen warf.
The
530 POLAND INCLUDING LITHUANIA.
The water of many fprings is boiled into fait. The virtues of a fpring,
in the palatinate of Cracow, which increafes and decreafes with the,
moon, are faid to be wonderful for the prefervation of life ; and it ia
reported, that the neighbouring inhab!tan':s commonly live to lOO and
fomeofthem 150 years of age. This fpring is inflammable, and by
applying a torch to it, it flames like the fubtleft fpirit of wine. 'J he
flame however dances on the furface, without heating the water ; and
if neglefted to be extinguiflied, which is eafily efi^efted, it corrimuni-.
cates itfclf. by fubtcrraneous conduits, to the roots of trees, in a neigh-
bouring wood, which it confumes ; and about 35 years ago, the flames
are faid to have laftcd for three years, before they could be entirely ex-
tinguifhed.
Rivers.] The chief rivers of Poland are, the Viflula or Weyfel,
the Neifter, Neiper or Borifhhenes, the Bog, and the Dwina.
Lakes.] The chief of the few lakes contained in Poland, is Gopto,
in the palatinate of By;?efly ; and Birals, or the White Lake, which
is faid to dye thofe who wafii in it of a fwarthy complexion.
Animal productions.] The forefts of Warfovia or Mafovia
contain plenty of uri, or bufl^aloes, whofe flefli the Poles powder,
and efteem it an excellent difli. Horfes, wolves, boars, the glouton,
lynx, elks, and deer, all of them wild, Are common in the Polifli
fore{ls ; and there is a fpecies of wild horfes and affes, and wild
oxen, that the nobility of the Ukraine, as well as natives, are
fond of. A kind of wolf, refembling a hart, with fpots on his belly
and legs, is found here, and affords the heft furs in the country ;
but the elk v/hich is common in Poland, as well as in fome other
northern countries, is a very extraordinary animal. The flefli of
the Polifli elk forms the mofl: delicious part of their greateft feafls.
His body is of the deer make, but much thicker and longer ; the
legs high, the feet broad and cloven, the horns large, rough and
broad, like a wild goat's. Naturalifts have oblerved, that upon dif-
fering an elk, there was found in its head fome large flics, with its
brains almcfl eaten away ; aiid it is an obfervation fufficientiy attefted,
that in the large woods, and wilderqefies of the North, this poor ani-
mal is attacked, towards the winter chiefly, by a larger fort of flies,
that, through its ears, attempt to take up their winter quarters in its
head. This pcrfecution is thought to affeft the elk with the falling-
ficknefs, by which means it is taken, which would otherwife prove no
eafy matter.
Poland produces a creature called bohac : It refembles a guinea-pig,
but feems t© be of the beaver kind. They are noted for digging holes.
m the ground, which they enter in Oftober, and do not come out, ex-
cept occafiQnally for food, till April : They have feparate apartments
for their provifions, lodgings, and their dead ; they live together by
10 or 12 in a' herd. Lithuania is rich in ornitholygy ; among the
birds of prey are the eagle and vulture. The wwz'z, or little fpecies
of titmoufe, is frequently found in thel'e parts, famous for the won-
drous flruSiure of its pendent neft, formed in the fliape of a long purie
with amazing art.
The Poles, in their perfons, make a noble appearance ; their com-
plexion is fair, and their fhapes are well proportioned. They are
brave, honeft, and hofpitable : And their women fprightly, yet jnodefi;,
" ' ■ and
POLAND iN'CLUDiNG LITHUANIA.
231
and fubmiflive to theiv hufbands. Their diverfions are warlike and
manly : vaulting, dancing, and "riding the great horfc, hunting, fltait-
ing, bull and bear baiting. They ufually travel on horieback.
The Poles before the late revolution, were divided into nobles, cler-
gy, citizens, and peafants ; 1 he peafants were divided into two forts
thofe of the crown, and thofc belonging to individuals.
WEAifrn'AND COMMERCE,] Pjland has been confidered as one
of the weakcft ftates in Europe, on account of the opprefUon of the
tradefpeoplc in the towns, and the flavery of the peafantry. The cir-
culating fpecie is valued at only 13 millions and a half of German dol-
lars ; and intereft is ftill as high as from 7 to 10 per cent. If the fkill
of the natives in agriculture bore any proportion to the fertility of the
foil, Poland mull needs be one of the richefl countries in the world ;
for though a large part of it lies uncultivated, it exports no inconfider-
able quantity of corn : The forcfts and mines of Poland, if duly at-
tended to, and alfo its furs and cattle, might produce a very large fum.
There are few manufaftures in this kingdom excepting thofe at Grod-
now. Want of induftry and of freedom, have been the chief reafons
that the balance of trade has been fo much againfl Poland. The ex-
ports are corn, hemp, flax, horfes, fomc of them wild horfes, cattle,
(about 100,000 oxen every year) peltry, timber, metals, manna, wax,
honey, and fome other lefs confiderable articles : The value of them,
in the year 1777, amounted to nearly 30 millions of dollars : The im-
ports confifling chiefly in wine, cloth, filk, hardware, rold, filver,
Eaft and Well-India goods, were fuppofcd to amount to no lefs than
47 millions of dollars.
Learning and learned men. J Though Copernicus, the threat
yeftorer of the true agronomical fyflem, Vorflius, and fome other
learned men, were natives of Poland, yet its foil is far from being fa-
vourable to learning. Latin is Ipokcn, though incorreftly, by the com-
mon people in fomc provinces. But the contempt which the nobility,
who heretofore placed tlieirthief importance in the privileges of their
xank, have ever Hiewn for learning ; the fervitude of the lower people,
and the univerfal faperllition among all ranks of men, thefe circum-
ftanceshave greatly retarded the progrcfs of letterr, in this kingdom. —
However, of late, a tafte for fcience hath fpread itfclf among the nobles,
and begins to he regarded as an accoraplilhijient.
Universities.] The univerfities of Poland are thofe of Cracow,
Wilna, and Pofna or Pofcn. The firll confifls of eleven colleges, anci
has the {upcrviforHiip of 14 grammar fchools difperfed through the.
city, the number of fludents 1111778, amounted to 600. Wilna wi:
under the fuperiutendance of the Jel'uits, but hnce their fupprellioi:
the king hath eflablifhed a committee of education, who awQint pru-
fefforsand dire,£l their lalaries and lludics : That of Pofna was ralhci
a Jefuit's college than an univerfity.
Antiquitiss Ai,'D c u R ics >T I E s, "1 TJie frequent incurfions of
natural AND ARTii-iciAr,. J thc Tartars, and Other barbat.-
ous nations, into Poland, probably forced the women fometimes tc^
leave their children expofed in the woods, where we luufl fuppofe
they were nurfed by bears and other wild bea lis, otherwifc it is difficult
to account for their fubfillenco. It is certain that fuch beings ha\'c
been found in the woods botli of Poland and Germany, divcftcd of al-
moU
232 POLAND iNCLUDiKG LITHUANIA.
moR all the properties of humanity but the form. When taken, thcv
generally went on all-fours ; but it is faid that fome of them ha.ve, by
proper management, attained to the ufe of fpecch.
The fait mines of Poland confift of wonderful caverns, feveral hun-
dred yards deep, at the bottom of which are many intricate windings
and labyrinths. Out of thefe are du? four different kinds of fait ; one
extremely hard, likecryftal ; another foflcr, but clearer ; a third white,
but brittle ; thefe are all brackilh ; but the fourth isfomewhat frefher.
Thefc four kinds arc dug in different mines, near the city Cracow ; on
one lide of them is a ftream of falt-water, and on the other, one of frefh.
The revenue ariRng from thofe, and other Uh mines, is very confider-
able, and formed part of the royal revenue before feized by Auftria j
the annual avera;fe profit of thofe of Wiclitzka, eight miles from Cra-
cow was about 98,000!. flerling. Out of fome mines at Itza, about 70
miles north-eaft of Cracow, are dug feveral kinds of earth, v/hich are
excellently adapted to the potter's ufc, and i'upply all Poland with
earthen ware. Under the mountains adjoining to Kiow, in the dcfci tr.
of Podolia are feveral grottos, where a great number of human bodies
are preferred, though buried a great number of years hnce, being nei-
ther fo hard nor fo black as the Egyptian mummies. Among them are
two princes, in the habits they ufed to wear. It is thought that this
preierving quality is owing to the nature of the foil, which is dry and
iandy. Poland can boafk of few antiquities, as old Sarmatia was never
perfcflly known to the Romans themielves. Its artificial rarities are
but fevv, the chief being the gold, filver, and enamelled vcifels, prefcnt,
ed by the kings and prelates of Poland, and preferved in the cathedral
of Gnefna,
Cities, towns, forts, amp other? Warfaw lies on the Vif-
Epii"iCF.s, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, j tula, and almolt in the ccn^
tre of Poland. It is the royal relidence ; and contains many magnifi-
cent places and other buildings, befides churches and convents. It
contains about 50,000 inhabitants, fome fay more, among whom is a
great number of foreigners. The ftreets are fpacious but ill paved,
and the gveateft part of the houfes, particularly in the fuburbs, are
mean v/ooden hovels. The city exhibits a ftrong ccntraft of wealth
and poverty, as did every part of this [till the late happy revolution
in favour of liberty ) imhappy and oppreffed country. It has little or
no commerce. The fame may be faid of Cracow, which is the capital
(though that honour is difputed by Warfaw) ; for we are told, that
notwithftandlng it lies in the neighbourhood of the rich falt-mines, and
is faid to contain fifty churches and convents, its commerce is inconfi-
derable. The city ftands in an extenfive plain, watered by the \'^iflula,
and with the fuburbs occupif s a vafh fpacc of ground, but all together
contains no more than 18 or 20,000 fouls. It is furrounded with high
brick walls, flrengthened with round and fquare towers in the ancient
llyle of fortification, and is garrifoned M'ith 600 Ruffians. Grodno,
though not the capital, is the*principal town in Lithuania, but a large
Ind ^haggling place, containing ruined palaces, falling houfes, and
't.vretched hovels, with about 2,200 inhabitants, [Zimmermann.] —
(Guthrie fays 7.000.) A large proportion of thefe are employed in
new manufaftures of cloths, camblets, linen, cotton, filk, Huff's, &t.
cflabliflied there by the king in 1776. Ke hath alio eftablifbed in this,
POLAND iKCLDDiNC LITHUANTA. -233
place, an academy of phyfic for Lithuania, in which 10 fludents are
inftrufted for phyfic, and 20 for furgery, all taught and maintained at
his own cxpcnfe. s
Dantzic is the capital of Polifh Pruffia, and is famous in hiftory on
many accounts, particularly that of its being formerly at the head of
the Hanfcatic affociation, commonly called the Hanfe-towns. It is
fituated on the Viflula, near five miles from the Baltic, and is a laroe,
beautiful, populous citv ; its houi'cs generally are five flories high ;
and many of its ftrcets are planted with chcfnut-trces. It has a line
harbour, and is ftill a mofl. eminent commercial city, although it fcems
to be fomewhat paft its meridian glory, which was probably about
the time that the prefident de Thou wrote his much efteemed Hijloria
Jui Tcmpo-i'is , wherein, under the year 1607, he fo highly celebrates its
commerce and grandeur. It is a republic, claiming a fmall adjaccnl;
territory about forty miles round it, which were under the prote6tion
of the king and the republic of Poland. Its magiftracv. and the majo-
rityofits inhabitants, are Lutherans; although the Romanids and
Calvinii'is are equally tolerated in it. It is rich, and has 26 pariflies,
with many convents and hofpitals. The inhabitants have been com-
puted to amount to 200,000 ; but later computations fall very confider-
ably fhort of it ; as appears by its annual bill of mortality, exhibited
by Dr. Bvfching, who tells us, that in the year 1752, there died but
iS^Sperfons. Its own fhipping is numerous ; but the foreign fljips
conftantly reforting to it are more fo, whereof io>4 arrived there in
the year 1752 ; in which year alfo 1288 Polifli vcifcls came down the
Vifiula, chiefly laden with corn, for its matchlefs grainaj ics ; from
whence that grain is dillributed to many foreign nations ; Poland being
juftly deemed the greateft magazine of corn in all Europe, and Danizic
the greateft port for diflributing it every where : Bcfidcs whidi,
Dantzic exports great quantities of na^'al ftores, and a vafl variety of
other articles. Dr. Bufching affirms, that it appears from ancient re-
cords, as early as theyear 997, that Dantzic was a large commercial city,
and not a village or inconfiderable town, as fomc pretend.
The inhabitants of Dantzic have often changed their mafters, and
have fometimes been under tl-^e proteftion of the Lnglifli and Dutch ;
but generally have fhewn a great predileftion for the kingdom and re-
public of Poland, as being lefs likely to rival them in their trade, or
abridge them of their immunities, which reach even to the privilege
of coining money. Though ftrongly fortified, and poifeffed of 150
large brafs cannon, it could not, through its fuuation, ftand a regular
liege, being furrounded with eminences. In 1734, the inhabitants
difcovered a remarkable attachment and fidelity towards Staniflaus,
king of Poland, not only, when his enemies, the PrufTians, were at their
gates, but even in poffelfion of the city.
Tlie reafon why Dantzic, Thorn, and Elbing, have enjoyed privi-
leges, both civil and religious, very different from thofe of the reft of
Poland, is, becaufe not being able to endure the tyranny of the Teu-
tonic knights, they put themfelves under the protection of Poland, re-
fcrving to themfelves large and ample privileges.
This city, as well as that of Thorn, were exempted by the king of
Pruflia from thofe claims which he lately made on the neighbouring
countries j notVvilhftanding which, his PrufTian majefty, foon after,
thought
234 POLAND INCLUDING LITHUANIA,
thought proper to feize on the territories belonging to Dantzic, under
pretence of their having been formerly part of Pplifli PruRja. He then
proceeded to poffcfs himfelf of the port-duties belonging to that city,
and erefted a cuftom-houfc in the harbour, \vhere he laid arbitrary
and infupportable duties upon goods exported or imported. To com-
plete the fylhem of oppreflion, cuRom-houfes were erefted at the very
gates of Dantzic, fo that no perfons (hould go in or out of the town^
without being fearched in the (Irifteft manner. Such is, the treatment
which the city of Dantzic has received from the king of Prufha, though
few cities have ever exifted, which have been comprehended in fo
many general and particular treaties, and v/hofe rights and liberties
have been fo frequently fecured, and guaranteed by fo many great
powers, and by fuch a long and jegular fucceflion of public atts, as
that of Dantzie has been. In the year J784, it was blockaded by his
troops, on various pretences ; by the interpofition of the emprefs of
Ruflla, and of the king of Poland, they were withdrawn, and a nego-'
ciation carried on by deputies at Warfaw ; which was concluded on
the ytli of September, by whi^h, if acceeded to by the citizens, the
place and trade of the city are to be reftored to its former {lability.
The city of Thorn was alfo treated by the king of Pruflia in the fame
unjuft and oppreflive manner with that of Pantjic, and is now added
to his dominions.
Akmy.] In the year 17S4, the Army of Poland confiftcd of
17,404 men.
A. Army of the Crov^n, or of Poland.
General Staff — — — 27
Cavalry _ __ «_ 5,483
Infantry — • — -— 7}7^'-^
B. Army of Lithuania.
General Staff — —
Cavalry — • — - —
Ipfantry — . — , .^ —
4,132
Accorduig to an aft of the fenate, in 1776, the crown army ought
to amount to 1,3,409, and that of Lithuania to 4770 men. The whole
military eftabiifhment is fubjeft to the regulations of the confeil
permantnt.
Finances.] The Revenue and Expenfes on a medium of three years
1782 — 1784 — are as follows.
Revenue — — 3» 1 935^35 German dollars.
Expenfes — — 2,825,453
Private chatouUe of the king, 1,333,000 florins.
The debts of Polar^d run high ; the whole amount is eftimated at
130 million of florins, of which only 1,144,000 florins were acknowl-
edged by the diet, and half a million of florins every year is appro-
priated to the payment of them.
RELicioy.] The eflablifhed religion is the Roman Catholic : —
Proteflants, to whom the name of DifTidents is now confined, are tol-
erated. In former times, the rights and numbers of the Protefl:ants
were
13,27a
26
2*425
i,68t
POLAND. ixcLUDiNG LITHUANIA.
23i
were fo gi'eat, that they claimed equal authority with the Roman Cath-
olics ; and about 1573, both parties were called diffidcntcs quoad re.^
ligionem. Yet afterwards, the Proteftants fufFered veiy great opprel'-
fion till after the late civil wars ; their rights were, at length, fettled
in 1778, by the interference of the neighbouring powers. Bclidcs
Calvinifts and Lutherans, tliere a)e, in Poland, congrcgationsof Orceins
Unitarians and Arians, all of whom are now comprehended under the
name of Dilhdenls. In Poland, the power of the pricfts, and the au-
thority of the Pope, was lately vcyy great. The Pope's nuncio had a
very extenfive ecclcfiallical jurifdi6lion. At the head of the Roman
Catholic clergy is the primate of Poland, who is arcjibifliop of Gnefen ;
He ftiles himfelf a prince : He had the firft rank among tlic fcnators,
and islcgatus natus of the Holy Sec, There were (17B7) in Poland,
12 bifliopricks, 37 abbeys, ,579 convents of men, and 86 of women. —
The knights of Malta, refiding in Poland, belong likewife to tlie clergy.
The Lutheran church, is governed by a Prefbytery, or confiftory of the
Antiftitcs of the cliurch and the minifters : There are great contefls
fubfjfling between the adherents of this church and tlie Catholics. —
The Calvinifts have one fenior general and three feniors, to whom the
government of their cliurch is entrufled.
Constitution and covernme n r,] Whole volumes have been
written upon this fubjeft. Before the lafl revolution, it difiered little
from an ariftocracy ; hence Poland hath been called a kingdom and
commonwealth. The king was the head of the republic, and v.'as
eleftcd by the nobility and clergy in the plains of Warfaw. They
elefted him on horfeback ; and in cafe there fhould be a refraftory
minority, the majority had no control over them, but to cut them in
pieces with tlieir fabres, but if the minority were fufficiently ftrong, a
qivil war enfued. Immediately after his eleftion, he v^s to fign the
paBa conventn of the kingdom, by which he cnga^^cd to introduce no
foreigners into the army or government; fo that in fad he was no
more than prefident of the fenate, which was compofed of the primate,
the archbifliop of Lemburg, fifteen bilhops, and 130 laymen, conlift-
ing of the great officers of Hate, the Palatines, and Caflcllanls,
The diets of Poland were ordinary and extraordinary : The former
met once in two, and fometirncs three years ; the latter was furrimoned
by the king, upon critical emergencies ; but one dilTenting voice ren-
dered all their deliberations ineffeftual. But this form of government
no longer exifls in Poland. A glorious revolution has lately been ef-
fefted without bloodfhcd, and almoft. without oppofuion, in favour of
civil and religious liberty. Its commencement may be daced from the
14th of April 1791, a day wliich v/ill hereafter be memorable in the
annals of Poland. In the fefficn of that day a law was unanimoufly
paffcd by the diet relative to cities and tlieir inhabitants, wliich reflores
them to their primitive rights, allbciates them with the legillaiivc pow-
er, and will ferve as a bafis for ftill more extenfive regulations, to re-
duce the different orders of citizens, to that relative equalitv, which
conftitutes the very foul cf a folid and jufl conllitution. Upon this
occafion, the plan of M. Suchorzewfkia, member from Kplifli, was
adopted. The fubftancc of the principles which have been decreed
agreeable to this projeft, is, " To deftroy the difference of orders and
cJaffes; to grant liberty to all citizens, without diRin61ion ; to rcftorc
Nobilitv
236 POL A N D INCLUDING L 1 T H U A N I A.
Nobility to its true origin, that is, to the prerogative of merit and vir-
tue : But at the fame time, to effe6l thcfe different changes by degrees,
and with luch precautions as will procure the fuccefs of them." Po-
land may therefore date her reftoration from that day ; for, with fuch
principles as thefe, uniformly followed up, fhe will become powerful
from her external llrength, and will be truly independent.
When the National AflTembly of France reduced the Nobility to an
equality with the citizens, the greater number of its members confifled
of the Titrs Etat ; but when Poland railed her citizens to that equality,
the diet confided of Nobility only. And yet there was no divihon
within doors, nor commotion witliout. Eloquent and perfuafivc as
the king is on all occafions. on this he feemed lo out dohimielf. The
iubjeft touched his heart ; lie fpoke with an uncommon degree of fire
and enthuiiafm, and his hearers caught the flame.
Count Malachowfky and Prince Sapaicha. marflials of the diet, were
particularly animated and happy in the arrangement and folidity of
their arguments. Prince Adam Czartoryfki Wawrzecki. and Xiem-
ccwicz, membeis for Livonia, alfo diflinguiflied themfclves in a re-
markable manner: " None of us,'' faid this laft gentleman, fpeaking
«jf the excluiion of all fuch as are not Nobles, from offices of truft and
honours, " knows who were the anceftors, or what was the religion of
"Washinoton and Fraxki in ; but all of us know what important
fcrvices thefe illuftrious charafters rendered to their country. Let not,
therefore, the modcfty of citizens prcfcribe limits to our generofity. Let
us notaik, nor look into eld papers to afcertain, what they have a right
to demand ; but let us grant them, out of our own free accord, all that
the welfare of our own country requires that they fhould pofl'cfs."
The new confiitution for fubflance is as follows.
1. The Catholic Religion fliall be the governing religion of the States,
raid the king fliall profefs iti But all other forms of worflrip fiiall be
admitted, and a general toleration, civil and religious, fliall be a fun-
damental law of the kingdon.
2. The ancient privileges and rights of the noblefle are approved
and confirmed.
3. At the fame time all the rights and privileges of the people ;if-
ferted, renewed or granted to them during the prefeiit diet, are equally
i-atified and confirmed.
4. All fl:rangers who arrive and fettle in Poland, fliall enjoy full and
:ntire liberty.
5. The peafantry are taken under the proteftion of the laws and of
government. They are relieved from all arbitrary impofitions, and do
lot depend henceforth, in what regards their rights and labours, only
m the contracts which they fhall make with their feigniors. All for-
;ign labourers are free to enter and fettle in Poland, or to depart, ful-
iling only the obligations of the contrafts they may have made with
he proprietors of the foil.
6. The government of Poland, fliall be compofed of three branches,
n- diftinft parts ; the legiilative power, the executive power, and the
udicial power.
7. The legiflative power belongs exclufively to the ftatcs aflcmbled
n the diet, and compofed of the two connc6ied chambers, viz. the
enate and the chamber of Nuncios,
8. The
POLAND iNCMjDiNG L 1 T H U A N I A. 237
8. The king (Inll cxcrcifc the executive power with his council*
This council fhall be compofed of the primate and five minifters, who
ihall each have a department. No order of the king can be put in
execution unlefs it is figned by the minifters, whofc lives and for-
tunes {hall be refponiible to each diet for the orders they fliall fign. As
loon iS two thirds of the diet fhall demand the change of miniUers,
the king {hall bo bound to difmifs them, and to name others in their
place.
9. The eleftion of king fliall never fell heieafter on an individual.
A whole family fhall be elefted when the royal family fliall be ex-
tinft.
to. In cafe of the minority of the king, his tutelage and the regen-
cy, (liallbein the hands of the queen mother and the council, refpon-
fible to the diet.
11. The education of the King's children is confided in like man-
ner.
12. The judicial power fliall be fixed for each, palatinate, territory,
and diflrift. The judges {hall be elefted at the dictines.
The following articles were afterwards added to the new conftitu-
tton, and have received the unanimous fanftioa of the diet.
*' No government, though it were the moft perfcft that can be im-
agined, can fubfift unlel's the executive power be enabled to aft with
the fullefl energy.
Jufl and equitable laws are the foundation of national happinefs'.
All the good effefts to be expcfted from them, mufb depend on their
having been vigoroufly executed.
Experience has taught us, that to a want of this executive energy,
Poland owes all its misfortunes.
For thofe reafons, after having infured liberty to the Polifh nation,
and having made it independent ; after having fccurcd to it the right
of making laws, and of watching over the executive authority, and
alfo of choofing all public magiftrates ; we entruft the king, and his
council, with the fupreme execution of the laws.
The executive power fhall be under a drift obligation to fuperin-
tend the execution of the laws, and exemplarily to conform to them.
It {liall aft in all cafes permitted by the law : In all fuch cafes which
require a fuperintendance, execution, and even a coercive force. All
magi{lrates are bound to obey it implicitly ; and by it they are liable
to be punifhed for neglcft of duty or difobedience.
The executive power fhall neither make laws nor explain them. It
fhall not impofe taxes, or lay contributions. It fhall uot contraft
debts, nor make the lead alteration in the colleftion of the revenue-,
and finally, it fhall neither declare war, nor make peace ; nor make
any treaties with other powers. It {hall only be enabled to have a
temporary correfpondence with foreign courts, fo far as the fafcly and
tranquillity of the ilate may require ; and for this it fhall be accounta-
ble to the following legiflature."
The king declared that the conftitution had been formed out of the
£nglijh and American forms of government.
Remarkable events.] During the years 1769, 1770, and 177 J,
confufion, devallation, and civil war, raged in Poland, by which the
whole face of the country was almoil deftroyed ; many of the prinai-
pal
s^8 POLAND INCLUDING L I T H U A N I A.
pal Polifli families retired into foreign ftates with their effefts ; and
had it not been for a body of Ruffian troops which afted as guards t6
the king at Warlaw, that city had likewife exhibited a fcene of plunder
and malfacre. To thefe complicated evils, were added, in the year
1770, that moft dreadful feourgc the peililence, which fpread from the
frontiersof Turkey,lo the adjoining provinces of Podolia, Volhinia, and
the Ukraine; and in thefe provinces it is faid to have fwept off 250,000
of the people. Meanwhile, fome of the Polifh confederates interceded
iivith the Turks to affift them againft their pov/erflil eppreiTors ; and a
war enfued between the Ruffians and the Turks on account of Poland.
But it has been obfervcd. that the conduft of the Grand Signior and
of the Ottoman Porte towards the diftreffed Poles, were ftriftly juft
and honourable, and the very reverfe of that of their Chriftian, Catho-
lic, and Apollolic neighbours.
In 17S4, the emprefs of Ruffia tranfmitted to the court of Warfaw
an aft of renunciation, figned with her own hand, and fealed with the
leal of the empire, wlierein flie declares, " That {he did by no means
arrogate either to herfelf^ her heirs and fucceffors, or to her empire,
any right or claim to the diftrifls or territories, Which were aftually in
poffeflion, or fubjeft to the authority of the kingdom of Poland, or
great duchy of Lithuania ; but that, on the contrary, her faid majeRy
would guarantee to the faid kingdom of Poland and duchy of Lithuania,
all the immunities, lands, territories, and diftrifts, which the faid king-
dom and duchy ought by right to poffeis, or did now aftually poffefs ;
and would at all times, and for ever, maintain them in full and fre«
enjoyment thereof, againft the attempts of all and every one who^
{hould at any time, or on any pretextj endeavour to difpoffefs them of
the fame." In the fame year did the king of Pruffia fign, with his
own hand, an aft, wherein he declared, that he had no claims, formed
no pretenhons on Poland, or any part thi^reof : That he renounced
sU claims on that kingdom, either as king of Prufiia, eleftor of Bran-
denburg, or duke of Pomerania." In the fame inftrument he guaran-
tees, in the moft folemn manner, the territories and rights of Poland
againft every power whatever, The emprefs-queen of Hungary, fo
late as the month of January 1771, wrote a letter with her own hand
to the king of Poland, in which flie gave him the ftrongeft affurances,
" That her friendfhip for him and the republic was firm and unaltera--
ble : That the motion of her troops ought not to alarm him : That flic
had never entertained a thought of feizing any part of his dominions,
nor would even fuffer any other power to do it." From whicli, ac-
cording to the political creed of princes, we may infer, that to guaran-
tee the rights, liberties, and revenues of a ftate, means to annihilate
thofe liberties, feize upon thofe rights, and appropriate thofe revenues
to their own ufe. Such is the faith of princes, the inftability of human
tiolitics, and of human affairs.
On September 3d, I771, an attempt was rriade by Ko2'.in{ki, an of-
ficer among the Polifh confederates, and fevefal others, tO aflafTinate
the king of Poland, in the ftieets of Warfawi His majefty received
two wounds on his head, one fiom a ball, and the other from a fabre ;
notwithftanding which he had the good fortune to efeape with life,
by Koz.infki's relenting, for which his own life waS faved, and he
now refidcs in the papal tcritories. with an annual penfton from
the
I^OLAND iKCLu3(iSG LITHUANIA. 239
the king. Pulafki, another of the confpirators, diflinguifhed himfelf
in the American fervice, and was killed in attacking the Britifh lines
at Savannah, in 1779.
The following year, 1772, it appeared, that the king of Prufha, the
emperor and emprefs queen, and the emprefs of Ruffia, had entered
into an alliance to divide and difmember the kingdom of Poland :
though PrulTia Was formerly in a flate of vaflalage to Poland, and the
title of king of PrufTiav/as never acknowledged by the Poles till 1764.
Ruffia in the beginning of the 17th century Taw its capital and throne
poffefled by the Poles, while Auftria in 1683 was indebted to a king of
Poland for the prefervation of its metropolis, and almoft for its very
exiftence. The three allied powers, afting in concert, fet up their for-
mal pretenfions to the refpeftive diflrifts which they had allotted for
and guaranteed to each other : Polilh, or Weftern PrufTia, and fomc
diftrifts bordering upon Brandenburgh, for the king of PrufTia 5 almoft
all the i'outh-eaft parts of the kingdom bordering upon Hungary, to-
gether with the rich falt-works of the crown, for the emprefs queen
of Hungary and Bohemia ;* and a large diftrift of country about Mo-
hilow, upon the banks of the Dnieper, for the emprefs of Ruflia-t —
But though eacit of the powers pretended to have a legal title to the
territories which were allotted them refpcftively, and publiflied man-
ifeflos in juftification of the mcafures which they had taken, yet as
they were confcious that the fallacies by which they fupported their
pretenfions Were too grofs to impofe upon mankind, they forced the
Poles to call a new diet, and threatened them, that if they did not
Confent unanimoufly to fign a treaty for the ceding of thofe provinces
to them refpeftively, the whole kingdom would be laid under a milita-
i-y execution, and treated as a conquered flate. In this extremity of
diftrefs, feveral of the Polifh nobility protefted againfl this violent a£i;
of tyranny, and retired into foreign flates, choofing rather to live in
exile, and to have all their landed property ccnfifcated, than be the
inftruments of bringing their country to utter ruin ; but the king of
Poland was prevailed upon to fign this aft, and his example was follow-
ed by many of his fubjefts.
As to the king of Pruflia, his conduft in Poland was the mofl tyran-
nical and oppreffive that can be conceived. It was in the year 1771
that his troops entered into Great Poland, and during the fpace of that
year he carried off from that province, and its neighbourhood, at a
moderate computation, 12.000 families. On the 29th of Oftober, in
the fame year, an edift was publifhed by his Fruirian majefly, com-
manding every perfon, under the fevereft penalties, and even corporal
punifhment, to take in payment for forage, provifions, corn, hoi ies,
&c.
• The diftria claimed by Auftria, was " all that traft of land lying on the right fiJe of
the Viftula, from Silefia above Sandornir to the mouth of the San, and from thfncs by
Franepolci Zamoife, ar.d Rubieffow, to the Bog ; from the Bog along the frontiers of Red
Ruffia to Zabras, on the borders of Volhinia and Podolia, and from Zabras in aftr.iit !inc to
the N'ieper, where it receives the Sbrjtz, taking in a part of Podolia, and then along the
houndiries fepar.iting Podolia from Moldavia. This country is now incorporated with Auf
tria, under the appellation of the kingdonss of Caliciaand Lodomiria.
+ The Ruffian claims comprife Polifli Livonia, that part of the palatinate of Polotlk to
the call of Duna — the pahitinates of Viteplk, Micifiaw and two portion'; of the palatinsfe of
Min(k. This tradt of land (Polifh Livonia excepted) is fituated in White Rufiia, aid in-
dudes full one third of Lithuania. It is now divided into the governments of Poloiik zui
Mohilef,
240 POLAND iscLUDiKG LITHUANIA.
&c. the money offered by his troops and comrailTaries. This money
wasciiher filver bearing the imprellion of Poland, and exatlly worth
One-third of its nominal value, or ducats flruck in imitation of Dutcli
ducats, feveteea per cent, inferior to the real ducats of Holland.—
With this bale money he bought up corn and forage enough, not on-
ly to fupply his army for f.vo whole years, but to llock magazines
in the country itfelf, where the inhabitants were forced to come
and re-purchafe corn for their daily fubliftence at an advanced price,
and with good money, his cominiiraries rcfufing to take the fame
coin they had paid. At the lowed calculation he gained, by this
moft wicked manceu.vre, feven millions of dollars. Having ftrip-
pcd the country of money and provihons, his next attempt was to thin
it ftill more of its inhabitants. To people his own dominions, at the
expenis of Poland, had been his great aim ; for this purpofe he hit
upon a new contribution ; every town and village was obliged to fur-
nifti a certain number of marriageable girls ; the parents to give as a
portion, a feather-bed, four pillows, a cow, two hogs, and three ducats
in gold. Some were bound hand and foot, and carried off as criminals.
His cxaftions from the abbeys, convents, cathedrals, and nobles, v/ere
£b heavy, and exceeded at lalt their abilities lb much, that their priefts
abandoned their churches, and the nobles their lands., Thei'e exac-
tions continued with unabated rigour, from the year 1771, to the time
the treaty of partition \v^.5 declared, and poffeihon taken of the prov-
inces ufurped. From thefe proceedings it would appear that his Pruf-
fianmajefty knew no rights but his own ; no pretentions but thole of
Brandenhurgh ; no other rule of juftice but his own pride and ambi-
tion.
The violent difmembermcnt and partition of Poland * has juflly been
confidered as the firft great bieach in the modern political fyftem of
Europe. The furprile of a town, the invafion o^ an infignificant prov-
ince, or the cleftion of a prince, who had neither abilities to be /eared,
nor virtues to be loved, would fome years ago have armed one half of
Europe, and called forth all the attention of the other. But the de-
llruftion of a great kingdom, with the confequent derangement of
power, dominion, and commerce, has been beheld by the other nations
of Europe with the moflaftonifhing indifference and unconcern. The
courts of London, Paris. Stockholm, and Copenhagen, remonflrated
againfl the ufurpations, but that was all. Poland was forced to fub.
mit, and the partition was ratified by their diet, held under the bribes
and threats of the three powers. In the fenate there was a majority
of fi.x, but in the lower houfe, the affembly of nuncios, there was but
one vote in favour of the meafure, 54 againfl 53. This is a very alar-
ming circumflance, and Ihews tliat a mofl important, though not
happy change, has taken place in that general fyllem of policy, and
arrangement of power and dominion, which had been for feme ages an
obje6l of unremitting attention with mofl of the flates of Europe.
Former kings might, perhaps, on fome occafions, difgovcr rather more
anxiety about preferving the balance of power in Europe than was
neceffary :
• The kingdom of Poland, previous to itsdifmembciment, contained 14,000,000 inhabi-
tants : Atprelent they are I'uppfed not to contain 9,000,000 ; and of this difterence the
Auftrians have acquired 2,500,000 fouls, by their furrepuiious part of the provinces,
thovigb thofe now polTefled by Kuliia arc the moft extcnfive in territory.
SWITZERLAND.
241
nSceflary : but it has been well remarked, that the idea of confiderlng
Europe as a vaft commonwealth, of the fcveral parts being diftinft and
feparate, though pfolitically and commercially united, of keeping them
independent, though unequal in power, and of preventing any one,
by any means, from becoming too powerful for the reft, was great and
liberal, and, though the refult of barbarifm, wais founded upon the
m£>ft enlarged principles of the wifeft policy.
Staniflaus Auguftus, the prefent king of Poland, whofe rfiemory is
endeared to all lovers of liberty, by the lat€ memorable Revolution, was
born in 1732, and crowned king of Poland in 1764. This prince,
while a private nobleman, refided fome time in London, and is a
fellow of the Royal Society. Long may he live !
SWITZERLAND.
Situation and Extent.
Miles. Degrees.
Length 260 7 u f / ^ ^"*^ ^ ^ ^^^ longitude.
Breadth 100 j t 4^ ^^^ 4^ north latitude.
P -,TTis bounded by Alface and Su^bia, in Germany, On
iiouNDARiES.JJ^^j^g North; by the lake of Conftance, Tirol, and
Trent, on the Eaft ; bv Italy, on the South ; and by France, oa
the Weft.
Divisions.] Sv;itzerland is divided into thirteen cantons, \vhich
{land in point of precedency as follows : i. Zurich; 2. Berne; 3.
, Lucerne ; 4. Uri ; 5. Schweitz ; 6. Underwalden ; 7. Zug ; 8 Claris ;
9. Bafil ; 10. Fribourg ; 11. Soleure ; 12. SchafFhaufen ; 13. Ap-
J)enzel.
The beft account we have of the dimenfions and principal towns
of each canton, is as follows :
42
SWITZERLAND,
Countries Names.
Switzerland.
Square
Miles.
5-
Chief Cities".
fBerne
Zurich
3,346
Ul
~7
Berne
7.8
34
33
Zurich
Calvinifts. -^ Schaffhaufen
140
n
9
Schaffhaufen
Bafil
240
21
18
BASIL /47-4oN.lat.
I 7-4oE.lon.
f Lucerne
460
33
35
Lucerne
Underwalden
270
23
16
Stantz
Uri
612
48
21
Altorf
Catholics. ^ Suiffe
250
27
13
Suilfe
Fribourg
370
24
21
Fribourg
Zug
112
iB
10
Zug
l^Soleure
253
31
24
Soleure, or Solothum
Calvinifts and f Appenzel
Catholics. I Claris
270
23
21
Appenzel
"57
24
18
Claris
fBaden ]
Baden
Bremgarten V
216
26
12
Bremgarten
Thefubjeasof
Mellingen
Mellingen
theSwifsjCal-
Pvheint'hal
40
20
5
Rheineck
vinifls and <( Thurgau
1*9
18
11
Frowanficld
Catholics.
Lugano ^
Lugano
Locarno 1
850
Locarno
Mendris j
5^ li"
Mendris
LMaggia J
Magta
Swifs Allies,
Calvinifts Grifons
2.270
100162
Co ire
Subjefts of the f ChiavannaT
Grifons, Cal- < Bormio & >
47-2
42.
34
Chiavanna
vinifts&Cath. [Valtelinc J
360
27
'9
Sondrio
rXockenburg
Calvinifts. ^ Geneva
168
27
8
Liechtenfteg
160
13
11
Geneva
[ Neufchatel
320
qL',
?.c
Neufchatel
fValais
^,^87
80
30
Sion
Catholics. ^ Bafte
LSt. Gall
270
144
>3
16
Delfperg
20
IC
St. Gall
ivi 1 J 1 n3n i(f*n m Aira/*f
Tota^
12.884
iVJL Ul JlCJUlV^li J III AlilaCV'
is alfo united to them.
Air, CLIMATE, son., AND FACE "I This being a mountainous
OF THE COUNTRY. J country, lying upon the Alps,
(which form an amphitheatre of more than 100 miles) the frofts are
confcquently bitter in winter, the hills being covered with fnowfome-
tim.es all the year. In fummer the inequality of the foil renders the
fame province very unequal in its feafons ; on one fide of thofe moun-
tains the inhabitants are often reaping, while they are fowing on an =
other. The vallics, however, are warm and fruitful, and well culti-
vated, and nothing can be more delightful than the fummer months in
this charming country. It is fubjed to rains and tempcfts ; for which
reafon
SWITZERLAND, 243
Jeafon public granJiries are every \vhere erefted to fupply the failure
of their crops. The water of Switzerland is generally excellent and
often defcends from the mountains in large or fmall catarads which
have a delightful effctt.
There is, perhaps, no country in the world Wherein the advanta-
geous efFo£>s of unw-iuiedandperfevcring ii^duflry are more remarka-
bly conTpicuoas than in Svviir.erbnd. In pafling over the mountain-
ous parts of it, the traveller is ftruck with admiration, to obferve rocks
that were formerly barren, now planted with vines, or abounding
with rich pafliire ; and to mark tlie traces of the plough along the
f.des of precipices fo deep, that a horlc could not even afcend ihcm
without great difficulty. In {hort, the inhabitants fcem to have fur-
mounted every obdruaion which foil, fituation, and climate had
thrown in their way, and to have fprcad fertility over various fpots of
the country, which nature feemed to have configned to cvcrlaftinp-
barrennefs. The feet of the mountains, and fometimes alfo the very
fummits, are covered with vinevards, cornfields, meadows, and paf-
ture-grounds. Other parts of this country arc more dreary, confiding
almofl entirely of barren and inacceffible rocks, fome of which are
continually covered with fuow or ice. The vallies, between thefc
icy and fnov/y mountains, appear like fo many fmooth frozen lakes,
and from them vaft fragments of ice frequently fall down into the more
fruitful fpots beneath. In fome parts, there is a regular gradation
from extreme wildnefs, to high cultivation ; in others the tranfitions
are very abrupt, and very ftriking. Sometimes a continued chain of
cultivated mountains, richly clothed with wood, and duddcd all over
with hamlets, cottages above the clouds, paftures, which appear fuf-
pended in the air, exhibit the mod delightful landf-jape that can be
conceived ; and in other places appear rugged recks, catarafts, and
mountains of a prodigious height, covered with ice and fnow. In
ihort, Switzciland abounds with the mod pifturcfqiie fccnes ; and
riere are to be found fome of the mod fublime exhibitions of nature,
in her mod awful and tremendous forms.
Rivers and lakes.] The chief rivers are the Rhine, which rifes
in the chain of mountains bordering on St. Gothard, the Aar, thft
Reufs, the Tchn, tlie Oglio, and the Rhone. The lakes arc thofe of
Geneva, CQndance,Thun, Lucerne, Zurich, Biel, and Brien.
Metals and minerals.] The mountains contain mines of iron,
crydal, virgin fulphur, and fprings of mineral waters.
Vegetable AND animal productions.] Switzerland produces
fheep and cattle, wine, wheat, barley, oats, rye, flax, and h^mp ; plenty
of apples, pears, nuts, cherries, plums, and cheinuts ; the parts towards
Italy abound in peaches, almonds, figs, citrons, and pomegrantes ; and
mod of the cantons abound in timber, Beddes game, fiiln, and fowl,
arc alfo found, in fome of the higher and more inacceffible parts of
the Alps, the bouquetin and the chamois ; whole activity in fcouring
along the deep and craggy rocks, and in leaping over the precipices,
is hardly conceivable. The blood of both thefe animals is of fo hot
a rrature, that the inhabitants of fome of thefe mountains, who arc
very fuhjeft to pleurihcs, take a few drops tjf it, mixed with water,
as a remedy for that diforJer. The flcdi of the chamois is cdeemcd
very deKcious. Among the Alps is like wife found a fpccies of hares,
^ 2 which
244 S W I T Z E R L A N D. '
which in fummer is faid pcrfeftly to refemble other hares, but in winter
becomes all over white, lb thai they are fcarcely diftinguifliable among
the fnow. But this idea hath been lately exploded, nor is it certain
whether the two fpecics ever couple together. The white hare feldom
quits his rocky refidence. Here are alfo yellow and white foxes,
which in winter fometimes come down into the vallies.
PoruxATiGN, xNHAUiTANTs, MANNKRSj"^ According to thc befl
cusTOiNTS, AND DIVERSIONS. / accounts, the cantons of
Switzerland contain about 2,000,000 of inhabitants, who are a brave,
hardy, induilrious people, remarkable for their fidelity, and their zeal-
ous attacliment to the liberties of their country. Like the old Romans,
they are equally inured to arms and agriculture. A general fimplicity
of manners, an open and unafi'efted franknefs, together with an invin-
cible fpirit of freedom, are tlie moft diftinguifliing charafterifticks of
the inhabitants oF Switzerland. They arc in general a very enlighten-
ed nation ; their common people are far more intelligent than the lame
rankof men in moft other countries ; a tafte for literature is very prev-
alent among thofe wlio are in better circumftances, and even amongft
many of the lowei'l rank ; and a genuine and unartful goad breeding
is very confpicuous in the Swifs gentry. On the firft entrance
into this country, the traveller cannot but obferve- the air of content
and fatisfaftion which appears in the countenances of the inhabitants.
The clcanlinefs of the houfes, and of the people, is peculiarly flriking ;
and in all their manners, behaviour, and drefs, fome ftrong outlines
may be traced, which diftinguilh this happy people from the neigh-
bouring nations, who labour under the opprelfions of defpotic govern-
ment. Even the Swifs cottages convey the livelieft image of clcanli-
nefs, eafe, and fimplicity, and cannot but ftrongly imprefs upon the
obferver a moft plcahng conviftion of the peafaut's happinefs. In
fome of thc cantons, each cottage has its little territory, confifting gen-
erally of a Held or two of fine pafture ground, and frequently fkirted
'with trees, and well fiipplied with water. Sumptuary laws are in
force in moft parts of Switzerland ; and no dancing is allowed, except
upon particular occafions. Silk, lace, and fcveral other articles of
luxury, are totally prohibited in fome of thc cantons ; and even the
head-drelfes of the ladix^s are regulated. All games of hazard are alio
flriftly prohibited •, and in otiier games, the party vv^ho lofes above fix
ilorins, which is about nine fliillings of our money, incurs a conlidera-
bl'efine. Their cUvcrfions, therefore, are chiefly of the aftive and
warlike kind ; and as their time is not wafted in games of chance,
"many of them employ part of their leifure hours in readings to the great
improvement of their undcrft.andings. Thc youth are diligently train-
ed to all the martial exercifcs, fuch as running, wreftling, throwing
the hammer, and fiiooting both with the croisbow and mulket.
Rk r iGiON. ] Though all tlie Swifs cantons form but one political
republic, yet thev are not united in religion, as the reader, in the tabic
prefixed, may perceive. Thofc difierences in religion formerly creat-
ed many republican commotions, which fecm now to have fubfided. — ■
Zuinglius was the apoftle of protcftantifm in Switzerland. He was
a moderate reformer, and differed from Luther and Calvin only in a
few fpeculative points ; fo that Calvinifm is faid to be the religion of
thc pj\Jtell.ant Swillcs. iiul this mult be underftood chicfiv with re-
ipca,
SWITZERLAND. 245
fpeft to the mode of church government ; for in feme doftrinal points
they are far from being univerl'ally Calviniftical. 'I'herc is, however,
too much religious bigotry prevalent among them ; and though they
are ardently attached to the intercfhs of civil liberty, their loniimcnls
.on the fubjeft of religious toleration are, in general, much Icfs liberal.
Language.] Several languages prevail in Switzerland; but the
moft common is German. The SwifTes 'who border upon Trance
fpeak a baflard French, as thofe near Italy do a corrupted Latin or
Italian.
Learning and learned men.] Calvin, whofe name is fo well
known in all proteftant countries, inftituted laws for the city of Gene-
va, which arc held in high eflcem by the mod learned of that country.
The ingenious and eloquent, but deiflical J. J. Rouflcau too, whofe
works the prefent age have received with fo much approbation, was a
citizen of Geneva. Rouileau gave a force to the T'rench language,
which it was thought incapable of receiving. In England he is gener-
ally known as a profe-writer only, but the French admire hnn as a poet,
His opera of the Dcvin du Village in particular is much ellcemcd. M.
Bonnet, and Meff. de SaufTure, De Luc, De Lolmc, the Marquis Bec-
caria and Lavater, alfo del'crve to be mertioned with applaufe, and
will be remembered till the Alps fhall be no more.
Universities.] The univcrfity of Baiil, which was founded in
1459, has. a very curious phylic-garden, which contains the choiceft
exotics ; and adjoining 10 the library, which contains fomc valuable
manufcripts, is a Mufeum well furnifhed with natural and artificial
curiofities, and with a great number of medals or paintings. In the
cabinets of Erafmus and Amerbach, which alfo belong to this univerfi-
tv, there are no lefs than twenty original pieces of Holbein ; for one
of which, reprefenting the death of our blclled Saviour, a thoufand
ducats have been offered. The other vmiverlities, which indeed
are commonly only ililed colkges, are thoi'e of Born, Laufanne, and
Zurich.
Antiquities and curiosities, 1 Every diftrirt of a canton
NATURAL and ARTIFICIAL. Jin this mcuutaJnous couutry,
prefents the traveller with a natural curiofity ; fotnetimes in thefliape
of wild but l)eautiful profpefts, interfperfed with lofty buildings, and
wonderful hermitages, efpecially one, two leagues from Friburg. —
This was formed by the hands of a fingle iiermit, who laboured on it
for 25 years, and was living in 1709. It is the greateft curiofity of.
the kind perhaps in the world, as it contains a chapel, a parlour 28
paces in length, 1 2 in breadth, and 20 feet in height, a cabinet, a kitch-
en, a cellar, and other apartments, with the altar, benches, flooring,
ceiling, all cut out of the rock. At the famous pafs of Pierre Pcrtuisy
the road is carried through a folid rock, near 50 feet thick, the height
of the arch 26, and its breadth 25. The marcalites, falfe diamonds,
and other (tones, found in thofe mountains, are juftly ranked among
the natural curiohties of the country. The ruins of Ccxlar's wall,
which extended 18 miles in length, from Mount Jura to the banks of
Lake Lcman, are flill dilccrnible. Many monuments of antir;uity have
been difcovered near the baths of /iadcn, which were i;nown to'the
Romans in llie time of Tacitus. Switzerland boafts of rru'ny noble le-
|igio^s buildings, p.micularly a college of jrfiifs : and many cabinets
246 SWITZERLAND.
oF valuable manufcripts, antiques, and curiofities of all kinds. Near
Rofmiere, is a famous fpring which rifes in ihemidft of a natural bafon
cf 12 fquare feet : The force that afts upon it tnuft be prodigious ;
after a great fhower of rain, it carries up a column of water as thick as
a man's thigh, nearly a foot above its furface. Its temperature never
X'aries ; its furface is clear as cryfta!, and its depth unfathomable ';
probably the end of fome fubtcrrancous lake, that hath here found an
ilTue for its waters.
Cities.] Of thefe themoH; confiderable is the city of Bern, Hand-
ing on the river Aar. This city and canton, it is faid, forms aimoft a
third of the Helvetic confederacy, and can, upon occafion, fit out
100,000 armed ir.en. All the other cities in Switzerland are excel-
lently well provided with arfenals, bridges, and public edifices. Bafil
is accounted by fome the capital of all Switzerland. It is fituated in
a fertile and delightful country, on the banks of the Rhine, and the
confines of Alface and the empire. It contains two hundred and
twenty (Ireets, and fix market-places. The town-houfe, which ftands
on the river Birfec, is fupported by verv large pillars, and its great
hail i.i finely painted by the celebrated Ilans Holbein, who was a na-
tive of this citv. The'fituaticn of Bafil is pleafing : The Rhine di-
vides it into the upper and lower town, and it is confidered as one of
the keys of Switzerland. Baden is famous for its antiquity and baths.
Zurich is far lefs confiderable than Bern, but in the arfenal is fhewn
the bow of the famous William Tell, and in the library is a manufcript
cf excellent letters, written bythe unfortunate La-dy Jane Gre/, to the
judicious reformer BuUingcr, in elegant Latin and German.
To prevent a repetition, I fhall here mention the city of Geneva,
which is an aflTociate of Switzerland, and is under the protcftion of
the Helvetic body, but within itfelf is an independent ftate, and repub-
lic. The city is well built, and well fortified, and contains £4,000
inhabitants, mofl: of whom are Calvinifts. It is fituated upon the
afflux of the Rhone from the large |ine lake of Geneva, It is celebrat-
ed for the learning of the piofcflbrs of its univerfity, and the good
government of its colleges, the purity of its air, and the politenefs of
its inhabitants. By its fituation, it is a thoroughfare from Germany,
France, and Italy. It contains a number of fine manufaftures and'
artifts; fo that the protefiants, efpecially fuch as are of a liberal turn,
efleem it a moft delightful place. But the fermentation of their poli-
tics, and particularly the ufurpation of the Senate, hath divided
the citizens into parties, «nd the late ftruggle of Patricians and Ple-
beians had nf arly ruined ail. The citv is now under the proteftion
of Frapce, or rather its magiftrates and council, the partisans of ariflo-
cracy ; many of its valuable citizens have accordingly left the place,
and fought refuge and prcteftion in Ireland and other parts.
Commerce and manufactures,] The produftions of thcloom,
linen, dimity, lace, fl:ockings, handkerchiefs, ribands, filk and painted
cottons, and gloves, are common in Switzerland, and the inhabitants
arc nov/ beginning, notwithftanding their funiptuary laws, to fabricate
filks, \-clvets, and woollen manufa£lnres. Their great progrefs in thofe
rnanufaftures, and in agriculture, gives them a profpcft of being able
{oon to make confiderable exports.
Constitution and government.] Thefe arc very complicated
heads, though belonging to the fame body, being partly arillocratical,
and
SWITZERLAND.
£47
and partly democratical. Every canton is abfolute in its own juvifdic-
tion, byt thofe of ^ern, Zurich, and Lucerne, with other dependencies,
are ariftocratical, with a certain mixture of democracy, Bern excepted.
Thofc of Uri, Schweitz, Underwakl, Zug, Claris, and Appcnzel, are
4emocratical. Bafil, though it has the appearance of an aridocracv,
rather inclines to a democracy. But even thofe ariflocracics and dr-
jpocracies differ in their particular modes of government. However,
Iiji all of them ths real intcrefls of the people appear to be much attend-
e(i tQ, and they enjoy a degree of happinefs not to be expcfted in dcf-
pptic governments. Each canton hath prudently reconciled itfelf to
the errors of its neighbour, and cemented, on the bafis of aileftion, a
fyllem of mutual defence. ^
The confederacy, conhdered as a republic, comprehends three divi-
lions. The fir ft are the Swiffes, properly fo called. The fecond are
the Grifons, or the dates confederated with the SwifTes, for their
common protedion. The third are thofe prefefturcs, which, though
(ubjeft to the other two, by purchafe or otherwife, preferve each its
own particular magiftrates. Every canton forms within itfelf a little
republic ; but when any controverfy arifes that may afl\;6l the whole
confederacy, it is referred to the general diet, waich iia at Baden,
where each canton having a vote, everv q':eltioa is decided by the
majority. The general diet confifts of two deputies from each canton,
befides a deputy from the abbot of St, Gall, and the cities of St. Gall
^ndBien. It is obferved by Mr. Coxe, to whom the public have been
indebted for the beft account of Switzerland that has appeared, that
there is no country in which happinefs and content more univerfally
prevail among the people : For whether the government be arifto-
craticrd, democratical, or mixed, a general fpirit of liberty pervades
;md aftuates the fcveral conftitutions ; fo that even the oligarchical
ilates (which, of all others, are ufually the moft tyrannical) are here
peculia,rly mild ; and the property of the fubject is fecurely guarded
againfl every kind of violation. A harmony is maintained by the con-
currence of their mutual felicity ; and their fumptuary laws, and equal
divifion of thdr fortunes among their children, feem to enfure its con-
tinuance. There is no part of Europe which contains, within the
fame extent of region, fo many independent commonwealths, and
fuch a variety of different governments, as are colleftcd together in
this rcmar^table and delightful country ; and yet, with fuch wifdom
was the Helvetic union compofed, and fo little have the Swils, of hte
years, been aftuated by the fpirit of conqucft, that fince the firm and
complete eftabliflrment of their general confederacy, ih.cy have fcarccly
ever had occaiion to employ their arms againfl a foreign eneiay ; and
have had no hollile commotions among themfclves, that were not very
loon happily terminated.
Reven-i-'es as'u tax!-s.] TIic varlcty of cantons that conftitute
the Swifs confederacy, renders it difficult to give a pncife accouiU of
their re venue^s. Thofe of the canton of Bern are fa id to amount ,in-
nually to 300,000 crowns, and thofe of Zurich, to 150,000 ; the other
cantons in proportion to their produce and manufaftures. Whatever
is faved, after defraying the ncceil'ary expeufes cf government, is
laid up as a common fhock ; and it has been faid, that the SwilT;-*
arcROlfeaed of rco,oool. (Icrling in tjie En^lifli funds, befide: thrir
in other ba'ilss, ' '
2i8 S W I T Z E R I, A N B.
The revenues arife, j. From the profits of the demefne lands ; 8,
The tenth of the produce of all the lands in the country ; 3. Cuftonis
and duties on merchandife ; 4. The revenues arifing from the fale of
fait, and feme cafual taxes.
MiiiTARY STRENGTH.] The Internal ftrength of the Swifs cantOHS,
independent of the militia, confifts of 13,400 men, raifed according to
the population and ahilities of each. The ceconomy and wifdom v^rith
■which this force is raifed and employed, are truly admirable, as are
tlic arrani^emf.nts vvliich are made by the general diet, for keeping up
tliat pi eat boly of militia, from which forcian Rates and princes are
iupplicd. fo as to benefit the flate, without any prejudice to its popu-
lation. Kvcry burufier, peafant, and fubjcft, is obliged to exercife
himfclf m the ufc of arms ; toappear on the ftatcddays forfhootingata
mark ; to furnifli himfeif with proper clothing, accoutrements, powder,
and ball ; and to be always ready for the defence of his country. The
Swifs engage ir| tlie fervice of foreign princes and dates, either merely
as guards, or as marching regiments In the latter cafe, the govern-
ment permits the enlifting volunteers, though only for fuch ftates as
they are in alliance with, or with whom they have entered into a
previous agreement on that article. But no fubjeft is to be forced
-.nto foreign fervice, or even to be enlifted without the concurrence of
the magiftracv.
History.] The prefent Swiffes and Grifons, as has been already
mentioned, are the defcendants of the ancient Hclvetii, fubdued by Ju-
lius Coslar, Their mountainous, uninviting fituation, formed a belter
Security for their liberties, thai^ thieir' forts or armies ; and the fame is
the cafe' at pi-efeht. ' They' continued long under little better'than a
nominal fuhjefiiori to the Burgundians and Germans, till about the
yc:rr 1300, when the emperor Albert I. treated them with fo much
rigour, that they petitioned him againft the cruelty of his governors.
This ferved only to double the hardlliips of the people ; and one of
Albert's Auflrain governors, Grefler, in the wantonnefs of tvranny,
fet up a hat upon a pole, to which he ordered the natives to pay aS
much refpeft as to himfelf. One >V'illiam Tell, being obferved to
pafs frequently without taking notice of the hat, and being an excel-
lent rriarkfman, the tyrant condemned him to be hanged, unlefs he
cleft an apple upon his fon's head, at a certain diflance, with an ar-
j-ow. Teh cleft the apple ; and Grefler afking hitn the meaning of
another arrow he favv ituck in his belt, he bluntly anfwered, that it
was intended for hiS [Grciler's] heart, if he had killed his fon. Tell was
condemned to prifon upon this ; but making his efcape, he watched
his opportunity, and fhot the tyrant, and thereby laid the foundation^
ofi he KeTvetic liberty.
It appears, however, that before this event, the revolt of the Swifs
from the Auflrain tyranny had h&en planned by fome noble patriots
among them.' Their'meafures were fo juft, and their courfe fo intrep-
id, that they foon effefted a union of feveral cantons.
Zurich, driven by bppreflion, fought firft an alliance with Lucerne,
Uri, Suilfe, and Undcrwald, on the principles of mutual defence ; and
the frequent fucceifes of their arms a;gain{l Albert, duke of Auftria, in-
fenfibly formed the grand Helvetic union. They firft conquered
^Ic'ris and Zug, and admitted the.Ti to an equal participation of their
■ ' rights,
NETHERLANDS. 24^
rights. Berne united itfelf in 1353; Friburg. and Soleure, 130 year^
after ; Bafil and ScaffhauTcn, in 1501 ; and Appenzel in 1513, com-
pleted the confederacy, which rcpaatedly defeated the united power^
of France and Germany; till by the treaty of Weftphalia in i648,ihcir
confederacy was declared to be a free and independent ftate.
Neufchatel, hnce theyear 1707, hath been under the dominion of the
king of Pruffia, but the inhabitants are free to ferve any prince what-
ever, and by no means bound to take an aftive p^irt in his wars. The
king hath the power of recruiting among them, and of naming a gov-
ernor, but there^-enuc he derives is not above 5000!. yearly, great part
of which is laid out on the roads and other public works of the coun-
try. With regard to the military charaftcr, and great actions of the
Swifles, we refer the reader to the hiftorics of Europe.
NETHERLANDS.
TH E feventeen provinces, which are known by the name of the
Netherlands, were formerly part of Gallia Belgica, and after-
wards of the circle of Belgium ot Burgundy, in the German empire.
They obtained the general name of Netherlands, Pais-Bas, or Low
Countries, from their htuation in refpeft of Germany.
Extent, situation, and BonNr«ARiES of the Seventeew
Provinces.
Length 360 -1 ,^^ f 49 and 54 ^'^;.'l^'''
Breadth 260 J |_ 2 and 7 Ealt Ion.
They are bounded by the German fea on the North ; by Germany,
Eaft ; by Lorrain and France, South ; and by the Britifti channel,
Weft.
We (hall, for the fake of perfpicuity, and to avoid repetition, treat of
the feventeen provinces under two great divifions : Firft, the Aor-
them, which contains the fcven United Provinces, ufually knowr^
by the name of Holland : Secondly, the Southern, containing the
Auftrian, and French Netherlands.
Divisions, Population, &c. of the Seven United Provinces, are
^§ in the following Table,
TABLE.
^53
NETHERLANDS.
O
*-*
8
I
>
,o
CO
20 Towns in all. inhabitants.
Mimweguen — — 12,000
Nut-pheu
Arnheim — — — 80QO
88g8888§88
0 q 0 o_^ q 0^ 0 00^ q 0
iN~ 0 t^co" cf^ d^ 0 c^ eP r^
el
1^111,11"
II '1
ii=s°. J'
^ S S"'^ "E ^ :S -^ H ^
Eo ^ oj^o w'vJio 0
< c^ K ^ Q ri: Q < E cj
37 Towns — 400 Villages.
5 Towns — 110 Villages.
Utrecht — — — 30,000
Amersfort
Population
For each fui-
jle fq. mils.
O M
O ^>
0
Population.
2,ooo,OQO Peftel.
2,758,632 according
to a public ace. given
in 1785.
■
3
8
0
0"
00
C7^
0
0
q
00
0"
°2
0
0
0
0
X)
o
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c
G
o
Q
a
0
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fS ■\
0 •"
C-' t
CO
T'
p
0* 0
-t c
\
1
1. Province of Ge ider.
Subdivided into the dillrifts of Nimwe-
guen, Zutphen, and Arnheim
2. Holland, viz.
North Holland
South Holland
Weftfriefland
J 3. Zeei.and.
I. Part near the Eaft Scheld
2. Part near the Weft
iLxtent
NETHERLANDS.
I o o o
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" c o ":
° rpoT d
I 1
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c
aii
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O O O < ;
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POSSESSIONS.
=52 NETHERLANDS.
POSSESSIONS,
f. In Asia.
1. THE coafts of the ifland of Java ; the capital of which is Bata<
via, the feat of the governor-general of all the Eaft Indian fettlements
of the Dutch. 2. Some fettlements on the coafts of Sumatra. 3. Th«
greatefl part of the Molucca or Spice Iflands, chiefly Amboyna, Banda,
Ternate, Tidor, Motyr, Bachian ; fettlements or faftories on the ifland
of Celebes, &c. 4. On the coafts of Malabar and Coromandel ; Sedrai-
patam, Bimlipatam, Tegapatam, Cochin, and Canannore ; faftories at
Surat, Petra, &c. alfo in the gulf of Perfia, at Gamron, Baflbra, &c.
.5. On the ifland of Ceylon : The chief place is Colombo ; they have
befides Trinconornale, Jafnapatam^ Negambp, and a great number pf
'lodges or factories,
2. In A F R t c A.
I. The Cape of Good Hope, a large fettlement, of which the Capetown,
with its fortrefs, is the capital. There is alfo a French colony at the
Cape, called Nouvelle Rochelle. The governor of the Cape docs not
depend on the governor of Batavia, but is under the immediate con-
trol of the. fta.tes of Holland, z, George dc la Mina, and other for*
trelfes and faftories in Guinea.
3. In A M E R I c A.
f. The iflands of St. Euftatia, Saba, Curacoa. 2. The colonies of
EiTequibo, Demcrara, Surinam, and Berbice, on the continent of
jGuiana,
Rivers and harbours.] The rivers are an important confidera-
tion to the United Provinces ; the chief of vyhich are the Rhine, one
of the largeft and fineft rivers in Europe ; the Maefe, the Scheld, and
the Vecht. There are many fmall rivers that join thefe, and a pro-
digious number of canals ; but there are few good harbours in the
United Provinces ; the beft, are tliofe of Rotterdam, Helvoetfluys, and
rlufliing ; that of Amflerdam, though one of the largeft and fafeft in
Europe, has a bar at the entrance of it, over which large veifels cannpt
pafs without being lightened.
Wealth and commerce.] The Seven United Provinces afford
a ftriking proof, that unwearied and perfevering inquftry is capable
of conquering every difadvantage of climate and fituation. The air
and the water are here nearly equally bad : The foil produces natur-
ally fcarcely any thing but turf ; and the pofleflion of this very foil
^s difputed by the Ocean, who rifing confiderably above the level of
the land, can only be prevented by ftrong and expenfive dykes,
from overtlowirg a fpot which feems to be ftolen from his natural
domains. Notwithftanding thefe difftculties, which might feem in-
surmountable to a lefs laborious race of inhabitants, the infinite labours
of the patient Dutchmen have rendered this fmall, and feerningly in-
fignificant territory, in faft, one of the richeft fpots in Europe, both
y»ith refped to populatipu and property. Ip ptl^er couqtrjeS; which
are
NETHERLANDS. £33
are poflefled of a variety of natural produftions, we are not furprifed
to find manufaftures employed in multiplying the riches which the
bounty of the foil beftows. But to fee, in a country like Holland,
Jarge woollen manufaftures, where there are fcarce any flocks ; num-
berlcfs artifts employed in metals, where there is no mine ; thoufands
of faw-mills, where there is fcarce any forcft ; an immenfe quantity
of corn, exported from a country where there is not agriculture enough
to fupport one-half of its inhabitants, is what muft flrikc every atten-
tive obferver with admiration. Among the moft valuable natural
produftions of the United Netherlands, we may reckon their excellent
cattle. Of vegetables they export large quantities of madder, which
is chiefly cultivated in the province of Zeeland : The ifland of Schou-
"wen produces annually 2,000,000 lb. Formerly, England bought of
this article to the value of almoft 300,000!. fterling. The moft con-
fiderable revenue arifesfrom the fifheries. Sir William Temple fays,
that in his time, the Dutch fiftieries yielded a clearprofit of many mill-
ions of florins. At prefcnt, however, fome branches of the fifherics,
for inn:ance, the whale fHhery, are become fo infignificant, that, in
order to keep them up in fome degree, the ftates are obliged to allow
a bounty of 30 florins for every man employed in the whale fifliery.
This branch, which formerly employed 250ve{rels, requires, at pvcfent
little more than 100. The number of fhips formerly engaged in the
herring fifhery is reduced from upwards of 2000 to lefs than 200, acid
the profits earned by them do not quite amount to one million of flor-
ins. This fifhery maintains, however, even now, no lefs than 20,000
people. Cod, another important article of the fifliery, is caught near
the Dogger Bank, and near the coaft of Holland. About 140 velfcls
are employed in that branch.
The Dutch were formerly in poflefllon of the coafting trade and
freight of almoft all other trading nations : They were alfo the bankers
for all Europe : advantages by Vv'hich they have gained immenfe lums.
Yet thefe advantages did not continue to be fo lucrative, when the
other European nations began to open their eves lo far as to employ
their own fliipping in their trade, and to eftablifh banks of their own.
Notwithftanding thefe deduftions, the Dutch trade is ftill immenfe :
In confequence of their vaft wealth, they regulate ftill the exchange
for all Europe ; and their country is, as it were, the univerlal warc-
houfe of the commodities of every quarter of the globe.
The trade of Holland extends to every country of the world ; and,
in fome of its branches, they have totally excluded their European
competitors. To begin with the countries of Europe, the trade of tlie
Dutch to Ruflia is confiderablc : They exported to Pcteriljurg alone,
in 1754, goods to the value of 420,000 rubles, bcfides what was fent ta
Archangel, Riga, &c. They imported goods from RulTia (o the value
of about 300,000 rubles. The exports of the Dutch to Dantiick, the
centre of the Polifti trade, amounted, in 1771, to upwards of five mill-
ions of florins ; their imports from Dantzick to 2,500,oooflorins. A
confiderable trade is carried on with Sweden and Dcnmerk. The
Dutch trade in the Baltic, if not equal to the Englifh, is, at Icaft, next
to it in importance ; yet, in proportion as the other EuropL-"aH nations
arc endeavouring to Ihare in the profits of the trade to the Baltic lea,
the profits of the Dutch hjive naturally decrralcd. In : lie Atlantic
Ocean,
«54 1? E T H E R L A N D 5.
Ocean, the Dutch trade is of very great extent : Fr^)m Pbfta^al atici
Spain they draw ready money, but to France, On the coitrary. they
pay a large balance of it. They fupply Italy with moil -i^liropean and
Indian goods ; their tr^de to the Levant, though at prefent ou the
decline, is fliil very profitable. A particular hoard of the I-cvant
trade was erefted in 1624. Tlie good fortune of th- Dutch, in
rendering themfelves the cxclufive mailers of the fpice-traci-^. and of
very large territories in the Eaft-Indies. will enable thtrm to fipport
for a long while, a veiy extenriv?e trade in Europe. Their Eal> India
Company was erefted in the year i6ci:, by uniting fcveral final 1 trad-
ing focieties into one, to whom tn--. flates granted the priv'lo^c o^ an
cxclufive trade. The original capital did not exceed. 6. 459, 8, 10 llortns,
divided into fhares of 3000 florins each ; with this frti.^.ll fmh ti^ey
formed fettlements, ?.nd conquered feveral pro'inces in Alia niuck
larger than the Seven United Provinces together. Thfe Companv is
now divided into fix chambers of proprietors. tfVablifhed at Amfter-
dam, Middlebuig, Delft, Rotterdam, Hoorn, and Enkhu.izen, each of
■which is under the management of their own direftors. Called Bcwind-
hebbers. The Stadtholder is the firfl of the dire6lors of each cha'-nber,
and confequently the head of the Eafl-India Company. The gov-
ernor-general of the Dutch poilelfions in the Eaft-lndies, is appointed
by the Company, and refiding at Batavia, is invefted with very ample
powers : He is prefident of the council of Batavia, callfd the Court
or Council of India. Among the monopolies of the Eaft-India Com-
pany, the fpice-trade, comprehending the articles of cloves, mace, nut-
meg, cinnamon, &c. is the rno.l valuable, and forms a very great
branch of the Aiiatic as well as European commerce of Holland :
750,ooolb. of cloves are annually fold in India, and 360.006 carried
to Europe : The Company pays on the fpot only eight flivers per
pound, but the freight and other charges raife this price to 43 ftivers,
and the Company fells it at no lefs t'lan 75 flivers. e50;6oo lb. of
nutmeg, the produce of the ifland of Banda, arc fold in Europe, and
100;000 lb. in India: The prime coft is fomewhat more than one fti-
vcr per pound ; including charges, the pound flands the Company in
about 25 ftivers, and is fold by the Company at upwards of 50 fti-
vers weft of the Cape of Good Hope, and at about 40 ftivers eaft of it.
Of cinnamon, ?oo,ooolb. are fold in India, and 400,000 in Europe.-—
The Java coffee if the beft we know of after that of Mecca in
Arabia. Other great branches of this trade are rice, cotton, pep-
per, &c. articles of great importance, but not in the exclufive poffef-
lion of the Dutch. The whole profits of the trade of the Eaft-India
Company is computed at 12.700.000 florins annually ; but this ftate-
ment feems tx) fall fhort of the real produce : Yet, upon the whok,
the affairs of the Eaft-India Company are very much on the decline.
The Dutch have hitherto been the only European nation permitted to
carry on a dji reft trade to Japan: The profits of this trade, however,
have alfo dedlined, and are fuppofed to amount, at prcfent,to no more
than 50.000 fiorins. The Weft-India Company is, by no means, fo
confiderable ks the Eaft-India Company. It carries on a trade both to
the Weft-Intiies and to the Coaft of Guinea ; on the latter chiefly for
flaves. Diffiinft from this company are the two companies which
trade to Surinam and Bcrbice ; The Stadtholder is the head of all
thefe trading^ companies. The
NETHERLANDS. 255
The town of Amfterdam has more than one-half of the tfzde of Hol-
land ; and in this celebrated center of immenfe commeiGe, a bank is
eftablifhedof that fpecies called a Giro-bank, of very great wealth ani
greater credit.
In Holland, the inland trade is very much facilitated by meaas of
the numerous canals, which crofs the country in every dirc£tion. — ■
The number of manufaftures eftablifhed in the United Provinces is
aftonifhing. Saardam, for inftancc, a village in North Holland, ton-
tains about 900 windmills, partly corn-mills, partly faw and paper-
mills, and mills for the making of white lead, &c. In former times,
the Dutch were the exclufive polTeffors of feveral ingenious manufac-
tures and arts ; for in fiance, the refining of camphor and borax, the
cutting and polifliing of diamonds, the refining of lugar, &c, but at
prefent thefe myfteries, very few of them excepted, are in the hand:.
of many other nations ; to whole commercial ignorance and want of
jnduftry in former times, the Dutch were indebted for immenfe gains,
which have dccreafcd with their caufes ; Among the reft, the woollen
manufatlory has iuffered a prodigious decreafe. From thelc facts it
appears, that the Dutch trade is no longer in its ancient flouriiliin^
ftate, to which, even if the frugality and induftry of the nation had
not been diminifhed by too great wealth, the rivalfhip of other nations,
and the commercial knowledge of the age, will never fuffer it to rife
again.
PoPBLATiON, INHABITANTS, MAN- 7 Tlic Seven United Provin-
NERS, CUSTOMS, AND DIVERSIONS, f cCs are perhaps the beft peo-
pled of any fpot of the fame extent in the world. This will appear
from the table which is prefixed.
The manners, habits, and even the minds of the Dutch (for fo the
inhabitants of the United Provinces are called in general) feem to be
formed by their fituation, and to arife from their natural wants. Their
country which is prelcrved by mounds and dykes, is a perpetual in-
centive to labour ; and the artificial drains with which it is every
where interfered, muft be kept in perpetual repair. Even what may
be called their natural commodities, their butter and cheefe, are pro-
duced by a conllant attention to the laborious arts of life. Their prin-
cipal food they earn out of the fea, by their herring-fiflieties ; for they
difpofe of mofl: of their valuable fifhes to the Englifh, and other na-
tions, for the fake of gain. The air and temperature of their climate
incline them to phlegmatic, flow difpofitions, both of body and mind.
Their tradefmen in general are reckoned honeft in their dealings,
and very fparing of their words. Smoaking tobacco is pra£lifcd by
old and young of both fexes ; and as they are generally plodding upon
ways and means of g£tting money, it is faid no people are fo unfociablc.
In whatever relates to the management of pecuniary afiairs, the
Dutch are certainly the moft expert of any people ; as to the knowl-
edge of acquiring wealth, they unite the no lefo neceffary fcience of
prcfcrving it. It is a kind of general rule for every man to fpend leis
than his income, be that what it will ; nor docs it often enter into the
heads of this fagacious people, that the common courfe of expenccs
fhould equal the revenue ; and when this happens, they think at Icaft
they have lived that year to know purpofe ; and the report of it ufcd to
difcredit aman among them, as much as any vicious or prodigal extrava-
gance docs in other countries. But this rigid frugality is not fo univcifal
among
2^6 NETHERLANDS.
among the Dutch as it was formerly ; for a greater degree of luxury arid
cxtra\'agancehas been introduced among them, as well as the otherna-
tions of Europe, Gaming is likewife praftifed by many of their fafh-
ionable ladies, and Tome of them difcovcr more propenfityto gallantry
than was known here in former times. No country can vie with Holland
in the number of thofe inhabitants, whofe lot, if not riches, is at leaft a
comfortable fufliciency ; and where fewer failures or bankruptcies oc-
cur. Hence, in the midfl of a world of taxes and contributions, fuch
as no other country does experience, they flourifh and grow rich.
From this fyftematic fpirit of regularity and moderation, joined to the
moll obflinate perfeverance, they fucceeded in the ftupendous works,
of draining their country of thofe immenfe deluges of water, that had
overflowed fo large a part of it during many ages, while at the fame
time they brought under their fubjeftion and command the rivers and
leas that furround them, by dykes of incredible thicknefs and ftrength,
and made them the principal bulwarks on which they rely for the pro-
te6lion and fafety of their territories againft the danger of an enemy.
This they have done by covering their frontiers and cities with innum-
erable fluices ; by means of which, at the fhor tefl notice, the mofl rapid
inundations are let in, and they become in a few hours inacccflible,
irom that frugality and perfeverance, by which they have been fo
■much charafterifed, they were enabled, though labouring under
the difficulties, not only to throw off the Spanifh yoke, but to
attack that powerful nation in the mod tender parts, by feizing
her rich galleons, and forming new eftablifhments in Africa, and the
Eaft and Weft Indies, at the expence of Spain, and thereby becoming,
from a defpicable province, a mofl powerful and formidable enemy.
Equally wonderful was the rife of their military and marine eflablifh-
ments, maintaining, during their celebrated contention with Lewis
XIV. and Charles H, of England, not lefs than 150,000 men, and up-
wards of 80 fliips of the line. But a fpirit of frugality being' now
lefs univerfal among them, the rich traders and mechanics begin to
approximate to tlie luxuries of Englifh and French drefhng and liv-
ing ; and their nobility and high magifliates, who have retired from
trade, rival thofe of any other pare of Europe in their table, buildings,
furniture and equipages.
The diverhons of the Dutch differ not much from thofe of the En-
glilh, who feem to have borrowed from them the neatnefs of their
drink ing-bootlts, fkittle and other grounds, and fmall pieces of water,
which form the amufcments of the middling ranks, not to mention
their liand-organs, and other mufical inventions. They are the beffc
fkaters upon the Ice In the world. It is amazing to fee the crowds in
ii liard frofi upon the ice, and the great dexterity both of men and
women in darting along, or rather flying, with inconceivable velocity,
Languagk.] The natural language of tlie United Provinces is Low
i^utch, which is a corrupt dialeft of the German ; but the people of
i^afhion fpeak Englifh and French.
Leajrning and learned men.] Erafmus and Grotlus, who were
both natives of this country, ftand at the head almofl of learning it-
felf, as Boerhaave does of medicine. Haerlem difputes the invention
of printin O U N D E D bv the United Provinces, on the
iJ0UNDARiEs.£^ North ; by Germany, Eaft ; by Lorrain, Cham-
paign, and Picardy, in France, South ; and by another part of Picardy,
and the Engliih fea, Weft.
As this country belongs to three difFerent powers, the Auflrians,
French, and Dutch, we {hall be more particular in dillinguilhing the
provinces and towns belonging to each ftate,
1, Province of BRABANT.
Subdivifions. Chief Towns.
'Boifledi
}. Dutch Brabant
n fBoineduc ]
I Breda I N,
{ J Bergeu-op-ZoomJ
,0 Grave, N.E.
J I^Steenbergcn j
■^ rBruffels, E.l(
I J Louvain "1
j j Vilvorden >
J LLaudcn J
Bruflels, E. Ion. 4 deg. 6 min. N. lat. 50-5<9,
Aullrian Brabant \ -j viSenl inthe middle.
2. ANTWERP; and, 3. MALINES, are provinces independent of
Brabant, though furrounded by it, and fubjeft to thehoufe of Ajuftria.
4. Province of L I M B U R G, S.E.
"] fLimburg,E.lon.6-5.N.lat.50-37fubjetltoAuf.
j Maeftricht ^
Chief towns >-< Dalem I fubjea to the
iquemontjOr j Dutch.
"" enburg J
I I Fauq
J tValk
^. Province of LUXEMBURG.
Subdivifions. Chief Towns.
Aullrian Luxemburg Luxemburg, E. Ion. 6-8. N. lat. 49-45.
French Luxemburg } { M^Xedy } ^- ^*
6. Province of N A M U R, in the middle, fubjed to Auftria.
■] r Namur, on the Sambre and MaefcjE, Ion. 4-50.
Chief towns i -I N. lat. 50-30.
J [Charleroy on the Sambre,
7. Province^
2^4
NETHERLANDS.
Subdivlflons,
Auftrian Halnault
Province of HAINAULT.
Chief Towns.
HMons, E. Ion, 3-53. N. lat. 50-30 "1 in the mii-
Aeth Enguien / die.
French Hainault ] { L.^d^rec'''"" ^°"'^'^" ^^''^^ } S. W
8. Province ofCAMBRESIS.
Subjeft to France.
HCambray,E.of Arras,E.lon.3-i5.N.lat.50-i5.
Cr« -
rcvecour, S. of Cambray,
9. Province of A R T O I S,
SubjeS; to France.
Subdivifions.
Dutch Flanders
Auftrian Flanders
-\ rArras.S.W.onthe Scrape,E.lon.2-5.N.lat.5t-
I j St. Omer, E. of Boulogne [20.
' j Aire, S. of St. Omer
r< S. Venant. E. of Aire
Jj Betl>une, S. E. of Aire
[^Terouen, S. of St. Omer.
10. Province of FLANDERS.
Chief Towns.
Sluys, N. Axel,N.Hum,N.Sas van Ghent, N.
"] f Ghent, onthe Scheld, E.lon. 3-36. N.lat. §t,
Bruges T
Oftend V N. W. near the fea,
Newport J
Oudenard on the Scheld.
I Courtray 1
Dixmude 5
on the Lis.
French Flandera
Ypres, N. of Lifle
Tournay on the Scheld
^Menin on the Lis.
Lifle, W. of Tournay
Dunkirk, on the coaft E. cf Calais
Douay, W. of Arras
Mardike, W.of Dunkirk
St. Amand, N. of Valenciennes
Gravelin, E. of Calais.
Air, SOIL, and prodoce.3 The air of Brabant, and upon the
coaft of Flanders, is bad ; that in the interior parts is more healthful,
and the feafons more fettled, both in winter and fummer, than they
are in England. The foil and its produce are rich, efpecially in corn
and fruits. They have abundance of pafture ; and Flanders itfelf has
been reckoned the granary of France and Germany, and fometimes of
England. The moft barren parts for corn rear far more profitable
crops of flax, which js here cultivated to great perfeftion. Upon the
whole, the Auftrian Netherlands, by the culture, commerce, and in-
duftry of the inhabitants, was formerly the richeft and moft beautiful
fpot in Europe, whether we regard the variety of its manufaftures, the
magnificence and riches of its cities, the pleafantnefs of its roads and
villages,
NETHERLANDS. 265
villages, or the fertility of its land. If it 'mi fallen off in later times,
it is owing partly to the negle£b of its government, but chictly to its
vicinity to England and Holland ; but it is flill a mofl- defiiable and
agreeable country. There are few or no mountains in the Nether-
lands : Flanders is a flat country, fcarcely a fingle hill in it. Brabant,
and the reft of the provinces, confifl of little hills and vallies, woods,
inclofed grounds, and champaign fields.
Rivers AND CANALS.] The chief rivers are the Maefe, Sambre,
Demer, Dyle, Nethe, Geet, Sannc, Ruppel, Scheld, Lis, Scarpe, Dculc,
and Dender. The principal canals are thofe of Bruffels, Ghent, and
Oftend.
Metai.s AMD MINERALS.] Mines of iron, copper, lead and brim-
ftone, are found in Luxemburgh, and l.imburg, as arc fome marble
«;juarries ; and in the province of Namur there arc coal-pits, and a
fpecies of bituminous fat earth, proper for fuel, with great plenty of
folhle nitrs.
Inhabitants, roputATiON, mak-I The Flemings (for fo the in-
NERS, CUSTOMS, AND DIVERSIONS. / habitants of Flanders and the
Auftrian Low Countries are generally called) are faid to be a heavy,
blunt, honeft people ; but their manners are fomewhat indelicate.—
Formerly they were known to fight defperately in defence of their
country ; at prefent they make no great figure. The Auflrian Neth-
erlands are extremely populous; but authors differ as to their num-
bers. Pejhaps we may fix them at a medium at a million and a half.
Tliey arc ignorant, and fond of religious exhibitions and pageants.—
Their other diverfions are the fame with thofe of the peafants of the
neighbouring countries.
Dress and languagb.] The inhabitants of French Flanders arc
mere Frenchmen and women in both thefe particulars. The Flem-
ings on the frontiers of Holland, drefs like the Dutch boors, and
their language is the fame ; but the better fort of people fpeak French,
%nd drefs in the fame tafte.
Religion.] The eftablifhed religion here is the Roman Catholic ;
but Proteflants, and other fefts, are not molefted.
Learning, learned men,! The fociety of Jefuits formerly
and artists. /produced the mofl learned men in
the Auflrian Low Countries, in which they had many comfortable
fettlements. Works of theology, and the civil and canon law, Latin
poems and plays, were their chief produftions. Strada is an elegant
hillorian and poet. The Flemifh painters and fculptors have great
merit, and form a fchool by themlelves. The works of Rubens and
Vandyke cannot be fufficiently admired. Flamingo, or the Flemings
models for heads, particularly thofe of children, have never yet been
equalled ; and the Flemings formerly engroffed tapeftry-weaving to
themfclves.
Universities.] Lou vain, Douay, Tournay, and St. Omer. The
firfl was founded in 1426, by John IV. duke of Brabant, and enjoys
great privileges. By a grant of pope Sixtus IV. this univcrAty has
the privilege of prefenting to all the livings in the Netherlands, which
right they enjoy, except in Holland.
AlfTJftUlTIES
^66 NETHERLANDS.
Antiquities AND curiosities, "1 Some Roman monuments of
NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL. J tcmpjcs and Other buildings
are to be found in thefe provinces. Many curious bells, churches, and
the like, ancient and modern, are alfo found here ; and the magnifi-
cent old edifices of every kind, feen through all their cities, give evi-
dences of their former grandeur. In 1607, fome labourers found 1600
gold coins, and ancient medals of Antonmus Pius, Aurelius, and Lu-
cius Verus.
Cities."] This article has employed feveral large volumes, pub*
liflied by different authors, but in times when the Auflrian Nether-
lands were far more flourifliing than now. The walls of Ghent, for-
merly the capital of Flanders, and celebrated for its linen and woollen
manufafturcs, contain the circuit of ten miles ; but now unoccupied,
and great part of it in a manner avoi4. Bruges, formerly fo noted
for its trade and manufaftures, but above all for its fine canals, is now
dwindled to an inconfiderable place. Oftend is a tolerably convenient
harbour for traders ; and foon after the late rupture between Great
Britain and Holland, became more opulent and populous. In 1781 it
was vifited by the emperor, who granted to it many privileges and
franchifes, and the free exercife of the proteftant religion. Ypres is
only a flrong garrifon town. The fame may be faid of Charleroy and
Namur, which lie in the Auflrian Hainault.
Louvain, the capital of the Auftrian Brabant, inflead of its flourifli-
ing manufa£lories and places of trade, now contains pretty gardens,
walks, and arbours. Bruffels retains fomewhat of its ancient manu-
faftures ; and being the refidence of the governor or viceroy of the
Auflrian Netherlands, it is a populous, lively place. Antwerp, once
the emporium of the European continent, is now reduced to be a
tapeftry and thread lace-fhop, with the houfes of fome bankers, jewel-,
lers, and painteirs adjoining. One of the firft exploits of the Dutch,
foon after they threw off the Spanifli yoke, was to ruin at once the
commerce of Antwerp, by finking veffels, loaded with ftone, in the
}2K)uthof the Scheld ; thus fhutting up the entrance of that river to
fiiips of large burden. This was the more cruel, as the people of Ant-
werp had been their friends and fellow-fufferers in the caufe of liber-
ty, but they forefaw that the profperity of their own commerce was at
ftake.
It may be obferved here, that every gentleman's houfe is a caftle or
chateau, j and that there are more flrong towns in the Netherlands than
in all the reft of Europe ; but fince the decline of their trade, by the
rife of the Englifh and Dutch, thefe towns arc confiderably dimin-
ifhcd in fize, and whole ft reets, particularly in. Antwerp, are in ap-
pearance uninhabited. In the Netherlands, provifionsare extremely
good and cheap. A flranger may dine in Bruifcls, on feven or eight
difhes of meat, for lefs than a fhilling Englilh. Travelling is fafe, rea-
fonable and delightful in this luxurious country. The roads are gen-
erally a broad caufeway, and run for I'ome miles in a ftraight line, till
they terminate with the view of fome noble buildings. At Caflel, in
the French Netherlands, may be feen thirty-two towns, itfelf being on
a hill.
Commerce and manufactures.] The chief manufaftures of the
French and Auftrian Netherlands, are their beautiful linens and laces 5
in which, potwithftanding the boafted improvements of their neighs
bourSj
FRANCE. s£y
! bovirs, they are yet unrivalled ; particularly in that fpecics called
• cambrics, from Cambray, the chief place of its manufafture. Thefe
ttanufaftures form the principal article of their commerce.
Constitution AND GOVERNMENT.] The Auftrian Netherlands
are flill confidered as a circle of the empire, of which the archducai
houfe, as being fovereign of the whole, is the fole direftor and fum-
moning prince. This circle contributes its fhare to the impofts of the
empire, and fends an envoy to the diet, but is not fubjeft to the judi-
catories of the empire. It is under a governor-general, appointed by
the court of Vienna, who, at prefcnc, is his ferene highnefs, piince
Charles of Lorrain, uncle to the late emperor. The face of an alTcm-
bly, or parliament, for each province is ftill kept up, and confifts of
the clergy, nobility, and deputies of towns, who meet at Brufl'els. — . '
Each province claims particular privileges, but they are of very little
efFeft ; and the governor feldom or never finds any refiftance to the
will of his court. Every province has a particular governor, fubjeft
to the regent ; And caufes arc here decided according to the civil and
canon law.
Revenues.] Thefe rife from the demefnelands and cuftoms ; but
fo much is the trade of the Auftrian Flanders now reduced, that they
are faid not to defray the expenfe of their government ; but by the
late reduftions of the garrifons, this is now altered. The French
Netherlands bring in a confiderable revenue to the crown.
Military Strength,] The troops maintained here by the em-
peror are chiefly employed in the frontier garrifons. Though, by the
barrier treaty, the Auftriaus were obliged to maintain three-fifths of
thofe garrifons, and the Dutch two ; yet both of them were miferably
deficient in their quotas, the whole requiring at leaft 30,000 men, and
in time of war above 10.000 more, but the prefent emperor has de-
molifhed the fortifications of moft of the places, and rendered the gar-
rifons ufelefs.
History.] Flanders, originally the country of the ancient Belgac,
was conquered by Julius Casfar, forty-feven years before Chrift ; paflT-
ed into the hands of France, A. D. 412 ; and was governed by its earls,
fubjeft to that crown, from 864 to 1369. By marriage it then came
into the houle of Auftria ; but was yielded to Spain in 1556. Shook
cfi" the Spanilh yoke 1572, and in the year 1725, by the treaty of Vi-
enna, warf annexed to the German empire. See Univerfal Hiftory.
FRANCE.
Situation and extent.
Miles. Degrees.
Length 600 "1 , f 5 weft and 8 Eaft longitude.
Breadth 500/ '^^^^^'^^^ \ 42 and 51 North latitude.
IT is bounded by the Englifti channel and the Nether-
lands, North ; by Germany, Switzerland, and Italy,
Eaft ; by the Mediterranean and the Pyrenean mountains, which di-
vide it from Spain, South ; and by the Bay of Bifcay, Weft.
Divisions.] .\s in the following Tabic. TABLE.
BOUN
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POSSESSIONS
^7^ P I^ A N C E.
Possessions in the othir Parts cy the Globe.
I. In ASIA.
^ Somediftrjftsonthe coaft of Coromande}, of which PondJcherrv
ts the capital. Some lefs confidcrable fettlements on the Ma abar
coail and in Bengal, and feveral faftories. Malabar
2. In AFRICA.
In Barbary Baftion de France. The ifland of Goree, part of Sene-
gambja, Fort I ou.son the Senegal, and Podar, Galam, Por^end^c Fort
Arguin. On the coaft of Guinea, Francois In the Tn<5 !r^ <^ ?i
the iftand5 of Bourbon and Ille de France! ^''' '^^
2- In ami: R IC A.
The North-American iflandsofSt.PicrrcandMiqueion. IntheWefl
Indies, the largeft part of the ifland of St. Doming^, the"hand of Mar.
ns'^'/.^A^'^'^-^^Pr"' ^'r^V'"' ^^^"^ ^^^-^^' slkrtinandTobagt
AlUhetrffe'Sil'"'^'"^
habitams P°^'^'°"'' ^"^^^^"g ^o Neckar, contain about 6bo,ooo in-
as tolJov s . Each difti ift to be divided into cantons of about four
fquare leagues each, with at leaft one primary affembly in each can
there js to be only one alTemb v ; but if thev amonnt fo tU . l *
.here are .o b= uvo . es, ovei hills and va.
es and even through a mountain in one pla< e,it has not anfwered that
"pofe. Bv the c°anal of Calais, travellers eaf.ly pafs by water from
he?ce to St.' Omer, Gravdme, Dunkirk, Ypres, ar^d other places.--
The canal of Orleans is another noble work, and runs a courfe of
eighteen leagues, to the immenfe benefit of the public and the royal
revenue, nance abounds with other Canals of the hke kind which
render her inland navigation inexprefllbly commodious and bencR-
'' tew lakes are found in thts country. There is one at the top of a
hill near Alegre, which the vulgar report to ^^^^^/i^^^^^^^- • ^ ^.^'^ '^
another at IlToire, in Auvergne : and one at LaBeifc, in which if >oU
throw a ftone, it caufes a noife hke thunder. , ■ t , ,, „^.^
Mineral waters akd \ The waters of Bareges, which lie near
kLakk.b.e srKt.os. )the borders of Spain, ^^^^^V^^^^
mountains, have of late been preferred to all the others ol t.ance.Jor
L recovery of health. Some think, however, that the cures per-
formed by them, are more owing to their accidental tnccefs, and the
falubriiyofthe air and foil, than to the ^^''-^l' ''^ l^^'' "^''Z'-J^,^^
waters of Sultzabach in Alface are faid to cufe the palfy weak nerv es,
and the ftone. At Bagueiis, not far from Bareges, are feveral whole-
fome minerals and baths, to which people refo.t at ipring and autumn.
Forces, in Normandy, is celebrated for its mineral waters -, and the e
of slAmand cure the gravel and obftruaions. It wou Id be endlds
to enumerate all the other real or pretended minera wells In France.
There is a fpring near Aigne in Auvergne-, which bods violently, ami
makes a noife like water thrown upon lime ; it has hule or no talte,
but has a poifonous quality, and the birds that dno^ of it die m-
^Ml'iAisANDMiNERAts.] Langucdoc is faid to contain veins of
gold and filver. Alface has mines of hlver and copper, but thc> arc
toeextenfvvet^be Avrought., Alabaftel, black marbl*, P^?^'' ^^^
^74 F R A N C E,
is a mine ofchall Ant ■ ^^^.^^'"'^^^, m Coin inges, there
&c. and the foreil of Fontainblcan near as lariie and n^r S ' t r^
mairisaforeftoFtan ftraight timber, oT J o^tVels' Md'^s^t^^^
a. ge numbers of v.aods,fome of them defervmg the name of foreft/
!;rh^Sna\E;r" '" "^^^^'^^^^ ^^'^^ ^^^^ ^--^^^ ^^^'^
WrALTH Axo Commerce.] France is fttuated in a very
^rnf ^.K '^ ^" ""^ mo.mtams, the lower branches of whkh
cro he greateft part of the kingdom ; i^ confequently abounds
wuh large rivers, 200 of which are navigable, and k I coS-
on": ^fTe °T? ^'^^^ ""^^^'^ ^^^'^"-^4- render this "ngdL
one of the ncheft countries of Europe, bJth with refpeft tLaN
nralproduaions and commerce. One of the moft valuable a ticks o
produce IS wine, the great ftaple commodity of France, i, 600 000 acresof
gioundarehudout m vineyards; and the net profits f^or.acTacre
are edimated at from 4I. to 7I. ftcrlin^ Arrnvdir, ;'°"'J^'=VC'^e
agents, the yearly value\f all ?he wi^e^iidetV^t^J Lun^\!Z
?h. K^rr r'V 7^ '^f' °^^'^^ vvineexported annually, to rmimons
The bea forts of IJorth- American coafls were efti mated, befoj.e the year 1744, at
$» i,ooo,oool.
276 FRANC E.
J,ooo,oog!. fterling; they have fince decreafed, but it is likely they
will be foon worth nearly as much as before, in confequence of the
celTions made to France by the peace of 1783. In 1768, the French
fent 114 veHelsto Newfoundland, which brought home a cargo of
cod, worth 3,000,000 livres ; but the profits arifing from this branch
of fifliery are not very conhderable.
To enumerate the many manufaftures of articles of luxury eftablifh-
ed in France, would exceed the limits of (his book ; it is fufficiently
known, that France has long ago taken the lead in fafhions, and has
had the good foi tune of feeing them imitated and ar
of nations ; his v.'orks are read in every country and language, and
wherever they go they enlighten and in\'igorate the human mind.
In the Belles Lettres and mifcellaneous way> no nation ever produ-
ced more agreeable writers ; among whoiii we may place Montaigne,
D'Argens, Voltaire and Marmontel, as the moft confiderable,
Delcartes ranks among the greateft ph:lofophers in modern times.
He was the fird who applied algebra to the folution of geometrical
problems, which naturally paved the way to the analytical difcoveries
of Nev/ton. Many of the prefent age are excellent mathematicians ;
particularly D'Alembert, who, with all the prccifion of a geometrician,
has united the ty.l?nts cf a lir.c v/riter.
Since
FRANCE. 2-^
•Since the beginning of the prefent century, the French have vied
with the Englifla in natural philofophy. Buffon is to be regarded as a
philofophical painter of nature; and, under this view, his Natural
Hiftory is the firfl Work of its kind.
Their painters, PouHin, l.e Brun, and above all Le Sueur, did hon-
our to the age of Lewis XI\'^. They have none at prefent to compare
with them in the more noble kinds of painting ; but Mr. Greufc, for
portraits and converfation-pieces, never perhaps was excelled.
Sculpturii is in general better underftood in France than in moft
other countries of Europe. Their treatifes on fliip-building and cnfri-
neeriiig ftand unrivalled ; but in the praftice of both they arc outdone
fcy the Englifli. No genj^us has hitherto equalled Vauban in the theo-
ry or practice of fortification. The French were long fuperior to the
Englilli in architefture.
We flrall conclude this head with obferving, that the French have
now finilhed the Encyclopedic, or general dittionary of arts and fcien-
ces, which was drawn up bv the mofk able maflcrs in each branch of
litemture, in e8 voluvnesin folio (fix of which are copper-plates) under
the direftion of Meffieurs D'Alembert and Diderot, and is one of the
moil complete colleftions of human knowledge.
Ukiversities and ruuLic colleges.] Thefe literary inftitu-
tions received a prefent Icfs by the expulfioh of ihe Jefuits, who made
the languages, arts, and fciences, their particular lludy, and taught
them all over P' ranee ; but as the extinction of this body of men has
ferved to lefl'en the influence of fuperftition in France, there is rcafon
to believe that the interefts of real learning and fcience have, upon the
whole, been promoted by that event. It is not within our plan to de-
icribe the different governments and conftitutions of every univerfity
or public college in France ; but they are in number twentv-eiglit, as
follows : Aix, Angiers, Aries, Avignon, Beran(j:on, Bourdeaux, Bour-
ges, Caer^ Cahors, Del, Douay, La Fleche, Montauban, MontpcUier,
Nantes, Orange. Orleans, Paris, Perpignan, Poitiers, Pont-a-MoulIbn,
Richlieu, Rheims, Soiilons, Stralbourg, Touloufe, Tournoife, and
A'alence,
AcADiiMiEs.] There are eight academies in Paris, namely, three
literary ones, the French Academy, that of Infcriptions, and that of
the Sciences ; one of painting and fculpture, one of architcfture, and
three for riding th': great horfc, and other military exercifes.
Antiquities and curiosities, "I Few countries, if we except
NATURAL AND ajitiucial, / It aly, can boaft of more valua-
ble remains of antiquity than France. Some of the French antiquities
belong to the time of the Celts, and confequcntly, compared to tliem,
thofe of Rome aie modern. Father Mahillon has given us a molt cu-
rious account of the fepulchrcs of their kings, which have been dif-
covered fo far back as Pharamond ; and fome of thera, when broke
open, were found to contain ornaments and jewels of value. At
Rheims, and other part? of France, are to be leen triumphal arches ;
but the mod entire is at Orange, ere£ted on account of the victory ob-
tained over the CimbrI and Teuiones, by Caius Marius and Luftatius
Catulus. After (iaul was reduced to a Roman piovitice, the Romans
took vaft delight in adorning it with magniHccn' edifices, both civil
and iacred ; foiwe of which are more entire than anv to be met with in
It.ly
-So FRANCE,
It:.ly itfelf. The ruins of an amphit'heatre are to be found in Chalons,
and likewife at Vienne. Nifmes, however, exhibits the mpft valuable
remains of ancient architeflure of any place in France. The famous
Pont du Garde was raifed in the Auguftan age by the Roman colony
of Nifmes. to convey a ftream of water between two mountains for
the ufe. of that city, and is as frefh to this day as Weftminfter-bridge :
It confuls of three bridges, or tires of arches one- above another ; the
height is 174 feet, and the length extends to 723, -The moderns are
indebted for this, and many other ftupcndous aqucdufts, to the igno-
rance of the ancients, that all ftreams will rife as high as their heads.
Many other ruins of antiquity are found at iSiifmes : but the chief, are
the temple of Diana, whofe vefliges are ftill remaining ; the amphithe-
atre, which is tliought to be the fineft and moft entire of the kind of
any in Europe ; but above all, the houfe erefted by the emperor Adrian,
(Called the Maifon Quarree. The arcliitefture and fculpturc of this
building arc fo exquifitely beautiful, that it enchants even the mofl
ignorant ; and it is ftill entir.e, being very little affefted either by the
ravages of time, or the havoc of war. At Paris, in La Rue de la
ilarpe, may be feen the remains of a palace, or Thermse, fuppofed to
have be.en built l>y the emperor Julian, furnamed the Apollate, about
the year 356, after the fame mode! as the baths of Dioclefian. The re-
mains of this ancient ediiice are many arches, and v.'ithin them a large
faloon. It is fabricated of a kind of maRic. the compofition of which
is not now known, intermixed with fraall fquare pieces of free-ftone
and bricks.
In A'lcs in Pro^«encc is to be feen an obelifk of oriental granite,
■which is 52 feet high, and fevcn feet diameter at the bafe, and all but
pne llonc. Roman temples are frequent in France. The mofh par-
ticular are in Burgundy and Guienne ; and other places, befides the
neiglibourhood ()f Nifmes, contain magnificent ruins of aquedufts.
The paffage cut through the middle of a rock near Brian^on in Dau-
phiny, is thought to be a Roman work, if not of greater antiquity.
The round buckler of maffy filver, taken out of the Rhone in 1665,
being twenty inches in diameter, and weighing twenty-one pounds,
containing the Dory of Scipio's continence, is thought to be coeval
with that great general. It would be endlcls to recount the different
monuments of antiquity to be found in Fiance, particularly in the
cabinets of the curious.
■' Cities and towns.] The fe are numerous in France ; of which
' wc l|iall mention only P^ris, Lille, and their priptipal fea-ports, Brell
and Toiilon.
Liile, in French Flanders, is thought to be the mofl: regular anc^
Arongeft fortiticatiori in Europe, and was the mafter-piece of
the famous Vauban. It is generally garrifoned with above 10,000
regular^ ; and, for its magnificence and elegance, it is called Little
Paris. Its manufaftures of filk, cambric, and camblets, are very con-
fiderable ; and its inhabitants amount to about 100.000. Dunkirk,
which the French U'cre obliged by the treaty of Utrecht to dcmolifli,
is ftill a thprn in the fide of {.lie Englin-i, by being a harbour for their
Smugglers, and may now, |3y an article in the lall treaty of peace, be
put into what condition the French miniftiy may pleale. The reft of
French Flanders, and its Netherlands, abound \yilh fortified towns,
v/feich carry on veiy gainful manufaftures. Moving
FRANCE. aSt
Moving fouthward, we come to the Ifle of France ; tlic capital of
which, and of ihe whole kingdom, is Paris. The population of Paris,
according to Guthrie docs not exceed 7 or 800,000 ; according to
Zimmermann 680.0000 •, fo that if Aitkin's corjcfturc refpcfling the
population of London be near the truth,* the population of Paris ex-
ceeds that of London.
Paris is divided into three parts ; the city, the univerfity, ami that
which was formerly called the Town. The city is old Paris ; the uni-
verfity and the town are tlie new. Paris is faid to be the paradifc of
fplendor and difhpation. The tapcftry of the Go1-)elincs+ is unequal-
led for beauty and richnefs. The Louvre is a building that does hon-
to architefture itfelf ; and the inftitution of the French academy far
exceeds any thing of the kind in England, or elfewhere. The Thuil-
leries, the palace of Orlean's, er, as it is called, Luxembourg, where a
•valuable coUeftion of paintings are fliewn, the royal palace, the king's
library, the guild-hall, and the hofpital for the invalids, are fupcrb to
the higheft degree. The city of Paris is faid to be fifteen miles in cir-
cumference. The hotels of the French nobleffe at Paris take up a
great deal of room with their court-yards and gardens •, and fo do their
convents and churches. The Ilreets are very narrow, and the houfes
very high, many of them feven ftories. The river Seine, runs through
the centre of the city, but it is too far dillant from the fea ff.r the pui-
pofes of navigation ; over it are many flone and wooden bridges. The
police of Paris is fo well attended to, that quarrels, accidents, or felo-
nies, feldom happen ; and flrangers, from all quarters of the globe, let
their appearance be ever fo uncommon, meet with the moft polite
treatment. The ftreets are patrolled at night by horfe and foot ; fo ju-
idicioufly ftationed, that no offender can efcape their vigilance. They
likewife vifit the publicans precifely at the hour of twelve at night, tQ
fee that the company are gone ; for in Paris no liquor can be had after
that time. The public roads in France are under the fame excellent
regulation, which, with the torture of the rack, prevents robberies in
.that kingdcm ; but for the fame reafon, when robbeiies do happen,
ihey are always attended with the death of the unfortunate traveller.
The environs of Paris are very plcafant, and contain a number of
fine feats, fmall towns, and villages ; fomc of them being fcaitcrpd on
the edges of lofty mountains rifing from the Seine, are remarkably de-
lightful.
The palace of Vcvfaillcs, which flands twelve miles fiom Pari-s^
though magnificent and expenliv* beyond conceptioji, and adorr.c.L
with all that art can furnilh, is properly a coUeftion of buildings.
each of exquilite architc£lure, but not forming a whole, agreeable lu
the grand and lublirac of that art. The gardens and waterworks,
(which are fupplied by means of prodigious engines acrofs the Seine
at Marli, about three miles diftancc) are aftonifhing proofs of the fer-
tile genius of man, and highly worthy of a flrangers attention. Tria-
non, Maili. St. Germain en Laye, Meudon, and other royal palaces,
are laid out with tafle and judgment ; each h^s its peculiar beauties for
the entertainment and amulement of a luxurious court.
Breft
♦ See pare 94. Note.
+ One GohUi, a noted dyer at Rlieims, wns tKe fiift who fettled in this place, in th«
reign of Francis I. and ihe houfe has retained his name ever (ince j and here the great Col-
j^rt^ about the year 1667, ellubhlhcd that yaluabk manut'ddory.
&^2 PRANCE.
Brefi; is a fmall, but very ftrong town, upon the Englifh channe!,
rvTjth a moft fpacious and fine fortified road and harbour, the beft and
fdfefl in all the kingdom : Its entrance however, is faid to be difficult,
by reafon of many rocks lying under water. At Bred is a court o(
admiralty, and academy for fea-affairs, docks, and magazines for all
kinds of naval (lores, ropc-yards, ftorc-houfes, &c. infomuch that it
may now be termed the capital receptacle for the navy-roval of France,
and is admirably well adapted for that end.
Lewis XIV. rendered Toulon, from a pitiful village, a fea-port of
great importance. Pie fortified both the town and harbour, for the re-
ception and protcftion of the navy-royal. Its old and its new irarbour.
iie contiguous ; and by means of a canal, fhips pais from the one to
other, both of them having an outlet into the fpacious outer harbour
Its arfenal, eftablifhed alfo by that king, has a particular ftorehoufe for
each fhip of war, its guns, cordage, &c. being feparately laid up.
Here are fpacious workfhops for blackfmiths, joiners, carpenters,
lockfmiths, carvers, &c. Its ropewalk, of Hone, is 320 toifes or fa-
thoms in length, witli three arched walks. Its general magazine fup-
plies whatever may be wanting in the particular itore-houfes, and con-
tains an immenfe quantity of all kinds of flores, difpofcd in the great-
ell order. The other principal towns in France are jnentioned in the
Table.
Religio?,'.] The eflabliflied religion of this, kingdom before the
late Revolution was the R.oman Catholic ; and fince the year 1685, in
which the edift of Nantes was repealed, greatly to the prejudice of the
kingdom, no other Chriflian fed was legally tolerated. In fomc parti
of the kingdom, at Bourdcaux and Metz, Jews were tolerated under
certain reftriftions. The fefcl of Janfenifts are very numerous. The
Galilean church has always bs-cn able to defend its liberties againfl: the
encroachments of papal powei-, and it adopted only fuch parts of the
canon law as did not militate againft its rights. The bilhoprics and
prebends M'ere entirely in the gift of the king. No other Catholic
i'tate, except thofe of Italy, had fo numerous a clergy as France : there
herein this kingdom fo late as 1784, 18 archbifliops, iti bifliops,
166,000 clergymen, 5.J00 convfents, containing 200,000 perfons devo-
ted to a mcnallic life.* The numbers of the clergy were then, howev-
er, greatly decreafing, and according to fome ilatemefrts, they did
not amount to more than 130,000 perfons. The revenues amounted to
121 millions of livres, but they were fubje^l to heavy taxation. The
jncomeof the bifliops alone v/as eftimated at 6,0(So.cqo of livres. Ev-
■•"y diocele had a court, called bureau dioufuin, the jurifdi6lion of
which rcfpefted the contributions payable by the clergy, and was lim-
ited to lums under 20 livres. From thefe courts appeal might be made
to nine chavibres cukfiajiiqnes fuptriairts.
The unfettled Hate of aflairs in France, render it difficult, if not im-
■poffible, to give a juit account of the prefent flate of Religion in that
kingdom.
Statement
* Since fhe RevolutioB a)l religious hoiifes have been (upprcffed, and their imraenfe funds
appropriated to public ufes. The revenues of the ecclefiaftics of ail kinds amounted to
f, 6,ooo,coo l^eriing.
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FRANCE. 289
Army.] la 1784 the whole French army confided of
Infantry, 144,624
Cavalry, 58,176
Minenrs, 9)798
Jingineers, 326
Total, 212,924
The following is faid to be an aftual ftatement of the French army,
as reported to the national aircmbly, in the lummer of 1792, by a com-
mittee of twelve, appointed for the purpofe :
TROOPS OF THE LINE.
Marjhai Luckner.
FfFcftive men in the field, 23,049
In the feveral garrifons, 15)375
Total, 38,424
To complete the regiment of which thefe troops
conhft, there are wanting, 5409
So that when the regiments are complete, the
number of effcftive men will be, 43j833
M. la Fayette.
Effcdive men in the field, 23,227
In the feveral garrifons, ^5t^"7
Total, 38,354
Wanting to complete the feveral regiments, 7020
When complete they will be, 455374
M. Lamoliere,
In the field, 20,943
In garrifon, 11,630
Total, Z'i,573
Wanting to complete the feveral regiments, 4,924
When complete they will be, 37>497
M,Montefquku,
In the field, 23,380
Ingairifon, 10,841
Total, 34,221
Vv'anting to complete the feveral regiments, 8,650
When complete thev will be, " 38,871
Of the four armies, the troops in the field, including fomo compa-
nies lately joined, arc 90,599 ; in garrifon 54,173; making, together,
144,772. Wanting to complete the regiments 21,885 ; fo that, when
completed, the four armies will confiftof 166,657.
In the interior of the kingdom arc 21,373 men ; and when the reg-
iments arc completed they will be 26,375.
In the colonics there are 12.564.
X The
290 FRANCE.
The whole effe£live men of the troops of the line, are 178,518; an
wheii completed they will be 205,286.
^ N A T J O N A t GUARDS.
With Luckncr 21,000
With Favette 22,000
On the Rhine 16,000
In the South 25,000
In the Colonies 5,000
In the Interior 3;500
Total, 92,500
The troops lately voted by the national aflembly, and partly raifed,
will amount to 171,774. The troops of the line and volunteer nation-
al guards, when completed will amount to 400,000; and of thefe
271,000 are aftually in the field, or in earrifon.
Navy.] In 1785, France had 256 {hips, viz.
Ships of the line 72
Frigates 74
Corvettes ' aS
Gallies 36 .
Cutters 27
J Fire-fhips 19
256
In the year 1780, 178a, the number of fhips was 266.
The navy department is divided into the weftern and eaftern depart-
ments fdu Ponent & du Levant J the firft of which has again three fub-
divilions. The chief ports of the royal navy are thofe of Toulon,
Breft, Port Louis, Rochefort, and Havre de Grace ; that of Cherbourg
has lately been repaired.
All naval affairs are under the management of the Secretaire de la
Marine; the chief commander of the fleet is the Lord Admiral of
France. There are in France fix naval academies, and many military
fchools, for the formation of fea and land officers.
Constitution.] The French conftitutton, finally decreed by the
National Alfembly, and prefented to the king on the 3d, and accepted
by him on the t3thofSept. 1791, contains a declaration of the rightsof
a man and citizen ; a guarantee of natural and civil rights, and a frame
of government. The declaration afferts, among other things, That all
men are born and remain free and equal in rights — That thefe rights
are liberty, property, fecurity and refiflance againft opprelTion — That
the principle of fov^ereignty refides effentially in the nation — That lib-
erty confifts in the power of doing every thing, except that ^vhich is
hurtful to another — That the law has a right to forbid thofe aftions on-
ly that are hurtful to fociety — That the law is the exprefTion of the
general will — That no perlon can be accufed, arrefted or detained, ex-
cept in the cafes, and according to the forms, prefcribed by the law—
That no perfon fhall be molefled for his opinions, even fuch as are* re-
ligious, provided they bo confident with public order — That every
citizen may freely fpeak, write and publifh his fentiments ; fubjeft,
however, to anfwer for the abufe of that liberty, in cafes determined
by the law — That fociety has a right to demand from eVery public
agent,
FRANCE. agi
a^ent, an account of his adminiftration — That no pcrfon can be dcpri"
ved of his property, except when the public neceflity, legally afcer-
taincd, (hall evidently require it, and on condition of ajuft and pre-
vious indcmnlficaticn.
The conilitution, eftablifhcd on thefe principles, declares, That
there is no longer nobility or peerage, or hereditary diftinftions, or dif-
tinftions of orders, or feudal fyftem, or patrimonial jurifdiftion, or any
of the titles, denominations and prerogatives derived from them, or any
orders of chivalry, corporations or decorations, for which proofs of
nobility were required, or which fuppofed diftinftions of birth, or any
other fupcriority, but that of public officers, in the cxercife of their
funftions — That no public ofHce is any longer falcable or hereditary — ■
That the law no longer recognizes religious vows or any other engage-
ments contrary to natural rights, or to the conilitution.
The confiilutitjn guarantees, as natural and civil rights, among others,
That all citizens are admifT.ble to places and employments without any
diftinftion. but that of ability and virtue — That all contributions fhall
be divided equally among all the citizens in proportion to their mean
— That the fame crimes fhall be fubjeft to the fame punifhments with-
out any diftin£lion of perfons — That the citizens have a right to choofe
the minifters of their wotfliip — It promifcs that a national feftival
fhall be eftablifhed to preferve the memory of the French revolution,
&c. and that a code of civil law {hall be framed for the common ufe of
the whole kingdom.
By the confhitutlon, the kingdom is one and indivifible ; its territo-
ry, for adminiftration, is divided into 83 departments, each depart-
ment into diftrifts, each diftrift into cantons. — Thofe, by the conflitu-
tion, are French citizens who are the offspring of French men or
French women, whether born in the kingdom, or in foreign countries,
provided their fixed refidencc be in France. — The legiflatulc may nat-
uralize a foreigner on no other condition than that of his refiding ia
France, and'taking the civic oath. — The civic oath is — " Ifzvear to be
faithful to the nation, the lazo and the king; and to maintain uiih all my
pozccr the conjlitution of the kingdom decreed by the National Afjanbly dur-
i7ig the years /ySg, lyqo, and lyoi.
The conftitution declares. That the fovereignty is one, indivifible,
unalienable, and impiefcriptible, and it belongs to the nation — That
the nation, from which alone flow all powers, cannot exercife them^
but by delegation — The French conftitution is reprefentative — The
reprefentatives are the legifiative body and the king.
The government is monarchical. The legillative power is delegated
to a National AlTembly, confifting of one chamber ivily ; compofcd of
reprefentatives, freelv chofcn by the people every two years, and to be
exercifed by this afTcmbly, with the fanftion of the king, in manner
iiereafter determined — -The kgiflative body (hall not be difiblved by
the king. The executive power is delegated to tlic king, to be exer-
cifed under his authority, by minifters and other refponfible agents, in
manner afterwards determined.
The conftitution declares, that the number of reprefentatives to the
iegiOative body (hall be 745 ; and that they fhcU be dillributed among
the 83 departments, according to the three proportions of land, of
population, and the contribution dircft. — Of the 745 reprefentatives,
X a 247
592 FRANCE.
e47 are attached to the land — 249 to the population, and 249 to the
contribution. In order to form a legillativc National Aflembly, the
aftive citizens fiiail convene every two years on the fecond Sunday in
March, if not fooner convoked, in primary afTemblies, in the cities and
cantons. To be an aSlivi citizen, it is neceffary to be a Frenchman, or
to have become a Frenchman — 'to have attained 25 years, complete — =
to have refided in the city or canton during the period determined by
law — to pay a contribution, to the value, at lead, of 3 days labour — not
to be a fervant receiving wages — to be infcribed in the municipality of
the place of his refidence, in the lift of the national guards — and to
have taken the civic oath. — Every 6 years the legiftative body (hall fix
the maxinum and jninimum of the value of a days labour. The prima-
ry alTemblies (hall name eledors, in proportion to the number of aftive
citizens reliding in the city or Canton, viz. one eleftor for 100 aftive
citizens; two eleftors, from 150 to 250, and fo on in this proportion.
In order to be nominated an eleftor, a man muft have the qualifications
of an aftive citizen, and alfo, in towns of above 6000 fouls, muft; poffefs
property, or the ufufruft of property, valued on the rolls of contribu-
tion at a rent equal to the local value of 200 days labour ; or be the ren-
ter of a habitation, valued, on the fame rolls, at a rent equal to the value
of 150 days labour. In towns of lefs than 6000 fouls — muft poffefs
property, or the ufufruft of property, valued as above, at a rent, equal
to 150 days labour ; or be the renter of a habitation, valued at a rent,
equal to 100 days labour ; and in the country — muft poffefs property or
the ufufruft of properly, valued, as above, at a rent equal to 150 days
labour ; or of being farmer or leffee of property valued at a rent equal
to 400 days labour.
The eleftors named in each department fhall convene, of full right,
if they have not been convoked by the proper officers, on the laft Sun-
day in March, to choofe the number of reprel'entatives, whofe nomina-
tion fhall belong to their department, and a number of fubftitutes e-
qual to a third of the reprefentatives. The rcprefentatives and fubfti-
tutes fh ill be chofen by a majority of voters, from the aftive citizens
of the department. All aftive citizens, whatever be their ftate, pro-
feffion, or contribution, may be chofen as reprefentatives of the nation,
except minifters and other agents of the executive power, commiffion-
ers of the national treafury, colleftors and receivers of the direft contri-
butions, fuperintendants of the indireft contributions and national
domains, civil and military officers of the king's houfehold. The e>:-
ercife of the municipal, miniftrativc and judiciary functions, fhall be
incompatible with the funftion of a reprefentative of the nation dur-
ing every period Of the legillaturc. The members of the legiftative
body may be re-elefted to a fubfequent legiflature, but not afterwards,
until an interval of one legiftature. The reprefentatives named in the
departments, fhall not be reprefentatives of a particular department,
but of the whole nation, and no inftruftions can be given them.
No aftive citizen can enter or vote in an aUcmbly, if he be armed.
In no cafe, and under no pretext, fliall the king, or <-iny agents named
by hjm, interfere in queftions relative to the regularity of the convora-
tion, the fitting of affemblies, the form of eleftions. or the politital
rights of citizens, without prejudice to the fun^lionsof the king's com-
miffioners, in caies dctarmined by law, when queftions relative to the
political rights of citizens are to be brought before the tribunals.
The
FRANCE. 893
The reprefentatives fhall convene on tTic firft Monday of May, at
the place of the fitting of tlie laft legiflature. Thr clden; of their
number fhall prcfide in order fo verify the powers of the reprcfenta*
tives prcfent. When 373 reprefentatives Ihall be prefect, and their
powers verified, they (hall conllitute thcmfelves under the title of "The
Legiflative National Aflemblv" — name a prcfident, vice prefident,
and fecrctaries, and enter on bufmefs. The reprefentatives fliall pro-
nounce in a body, in the name of the French people, the oath — " To
iiVE iREE, OR DIE." — They {hall then individually take the civic
oath. The reprefentatives of the nation are inviolable.
The royalty is indivifiblc, and delegated hereditary to the race on
the throne from male to male, and by order of primogeniture to the
perpetual exclufion of women, and their defcendants. — The perfon of
the king is inviolable: His only title is "King of the French."
There is no authority in France fuperior to that of the law. The king
reigns only by it, and it is only in the name of the law that he can re-
quire obedience. The king, on his acceflion to the throne, or at the
period of his majority, ihall take to the nation, in the prefence of the
legiflative body, the oath *' To be faithful to the nation and the law, to
employ all the power delegated to him. to maintain the conllitution de-
creed by the Conftituent National Affembly in the years 1 789, 1790,
1791, and to caufe the laws to be executed." If the king does not
take this oath within one month after an invitation by the legiflative
body, or if, after taking it, he (hall retraft ; if the king put himfelf at
the head of an army, and dircft the forces of it againft the nation, or
if he do not oppofe, by a formal aft, any fuch enterprize undertaken
in his name : or if the king fhall go out of the kingdom, and if after
being invited bv a proclamation of the legiflative body, he do not re-
turn, in the delay to be fixed by the proclamation, and not to be lefs
than two months ; in either of thefe cafes he fhall be held to have ab-
dicated the throne, be ranked in the clafs of citizens, and may be accu-
fed and tried like them, for afte poflerior to his abdication. The con-
lUtution provides for the fplendor of the throne by a civil lift, and al-
lows tiieking, befides the guard of honour, a guard paid out of the civil
liil. not exceeding 1200 infantry and 600 hoife.
The king is a minor till the age of 18 complete ; and during his
minority there fhall be a regent of the kingdom, who mufl: be a rela-
tion of the king, the next in degree according to the order of fuccelhon
to the throne, 25 years of age. a Frenchman, refidcnt in the kingdom,
not a prefumptive heir to any other crown, and have previoufiy taken
the civic oath ; or if the minor king have no relation thus qualified, a
regent fliall be chofen by eleftors in each di drift, appointed for the
purpofe. The regency of the kingdom confers no right over the per-
fon of the minor king; tlie care of whom flrall be confided to his
mother : or, in cafe he have no mother, or ftie be legally difqualified,
to the legiflative body.
The prefumptive heir to the crown fhal! bear the name of Royal
prince. He cannot go out of the kingdom, without a decree of the Na-
tional Afl"embly and the confent of the king : If. when out of the king-
dom, he be required by the legiflative body to return to 1' ranee, and
refufc, he is held to have abdicated t)ic right of fucceflion to the
throne. To the king alone, belongs the choice and re vocation oi
rwiiullers j
294
RAN
ininifters ; who are refponfible for all the offences committed by them
againftthc national fafety and the conftitution ; and in no cafe can the
written or verbal order of a Ving, fhclter a minifter from refponfibility.
The conftitution delegates to the legiflative body, the powers and
funftions which are ufually given to fuch bodies. The king can only
invite the legiflative body to take an objeft into confideration. War
cannot be refolved on but by a decree of the National AlTembly, palled
on the formal and ncceffary propolition of the king, and fanftioned by
him. It belongs exclufively to the legiflative body to ratify ti^aties of
peace, alliance and commerce. The executive power cannot march,
or quarter, or ftation any troops of the line within 30.000 toifes of the
legiflative body, without their confent. The deliberations of the leg-
iflative body fhall be public, and the minutes of the fittings be printed.
The decrees of the legiflative body are prefented to the king, who
may refufe them his alTent ; but his refufal is only fufpenflve. When
the two following legiflatures fhall fucceffively prefent the fame de-
cree, in the fame terms in which it was originally decreed, the king
Ihall be deemed to have given his fanftion. The king muft exprefs
his affent or refufal within two months after the decree is prefented to
him. If he aflents, he muft fay — " The king confents and will caiifeit to
be executed." — If he refufes, he muft fay — ^' The king will examine." —
When the legiflative body is definitively conftituted, it fliall fend a de-
putation to inform the king. 1 he king may every year open the feflion,
and propofe the objefts, which, during its continuance, he chinks
ought to be taken into confideration ; this form, however, is not to be
confidered as necefl'ary to the aftivity of the legiflative body. Eight
days, at leaft, before the end of each feffion, the legiflative body fhall
fend a depution to the king, to announce to him the day on which it
propofes to terminate its fittings : The king may come in order to clofe
the feffion.
The fupreme executive power refides exclufively in the hands of the
king, who is the fupreme head of the general adminiftration of the
kingdom, and alfo of .the land and fea forces. He appoints ambaffa-
dois — beftows the command of armies and fleets, and makes all other
appointments, and tranfafts all other bufinefs which commonly apper-
tain to the office of fupreme magiftrate. The king alone can interfere
in foreign political connexions, conduft negotiations, make prepara-
tions of war, diftribute the land and fea forces, as he fhall judge moft
fuitable, and regulate their direftion in cafe of war. Every declara-
tion of war fhall be made in thefe terms — " By the king of thx French,
in the name of the Nation." — It belongs to the king to agree upon and
fign, with all foreign powers, all treaties of peace, alliance and com-
merce, and other conventions, which he fliall judge neceffary for the
welfare of the ftate, faving the ratification of the legiflative body.
The judicial power can, in no caie, be cxercifcd by the legiflative
body or the king. Juftice fliall be gratuitoufly rendered by judges
chofen for a time by the people, inftituted by letters patent of the
king, who cannot refufe the fame ; and who cannot be depofed, except
from a forfeiture duly judged, or fufpended, except from an accufation
admitted. The public accufer fhall be named by the people. The
tribunals cannot either interfere in the exercife of the legiflative pow-
er, or fufpend the execution of the laws, or undertake the adminiflra-
RAN
*95
tive funftions. There fhall be one or more judges of peace In the
cantons and in the cities. In criminal matters, no citizen can be
judged, except on an accufation received bv jurors or decreed by the
legislative body in tlic cafes in which it belongs to it to profccnte the
accufations. After the accufation fiiall be admitted, the fatl fhall be
examined, and declared by the jurors. Tlie party accufed fhall have
the privilege of rcjefting twenty. The jurors who declare the faft
fliall not be fewer than twelve. The application of the law fhall be
made by judges. The procefs fhall be public, and the accufed cannot
be denied counfel. No man acquitted by a legal jury, can be appre-
hended or accufed again on account of the fame faft.
For the whole kingdom there fhall be one tribunal of errors, eftab-
liflKd near the legiflative body. Its funftions fhall be to pronounce,
on applications to quafn judgments, tendered by the tribunals in the
laft refort — On applications to refer caufcs from one tribunal to ano-
ther on lawful grounds of fufpicion — On queflions refpefting jurif-
diftion or cognizance, and fuits brought againfl a whole tribunal for
illegal or corrupt judgment — The tribunal of errors can never de-
termine on the merits of a cafe.
A high national court, compofcd of members of the tribunal of er-
i-ors and high jurymen, fhall have cognizance of the crimes of miniflers
ijnd principal agents of the executive pov/a', and of crimes againfl the
general fafety of the Rate, when the legiflative body fliall have ilfued
a decree of accufation. They fhall not convene but on the proclama-
tion of the legiflative body, and at thediftance of 30,000 toifcs at lealt
from the place where tiie legiflature fliall hold its feffions.
The conftituent national aiTcmbly declares, that the nation has the
unalienable right of altering the conftitution ; and the conilitution ac-
cordingly, prefcribes the mode in which alterations fhall be made.
The French colonies and pofTcfiions in Afia, Afrigi and America,
although they conftitute a part of the French empire, are not included
in the prefent conftitution.
The Conflituent National AfTembly, commits this depofit to the fi-
d.^lity of the legiflative bod)-, of the king and of the judges ; to the vig-
ilance of fathers of families, to wives and mothers ; to the afFc&ion of
young citizens, and to the courage of Frenchmen.
(Signed) VERNIER, Prelidcnt.
History OF fue late Revolution-.] To give fome idea of the
Oiign of this mcmoriable event, we muft take notice, that the liberties
of France, as well as thofe of Britain, were fccured by their parlia-
ments ; but in the French conftitution there was this capital defet^,
that the offices of its members were attached to particular families, ti-
tles, or fituations ; fo that though the fanftion of parliament was re-
quifite for rendering every a£t of the king valid, they never were in a
condition to refufe it. By degrees it was generally perceived by the
people, that this cxcefiive power with which the monarch was invcft-
ed did not originate either in the principles of the conftitution, or the
natural rights of mankind ; but, as the kings were always in pof-
feihon of a great ftanding army, any attempt at innovation would have
been exceedingly dangerous. After the conclufion of the treaty of
Paris in 176;^, the French minillry feemed to adopt a plan different
from what they had formerly purl'ucd, Juftly fuppofing that the im-
mcp.fe
296 FRANCE.
mcnfe trade carried on by the Britifh v/as the true fource of their pow-
er, they lefiiened the army in order to incrcaCe the marine ; and in this
they fucceededfo well, that in the laft war the French navy became
much mftre formidable to Britain than ever it had been. But by this
improvement, the power of the king, whofe dcfpotifm could only be
fupported by a great (landing army, was leffened of courfe. The army
>vhich afTifted the Americans imbibed from them enthufiaflic notions
of liberty, which they would probably diffufe among their country-
men, and confequently render them more impatient of the tyranny they
laboured under than they were before. Befides this, the vafl expenfes
attending the war with Britain had augmented the national debt far be-
yond every refource which the kingdom could afford, fo that govern-
ment were put to the laft fhift in order to carry on the neceifary opera-
tions. In 1776, the finances had been put under the direftion of M.
Neckar, a native of Switzerland, and a Proteftant, by whom a general
reformatien was made throughout every department in the revenue.
In the beginning of the year : 780, a variety of unneceffary ofHces in
the royal houfchold were abolifhed, as well as many falutary regula-
tions made for the public benefit. By his aftivity, the excefs of dif-
burfements abo\^c the revenue, which in the year 1776, had amounted
to at leaft a million fterling, was converted into an excefs of revenue
above the difburfements, amounting to 44,5,000!. Thefe reformations,
however, not being calculated to pleafe fuch as had found their in-
tereft in the abufcs of revenue, he was difmiiled, and others more a-
greeable to the views of the courtiers appointed. Succeeding minif-
ters being endowed neither with the integrity nor abilities of M. Nec-
kar, the finances and credit of the nation were on the point of being
entirely ruined, when the afTembly of notables was convened. This af-
feinbly had been inftituted in the early ages, and was compofed of arch-
bifliops, bifliops, .^''arious prefidcnts of the^difFerent parliaments, and
deputifs of the different ftates. Thus it was a proper reprefentation of
the wliolc kingdom, and as fuch had been frecjuentiy called in times of
public danger and diftrefs. The miniffcr at this lime was M. de la Cal-
onnc, who is acknowledged not to be poffeffed of that difmtereffednefs
for which M. Neck-ir was fo eminently diftinguilhed. He isfaidtohave
preventcdtheAffcmbly from fitting, from the 29th of January 1787, when
it was convened, to the 2 2d of February ; and Co ihis the fubfequcnt
levolulion is laid immediately to have been owing ; as, during the in-
terval, an opportunity was given to the members of ton\'errmg with
each other, communicating their complaints, and forming fchemcs for
rcdrefs.
When the Affcmbly at laft met for burmcf?. tlie liing told them,
that the objcft of their meeting was to improve the revenues -, to after-
tain their freedom by a more equal partition of taxes : to difetigage tnQ
commerce of the kingdom from lome o{ its cmbaraffments ; and to iup-
port, as far as poihble. the poorer part of the community. M. de Ca-
lonne acknowledged tlic deficiency of the annual revenue to l>e about
80 millions of livres (about three m.illions fterling) which deficiency
he traced as far back as the time of Cardinal Flcury, preceptor,
and afterwards miniftcr to Louis XV. The Abbe Terai, he faid,
had found the deficiency at 74 millions, and left it at 40 ; while
M. Neckar, who had found it at 37 in the year 1 7 7(1, had left it at 56
in
F R. A \' C Y. ^t§7
in 1780 ; and in :8 months after tliat. lime it had lifen to 80. M. Nec-
kar offered to refute this charge ; but Calonne rcfufed to enter int/>
any difcufTion of the matter, and the king would not allow oT
an inquiry. On a fair ftate of the cafe, however, it appeared that the
deficiency of the revenue was at leafk 130 millions ; and this was the
more alarming, as during the adminiftration of Calonne, no lefs than
fix hundred millions of debt had fallen in. The remedy he piopnfed
was a general tax on land, and a ftamp aft. This lafl, called the 7m-
ire, occafioned the greateil alarm. It was even faid, that every letter,
which at any time might be adduced as a proof in a proccfs at law, was
to be ftamped. Calonne's fpeech was publilhed and feverely criticifed ;
he was fuppofcd to have traced the deficiency of the revenue very
high, in order to conceal his own faults ; and he was oppofed by the
nobility ai)d clcrgv ; whofe privileges he was fuppofed to have invaded
by his land tax. In fhort, fo great were the difficulties and embarraff-
ments of the minif>er, tliat he appealed from this Aflembly to the peo-
ple, blaming the Notables for their oppofition, as he did not mean to
impofe any new tax on the people, but to relieve them. In a general
meeting, on the 23d of April, the king exprefted his forrow for the
vaft: deficiency of revenue, and promifed a more exaft economy for the
future ; but concluded with mentioning the ftamp aft. The Notables
received the fpeech with the utmoR applaiife, but ventured to inquire
into the neceltity of a new tax, the propofed term of its duration,, and
the nature and extent of the favings to be made by it. This uncom-
mon boldnefs did not give offence : The king condefcended to enter
into particulars, and calculated the incrcafe of revenue at 40.millions :
The Notables proceeded in their inquiries, and it was now fuggcllcd
that an Affcmbly of the States fliould be called, as the Notables were
r.ot competent to impofe a new tax. As ilie deliberations of the Not-
ables were not carried on in fecret, this propolal wasinfhantly circulat-
ed through the capital, and fuppofed to be a new difcovery. The Nota-
bles were foon afte^ difiblved, without having accomplifhed any things
excepting the juftification of M. Ncckar. During their refearches into •
the affairs of the revenue, it was foimd, that at the end of his admin-
iftration, there was an excefs of ten millions annually, while at prefenf
the fix hundred millions which were fallen in, had not been accounted
for, and a deBciencv of between 130 ^ni ijo millions was to be fup-.
plied.
The Affcmbly of Notables v»'as fuccccded by the eflabliflimcnt of the
Council of Finance; a free pa ffagc for corn was allowed fiom one
province to another : and the Corvee.;, or pcifonal fervices to the lord,
were aboliihed by edift •, but at the fame time, the flamp aft was el^ab-
liffied. It extended to all letters and commiirions foi every office and
place, either honorary or ufeful ; for every grant, title, or ccncefficn ;
certificates for fludy : grants under the. privy fcal ; commiffions in the
affairs of the king ; accounts and receipts of every l FRANCE.
tiiem in the ufual terms, '■ i have t^e honour to acquaint you ;" but,
*'• lam rcquefted to acquaint you." In taking the oath, it was infifted
that the coimtvy fhould be put before the king. A propofal of an-
Tiulling all the taxes, and laving; them on by the authority of the Na-
lional AlTerrtbly was mads by Mr. Target, and inftautly agreed to with-
out one diffenting voice.
In the mean time, the commons had the fatisfaftion to find that their
proceedings were agreeable to the nation at large. Deputations were
received, not only from the inhabitants of Paris, but from the eleftors
«f the provinces, affuring the alTembly of their firm i'upport and deter-
mination to ftand or fall with them in the caufe they had undertaken.
But while thus employed, to the mutual fatisfaftion of fhemfelves and
©f the people, the commons received a meflfage from the king, com-
manding them to depart from the hall. Some of them replied, that they
might be taken out dead, but would not go alive. The foldiery were
then eommanded to interfere, but they pofitivelv refufed ; and the
3cing was informed by the commander in chief, the Due de Chatelet,
that he could not anfwer for the fafcty of his royal perfon, if the or-
ders given to the troops were to be inforced. His Miijeily then wrote
a letter to the nobility and clcrgv, deftring them to join the commons,
•which was accordingly done ; but any little hope of accommodation
which might now take place was entirely overthrown bv the following
accident. Two foldiers of the French guards formed a defign of en-
tering the National Affembly, in order to complain of the Due dc
Chatelet, their.colonel, in the name of the whole regiment. With this
view they had drefTed themfelves in plain clothes ; buc being obferved
by the duke, they were by him committed to prifon. From thence
they fent a letter to the Affembiy, informing them of the danger in
•whnh they were, on account of the patriotic behaviour of the regi-
ynent v/ho had refufed to fire on their countrymen. This letter pro-
duced the moft aftoniihing effe6l. A multitude of peoole fct out
from the PaLiis royal, where the friends of liberty were allcmbled. with
<> defign to releafe the prifoners. As they proceeded on their journev,
they were joined by many ihoufands of others, among whom were a
number of the French guards. Having procured the necefTary inftru-
j5ients, as they went along, the gates and bolts of the prifon were for-
ced, and the prifoners relcafed in lefs than an hour. Troops of dra-
goons and hufTars were fent for, but they refufed to aft, drank with the
multitude, and joined in tlieir acclamations.
Such an alarming tumult could not fail to affcft even the boldefl
p:uriiits. A deputation was therefore fent, at the motion of Mr. Tar-
g^'t, to the king, requefling him to take effeftual meafures for putting
an end to the prefcnt troubles, and to forgive what was paft. His
Majefly confented, and the Affembiy continued its proceedings. Same
../: the nobility and clergy attempted to enter a proteil againfl every
■:hing that had been done, but they were overpowed bv a vafl ma-
jority. The prefidency of the Alfembly was offered to the duke of
^)rleans, but on his declining the office, it was oftcred to the archbifli-
op of Vicnne, who accepted it. The king, however, perceiving his
authority almoft annihilated, refolvcd to overawe the Affembiy by en-
camping his troops in the neighbourhood. This excited a general
islar.m, and the Affembiy became tumultuous,, W. Mirubeau now be-
gan
N C £.
.■?3«
gan to dlftinguifh himfelf as a fpeaker. After taking notice tliat the
lUtion of the troops was an infringement on the liberty of the AfTcm-
bly, and that the very finding them in provifions in fuch a time of
fcarcity mufl be a grievance, they being no Icfs than 35,000 in number,
he propofed an addrefs to the king, praying that he would crchr back
the troops to the place from whence they came, togetlicr with the
train of artillery they had along with them ; and informing him, that
in cafe any difturbances were apprehended at Paris or Verfailles, he
might raife companies of armed burghers, who would be a fufficienl
prote£lion. This addrefs was prefented, but the king did not think
proper to fend away his troops, though he affured the Affombly tlia:
they had nothing to fear, and offered to remove the place of their fit-
ting to Novon, or SoifTons.
Thefc affurances feem to have removed the apprehenfions of the Af-
fembly. They i-.ow proceeded to confider the difmiffion of M.Ncck-
ar, and his aifociates in the miniftry ; they prelcnted an addrei's to the
king, in wliich they fet forth the virtues of the difmiffed miniRcr.-, af-
furing his Mijcfty that the nation neither could nor would h,ive any
confidence in the new ones. They reprefented the horrors of the i'cene
which muft enfue, if the troops fhould a6l agaiaft the Parifians, and
propofed to fend a committee to the capital to prevent bloodflicd. 'Jo
this an unfavourable anfwer was ^iveo ; the king refufiiig cither to re-
move the troops, or to allow the committee to be fcnt to Paris. This
anfwer produced a number of fpirited refolutions ; among which was
the following : " That this AlTembly, dreading the fatal confcqucncei
which his MdjeUv's anfwer may produce, mull continue to infifl: up-
on the removal of the troops, drawn together in an extraordinary man-
ner, in the neighbourhood of Paris and Verfailles ; and upon the cftab-
lifhment of armed bodies of citizens." Thefc refolutions were tr.kcn
on the 13th of July, and next day the people began to arm thcmfclves ;
a party of troops entered tlic capital, but the French guards having
joined the people, only a niglitfkirmifh happened, in which iwodraa-
00ns, of the duke de Choileuil's regiment, were killed and two wound-
ed. The troops then left the city, and the people proceeded to aft
openly in fapport of the caufe of liberty. The police of the citv was
now entirely without influence, and its place was fupplicd by armed
burghers ; the Ihcps were fhut up ; a general conllcrnation prevailed
all over the city ; and it was propofed to raife :a militia of 48.000 men.
The fird exploit performed by thefe patriots, was forcing; the con-
vent of St. Laylare, where they found a confiderablc quantity of corn,
as well as of aims and ammuuition, fuppofcd to have been brought
thither from the arlcnal, as to a place of fecurity. Next day the hof-
pital of invalids was fummoned to furrendcr, and taken polTefrion of
after a flight rcfiftance. The cannon, fmall arms, and amir^mition
were feized, and thus all 'he citizens, who chofc to arm themfcivcs,
was fupplied with what was neteilaiy. The ammunition lodged in
the Baftile was then demanded the fame evening. A flag of truce had
preceded the body of people who made the demand, and wasanfu'ercd
from within ; but, nevenhclels, the commandant gave orders ro his
troops to fire, and kdled Icvcral of them. Em a jod at this prorcf.ding,
they rufhed forward to afl'ault the place. The governour then confent-
ed to admit u certain number uf them, upon condition that they fhould
nuke
|»2 FRANCE.
make no drfturbance. This being readily agreed to, abcat 40 pafled
the draw bridge, which was in ftantly drawn up, and the whole part^^
maflfacred. Exasperated at tliis, the people aflauhed the fortrefs with
fucli violence that it loon furrendercd ; and the governor, with fomc
of the more aftive pcrfons in this treachery were put to death, and their
heads carried on pikes round the city. Only four or five prifohers
were found in the Ballile. Some account fay feven.*
The king now perceiving that all the troops he could command
would be infufficient to quell the infurre£tion, repaired to the AfTem-
bly, and informed them, that he had ordered the troops to retire to a
certain diilance from Paris and Verfailles, This fpeech was received
with univerfal applaufe ; and foon after the troops had retired, the mar-
quis de la Fayette, who dillinguifhedhimfelffo much inthe army of the
United States, was appointed to command the Paris militia, along with
M. Bailjy, Prevot de i\'Iarchands. The number of armed men in the;
capital were now computed at 150,000. The king put himfcH into the
hands of the citizens, and palfed through Paris to the Hotel de Ville,
cfcorted only by them. On entering that place, he declared that he ap-
peared there only to gratify the wiflies of the people, and to aiTure
them of his readinefs to do every thing in his power to reflore tran-
quillity to the city. In return he received every teflimony of affection
that could be expreffed by a numerous and orderly people. This was
followed by a difmiffion of all his new fervants, and the rccalofMr.
Neckar.
All this time the patriotic party continued to gain p^round. The
capital was guarded by the militia ; the troops removed Ipeedily to the
places from whence they came : The Due de Chatelet refigned his
command ; and feveral changes were made in theminiftry. The Due
de Liancourt was chofen prefident of the National Affcmbly in room
of the archbifhop of Vienne, whofe time was expired ; and the king,
hearing that a number of his guards had joined the militia, granted
leave to the marquis de la Fayette to retain as many as chofe to flay ;
at the fame time, he authorifcd the guards to enter among the militia,
with a promife to continue their pay and maintenance till the city was
reduced into a flate of tranquillity.
Though this extraordinary revolution was attended with much lefs
bloodlhed than what ufually accompanies affairs of this kind, yet it
was not wholly bloodlefs. Befides thofe who perifhed immediately in
the affair of the Baftile, feveral other vi£lims were offered up at the
fhrine of liberty. One of thcfe was M. de Toulon, late intendant of
Paris, who was accufed of having caufed. or increafed the fcarcitv in
that capital. To avoid the popular fury, he had fpread a report of his
death, and retired to his houfe in the country. Here he wasdifcover-
ed, and dragged to Parii, where he was firft hanged, his head then cut
off, and carried upon a pole to meet his fon-in-law, M. Berthier. the
intendant at that time, whofe death had been already determined upon,
and who had been feized at Compeignc. The marquis de la Fayette
interceded for Berthier as far as he could with fafely.but to no purpofc.
In the provinces the moft gnevous dilbrders took place. In Britanny
fevera!
* This affair has been differently reprsfentcd ; and the publit muft patiently wait for an
aulhrnticattd account of this, and other particulars of this interttiing Revolution, till '•.%
Ihall be tutly accompli(hed and national cranijulllity reftortd.
FRANCE. 303
feveral regiments laid down their arms wlien ordered out againfl tiic
infurgents. At Havre de Grace the whole garrifon left the fort on
hearing what had happened at Paris, and the burghers immediately
took poireflion of it. A moft melancholy aflFair happened at Befancon,
which at once difcovcrcd the greateft. cruelly and depravity in the per-
petrators. The people there having refolvcd to celebrate the revolu-
tion at Paris by rejoicings, a nobleman of the oppofite party, by name
M. de Mefmay, projefted the horrid fcheme of pretending to enter in-
to the views of the people, with an intention of deftroying them ?,t
once. For this purpole he invited them to an entertainment at his
caftle of Quefnay. A great number of the people attended, and were
moft barbarioufly mafTacrcd at once, by blowing them up with gun-
powder, by means of a concealed mine. The wretch himfelf efcaped,
hirt his caftle was demolifhed by the enraged populace, and not only
that of Quefnay, but many others in the neighbourhood ; and on this
occafion, it is not to be doubted, that feveral valuable buildings were
deftroyed. Among thefe was the rich Abbey of the order of Citeaux,
frequently animadverted upon by Voltaire. On examining into this
affair, however, by a committee of the National Affembly, it was faid
to have happened by accident, though it is difficult to conceive how
it could be fo.
While thefe difturbances were going on, the roads were befct by
troops of banditti and robbers, chiefly foreigners. At Monfmartre
5000 dcfperadoes began to level the platforms, with a view to ere^
batteries for deftroying the city ; but being difperfed by the citizens,
they formed themlelves into feveral bands, and committed many dep-
redations ; but at laft, intelligence having been received at the Hotel
de Villeof thefe and other enormities, 200 citizens fet out in queft of
the robbers, whom they found difperfed in parties all over the coun-
try. They attacked the citizens with ftones, &c. but being foon put
to flight, and 200 taken prifoners, the country was reftored to tran-
quillity.
The^impatience of the nation for the return of M. Neckar now grew
to fuch a height, that the Aft'iimbly wrote a letter to the king, demarwd-
ing it, in the following terms :
" Sire,
" You came yefterday among us, and tefti£ed your confidence in our
counfcls, requiring us to give them in the prefent dreadful ftate of af-
fairs. We were yefterday in the capital, where we faw and hear,d
every thing. Your whole people are aflFlifted at the fate of Mr. Neckar.
and demand him of your Majefty. Every body Ikolds your prefent
minifters in horror ; the public indignation is at its height ; we there
fore, Sire, for the happinefs of your kingdom, for your own happinefs,
advife you to recal Mr. Neckar."
We may judge of the ftate of humiliation to which the mighty fov'
creign of France was now reduced, by his fending the following letter,
addreffed to Mr, Neckar, unfealed, to the National Affcmbly, for their
infpeftion :
" The King of Francs to Mr. Neckar.
" I have been deceived refpefting you. Violence has been commit-
ted on my charaftcr, Behold me at length enlightened. Come, Sir,
coice
g04 f K A ^ C E.
jrome without delay, and refume your claims to my confidence, whicti
you have acquired forever. Mv heart is known to you. I expeft
you wiih all my nation ; and 1 ^'ery fmcerely fharc in its impatience.
Oil which. I pray God, Sir, until you return, to take you into his
"holy and worthy kccpin'g."
In conL-quence of this letter, M. Neckar haflened to Paris, where
he was received by the people with the moftexcefTivc exultations, and
by tlie king with the grcaleft cordiality andafFcftlon. He was attend-
ed to the liolcl dc Ville, by M. de St. Prieft, the fecretary of Rate, and
efcorted by a numerous company of the horfe and foot militia. The
people who were in the Place de Greve, being impatient to fee him,
he was ob-liged to go into an adjacent room ; and during the fliort
time of his abfcncc, the Aflfembly came to a rcfolution of pafhng a gen-
eral amrieflv, in confequence of the feftival which exifled by the re-
turn of Mr. Neckar, and that the fame fliould be read in all the church-
es of France ; which rcfolution was in the higheft degree acceptable to
the wortjiy miniiler on his return. On the report of this tranfaftion
lo the States General at large, however, fome difputes enfued, and it
was urged by fome, that the elettors of Paris had no right to grant a
general amnefly, as fuch power belonged only to the Affembly ; and
the fame day a rcfolution was brought forward, in which it was infill-
ed, that a tribunal Ihould be erected forjudging of the demerits of fuch
offenders as ihould be brought before it, on accufations of having at-
tacked tlie fafctv, peace, or liberty of the public, though the people had
a right to pardon ttiem if they thought proper.
During this time of trouble and cc>nfurion, the Englifli nation had
become liighly obnoxious to the French patriots. The reafon of this
■was, tliat the people of England v\'^cre reported to be fuch enemies to
the French, that they had even denied them a morl'el of bread in the
time of their prcfent calamitv. The duke of Dorfet had written a
letter to the count d'Arlois, which was found among the papers of the
baron dc Caftelnau ; and this was faid to be in favour of the noblelfe,
and the party of the queen, who were inimical to the liberties of the
people; though, in truth, it was merely complimentary. News had
iikewife been circulated of an Englifh fleet failing from Plymouth, to
make an attempt on Brefl ; and a pamphlet againft the commons had
been publifhed by lord Camelford. All thefe afperfions, however,
were quickly wiped off, by a letter from the earl of Dorfet to the count
de Muntmorin, and which was read in the National Affembly. On re-
ceipt of this letter, the Count de Liancourt, prefidcnt of the AHembly,
wrote a letter to the Count dc Montm.orin, in which he expreffed the
greateft fatisfa£bion ; and in confequence of this the Englifh, from be-
ing treated as enemies, were held as affeftionate friends, and the recon-
ciliation was confirmed by fome further correfpondence between Dor-
let and Montmorin.
The national Affembly having now in a great meafure overcome all
oppofitinn, proceeded to new model the conftitution. For this pur-
pofe twenty two articles were formed; in which were included, an
equal taxation ; a renunciation of all privileges, whether perfonal,
piovincial, or municipal ; redemption of feudatory rights ; various
luppreilions and abolitions of particular jurifdiftions, duties, and fer-
vicci, ; abolition of the fale of ofiiccs; ju'ltice to be executed v/iihout
FRANCE. 305
any expcnfe to the people ; admifTion of all citizens to civil and mili-
tary offices ; his Majcfty to be proclaimed the Reilorer of French Lib-
evtv; amcdal tobcftruck, and TeDeum cclebratedin memory of this re-
markable event. Onthereprefentation of the minifter,aloanof 30 mill-
ions was voted, in order to provide for the preffing exigencies of the
ilate, until the finances could be properly regulated. The French guardi
were voted a medal of 50 liv res ; but, in the mod patriotic manner,
they fent three of their body to the Hotel de Ville, begging leave to
deciiive this honour, on account of its expenfe ; likewiic refufnig to ac-
cept of any pecuniary acknowledgement from their fellow citizens ;
but, however, as a mark of their approbation, defiring a medal of fix.
livres each, to wear at their buttons. They were to be incorporated,
with the city militia, and to have ao fols per day.
While the aflembly were thus proceeding vigoroufly in their work
of reformation, a report was fpread of a mine having been formed
from under the (tables of the count d'Artois, to the hall of the Afiem-
blv, with a dcfign to repeat the horrible fcene at Quifnay. After the
moil diligent fearch, a vaft hole of great depth was difcovercd in one
of the cellars, but which did not appear to have any communication
with any place in the neighbourhood ; though from hence it was con-
cluded, that fome fuch horrid plot had been in agitation. In other rc-
fpe£ts they were xiiilurbed by intelligence of dreadful disorders com-
mitted in the pi ovinces; where, among many other Ihameful proceedings,
it was proved, that a number of perfons went from province to prov-
ince, fpreading falfe news, and encouraging the populace to infurrcc-
tion ; and even the authority of the king was pretended to be produc-
ed by thefc mifcreants for evsjry fpecies of diforder. To remedy this
atrocious evil they palfed a decree, that all municipal bodies of the
kingdom, as well in towns as in the country, fhould watch over the
maintenance of general tranquillity ; that, at their requisition, the na-
tional militia, and all the troops fhould come to their alhilance, in pur-
fuing snd apprehending all public difturbers of the peace, &c. and to
prevent any abufe oLpower, the national militia and foldiers fhould
take a certain oath, Uie form of which was mentioned. This fcheme
was at firfh oppofed by M. Mirabeau ; but in a fhort time he dropped
his oppolilion, and the refolution was carried unanimoufly, and had,
foon after, the fanftion of a royal proclamation to the fame purpofe.
The authority of the Aflembly continuing ftill to increafe, they next
proceeded to take into confidcration the revenues of the clergy, to ex-
amine the psnfion lift, and to affign a particular fum of the royal
revenue in time to come. The utmoft extent of a country clergy-
man's revenue was fixed at 1,500 livers, or I-. 62, their curates to have
L. ^5 •, the city priefks L. 100, and their curates, L. 53. The bifhops,
and other beneficed clergymen to undergo a proportionable reduftion.
They began alfo to confider the fuppreflion of monaftic orders, from
v>rhich, and the propofed reduftion of the clerical revenues, it was com-
puted that the finances of the nation muft be confiderably augmented.
From fome calculations it appeared that the number of ecclcfiaflics,
fecular and regular, with the nuns, amounted to 316,274; and that,
for their fupport, an annual revenue, of 1 17,699.500 livers was requir-
ed. Near 80,000 of both fexes were fuppofed to belong to the d'.lfer-
©n£ orders, and there weire 1 7,000 mendicants. The diftircflcd ftate of
U thd
3o6 FRANC E,
the national finances now began to draw the attention, not only of diS
Aflembly, but of the nation at large. In the beginning of September,
it was announced to the Affembly, that there was a deputation of la-
dies from Paris, who came to offer their jewels and valuable ornaments
for the fervice of their county, Thefe fair patriots were received with
the utmofl politenefs, and it was propofed by the ladies themfelves,
that an office fho-uld be eftablifhed, merely for the reception of jewels,
tvhich (hould be fold, and the fum applied to the diminution of the
national debt. An addrefs of thanks was voted by the Aflembly to
thefe generous females ; their names were ordered to be publifj^ed in
the votes of the AlTembly ; and thev Avere authorized to wear a badge
of diftinftion, on account of their having made fuch an honorable fac-
rifice. The example of the ladies of Paris, in giving up their jewels,
was followed by a vafh number of individuals throughout the kingdom,
and many gifts of great value were every day brought in by patriots of
all denominations.
But while matters were thus going on, feemingly in the moft fuc-
cefsful manner for the patriots, the king, at ihf head of the ariflocratic
party, had io far flrengthcned himielf, that he ventured to give a very
unfavourable anfwerto moll of the requifitions of the Aliembly. This,
however, was the lafl effort of royalty. The cominons, confcious of
their own power, adhered flriftly to the principles they had laid down,
and which the other two orders were by no means able to oppofe.
The following arrticles were finally determined, as part of the new con-
ftitufion of the kingdom.
1. All powers flow efl"entially from, andean only emanate from
the nation.
2. The legiflativc power refides in the National Afi^embly, compofed^
of the rcprefentatives of the nation freely and legally elcftsd.
3. No aft of the legiflaiive body fhall be deemed law, unlefs con-
fented to by the rcprefentatives of the nation, and fanftioned by the
king.
4. The fupreme executive power refides in the hands of the king.
5. The judicial power can in no cafe be exereifed by the king, nof
by the Icgifl'atlve body ; but juftice fhall be rendered in the name of
the king, by the tribunals efiablifhed by the law, according to the
principles of the new conftitution.
The diftrcffed ftate of the national finances at laft overcame every
other confidcration, and for fometime engroffcd the attention of the Af<
fembly. A bill was brought in by Mr. Neckar, taking in,to conlidera-
rion the urgent neccflities of the flate ; and propofing certain redu£i:iori3
in the royal houfeholds, penfions, clergy, &c. requefting alfo a contri-
bution from all the inhabitants of the kingdom, but which was to be
made only once, and not to be renewed on any pretence v/hatever. — •
The contribution %vas refl^riftfed to a nett fourth of the income, without
any inquiry into the perfon's fortune ; a lift of contributions to be made
out, and the money returned to them, if alive, in the year 1792, buC
their heir'^ not to be entitled to any benefit from it. None, whofe in-
come did not exceed 400 llvres, to be included in the tax. .This was-
followed by a donation of 100,000 livres from M. Neckar himfelf. — ■
The plan was laid before the king, with the articles of the new confli-
■ tat'mn ; but his Majcfty informed them, that thoughh'C aflentcdto tha:
■glaw
F R A N. C- Ei St);
|>ian of the new conftitution, it v/ason this pofitive condition, that the
aeneral refuU of their deliberations fhould leave him in the full pof-
loffion oT the executive power. However, after nnaking ionic remarks
en the conftitution, he acquiefced in it for the prcfctu, until a more
perfeft fyflem could be adopted. This anfwer was deemed infufficicnt,
and a deputation was lent to his MajcRy, requiring his unequivocal
alTent to the new conilitution.
This was followed by moft violent tumults. A new regiment of
troops happening to arrive at Verfailles, were fumptuoully entertained
by the Ciardcs du Corps in the palace. The king and queen themfclvcs
honoured them with their prefence, by which the whole affembly were
fo elevated, that among other inflances of their exultation, thev tore the
national cockades, the badge of patriotifm, from their hats, trampled
them under their feet, and i'upplied themfelves with black ones. This
produced i'uch dillurbanccs at Paris, that all the diftrifts of the capital
were i'ummoned, and the marquis de la Fayette was ordered to proceed
immediately to Verfailles, at the head of a large body of troops, and bring
tiie king under his guard to Paris, The marquis hefitaled at firft, but
was fnon glad to comply, on hearing that a gibbet was prepared for
himfelf, and another for the mavor, in cafe of his refufal. In confc-
quence of this preremptory command, he fct out at the head of
20,000 men, and attended by feveral of the magiftrates of Paris*
I'he flame of patriotifm, however, had now extended itfelf even to fe-
nudes of the lowell clafs. Eight thoufand fifh women had preceded
the marquis, and about two o'clock next morning had entered llie
pidace with an intention to feize and kill the queen. It was afterwards;
iound, that feveral of the French guards had m.ixed among them iii
women's drcfTos. On their arrivtil, ihey forced their way to her* Ma-
jcftv's apartment, who inllantly ran to that of the king, with only her
fhift on. The m.ob, however, were fortunately repulfed by the guards,
of whom a greater number than ordinary had been ordered to fleep in
?he antichambers adjoining to the queen's apartment. On the arrival
of the Parifian troops, a fkirmifh eni'ued betwixt th.-m and the guards,
in which feveral were killed on both hdes, and among the relt feveral
women who had mixed themielves with the patriotic foldiers. 1 he re-
giment of Flanders, notwithftanding the afFcftion they had pretended
for the king, laid down their arms, and refufed to fire. The body-
guard reiifted as long as they were able, but at lafl were overpowered
and put to flight ; however, by the authority of the marquis de la Fay-
f tte, the Parifians were prevented from entering the palace. In a little
time the marquis was introduced to the king, along \vith fome of the
magifl;rates of Paris, by whom the defire of the people M'as communicat-
ed to his Majefty that he iliould remove to the capital. As he knew thac
reuftance v>'Ould he vain, he complied v.'ith their defire on afl'urance of
proteftion ; and. the royal equipages being ordered to be got ready, he
iet ou.t wich the queen, th-e dauphin, Monileur, the king's brother, and
the king's aunts, attended by the marquis de la Fayette and about 5000
guards. The road was fo crowded with people, that though 50,000 of
the Parifian troops had been fent out to keep the way clear, it was fix
hours before they reached the Hotel de Ville, though the diftancc is
only twelve miles. In this humiliating proceiFion, it is not to be lup-
p'jfcd but their Majefties nuifl have met with many intuits, fufficiently
U 2 dlfagreeable
aoS" FRANCE.
difagreeable to people in their high ftation, abftra£led from all confidera«»
tions of perfonal fafcty. Indeed even of this there feemed now to be ve-
ry confiderable danger. The queen particularly was abufed by the
patriots of her own fex, who called loudly for her to be given up to
them, that they might put out her eyes, and cut off her ears. On their
arrival at the Motel de Ville, the king was harrangued by M. de St.
Mery, who alTured his Mnjefty that he had only been conduced to Pa-
ris for his better fecurity, and that he would find himfelf more happy
among his loyal children there than he had been at Verfailles ; after
which he was conduced to the palace of the Thuilleries, an old and
ruinous place, v/hich had not been inhabited fince the time of Louis
XIV, and where no preparations had been made for the reception of
the royal family.
Thus was the finifhing ftroke given to the authority of the French
monarch. He inftantly caufed it to be announced to the National
Affembly, that he complied with their demands in the fulleft: extent.
Since that time he has continued a kind of prifoner, infomuch, that he
has not the freedom of going any where, even to the fhorteft diftance,
for the purpofe of amufement, without the attendance of fome perfons
under the name of guards. Having once fpoke of taking the diverfion
of the chace, he was inftantly informed, that looo of the Paris militia
were ready to attend him ; on which he declined the amufement. The
marquis de la Fayette, touched with the miferable fituation to which
his fovereign was reduced, made a propofal for recalling his own
guards ; but this excited fuch murmurs among the people at large, that
it was thought proper to drop the fcheme altogether. At firfl the royal
pair v/ere overwhelmed with addrefi'es and congratulations, many of
them of a very dj/agreeable kind. The queen was conftrained to give
audience to a deputation of females of the very loweft clafs, fome of
whom were among thofe who had attempted to murder her a few
ni<^hts before. Thefe, by one whom they had chofen for their prefi-
dent, demanded the liberty of all prifoners who were not malefaftors,
deferters not excepted. The Count de Luxemburg then demanded in
the name of the queen, the pardon of thofe princes of the blood royal
who had been obliged to fly into foreign countries, viz. the count
d'Artois, the princes of Conde, and Conti, which was agixed to. The
fair prefitdent of this illuftrious band is faid to have appeared fo pretty-
in the eyes of the king, that he did not fuffer her to depart without a kifs.
The mob having thus prefumed fo far, foon ran into the greateft ex-
cefTes ; and, affuming the power of life and death, fhewed a determi-
nation to proceed to execution in a fummary way againft every one
who was obnoxious to them ; but having put to death in this manner a
baker, with fome circumftances of barbarity, the Affembly inftantly de-
termined to put the capital under martial law. This was attended
with fo good an effeft, that in a fhort time the difturbances ceafed, and
the Affembly were no more interrupted in their deliberations. Only
a fingle attempt has been made to refcue the king, and this ended very
unfortunately for the projcftor, the marquis le Faveras. In confe*
quence of the difcovery, this nobleman, with his wife, who is alfo prin-
cefs of Anhalt Chamboiarg, were taken into cuflody. One of the wit-
nefles againft them was M. de St. Prieft, lecretary of ftate. He depof-
cd, that, about the middle of Auguft; he was accofted by an unknown
gcntlem^n^
1?- R A N C E. 309
^Jltleman, who afterwards owned himfelf to be the marquis Ic Favc-
fas. This ftranger told him that he felt for the king and royal family,
atid was ready to facrificc himfelf if he could pi-efcrve them from the
difaftcrs which threatened both them and the kingdom in general. The
privileges cf the clergy and nobility, he faid, ought to be fupported ;
and he had a force of 1 200 men ready to aft again ft the National Af-
ffembly, and the marquis de la Fayette. The defign is further faid to
have been that the marquis, M. Bailli, and the mayor, fliould have
been murdered in the firft place ; after v,'hich the king and queen
were to have been efcorted to Lifle, in Flanders, by a band of 3000 vol-
i:nteers» The guard at the barrier towns, it is faid, had been gained
over to this fcheme, and a loan of three or four milli6ns procured for
putting it in execution. A committee of inquiry was fet on foot, and
il having appeared to them that the marquis was really concerned in
the affair, he was impeached, tried, and condemned by 21 judges againft
ig, to make the Amend: Honourable, and then to be hanged ; but as the
new regulations required that four-fifths of the judges fhould be unan-
imous before a prifoner could be condemned, the execution of the fen-
tence was fufpended : But on the 1 8th of February 1790, he was again
condemned to make the Amende Honoiiarbk before the gate of the ca-
thedral of Nortre Dame, from thence to be drav/n in a cart to the
Place de Greve, with his head and feet bare, a lighted flambeau of two
pounds weight in his hand, and clothed in a linen frock covered with
brimfhone, having a label on his breaft, with the words Conspirator
AGAINST THK Stati:, wrctc upon it in large charafters. And laftly,
having confeffed, on his knees, the crimes meditated againft his coun-
try, and begged pardon of God, his country, hisfovereign, and jufticc,
he was to be hanged on a gallows erefted for the purpole. This fevcrc
ientence was put in execution next day, without the leaft mitigation.
No inftitution does the Affembly more honour than the unlimited
toleration in religious matters, which has at length taken place in that
once intolerant country ; and, what is very remarkable, this impor-
tant point was carried without a divifion. By this aft of toleration,
every perfon, of whatever profeffion, the Jcwifh only excepted, is en-
titled to bear offices in the ftate, whether civil or military ; nor can
any thing bs accounted an unlawful impediment, except difobedicnce
to lomc of the decrees of the National Affembly. Thus it appears,
•that Catholics at laft can Ihew unlimited toleration to Pioteftants,
while the latter, in fome countries, cannot bear v/ith one another with-
out the fecurity of a Tefl Aci j and v/hile they are thus new-modelling
the government, we cannot help obferving, that every method is ufed
to extinguifh the debts of the French nation, without overburthening
the people with taxes ; a confideration whicli feems to have been long
forgotten in Great Britain, where a tax is fcldom taken off after being
once laid on ; while the produce feems to be employed for the purpofes
of luxury and idlcncfs to individuals, rather than to fupply the exigen-
ces of the ftate. Even the Jews at Bourdeaux, and fome other places,
have had their privileges confirmed to them, which are very conliderablc
via. a liberty of partaking of the rights of citizens, of purchafing prop-
erty, voting at eleftions, fcrving offices military and civil, and diicharg-
ing the duties of them, even on the fabbath day. Another refolutioa
has paffcd, that there fhall be no diftinftioa of orders in France, in
confcqucnx:8
3JO FRANCE.
confequencc of wKich the wIidIc body of nohility are anniliilated. A
third refolution determines, that it fliall not be lawful for the ofKcers
of the police to imprifon any pcrfon, by way of correftion, for mora
than three days, without bringing him to a trial.
Among the patriotic exertions of the people we muft reckon the
dcftruftion of the Baftile to have been the mod remarkable.
"The mind," fays Mr. Paine, " can hardly pifture to itfelf a more
tremendous fcene than what the city of Paris exhibited at the time of
taking the Baftile, and for two days before and after, nor conceive the
pofTibility of its quieting fo foor. At a diftance, this tranfaction has
appeared only as an aft of heroifm, ftanding on itfelf ; and the cloi«
political connexion it had with the Revolution is loft in the brilliancy
of the atchievement. But we are to confider it as the ftrength of the
parties, brought man to man, and contending for the iffue. The Baf-
tile was to be either the prize orlhcprifon of the affailants. The
dowr.fal of it included the idea of the downfal of Defpotifm ; and
this compounded image was become as figuratively united as Bunyan's
Doubting Caftle and Giant Defpair.
The National Allembly, before and at the time of taking the Baftile,
was fittincT at Veifailles, twelve miles diftant from Pari?. About a
week before the rifing of the Parifians, and their taking the Baftile, it
was difcovered that a plot was forming, at the head of which was the
Count d'Artois, the King's youngeft brother, for demolifhing the Na-
tional Affembly, feizing its members, and thereby crufhing, by a conp
/leviaine, all hopes and profpefts of forming a free government. For
the fake of humanity, as wellasoffreedom.it is well this plan did
not fucceed. Eiiamplcs are not wanting to fhew how dreadfully vin-
diftive and cruel are all old governments, when they are fuccefsful a»
gainft. what they call a revolt.
This plan muft have been fome time in contemplation ; becaufc, in
order to carry it into execution, it was neceftary to colleft a large mili-
tary force round Paris, and to cut oft^ the communication between that
city and the National Aifembly at Verfaillcs. The troops deftined for
this fervice were chietly the foreign troops in tlie pay of France, and
who, for this particular purpoie, were drawn from the diftant provin-
ces where they were then ftationed. When they were coUefted, to
the amount of between twenty-five and thirty thoufand, it was judg-
ed lime to put the plan into execution. The miniftrv who were then
in office, and who were fiiendly to the Revolution, were inftantlv dif-
miffed. and a new miniftrv formed of thofe who had concerted the
projeft ; among whom m'?s Count de Bvoglio, and to his ftiare was giv-
en the command of thofe troops. The charaftcr of this man, as defcrib-
e.d to me in a letter which I communicated to Mi". Burke before he
bctran to write his book, and from an authority which Mr. Burke well
knows was good, was thai of " an high flying ariftocrat ; cool, and ca-
pable of every mifchicf."
While thefe matters were agitating, the National Aftembly ftood ira
the moft. perilous and critical fituaticn that a body of men can be fup-
pofed to aft in. They were the devoted viftims, and they knew it.
'Jhey had the hearts and wifties of their country on iheir fide, but
military anthoritv they had none. The guards of Broglio furrounded
the hall where the Afl"embly fat, ready, at the word of command, to
fcizc
FRANCE. 3it
fcize their perfons, as had been done the year before to the Parliament
in Paris. Had the National Affembly deferred their trufl, or had they
exhibited Ggns of wcaknci's or fear, their enemies had been encourag-
ed, and the country dcpreifccl. When the fuuation they flood in, the
caufe they were engaged in. and the crifis then ready to bur ft which
fhould determine their pcrfonal and political fate, and that of their
country, and probably of Europe, are taken into one view, none but a
heart callous with prejudice, or corrupted by depcndance, can avoid
interefting iifelf in their fucccfs.
The Archbiniop of Vienne was at this time Prefident of the National
AlTcmbly ; a perfon too old to undergo the fcene that a few days, or a
icw hours, might bring forth. A man of m.ore aftivity, and bolder
fortitude, was necelTary ; and the National Alfcmbly chofe (under the
form of a Vice-Preiident, for the prefidency dill relided in the arch-
hifliop'i M. de la Fayette, and this is the onlv inftancc of a \'icc-Preri-
dent being chofen. It was at ! he moment that this ftorm was pending
i Jidy ii) that a declaration of r"ghts was brought forward by IVI. de la
Fayette. It was haftily drawn up, and makes only a part of a more
cxtenfive declaration of rights, agreed upon and adopted afterwards by
the National AUcmbly. The particular reafon for bringing it forward
at this moment (M. de la Fayclle has fmcc informed me) was, that if
the National AtTembly (hould fall in the threatened defl^ruflion that
then funounded it, fome traces of its piinciples might have the chance
of furviving the wreck.
Every thing now was drawing to a crifis. T!ie event was freedom or
fiavcry. On one fide, an army of nearly thirty fhoufand men ; on the
other, an unarmed body of citizens ; for tiic citizens of Paris, on whom
the National AlTembly mud then immediately depend, Avire ?.s unarm-
ed and as undifciplined as the citizens of London are now. Tlie
French guards had given ftrong lymptoms of their being attached to
the national caufe ; but their numbers were fmall, not a tenth part of
the force th.at Broglio commanded, and their officers were in the intc-
reft. of I'irnglio. •
Matters being now ripe for execution, the ne\v mipiflry made their
appearance in ollicc. *1 he reader will carry in his mind, that the Baf-
tilc was taken the 14th of July : the point of time I am now fpcaking
to, is the 12th. Immediately on the news of the change of miniftiy
reaching Paris in the afternoon, all the play houfcs and places of enter-
tainment, fhops and houi'es,' were fliut up. 1 he change of miniftiy
was confidered as the pt elude of hoftilities, and the opinion was rightly
founded.
The foreign troops began to advance towards th? city. Th.e Prince
de I,ambcfc, who commanded a body of German cavalry. ap))roached
by the Place of Lewis XV . which connefts itfclf with fomc of the
ftrccts. In his march, he infultcd and ftruck an old man with his
fword. The French are remarkable for their refpeft to old age, and
the infolence witli which it appeared to be done, uniting with the
f;cneral ferrnentation tlicy were in. produced a powerful eilcft, and ^
try of '/') arvK ! to arms ! fprcad itfelf in a moment over (he city.
Arm-, they had none, nor fcarccly any who knew the life of them ;
but dcfpcrate rcfolufion, when every hope is at ftake, fupplies for a
V HI?, 'he v/ant of arms, N<'ar whcic the Prince de Lambefc was
drawn
312 FRANCE.
drawn up, were large piles of ftones collefted for building the net'C^
bridge, and >yith thefe the people attacked the cavalry, A party of
the French guards, upon hearing the firing, rufned from tl:eir quarters
and joined the people ; and night coming on the cavalry retreated.
The ftreets of Paris, being narrow, are favourable fur defence ; and
the loftinefs of the houfes, confifling of many ftories, from which great
aniioyance might be given, fecured them againft nofturnal enterprifes ;
and the night was fpent in providing themfelves witk every fort o^
\veapon they could make or procure : Guns, fwords, blackfmith's
hammers, carpenters' axes, irdn crov/s, pikes, halberts, pitchforks, fpits,
clubs. Sec, &c.
The incredible numbers with which they affembled t'ht next morn-
ing, and the ftill more incredible refolution they exhibited, embarraff-
ed and aftonifhed their enemies. Littie did the new miniflry expeft
fuch a falute. Accuflomed to flavery thcjnfelves. they had no idea
that Liberty was capable of fuch infpiration, or that a body of unarm-
ed citizens would dare to face the military force of thirty thoufand
men. Every moment of this day v/as employed in colle6ling arms,
concerting plans, and arranging themfelves into the befl order which
fuch an inflantaneous movement could afford. Broglio continued ly-
ing round the city, but made no farther advances this day, and the fuc-
ceeding night palled with as much tranquillity as fuch a fcene could
^oflibly produce.
But defence only was not the object of the citizens. They had a
caufe at flake, on which depended their freedom or their flavery.—
They every moment expefted an attack, or to hear of one made on the
National Affembly ; and in fuch a fituation, the mofk prompt meafures
are fometimes the befl. The objeft that now prefented itfelf was the
Bafliie ; and the eclat of carrying fuch a fortrcfs in the face of fuch
an army, could not fail to flrike a terror into the new miniltry, who
i\ad fcarcely yet had time to meet. By fome intercepted correfpond-
cnce this morning, it was difcovered, that the Mayor of Paris, IvI. Def-
ileffelles, who appeared to be in their intereft, was betraying them ;
and from this difcovery, there remained no doubt that Broglio would
xeinforce the Bafliie the enfuing evening. It was therefore necefla-
ty to attack it that day ; but before this could be done, it was firft.
ueceffary to procure a belter fupply of arms then they were then pof»
felled of»
There was adjoining to the city, a large magazine of arms depofited
at the hofpital of the invalids, which the citizens fummoned to furren-
J C E. gt3
the Tpace of a few hours. Is an event which the world is fully pofTefred
of. I am not undertaking a detail of the attack, but bringing into view
the conrpiracy againft the nation which provoked it, and which fell
with the Bafiile. The prifon to which the ncwminiftry were doom-
ing the National Anembly. in addition to its being the high akar and
cadle of dcfpotilVn. became the proper objeft to begin with. This cn-
terprife broke lip the new miniftry, who began now to fly from the ruin
they had prepared for others. The troops of Broglio difpcrfed, and
himfclf fledalfo/
It is much to be wiflicd that a particular hiftory and defcription of
this celebrated engine of tyranny were made public. At prefent we
can only inform our readers in general, that in it were found the moft
horrible machines, calculated for grinding to mummy thofe unhappy
criminals whom the cruelty or jealoufy of the monarch, or even of his
favourite miftrefs, had determined to deftroy. An iron cage, about
twelve tons in weight, was found with the Ikeleton of a man in it.
who had probably lingered out a great part of his days in that horrid
manfion. Among the prifoners releafed by its deftruftion Avere major
White, a Scoti'man, and the earl Mazarine an Irifh nobleman. The
former appeared to have his intelleftual faculties almoft totally impair-
ed by the long confinement and miferies he had endured ; and, by being
unaccuftomed to converfe with any human creature, he had forgot the
life of fpcsech. Earl Mazarine, after having left Paris, narrowly efca-
ped being detained at Calais, but luckily efcaped the danger, pofTibly
owing this good fortune to his being taken for a madman. On his arri-
val at the Britifh fhore, he eagerly jumped out of the boat, fell down
on the ground, and kifl'ed it. It doth not appear that any remarkable
particulars concerning the treatment of prifoners in the Baftile have
tranfpired from the accounts of thefe two peribns. This curfed builds
ing is now totally deflroyed. The lafl ftone of it was prefentcd to the
National Afiembly In the beginning of the month of February 1790,
by thole brave foldicrs and citizens who had expofed their lives in
ftorniing the place. M. Maillard, who prefented the gift of thefe pa-
triots, made the following fpeech. " Gentlemen, we are poor, and
can therefore only ofler the Poor Mart's Mite, but wc accompany it
\vith an offering which, we flatter ourfclves, will prove acceptable to
our country, and, we hope, glorious to ourfelves. It is the La/l Stone
of the Bajlik." The gift was received with the loudeft applaufe."
The demolition of this place, where people, without any crime, ex-
cept perhaps having given offence to a ftrumpet, might be fuddenly
imprifoned for life, or even deftroyed in a fhort time, muft give pleafure
to every friend to humanity. Unluckily great numbers of the papers
belonging to it were burnt by the mob ; but fuch as have been preferv-
ed, abundantly fhew the way in which the prifoners were fometlmts
treated. The following letter, from M. S — e, intendant of the police
at Faris, to de Launay the governor of the Baftile, killed by the mob,
was much fpokc of. " My dear de Launay, I fend you F ,
an atrocious offender. Keep him eight days, after which order mat-
ters ;" i. e. let him be put to death. A memorandum was found in dc
Launay's hand writing, intimating, that, after the time fpecificd, he
had fcnt to S-^e, to know under what name F fhould be
cnterred.
The
314 FRANC E.
The deflruftion of the Baftile has again called the attention of the
yublic to a piece of hiftoi y, which engaged the pens of fevcral authors
of the laft and beginning of the piefent centuries. In the )ear 1661,
a flioi t time after the death of the cardinal Mazarine, an unknown
prifoner was fent to the ifle of St. Margaret, in the Mediterranean,
near Provence. This perfon always wore a black mafk, fuppofed to be
of iron, but on examination found to confift of black yeb'et and whale-
bone. It was faftened on by fteel fprings, and fixed'with a padlock,
in fuch a manner, that he could not put it ofFliimfelf, though he could
eat and drink without being greatly incommoded by it. He was treat-
ed v.-ith the greiteft rcfpeft, infomuch, that the governor of the caftlc
■svhere he was kept, always waited oi-j him bare-headed, and never fat
fiown in his prefence, but it was underftood that any difcovery of him-
fclf would be attended with immediate death. He was exceedingly
well m.adc, ^nd had fomething engaging in the found of his voice ; and
according to the account of an old phylician, who had feen the lower
part of his face, in examining his tongue when fick, his complexion
v/as very dark, and tlie fkin of the reii of his body brownifii. He nev-
(tr complained of his fituation, or difcovered the leafk inclination for
liberty, He amufed himfelf with playing on the guitar, and orders
wer.c giveri to fupply him with every thing he required ; but his chief
paflion fcemed to be for fine laces and linen. His rank and quality were
undoubtedly very high, as appeared from the refpeft {liewcd him not
only by the governor, but by the prime minifler of France, who once
paid him a vifit during his confinement in the ifle of St. Margaret, and
jicver fat down in his prefence. The prifoner himfelf, however, did
fiot at any time drop the leafl; hint by which it might be conjefturedwho
he was ; but it feems that had it been in his power to make a difcove-
ry of himfelf, which might have been accounted accidental, it would
undoubtedly have been done. The room in which he was confined had
but one window, which looked towards thefea, A barber one day per-!
ceived fomething white floating under the prifoner's window, and tak-
ing it up, found it to be a very fine fhirt carelefsly folded up, which he
had filled from one end to the other with writing. The unfufpeHing
barber carried it to the governor, but his officioufnefs cofl him dear,
lie was /ound dead in his bed a few days after, ;n;irdered undoubted-
Iv by the cruel inflruments of oppreffion and defpcLifm by V\'hom the
prifoner had been fo long confined. Another time the prifoner wrote
fome words with a fork upon a fmall filver difh, and threw it out of
the window towards a fifhing boat which had approached almoft to
the foot of the wall ; but this being alfo carried to the governor, the
vjfl-ierman was in danger of fliaring the fame fate with the barber, had
iiot the governor been afTured that he could not read. In 1698 he was
removed fjom this place of confinement to the Baftile, where he re-
mained till the time of his death, Movember 19th, 1703. After his
dcatli tlie head was feparated from the body, cut into fmall pieces and
interred in different places. Orders were given to burn all his clothes,
jiiicn, matrafs, and coverlets. Even the panes of glafs in the win-
dows of his room were delhoyed, the walls of it fcraped and new
plaifleicd, left he fliould have wiote fomething on them which might
tend to a difcovery.
.'r.ich extraordinary fecrecy could not but excite the curiofity of the
publ.c in a propcrtionablc degiee ; but it would have been death tQ
any
FRANCE. 3i|
any of thofc concerned in it to divulge the lead article. M. Chamil-.
lard was the lafl minifter to whom the fccret was known. When
on his death bed, his fon in law, Mar(hal de Feuilladc, conjured him
to tell him who this priioner was : but he replied, that it was a (late
f'ecrct. and he had fwornnot to reveal it. While the pvifoner remain-
ed in the Baflile, he found means to convrrfe with anotlicrperfon con-
fined in an adjacent apartment, through the funnels of the chimnies.- '
The latter aficed him why he concealed his name, and why he was
fhut up there ; but he replied, that his confelhon would cofl him his
Jifc. and occafion the detlruftion of all thofe to whom he might reveal
the fccrct. Many conjeftures have been formed concerning this ex-
traordinary peifonage. Some have imagined that he was the duke of
Beaufort, a turbulent nobleman who took an aftive part in the civil
wars during the minority of I,ouis XIV. and was fiid to have been
killed by the Turks at the (iegc of Candia. But this opinion is un-
doubtedly refuted by the profound rel'peft on all occalions fhewn to
this prifoncr by the greateft perlonagcs in the kingdom. Other imag-
ine that he was the count de \'crmandois, a natural fon of Louis XIV.
The caufe of his imprifonmcnt is faid to have been his giving the dau-
phin a box in the ear ; but this cannot be the cafe, if it be true that the
man with the iron mafk was confined in 1G61, and that the count dc
^'ermandois was only born in 1667. A third party fuppofe him to
have beeen the duke of Monmouth, who rebelled againfl James II. He
wasfentencedtobe beheaded, and the fcntence faidtobeput in execution,
A report, however, wcnt,that the duke did not really fufler ; but that one
of his followers, who refcmhled him, had the courage to dieinhis (lead.
'i'Jiis opinion is ftill more untenable than the former ; but it is now
laid to be fully manifefl, from an original letter from the princcis of
Modcna to the duke de Fronlac, that he was twin-brother of Louis
XIV, and born only four hours after him. Thus the unfortunate
prince, thiough the jealoufy and bigotry of the times, was forever con-
cealed from the eyes of the world all his lifetimc„and lingered out an
ulclefs and melancholy life. This account feems to be the only prob-
able one, as it explains at once the very great refpeft Ihewn totheprif-
oner, and likcwdc the circumftancc, othcrwife unaccountable, that, at
the time of his confinement, no perlon of confcqucncc difappcarcd in
Europe.
The foregoing account of the Revolution in 1- rancf, is taken from
Kincaid's Geographical Grammar. It has the appearance of beinsj
written by an impartial hand ; and we give it a.s the bed account, ii\
detail, of this event, fo far as it goes, of any that has come to our knowl-
edge.
We arc not furniflied with materials fufficiently authentic and con-
nedled, to authori/.e a detail of the interefting events that have taken
place in the courfe of the tv-o lafl years, 179^ and 1 792. We can on-
ly fay in general, that the Revolution is not yet completed — that a
C ounter- Revolution has been fct on f-jot by the French emigrants, in
which the Unitcvl powers of Auflria, Prufifia, part of the Germanic
body, Naples and Sardinia, are engaged — that their forces, to the
amount, it is faid, of upwards 500,000 men, are nov.- on the borders of
France — that France is torn by violent internal dilfenfions — that tlie
National AffemV^Iv, on the (jlh of AuguR, paGed a decree, " revoking
the
SiS FRANCE.
»he authority entrufled by the conflitution to Louis XVf. and fuf-*
pending him from that moment, until a National Convention fhall have
decreed the meafures neceffary to be purfued for preferving the Na*
tional Independence-^that the primary afTemblies v/ere to convene on
the 25thof Auguft; to eleft their delegates to the National Convention,
which was to meet at Paris on the 26th of September—that the Na*
tional Aflerably have named four commiffioners, for the four armies,
who have power to iftue mandates of ar re ft, and pronounce the fuf-
penfton and difmifion o? the General and Staff OJicers, who aft again ft
the general fafety-— ^and that the following decree of acculation againft
KI. La Fayette, was palled on the 18th of Auguft.
L It appears to this Alfembly that there is juft ground for accufation
atgainft M. la Fayette, heretofore Commander of the Army of the
North.
IL The Executive Power fhall in the moft ejcpeditious manner pof-
fible, put the prefcnt decree into execution ; and all conflituent author-
ities, all citizens, and all foldiers, are hereby enjoinedj by every means
in their power, to fecure his perfon.
Ill, The A(fembly forbids the Army of the North any longer to ac-
knowledge him as General, Or to obey his orders ; and ftriftly enjoin^
that no perfon whatlbever fliall furnifh any thing for the troops, or pay
any money for their ufe, but by the orders of M. Dumourier.
To give the reader fome idea of the objefts aimed to be accomplifhed
by the Counter ReVolutionifts we add the following fummary of the
Ma!?ifesto on the part of the combined forces of Austria and
Prussia.
The King of France fhall name the frontier town of his kingdom to
*>tvhich he defires to repair. The Duke of Brunfwick fliall fend him a
faard, befides his Military Houfehold, which v/iil be appointed by the
rinces, his brothers.
The Emperor and the King of PruITla do not defire that the kingdom
of France fliould be difmsrribcred in any of its franchifes ; nOr do they
Wifh to intermeddle in the government.
They dcftre the reftoration of the King to his, liberty and full au-
thority, the I/Iinift-rs to their altars, and property to its proprietors.
The Deputies to the firft and fecond Legifl^ture fhall be tried.
The National Alfembly and the city of Paris are anfwerable, upon
their heads and effefts, for the life of the King, and that of all the
Royal Family, to commence from the day of the publication of the
Manifefto. ^
Every man who fliall be taken with arms in his hands, fhall be
treated as a rebel, and tried according to military law.
Every man taken in the att of firing or throwing flones from his
windows, fhall be put to the fword, and his houfe burnt or demolifhed.
The National guards arc enjoined to maintain good order, and arc
refponfiblcj as well as all adminiflrators, both coUeftively and individ-
ually, upon their heads and eifetls, for every event.
The Duke of Brunfwick and the PrufTian army, will protecl all in-
dividuals that {hall declare for the King ; and the faid army is prohib-
ited, under pain of death, from committing any a£l of vengeance or
jullice, without receiving orders.
The
SPAIN. 317
The Duke of Brunfwick will retain in his pay all regiments or mili.
tary that fliall declare for the King.
No pardon will be granted to whoever (hall oppofe the King's de.
parture, and his palTage to the town that he may apooint.
Lewis XVI. king of F^-ance and Navarre, was born in 1754, fuc*
ceeded his grandfather Lewis XV. in 1774, married, 1770, to Mari^
Antonietta, hfler of the emperor of Germany, born 1755. Their if-
fuc are Madame Maria Therefa Charlotte, born on the 19th of De-
cember 1778 ; and Lewis- Jofeph-Xavier-Fiancis, dauphin of France,
born October 22, 1781.
N. B. The reader who wifhes to obtain a knowledge of the hiftory
of France, may confult Caefar's Commentaries, Rollin's Ancient Hifto-^
ry, Univerfal Hiftory, Voltaire, and Sully's Memoirs.
SPAIN.
Situation and extent.
Miles. Degrees.
Length 700-1 ^^^^^^^ r 10 and 3 eaft longitude.
Breadth 500 J \ 30 and 44 north latitude.
Boundaries.] TT is bounded on the Weft, by Portugal and the At.
X lantic Ocean ; by the Mediterranean, on the Eaft 5
by the Bay of Bifcay and the Pyjenean Mountains, which feparatc i*
from France, on the North ; and by the ftrait of the fea at Gibraltar,
on the South.
It is now divided into fourteen diftrifl:s, befide* iflandsin the -Medi»
terranean ; as in the following tabic ,•
T ABl f,.
N.
CO
0
Villages and Boroughs 2 1 .o8c
according to others i8,ooc
H 0 0 0
-^ 9, 9, 9,
J: d ^" t-^
:^ 0 3
3-5 2
^ '-. <
0 0
0 ^-.
6 6:
i'
^ TO
0 ■>
Leon — 6.COC
Valladolid 19.00c
Salamanca — l.q.ooc
0 0
9, 9
1
1
:« to
-- 0 .. V. u
0 0 u 0 0
0 0 0 0 w
d" d d t^ c-
:^i CO c, cj ,-
I'll'
8 8
??
1 1
c
.5 &
l-'opulaiiun
for every
fquareMire.
0
-0
c
.2
ex,
0 S n^
8 -1
8 ••! 1
0 0 J
0
8
8
0
0
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^0 9
0
0
0^
00"
0
06
5
0
CO
0
0
0
0^
00
>
Q
1
1
1
i
I
c5
rs
>
II
1
1
1
1
J
-c
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1
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-->
1
1
1
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= ^ ^
rS C BJ
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1
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O O =!
"re :^"
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re -^3
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Cj o
o o o
O M3 ir
o
An
Possessions in other Parts of the Globe.
1. In Africa. On the Coaft of Baibary, the towns of Ceuta, Orari,
Melilia. and Mafalquivir : the Canary Iflands, viz. CaiiiH-ia, Ferro,
Tencriffe, &c. 'I he iflands of Annabon and Delpo, under the Equator.
2. -Jn Afia. The Philippine Iflands; the principal of which is
Luzon, whofe capital is Manilla. The Marian, the Caroline, and Pa-
laos Iflands.
3. In America, immenfe provinces, much larger than all Eurepe,
moft: of which are aftonilhingly fertile.
(1.) In North America, Louyfuvna, California, Old Mexico, or New
Spain, New Mexico, both the Floridas.
(2.) In the Weft-Indies, the ifland of Cuba, one half of St. Domin-
go, Potorico, Trinidad, Margareta, Tortuga, &c.
(3.) In South-America, Terra-Firma, Peru, Chili, Tucuman, Para-
guay, Patagonia.
Thefe extenflve countries we have already defcribcd.
Ancient names and divisions.] Spain formerly included Por-
tugal, and was known to the ancients by the name of Iberia, and Hef-
peria, as well as Hifpania. It was about the time of the Punic wars,
divided into Citerior and Ulterior ; the Citerior contained the provin-
ces lying north of the river Ebro ; and the Ulterior, which was the
largefl: part, comprehended all that lay beyond that river. Innumera-
ble are the changes that it afterwards underwent ; but there is no
country of whole ancient hiftory, at leaft the interior part of it, we
know iefs than that of Spain.
Climate, and water.] Excepting the period of the equinoxial
tains, the air of Spain is dry and ferene, but exceflively hot in the
fouthern provinces in June, July, and Auguft. The vail mountains
that run through Spain are, however, very beneficial to the inhabitants,
by the refreftiing breezes that come from them in the fouthernmoft
parts ; though thofe towards the north and north-eafh are, in the win-
ter, very cold.
The waters of Spain, efpecially thofe that are medicinal, are little
known ; but many falutiferous fprings are found in Granada, Seville,
and Cordova. All over Spain the waters are found to have fuch heal-
ing qualities, that they are outdone by thofe of no country in Europe;
and the incloflng, and encouraging a refort to them, grow every day
ftiore and more in vogue, efpecially at Alhamar in Granada.
Mountains.] It is next to impofTible to fpecify thefe, they are fo
numerous : The chief, and the higheft, are the Pyrenees, near 200 miles
in length, which extend from the Bay of Bifcay to the Mediterranean,
and divide Spiin from France. Over thefe mountains there arc only
Hve narrow pai^^ges to France, and the road over the pafs that fcpa-
rates RouflTiUon from Catalonia, reflefts great honour on the engineer
•who planned it. It formerly required the ftrenth of 30 men to fupport,
and nearly as many oxen to drag up a carriage, which four horfes now
do with eafe. The Cantabrian mountains are a continuation of the
Pyrenees, and reach to the Atlantic Ocean, fouth of Cape Finifterre.
The celebrated Mount Calpe, now called the Hill of Gibraltar, was in
former times, known under the name of one of the pillars of Hercules y
the other, Mount Abyla, lies oppofite to it in Africa,
Among
SPAIN 32^
Among tlie mountains of Spain, Montferrat is particularly worthy
the attention of the curious traveller; one of the mofl lingular in the
world, for fituation, fhape and compoHtion. It (lands in a vaft plain,
about thirty miles from Barcelona, and nearly in the centre of the
principality of Catalonia. It is called by the Catalonians ^vlonte-ferrado,
or Mount Scie, words which lignify a cut, or fawcd mountain -. and
is fo called from its fingular and extraordinary form : For it is To brok-
en and dvided, and fd crowned with an infinite number of fpirincr
cones, or pine heads, that it has the appearance, at a diflant view, to
be the work of man ; but, upon a nearer approach, to be evidently a
natural produftion. It is a fpot fo admirably adapted for retirement
and contemplation, that it has, for many ages, been inhahited only by
monks and hermits, whole firft vow is, never to forfake it. Whea
the mountain is fiifi. feen at a diRance, it has the appearance of an in-
finite number of rocks cut into conical forms, and built one upon
another to a prodigious height, or like a pile of grotto work, or Gothic
fpires. Upon a nearer view, each cone appears of itfelf a moimtitin ;
and the whole compofes an enormous mafs about 14 miles in circum-
ference, and the Spaniards compute it to be two leagues in hei jht.*^
As it is like no other mountain, fo it flands quite unconnefted with
any, though not very diflant from fome that are very lofty. A con-
vent is erefted on the mountain, dedicated to our lady of Montferrat,
to which pilgrims refort from the fartheft parts of Europe. All the
poor who come here are fed gratis for three davs, and all the Tick re-
ceived into the hofpital. Sometimes, on particular feftivals, fevea
thoufand perfons arrive in one day ; but people of condition pay a rea-
fonable price for what they eat. On different parts of the mountain
are a number of hermitages, all of which have their little chapels, or-
naments for faying mafs, water ciflcrns, and mod of them little gar-
dens. The inhabitant of one of thcfe hermitages, which is dedicated
to St. Benito, has the privile'^e of making an annual entertainment on a
certain day, on which day all the other hermits sre invited, when they
receive the facrament from the hands of the mountain vicar ; and af-
ter divine fervicc, dine together. They meet alfo at this hermitage,
on the days of the faints to which their feveral hermitages are dedicat-
ed, to fay mafs, and commune with each other. But at other times
they live in a very folitary and reclufe manner, perform various pen-
ances, and adhere to very rigid rules of abflinence, nor do they ever
feat flefli. Nor are they allowed to keep within their walls either dog,
cat, bird, ot any living thing, led their attention fhould be v/ithdrawn
from heavenly to earthlv objcCls. The number of profeffed monks
there, is 76, of lay bfothers 28, and of finging boys 25, befidcs a phy-
fician, furgeon, and icrvants. Mr. ThicknefTe, who has publifl^ed a
very particular defcription of this extraordinary mountain, v/as inform-
ed by one of the hermits, that he often faw from his habitation, the
illands of Minorca, Majorca, and Ivica, and the kingdoms of Valencia
end Murcia,
RlV£R9
" Mr. Swinburn? eftimates iis heigiit at only 3,300 feet, and obferves tliat the arnr: of i!'.a
•onvf nt are, the Vinjtn Mary luiiBg at the foat oi a jock, half «ut ihroujjh by a Uy,
w
,3a,a
N.
Rivers and Lakes.] Thefe are the Duero, formerly DuriuS;,
Vk'hich falls Into the Atlantic ocean below Oporto in Portugal •, the Ta-
go or Tagus, which falls into the Atlantic ocean helow Lifbon ; the
Guardiana falls into the fame ocean near Cape Finifterre ; as does the
Guadalquiver, now Turio, at St. Lucar ; and the Ebro, the ancient
Iberus, falls into the Mediterranean fea below Tortofa.
The river Tinto, the qualities of which are very extraordinary, rifes
in Sierra Morena, and empties itfelf into the Mediterranean, near
Huelva, havinc' the name of Tinto given it from the tinge of its waters,
"which are as yellow as a topaz, hardening the fand, and petrifying it
in a moft furprifmg manner. If a ilonc happen to fall in, and reft up-
on another, they both become, in a year's time, perfeftly united. This
river withers all the plants on its banks, as well as the roots of trees,
Avhich it dies of the fame hue as its waters. No kind of verdure will
come up where it reaches, nor any fifli live in its flream. It kills
•worms in cattle when given them to drink ; but in general no animals
will drink out of this river, excepting goats, whofe flefii neverthelefs
has an excellent flavour. Thefe fmgular properties continue till other
xivulets run into it, and alter its nature : For when it pafles by Niebla,
it is not different from other rivers, and falls into the Mediterranean fea
fix leagues lower down.
There are feveral lakes in Spain. Thatof Beneventa, abounds with
iiflies, particularly with excellent trout. Of the water of a lake ne^r
"Antiquera fait is made by the heat of the fun.
Bays.] The chief bays are thofe of Bifcay, Ferrol, Corunna, (com-
monly called the Groyne.) Vigo, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Carthagena, Ali-
cant, Altea, Valencia, Roles, Majorca in that ifland, and the harbour
K)i Port-Mahon, in the ifland of Minorca. The llrait of Gibraltar di-
vides Europe from Africa.
Wealth And Commerce.] The kingdom of Spain might be one
of the richefh countries in Europe. It borders, like France, upon tvvo
Jeas •, it is interfedted by fix large ftreams, and by upwards of fifty
Imaller rivers ; it has very confiderable mountains, and its climate is,
in fome refpefts, ffill finer than that of France. With refpeft to its
fize, it is fomewhat fmaller than the latter ; however, the advantages
lull enumerated, added to the immenfe extent and wealth of the Indies,
ought to raife this monarchy high above all the other powers of Eu-
rope. And yet the revtrfe is the cafe ; Spain is thinly peopled, has
but little commerce, few manu failures, and what commerce it basis
almofl entirely in the hands of ftrangers, notwithflanding the impedi-
ments thrown in their way by government. With refpeft to the in-
duflry and fertility of the feveral provinces, Abbe Cavaniles diflin-
cuifhes between the central and outward provinces ; tlie latter, viz.
Gallicia, Affuria, Navarre, Arragon, Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia,
Granada, and the fouth of Andalufia, are better watered and wooded,
confequently Icfs hot, and upon the whole much more fertile, than the
•middle provinces ; moft of them have befides, the advantage of being
maritime provinces. As a favourable inftance of the fertility and in-
duftry of Spain, the fame author has ftated the produce of the province
of Valencia, in the following manner :
Silk,
SPAIN. 323
French Livers.
"Silk, 2,ooOjOOolb. valued at — — — 30,000,000
Hemp, — • — — — 1,500,000
Flax, — — — — 1,500,000
■Wool, of the coaiTer fort, 23.000 cwt. — — 920,000
,ooo
/;.ii
Rice,
Oil, looOjODo cwt. — — — ■ 4,500,000
Wine, 3.000,000 cantaros, — — 2,250,000
Dried raifins, 60,000 cwt. — — 600,000
Figs, — — — — . 480,000
-Dates, — — — — 300,000
46,730,000
The articles of corn, oil, maize, almonds, foda, fait, and the lilheries
of the fame province, amounted 1770, to 65,000,000 livres. The amount
and variety of thefe produftions is really aftonifhing ; yet it mull be
pwned, that this province is perhaps the richefl in Spain. One of the
]^reateft obflacles to agriculture in this kingdom is the breeding very
large flocks of fheep, the value of which is eflimated in Spain at
30,000,000 livres. They take up too great an extent of ground for
their fubfiflehce, to the prejudice of agriculture and population. The
number of thofe flieep whofe wool is of the fined fort, is eftimatcd at
5,000,000 ; the profits arifing from them amount, annually, to 8,500.000
iivres, of which 2,200,000 are paid to the king, 5,600,000 muft be de-
dufted from the necelTary expenfcs, and only 700,000 livers are the
clear benefit to the proprietors. Of this fine wool, ^^0,000 cwt, is an-
nually fent ofi^ to London and Briftol ; about the fame quantity to
Rouen ; 20,000 cwt. to Amilerdam, of which only 6000 cwt. re-
mains in Holland; the refl is exported chiefly to different parts of
Germany, The principal towns which carry on the wool-trade,
are harbours of Bilboa and Santandcr, where wool is fhipped for
exportation ; and thofe which produce the fincft forts of wool, are
Leon, Segovia, (which alone produces 25,000 cwt.) Avila, B*argos,
and Soria.
Agriculture flourifhes moft in the provinces of CaRile and Eflremadu-
ra ; but, upon the whole, Spain does not produce corn enough for its
confumption, and is under the necelfity of importing large quantities.
Spain produces excellent fruit, as oranges, lemons, almonds, fig.s, and
grapes. In 1764, they were exported from the harbour of Malaga,
7000 chefts of lemons and oranges, holding from 1000 to 1500, each ;
1000 barrels of figs, at 75 — 1501b. each; 400 barrels of almonds, of
275 — 30olb, each ; 500 balls of orange and lemon-pe?l ; 15 balls of
rol'emary, the ball weighing 7501b. Pomegranates, dates piftachios
(befides the kernel of this fruit, which refembles an almond in flavour,
the leaves of it are ufed in Spain ; they are boiled down to a refinous
juice, which ferves inflead of frankincenfc). Capers, chefnuts, of
which 30,000 fhiplafts are produced in the province of Afluria ; fil-
berts, 30,000 bags of which, fold at il. ft;erling each, are fent over to
England. The fugar-cane, which at prefent is little cultivated, on ac-
count of the importation of Weft-India fugar : Only four fugar-mills
2re now remaining in the province of Granada. Soda, faff'ron, tobac-
co. The greatcft tobacco-manufafture is at Seville ; it employs ico©
W 2 ' workincn,
824 S P A I N.
workmen, and 180 mules, ufed to put 28 mills in motion. The builcj-
ing ufed for this purpofe refcmbles a palace in magnificence, and the
profits it yields, amount to 6,000,000 of dollars : Every day 24,ooolb.
of tobacco are dried. Tobacco is mixed in this manufafture with a
fort of red earth, called Almagra (rubrica frabrilis) which is found near
Carthagcna, in the province of Murcia. Upwards of looolb. of honey
is exported ; but the confumption of wax is fo great, that a great deal
muft be imported from the Weft-Indios. Salt is very plentiful in
Spain ; there are not only many rich brine-fprings, but large quanti-
ties of rock fait ; and much fait is alfo extrafled from the fea-water.
Unhappily, the fait trade is a monopoly of the crown. Saltpetre a-
bounds in this country ; the foil is impregnated with it, and many peaf-
ants have faltpetre pits : If properly attended to, confiderable quanti-
ties for exportation might be produced. The wines of Spain are cele-
brated for their rich and delicious flavour, and they form very con-
fiderable articles of exportation.
Next to the province of Valencia, thofe of Arragon, Granada, and
Murcia, are diftinguifhed for the large quantities of filk they fupply.
The whole produce of filk, within thefe four provinces, was eflimated,
about 30 years ago, at about i,5oo,O0©lb. annually. This produce has
increafed of late : In 1776, Granada and iMurcia produced 700,0001b.
and Valencia upwards of 1.000,000. In 1762, the filk raifed in Valen-
cia, amounted to 1,150,0001b. in Murcia to 400,000, in Arragon to
170.000, in Granada to ioo,ooolb. Notwithflanding thefe vaft quan-
tities of filk, the filk manufaftures are few and inconfiderable in pro-
portion ; fcarcely the fourth part of thofe remain which were in a
flourifliing ftate in the iGth century. Of 70,000 looms, which Spain
formerly had, Uflariz found only 10,000 remaining in the year 1724,
Since that time, their number has again increafed.
Cotton is likewife one of the many produftions of this kingdom;
Valencia, in good years, produces 720,500 cwt. moft of which is ex-
ported raw. The beft cotton-manufaftures are in Valencia, Arragon,
and Catalonia.
Gold and filver was found in the mines in very confiderable quanti-
ties during the times of the Roman dominion, and even afterwards by
the induftrious Moors. At prefent only a few filver mines are work-
ed, among which, that at Guadalcornal, in the province of Eilrema-
dura, is the mod important. It was formerly \yorked to very great
advantage by German adventurers, but it is at prefent greatly on the
decline : It is faid to have produced, while in a fiourifhing flate, to the
amount of 6o;00o ducats a week. A few filver mines are found in
the provinces of Granada, Arragon, and Catalonia. Arragon produ-
ces a great deal of iron, mofh of which is exported as it is brought from
the mines, and is imported again when manufaftured abroad. This
province produces likewife very large quantities of lead ; the clear
profits of one of thefe lead mines, at Binares, amounted to 3,000,000
dollars in feven years. Quickfilvcr is found in the rich mines of Gua-
dalcornal and Almada. The firfl who worked them were Germans j
tlie celebrated Fuger, fo confpicuous for his wealth in Charles the;
Fifth's time, got moft of his riches from the mine of Almada. In the
middle of the prefent century, the produce of quickfilver, amounted to
5s8 000 cwt. the whole of Vi'hich is fent over to America for the pur-
pofe
S P A I K. ^25
j>ore of almagamating ; and the fale of quickfilver to flrangcrs is fevere-
ly prohibited.
■Spain is indebted to German mineralgolifls for the difcnvery of fome
rich mines of cobalt : The moft important of them is that of Giftan, ia
Arragon. Bcfides metals, the mineral kingdom affords many valuable
articles, among which the quarries of marble, alabafter, and other ufeful
ilones, deferve to be mentioned.
Spain now firft begins to think of facilitating trade, by the cftablifh-
ment of a bank, and by the improvement of the inland communication,
bv means of good roads and canals, A paper-bank was eftablifhed in
3782, an Eafl-India Company incorporated in 1785, and a large canal
begun near Zarago^a in 1784.
All the exports of Spain, moft articles of which no other European
country can fupply, are eftimatcd at only 80,000,000 livers, or
3»333!333^* fterling ; a very inconfiderable amount, as will appear
from the above fpecification of the excellent and various articles of
produftion. The moft important trade of Spain is that which it car-
ries on with its American provinces. The chief imports from thefe
extenfive countries confift of gold, filver, precious ftones, pearls, cot-
ton, cocoa, cochineal, red wood, fkins, rice, medicinal herbs and barks,
as fafafras, Peruvian bark, &c. Vanilla, Vicunna wool, fugar, and to-
bacco. In 1784, the total amount of the value of Spanifh goods ex-
ported to America, was 195,000.000 reales de veDon ; foreign com-
modities, 238,000.000. r. d. V. The imports from America were valued
at 900.000,000 reales de vellon, in gold, filver, and precious ftones ;
and upwards of 300,000,000 in goods. In the GazeLz de Madrid, 1 787,
(Feb. 20th) it was ftated, that the exports to America (the Indies) from
the following twelve harbours : Cadiz, Corunna, Malaga, Seville, St.
Lucar, Santander, Canarias, Alicante, Barcelona, lortofa, Gipon, St,
Sebaftian, amounted, in 1785, to 767,249,787 rcaks de vellon; the
duties paid on thefe exports amounted to 28,543,702 reales de vellon.
The imports, both in goods and money, from America and the Weft-
India iilands, amounted in the fame year to 1.266.07 1.067 reales de vel-
lon, and the duties to 65,472,195 reales de vellon. 'Jlie profits of the
merchants from the whole American trade was valued at 5,000,000
dollars.
With refpeft to European commerce, the balance is generally againft
Spain, and thofe lofTes muft be made up by the produce of its Ameri-
can provinces. All the exports from Spain to Great-Britain, amount-
ed, in 1785, to 697,7121. fterling : the imports from Great-Britain, to
788,064!. fterling. In 1784, the exports were 646,526; the imports
808,6981. fterling.
Anim.'^l PRODUCTIONS "1 The Spanifli horfcs, efpecially thofe of
BY SEA AND LAND. J Andalufia, are thought to be thehandfomeft
pf any in Europe, and at the fame lime very fleet and ferviceable. The
king does all he can to monooolife the fineft. breed for his ov/n ftables
and fervicc. Spain furniflies likewife mules and black cattle ; and
their wild bulls have fo much ferocity, that their bull-fcalls were the
moft magnificent fpeftacle the court of Spain could exhibit, nor arc
they now difu fed. Wolves are the chief beafts of prey that infeft
Spain, which is well ftored with all the game and wild ff)wl that ajc
to be found in the neighbouring countries already dfTcMbcd. The
Spanifh fcas afford excellent fifh of all kinds, efpccially anchovies,
which are here cured in great perfc£lion. Population^
3=6 s p A' I k;
PoPM.ATiox, INHABITANTS, MANNERS, 1 Spain, formerly thc m'dll'
CUSTOMS, DIVERSIONS, AND DRESS. J populous kingdom in Eu-
rope. is now hut thinly inhabited. This is owing partly to the great
drains of people fent to America, and partly to tlie indolence of the
natives, who are at no pains to raife food for their families. Another
caufe may be afligncd, and that is, the vaft numbers of ecclefiaftics, of
both fexes, who lead a life of celibacy. Some writers have given fev-
cral other caufes, fuch as their wars \Vith the Moors, and the final ex-
pulfion of that people. The prefent inhabitants of this kingdom have
been computed by Feyjoo, a Spanifli writer, to amount to 9,250,000 ;
count Aranda makes them as dated in the Table.
The perfons of the Spaniards are generally tall, efpecially the Caf-
tilians ; Their hair and complexions fwarthy, but their countenances
are very cxprefSve. The court of Madrid has of late been at great
pains to clear their upper lips of muflachoes, and to introduce among
them the French drefs, inftead or their black cloaks, their fnort jerkin,
ilrait breeches, and long Toledo fwords, which drefs is now chiefly
confined to the lower ranks. The Spaniards, before the acceflion of
the houfe of Bourbon to their throne, afFefted that antiquated drefs in
hatred and contempt of the French ; and the government, probably,
will find fome difficulty in abolifhing it quite, as the fame fpirit is far
from being extinguifhed. An Old Caftilian, or Spaniard, who fees
none above him, thinks himfelf the moft important being in nature ;
and the fame pride is commonly communicated to his dcfcendants.
Ridiculous, however, as this pride is, it is produftive of the moft
valuable effefts. It infpires the nation with generous, humane, and
virtuous fentiments; it being feldom found that a Spanifh nobleman,
gentleman, or even trader, is guilty of a mean aCtion. During the
raofl embittered wars they have had with England for near 70 years
paftrthere is no inflance known of their taking advantage (as they
might eafily have done) of confifcating the Britifh property on board
their galleons and Plate fleet, which was equally fecure in time of war
as in peaee.
By the befc and moft credible accounts of the late wars, it appears
that the Spaniards, in America, gave the moft humane and noble relief
to all Britifti fubjctls who were in diftrefs, and fell into their hands,
not only by fupplying them with necefl'aries, but money ; and treating
them in the moft hofpitable manner while they remained among them.
Having faid thus much, we are carefully to diftinguifh between the
Spanifh nobility, gentry, and traders, and'their government, which is
to be put on the fame footing with the lower ranks of Spaniards, who
are as mean and rapacious as thofe of any other country. The kings
of Spain of the houle of Bourbon, have feldom ventured to employ na-
tive Spaniards of great families, as their minifters. Thefe are general-
ly French or Italians, but moft commonly the latter, v/horife into pow-
er by the moft infamous arts, and of late times, from the moft abjeft fta-
tions. Hence it is that the French kings of Spain, fince their acceflion
to that monarchy, have been but very indifferently ferved in the cab-
inet. Alberoni, v-fho had the greateft genius among them, embroiled
his mafter with ail Europe, till he was driven into exile and difgrace ;
and Grinaaldi, the laft of their Italian minifters, hazarded a rebellion
in the capital, by his oppreftive and unpoi.ular meafures»
The
S P A I N, 32^
The common poopic who live on the coafts, partake of all the bad
qualities that are to be found in other nations. They are an aflem-
blage of Jews, French, Ruffians, Irifli adventurers, and Englifh fmug-
glers ; who being unable to live in their own country, mingle with the
Spaniards. In time of war, they follow privateering with great fuc-
cefs ; and when peace returns, they engage in all illicit pra6Uccs, and
often enter into the Irifli and Walloon guards in the Spaniih fervice.
There are about 40,000 gyphes, and who, befides their fortune telling,
are inn-keepers in the fmall towns and villages. The charafter of the
Spaniards, is thus drawn by Mr. Swinburne, after his late travels
through the country : " The Catalans appear to be the moft aftive
ilirring fet of men, the bed calculated for bufinefs, travelling, and man-
ufaftures. The Valcncians a more fallen, fedate race, better adapted
to the occupations of hufbandmen, lefs eager to change place, and of a
much more timid, fufpicious caft of mind than the former. The An-
dalufians feem to be the greatefu talkers and rhodomontadoes of Spain.
The Caftilians have a manly franknefs, and lefs appearance of cunning
and deceit. The new Caftilians are perhaps the leaft induftrious of
the whole nation ; the old Caftilians are laborious, and retain more of
ancient fimplicity of manner ; both are of a firm determined fpirit,—
The Arragonefc are a mixture of the Caftilian and Catalan, rather in-
clining to the former. The Bifcayners are acute and diligent, fiery
and impatient of control, more refembling a colony of republicans
than a province of an abfolute monarchy ; and the Galicians are a
plodding pains-taking race of mortals, that roam over Spain in fearch
of an hardly earned fubfiftence."
Notwithilanding the pride and oftcntation of the Spaniards, their
penury is eafily difcernible, but their wants are few, and their appe-
tites eafily fatisfied. The inferior orders, even in the greatefk cities,
are miferably lodged, and thofe lodgings wretchedly furnifhed. Many
of the poorer fort, both men and women, wear neither fhoes nor {lock-
ings, and coarfe bread fteeped in oil and occahonally feafoned with
vinegar, is the common food of the country people through feveral
provinces. A traveller in Spain muft carry provifions and bedding
with him, and if per chance he meets with the appearance of an inn,
he muft even cook his vi£luals, it being beneath the dignity of a Span-
\ard to perform thefe offices to ftrangers ; but lately fome tolerable inns
have been opened by Iriffi and Frenchmen in cities, and upon the high.
roads. The pride, indolence, and lazinefs of the Spaniards, are pow-
erful inducements to their more induftrious neighbours the French,
who are to be found in all parts of the kingdom ; and here a won-
derful contraft diftinguiflies the charafter of two neighbouring na-
tions. The Spaniard feidom ftirs from home, or puts his hand to work
of any kind. He fleeps, goes to mafs, takes his evening walk. Whilo
the induftrious Frenchman becomes a thorough domeftic ; he is butch-
er, cook, and taylor, all in the fame family ; he powders the hair, cuts
the corns, wipes the fhoes, and after making himfelf ufeful in a thou-
fand different fliapes, he returns to his native country loaded with dol-
lars, and laughs out the remainder of his days at the cxpenfe of his
proud benefaftor.
The Spaniards are univerfally known to have refined notions and
excellent fenfe ; and this, if improved by ftudy and travelling, which
they
323 S P A I N.
tliey now (land in great need of, w^ould render them fuperior to the
French themfelves. Their flew, delil)erate manner of proceeding, ei-
ther in council or war, has of late years worn off to fuch a degree, that
during the two laft wars, they were found to be as quick both in refolv-
ing and executing, if not more fo than their enemies. Their feLrccy,
conflancy and patience, have always been deemed exemplary ; and in
feveral of their provinces, particularly Galacia, Granada, and Andalu-
fiathe common people have, for fome time, afliduoufly applied them-
felves tp agriculture and laboi;r.
Among the many good qualities poiTeiTed by the Spaniards, their fo-
briety in eating and drinking is remarkable. They frequently break-
faft, as well as fup in bed ; their breakfaft is ufually chocolate, tea be-
ing very feld.om drank. Their dinner is generally beef, mutton, veal,
pork, and bacon, greens, &c. all boiled together. They live much up-
on garlic, chive?, fallad and radiflies ; which, according to one of cheir
proverbs, are food for a gentleman. The men drink very little wine ;
and the women ufe water or chocolate. Both fcxes ufually fleep after
dinner and take the air in tlie cool of the evenings. Dancing is fo
much their favourite entertainment, that you may fee a grandmother,
mother, and daughter, all in the fame country-dance. iVlany of their
theatrical exhibitions are infipid and ridiculous bombaft. The prom-
X In
338 S P A i h\
In con fequence of this revolution, the ufeful arts, rendered perhaps
more difficult in this kingdom by the influence of the climate, funk
into negleftand infignificancy, from which they have not yet emerg-
ed. It is to behoped, however, that this fatal confcquence of too
rapid an influx of money, efpecially if the latter fliould not be perma-
nent in itsnaiure, will in future be guarded againfl by other commer-
cial nations, to whom the prefent (tate of Spain, may ferve as a ufe-
ful warning.
While the Moors were maflers of Spain, agriculture and the ufeful
arts were in a very flouril"hing flate, and fciences were arrived to a de-
gree of luflre the more confpicuous, by being contraded with the ig-
norance fpread over the reft of Europe.
Several old fathers of -the church were Spaniards ; and learning
oxves a great deal to liidore, bifhop of Seville, and cardinal Ximenes,
Spain has likewife produced fomc excellent phyficians. Such was
the gloom of the Auftrian government, that took place with the em-
peror Charles V, that the inimitable Cervantes, the author of Don
Quixote, born at Alcala, in 1549, lifted in a ftation little fuperior to
that of a common foldier, and died neglefted, after fighting bravely
for his country at the battle of Lepanto, in whicli he loft his left hand.
His fatirc Upon knight-errantry, in his adventures of Don Quixote, did
.as muchfervice to his country by curing them of that ridiculous fpi-
rit, as it now does honour to his own memory. He was in prifon for
debt, when he compofcd the firft part of his hiftory. Perhaps he is to
be placed at the head of moral and humourous fatirifts.
Toftatus, a divine, the moft voluminous perhaps that ever wrote,
was a Spaniard ; but his works have been long diftinguifhed only by
their bulk. Herrera^ and fome other liiftorians^ particularly De Solis,
have flrewn great abilities in hiftory, by inveftigating the antiquities of
America, and writing the hiftory of its conqueft by their countrymen.
Among the writers who ha\e lately appeared in Spain, Father Fey-
joo has been one of the moft diftinguiflied. His performances dif-
play great ingenuity, very extei.five reading, and uncommon liberali-
ty of fentiment ; efpecially when his fituation and country are confid-
cred. Many of his pieces have been tranflatcd into Knglifli, and pub-
iifhed in four volumes, Don Fraucifco Perez Bayer, archdeacon
of Valencia, and author of a difleitation on the Phenirian language,
may be placed in the firft line of the Spanifli literati. Spain has like-
wife produced many travellers and voyagers to both the Indies, who
are equally amvifing and intiiuttive.
Some of the Spaniards have diftinguifhed themfelves in the polite
arts, and not only the cities, but the palaces, efpetijUy the Efcurial,
dilcover many ftriking fpecimens of their abilities as iculptors and ar-
chitcfts. Palomino in an elaborate treatifc on the art of painting, in
two volumes, folio, has infcrted the lives of two hundred and thirty-
three painters and fculptors, who flourifhed ia Spain from the time
of Ferdinand the Catholic, to the conclufion of the reign of Philip
the Fourth. Among the moft eminent Spaniih pninteis, were Velaf-
ques. X-jrillo, who is commonly called the Spanifh Vandyke, Ribeira,
and Claudio Coello, whofe ftyle of painting was Very funilar to thai
of Paul Veronefe.
The prefent ftate of fciences in Spain is far from being flourifhing.
There arc, it is true, near thirty univeifities in the Spaniih dominions ;
among
R T U
339
amortg which, thofe of Madrid, Salamanca, Seville, Valladolid, Zara-
rgoca, and Toledo, are the 1x10(1 celebrated ; but Ariftotelic and fcho-
'laftic philofophy, fubfervient to the abiurd doftrines of a fupcrflitious
church, is ftill prevailing in thefe feminaries, with very little change
ever fince the reftoration of ancient learning. While fcicnccs are cx-
clufively taught by monks and prieftSj while the produftions of ge-
nius are fubjcft to the rigorous cenfure of an inquihtion, which is by
its nature an enemy to free difcuffion and to the prevalence of reafon,
it is not to be expe£led that philofophy will make any progrefs under
the terrors of -prilons and autos da fe. Yet poetry and the arts havo
made a conHderablc figure in Spain. There are fevcral focicties at
Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, Valladolid, intended for the improve-
ment of the Caftilian language, the fludy of the canon law, and the li-
turgy ; of hiftory, the latin language, medicine, the arts of dcfign and
geography. Great hopes are entertained of the progrefs of fcience
and philofophy in a future leign, from the attachment of the prefent
prince of Afluria to natural hiftory and the political fciences.
History.] The firfl inhabitants of Spain were the Celtaj, a peo-
ple ef Gaul ; after them the Phoenicians poilefTed themfelves of the
mod fouthcrn parts of the country, and may well be fuppofed to have
been the firfl civilizers of this kingdom, and the founders of the moft
ancient cities. After thefe followed the Grecians ; then the Cartha-«
ginians. on whofe departure, fixteen years before Chrift, it became
fubjcfl to the Romans, till the year 400, when the Goths, Vandals,
Suevi, Alans and Sillingi. on Conflantine's vvithdrawing his forces
from that kingdom to the Eaft, invaded it, and divided it amongft
themfelves ; but the Goths in a little time were fole mafters of it un-
der their king Alarick I. who founded the Spanifh monarchy. After
a regular fiicccfTion of monarchs, we come to the prefent king, Charles
III. who afcended the throne upon the death of his half brother, Fer-
dinand VI in the year 1759.
As the befl hiftories of Spain and her American Colonies, the read*'
er is referred to Rollin's Ancient Hiftory — Univerfal Hiftory — Rob-
ertfon's Hiftories of Charles Vth. and of South America, and the Ab*
be Clavigero's Hiftory of New Mexico.
PORTUGAL.
Situation and Extent,
Miles. Degrees.
Length 300 j ^^^ r 37 and 42 north lat.
BreadtJi looj ' |_ 7 and 10 weft long.
Boundaries,] TT is bounded by Spain on the North andEall.and
A on the South and Weft by the Atlantic Ocean,
being the moft wefterly kingdom on the continent of Europe.
Ancient names and divisions.] This kingdom was, in the
time of the Romans, called Lufitania. The etymology of the modcrix
rame is uncertain. It moft probably is derived from fome noted har-
bour or port, to which the Gauls (for To ftrangers are called in the Cel-
tic) reforted. By the form of the country it is naturally divided in-
to three parts ; the north, middle, and fuuth provinces.
The divifionsof this kingdom are more particularly fpecified intho
.following table,
Xa TABLE.
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P O K.
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IT
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Possession?
PORTUGAL. 34t
5^0ssE5Sio;;3 of the CrOwn of Portugal in othf.r Parts of tits
Globe.
1. In Afa. Some fettlements along the weftern coafl; of the Indian
^cninfula within the Ganges, as Diu, Chaoul, Goa, of which the latter
IS the moft important, and the feat of the governor of the Portuguefe
jpoireffions in the Eafl-Indies. Macao, a fmall town on the coaft of
China.
2. In Africa. The iflands called Azores ; the iflands Madcria and
Porto Santo ; the iflands of Cape Verde ; feveral forts along the Gam-
bia, and on the coafl of Guinea; the iflands of St. Thomas and do
Principe ; fome fettlements in Congo, Loango, and Angola : (the Por-
tuguefe are almofl the only nation acquainted with thefe Provinces,
•with which they carry on a very lucrative trade ;) feveral fettlements
on the coaft of Zanguebar and Sofala, and farther in the country.
Mofambique is the moft important of thefe places.
3. In America. The large province of Brafll, divided into 14 capi-
tanias or governments ; and fmall poflefTions on the coaft of Guiana,
and in Paraguay. The colony of San Sacramento, on the river de la
Plata, was taken by the Spaniards in 1777.
Mountains.] The face of Portugal is mountainous, or rather
.rock.y. for their mountains are generally barren : The chief are thofe
which divide Algarva from Alentejo ; thofe of Tralos Montes, and the
rock of Lifbon, at the mouth of the Tajo
Water and rivers.] Though every brook in Portugal is reckoned
a river, yet the chief Portuguefe rivers are mentioned in Spain, all of
them falling into the Atlantic ocean. The Tagus, or Tajo, was cele-
brated for its golden fand, Portugal contains feveral roaring lakes and
fprings ; fome of them are abforbent even of the lighteft fubfiances,
fuch as wood, cork, and feathers ; fom.e, parlicularlv one about 45
miles from Lifbon, are medicinal and fanative ; and Ibme hot baths are
found in the little kingdom or rather province of Algarva.
Wealth and Commerce.] Portugal, fituated in the fame genial
climate with Spain, abounds like the latter in excellent natural pro-
duftions ; it is well watered, and a great part of it boundedby the ocean.
. It is pofl"encd of very rich provinces beyond the feas. It is how-
ever not proportionably powerful ; its inhabitants are indigent, and the
balance of trade is againft it. It is even obliged to import the necef-
faries of life, chiefly corn, from other countries. In point of popula-
tion, it has rather the advantage of Spain.
Portugal produces wine, wool, oil, filk, honey, anifeed, fumac ; all
••the finer forts of fruit enumerated in the preceding table of Spain ;
\ fome corn, flax, cork. Thefe articles of produce might, with a little
induftry, be raifed in great abundance. There are in this kingdom
feveral evident traces of very rich mines ; they continue however to
be unregarded, Portugal has very little filver in circulation ; it is not
unufual to find it difficult to make up a fum of twenty pounds in lil-
ver. This fcarcity was in a great mcafure owing to an injudicious
permiflion of exporting coined filver.
The exports of Portugal are not inconfiderable ; but they are greatly
exceeded by the imports. The foil produces no more corn annually
than
343 PORTUGAL.
than Avliat is barely fufEcient for three months confumption ; corft
therefore is the mofl confiderable article of importation from abroad.
As i;o tnanufaftures of any importance are in a thriving flate, the Por-
tuf»uefe are fupplied by the induflry of other nations, chiefly the En-
gliih, with almofl every article of drefs, and with mofl: other articles
of ufe and convenience. It fecras, that the efforts, of government to
encourage induftrv have hitherto been ineffeftual. The late minifter
of ftate, M. de Pombal, found it imprafticable to raife a glafs manufac-
ture into confequence, notwithftanding he laid out oo,o®o crufades,
or 54,000 crowns upon this fcheme, and doubled the duties of foreign
glafs, in order to encourage the manufafture. A linen manufafture,
cftabliHied at Oporto, cannot ealily be expefted to thrive, while the
Tnaterials ufed in it muPc be imported from the Baltic.
To the above-mentioned difadvantages we muft add the want of
£fheries, which obliges this country to buy, by far the greatefl part of
the fifli it confumes, from other nations, ' Its commerce is almoft en-
tirely in the hands of (Irangers. It has impofed very heavy duties up-
on the ne'ceffaries of life, a meafure which is very unfavourable to in-
duflry. In the year 1784, the Portuguefe government, in order to en-
courage the freighting trade, lowered the duties on all goods imported
and exported in Portuguefe bottoms by lo per cent, which probably
v.'iil be of great ufe to commerce.
In 17S5, the goods impoited from Great Britain and Ireland into
Portugal, confiding of woollens, corn, fifir, wood, and hard-ware, a-
mounted to upwards of 96o;OOol. flerling. The Engl iflr took in re-
turn of the produce of Portugal and Brafil to the amount of 728.D00I.
fterling. To fupport a trade which is, upon the whole, much againfl
3'ortugal, this kingdom has the refource of ready money drawn from
Brafil: If thefe fupplies fliould ever fail, it would be foon entirely
ruined, if it had nothing lo rely upon but its prefent induftrv. Only
15 millions of livres, in ready money, are fuppofed to circulate in a
country which draws annually upwards of 1.500.0004. fterling, or 36
rnillions of livres, from the mines of Brafil, Since the difcovery of
thefe mines, that 'is, within the laft hxty years, Portugal has brought
from Brafil about 2400 millions of livres, or jioo,oco,oool. fterling.
Befidcs thefe large fums of money, Portugal imports from Brafil large
quantities of cocoa, fugar, rice, train-oil, whalebone, coffee, and medi-
cinal drugs.
No commercial companies have hitherto been eftablifhed. The
principal trading places are, the towns of Lifbon, Ooorto. and Sctu-
val. In former times, when the Portuguefe had an extenfivc com-
merce and fettlcmcnts in the Eaft-Indics ; their trade to China was
important, but it has lately greatly decreafeu.
Character..] The modern Portuguefe retain nothing of that adven-
turous, cnterprifing fpirit that rendered their forefathers fo illuftrious
goo years ago. They have, ever fince the houfe of Biaganza mount-
ed the throne, degenerated in all their virtues ; though fome noble ex-
ceptions are ftill remaining among them, and no people are fo little
obliged as the Portuguefe are, to the repoits of hiltoiians and travel-
lers. Their degeneracy is evidently owing to the wcajvocfs of their
monarchy, which rcndtr.s tiem inaftive, for fear of difobjiging their
pov/erful n!iigl3bours. Tieachery has been laid to their charge, as
well
\vc
r O R T U G A L. 343
11 as ingratitude ; and above all, an intemperate paffion for revenge.
They are, if pofllMe, more fuperflitious, and, both in high and com-
mon life, affeft more ftate than the Spaniards.
The Portuguefe ladies are thin and Imall of ftaturc. Their com-
plexion is olive, their eyes black and exprefhve, and their features
generally regular. They are efteemed. to be generous, modeft, and
witty. They chefs like the Spanifli ladies, with much awkwardnefs and
afFcfted gravity, hut in general more magnificently ; and they arc
taught by tlieir hufbands to exaft from their fervants an homage, that
in other countries is paid only to royal perfnnages. The furniture of
the houfes, efpecially of their grandees, is rich and fuperb to cxcefs ;
and they maintain an incredible number of domcflics, as they never
difchargc any who furvive, after ferving their anceflors. The poorer
fort have fcarccly any furniture at all, for they, in imitation of the
Moors, fit always crofs;legged on the ground.
Learning AND learned men.] Thefe are fo few, that they are
mentioned with indignation, even by thofe of the Portuguefe them-
fclves, who have the imallefl tinfture of literature. Some cflbrts, though
very weak, have of late been made by a few, to draw their country-
men from this deplorable ftate of ignorance. It is univerfally allowed
that the defefb is. not owing to the want of genius, but of a proper edu-
cation. The anccftors of the prefcnt Portuguefe were cei tainly pof-
fulfed of more true knowledge, with regard to aftronomy, geography,
and navigation, than all the world bcfides, about the middleof the 1 6th
century, and for fome time after. Camoens, who himfelf was a great
adventurer and voyager, was polfeffcd of a true, but neglefted poetical
genius.
Un 1 vKRSiTiES.] Thefe are Coimbra, founded In i2gi by king
Dennis ; and which had fifty profelTors ; but it has been lately put
under fome new regulations. Evora, founded in 1.559 ' ^^^ ^^^ ^°^"
lege of the nobles at Lilbon, where the young nobilitv arc educated in
every branch of polite learning and the fcienccs. All the books that
did belong to the banifhcd Jefuits are kept here, which compofe a Very
large library. TheEnglifli language is likewile taught in this college.
Here is alfo a college whcic young gentlemen are educated in the
fciencc of engineering, and when qualified get commifTions in that
corps.
CuRiO';iTii:s,'] The lakes and fountains which have been already
mentioned forin the chief of thefe. The remains of fome caftles in the
Moorifh t.ifl:c are ftill {landing. The Roman bridge and acjucduft at
Coimbra arc aimoft entire, and defervcdly admired. The walls of San-
tareen arc faid to be of Roman work likewife. The church and
monaRery near Lifoon, where the kings of Portugal are buried, are in-
exprefiibly magnificent, and fcveral monaftcries in Portugal are dug
out of the hard rock. The chapel of St. Roch, is probably one of the
fincfh and richcft in the world ; the paintings arc mofaic work, fo cu-
rioufly wrought with flones of all colours, as to aflonifn the beholders.
To thefe curiofities we may add, that the king is polTclIed of the largeft
diamond (which was found in Brafil) that perhaps ever was fcen in
^hc world.
Chit F qiiies.] Lifbon is the Capital of Portugal, a great part of
it was ruined by an earth. O R T U C A L. 345
king, eftimatcci at 350,000!. flerling ; from other duties on the pro-
duce of Brazil ; from a tax on the vent of lands, which is to per cent,
of the yearly income ; from duties on imported goods, at i6 per cent,
and duties of 5 per cent, on exported goods.
The public debts were eftimated in 1774 at only 28 millions of cru-
fedes.
'"Army.] The army confifts of 25,000 meni According to the ef-
tablilhment of the year 1772, the array ought to confifl of 35,998 men,
viz. 38 regimenrs Of foot, at 8t 1 men each ; arid of 1 2 regiments of cav-
alry, of 400 men each. The late Count of Lippe Biickeburg has
made confiderable improvements in the military difcipline of Portugal.
Befides the regular army they have a country militia formed of pea-
sants.
Navy.] The navy confifts of 24 fhlps, viz, 13 fhips of the line and
J 1 frigates. Five fhips of the line arc Rationed on the coaft of Bra-
fil. There are two regiments of marines and a corps of na^'■al artillery,
Remcion.] The ftate of religion in Portugal exaftly refcmbles
that of Spain ; the intolerant bigotry of the eflablifhed Roman Catho-
lic religion is no lefi prejudicial to ths Portuguefe, than to the Spanifli
natioji. There are feveral tribunals of Inquifition, viz. at Lifbon,
Coimbra. Evo.ra, and at Goa in the Eaft-Indies. A great number of
Jews are however in the country, who conform outwardly with the
eftablifhed religion ; It is Xaid that many of them aie.even among the
,clergy.
. The Portuguefe clergy confift of one Patriarch, a dignity granted to
the church of Portugal in the year 1716, of three archbifhops and 15
bifiiops ; the number of eccleiiadical perfons in the whole amounts
to aoo^oco ; 30,000 of which are monks and nuns : According to
others there are 60,000 monks and nuns, and 745 convents. TJj^
proportion of clerical perfons to that of laymen, is as 1 to il.
There are three Spiritual orders of knighthood in Portugal, that
of Avi», of Santiago, and of Chrift ; the lad is by far the moft
opulent.
History.] Portugal was antienlly called Lufitania, and inhabited
by tribes of wandering people, till it became fubje£t to the Carthagini-
ans and Phoenicians, who were difpofTeffed by the Romans 250 years
before Chrift. In the fifth century it fell under the yoke of the Suevi
and Vandals, who were driven out by the Goths of Spain, in the
year 589 ; but when the IVIoors of Africa made themfelves mailers of
the grcatcft part of Spain, in the beginning of the eighth century, they
penetrated into Lufitania ; there they eftablifhed governors, who made
themfelves kings. After many fruitlefs attempts made by the kings of
Leon on this part of Spain, Alonzo V. king of Caftile and Leon, car-
ried here his viftorious arms, and to infure his conqueft, he gave it, in
the year i©88, with the title of count, or earl, to Henry, grandfon of
Robert king of France, who had married Therefa, Alonzo's natural
daughter. Henry was Succeeded in his earldom by his fon Alonzo,
who, encouraged by his conquefts over the Moors, in the year 1139
affutncd the title of King of Portugal. |Iis fucceffors continued tdl
1580, when, upon the deatli of Henry, furnamed the Cardinal, it was
feized upon by Philip II. king of Spain, after a war of two or three
years *,
3^6 I T A L Y.
years ; but hi 1640, the people rebelled, fhook ofF the Spanlfli yoke,
and elefted for their king the duke of Braganza, who took the name
of John IV. in whofe family it has ever fince remained independent
of Spain. Her prefent Majefty's name is Mary Frances Ifabella, who
acceded to the throne in the year 1777. See Univerfal Hilbory.
ITALY.
SlTlTATION AND txTEN'T.
Miles. Degrees.
Length 600 \ , /sS and 47 north latitude.
Breadth 400/ '^"^^^"» \ 7 jipd 19 caft longitude.
THE formof Italy, renders it very difficult to afcertain its extent and
dimenfions ; for, according to fome accounts, it is, from the fron-
tiers of Switzerland to the extremity of the kingdom of Naples, about
750 miles in length ; and from the frontiers of the duchy of Savoy, to
thofe of the dominions of the ftates of Venice, which is its greatefb
breadth, about 400 miles, though in fome parts it is fcarcely 100.
Boundaries.] Nature has fixed the boundaries of Italy ; for to-
wards the Eafi: it is bounded by the Gulph of Venice, or Adriatic fea ;
on the South and Weft by the Mediterranean fea, and on the North,
by the lofty mountains of the Alps, v/hich divide it from France and
Switzerland.
The whole of the Italian dominions, comprehending Corfica, Sar-
dinia, the Venetian and other iflandsj are divided and exhibited in the
lEollowing table :
Cpuntrie:
Y,
. .. , ,
t-
?
Couiitries Names.
iT''
, 000^275
2ooNaplcs
9400 180
92 Palermo
to.„ce™pc.|^|;'-^
,543«|
700
47
7oMilan
27|Mantua
^^^ [Mirandola
lao
19
loMiiandola
Pope's dominions
•4,348
235
L >Mat.4i54
'Tuicany
6640
'^5
94' Florence
J^
Maffa
8.
lb
11
MafTa ;
.<-J
*2
To their ref- ^
peftive princes^
Parma
Modena
1225
1560
48
65
37
39
Parma
Modena
3
Piombino
100
22
18
Piombino
^Monaco
24
12
4
Monaco
' Lucca
2,86
28
13
Lucca
l-lepublics
St. Marino
8
St. Marino
Genoa
2400
160
25 Genoa
Po France Corlica I.
2520
90
38Baftia
f Venice
8434
'75
95
Venice
To the repub- I Iflria P.
1245
6
3-=
Capo d'lflria
lie of Venice 1 Dalmatia P.
1400
135
20
Zara
lilies of Dalmatia
1364
1
1 ' ' ■
~Cephalonia
428
40
18, Cephalonia
Iflands in the
Corfu, or Corcyra
194
31
lojCorfu
Venetian do--^
Zant, OL- Zacynthui
120
23
i2jZant
• • ^ ^ bt. Maura
c\6
12
7
3
.^t. Manra
I Little Cephalonia
0
14
7
[^ Ithaca olim
Total-
7'^-0'56
SUBDIVISIONS,
34»
Y.
SUBDIVISIONS.
TheKing of Sar&inia poffefles Piedmont, Savoy, Montferrat,
Ifland of Sardinia, part of the Milanefe, and of Genoa.
The fubdivifions in thcfe territories are,
the
Oneglia
Subdivifions,
Titles.
Chief towrns.
:
"Piedmont
Proper
Turin, Pignerol, Carignan
i
Verceil
Lordfhip
Verceil
1
Mafferar)
Principality
Mafleran
Ivrea
Marquifate
Ivrea
■*i
Alii
County
Afti
c
Sufa
Marquifate
Sufa
M
Saluzzo,
Marquifate
Saluzzo, Coni
43
V^udois
ValHes
Pragelas, or Clufon
Nice
Territory
Nice
Tende
County
Tende
Aoufte
County
Aoufte
"Savoy
Proper
Chambery, Montmelian
g^
Geneva
County
Annacy
Chabhis
County
Tonor, or Thonon
^ "N Tarantaife
Mouftriers
^ Maurienne
LFolTigny
Valley
St. John de Mauriene
Bonneville
§ < Montferrat
^ r
"^ Tortpnefe
Duchy
Cafal, Albi, Aqui
Tortona
% •{ Alcffandrine
Alexandria
1 Laumelin
Laumello
Territory
Oneglia
Tlie dominions of the King of Nap lbs.
Subdivifions,
Lavora
Pltra Princip.
Citra Princip.
Molife
Bafilicata
Cifra Calabria
Chief towns.
Naples, Capua
Gaeta
Benevento
Salerno
Bojano
Cerenza
Cofenza
rt C/t!
Subdivifions.
Val de Mazara
Val de Demona
Val de Note
Subdivifions.
Chief towns.
Ult. Calabria
Reggio
Ult. Abruzzo
Aquila
Citra Abruzzo
Chieti
Capitinate, or
Manfrcdonia
Apulia
Lucera
Bari
Bari
Otranto
Otranto
Brundili
Tarenta
Chief towns.
Palermo
Meflina
Catania, Syracufe,
No to
LlPAKJ
A 1 A 1. I, g4g
1.IPARI IsLANCS, North of Sicily. Lipari, Strombulo, Rotto, Panaria,
Elicufa.
Islands on the Weft Coaftof Italy. Capri, Ifchia,Pona2, Pianofa, &c.
The Hpufe of Au stria pofleiTes the Milanefe, the Mantua and Tufcany,
The fubdivilions and chief towns in thefe territories are,
Subdivifions.
fMilanefe
I Pavefan
Jaynaefc
r5 "^ Comafco
t2 1 Lodefan
l^Cremonefc
g r Florentina
lii \ Siennefe
^ Pa
gJNa
^^ Co
U
Mantua
Titles.
Chief towns.
1 Proper
Milan
Pavia
Navara
■'
Comp
Lodi
Cremona
Florence
Sienna
Pifa, Leghorn, Piombin*
Proper
Mantua
In Tufcany is contained the republic of Lucca, and the principality
of Maffa Carara, fubje£l to its own prince ; alfo the coaft del Perfidii,
of which the capital is OrbitcUo, fu'bjeft tp the king of Naples.
The Duke of Parma (of the Houfe of Bourbon) is Sovereign
of tlie Duchies of
Parma "j f Parma
Placentia V Chief towns. < Placentia
Guaftalla J [Guaftalla, Caftiglione, Luzzara,
The fubdivifions of the Genoefe territories, with their chief towns, are,
Subdivifions.
Genoa, Proper
Savona, Territory
Vado, Territory
Noli, Territory
Final, Territory
Albenga, Territory
Oneglia to Sardina
Chief towns.
Genoa
Savona
Yado
Noli
Final
Albenga
Oneglia
Subdivifions.
St. Remo, Territory
Ventimiglia, Teritory,
Monaco, Principality
Rapallo, Territory
Lavigna
•Spezia
Chief towns,
St. Remo
Ventimiglia
Monaco
Rapallo
Lavigna.
Spezia
The Duchy of Modena is fubje£l to its own Duke, and contains
Dutchies. Chief towns.
Modcna
Mirandola
^hegio
Modena
Mirandola
Rhegio, Borfello, Carpi ,
Th€
m<%
y,
The Republic of VENtc'E is fubdivrded in the following manner Z
Subdivifions.
Venice
Paduan
Veronefe
Brefciano
Cremafco'
Bergamafco
Vincentino
Chief towns.
Venice'
l*adii:i
V«rona
Brcfcia
Crema
Kcrgamo
Vincenza
Su-bdivifions.
Rovigrio
Trevegiano
Belluncfc .
Friuli
Udinefe
liliiaj part..
Chief towns,
Rovigno
Trevifo
Belkino
Aquileia
Udia
Capo de Iflria
The Patriarchate, OT the flominions of (he Pope
Subdjvifions. Chief towns.
fRoms •
I Tivoli
-< Frefcafi
I Oftia
[_Albano
f \^iterbo
j Civita \'ccchia
.. ^ .. J Bracciano
Patrimony > Caftro
I Orvietto
LAquapendente
pSpoletto
OmbHa, or J Narni
Spoletto ) Terni
LPerugi*
Compania
of Rome
St. Peter'
Subdivifions.
Ancona. Marquif
Urbino, Duchy
Romania
Bolognefe
Ferr*^refe
Republic of St.
Marino
are fubdivided thus :
Chief towns*
f Ancona
\ Loretto
r Urbino
< Pelaro
[Semigalia
f Ravenna
\ Rimini
Bologna
J Ferrata
1_ Con^achia
-j St. Marino
Irtand of Corfica, fu'DJeft to the French.
Chief towns Baftia and Bonifacio.
Illand of Malta, iubje£l to the Knights, Chief town, \''aletta.
Soir, AN'D AIR.] The happy foil of Italy produces the ctfmfortS
and luxuries of life in jg;reat abundance ;, each diftrift has its peculiar
excellency and commodity ; Wines, the moll delicious fruits, and oil,
are the mofl general produftions. As muth com grows here as ferves
the inhabitants ; and were the ground properly cultivated, the Italians
might export it to th.eir neighbours. The Italian cheefes, particularly
thofe called Parmefans, and their native filk, form a principal part of
their commerce. There is here a great variety of air ; and fome parts
of Italy bear melaticholy proofs Of the alterations that accidental caufes
make on the face of nature ; ftir the Campagna di Roma, v/here the an-
cient Romans enjoyed the mofl falubrious air of any place perhaps on
the globe, is now almoft peftilential, through the decreaie of inhabit-
ants, which has occalioned a flagnation of waters, and putrid exhala-
tions. The air of the northern parts, which lie among the Alps, or in
their neighbourhood, is keen and piercing, the ground being, in many
places, covered with fnow in winter. 'Ine Appennines, which are a
lidgc of mountains thai longitudinally almofl divide Italy, have great
effefts
t T A 3> Y. ^gi
efTefts on its climate ; the countries on the South being warm, thofe on
the North mild and temperate. The fea-Lreezes refrefh the kingdom
of Naples fo much, that no remarkable inconvenicncy Of air is found
there, notwithftanding its fouthern fituation. In general, the air of
Italy may be faid to be dry and pure.
Mountains.] We have already mentioned the Alps and Appcn-
nines, which form the chief mountaius of Italy. The famous volcano
of Mount Vefuvius lies in the neighbourhood of Naples.
Rivers and lakes.] The rivers of Italy are the Po, the Var, the
Adige, the Trcbbia, the Arno, and the Tiber, v/hich runs llirough the
city of Rome. The famous Rubicon forms the fouthern boundary
between Italy and the ancient Cifalpine Gaul.
The lakes of Italy are, the Maggiore, Lugano, Como, Ifco, and Gar-
da -in the North; the Perugia or Tharlimene, Bracciana, Terni, and
Celano, in the middle.
Seas, GULFS, or bays, capes, T Without a knowledge of thefe,
PROMONTORIES, and STRAiXs. / neither the ancient Roman au-
thors, nor the hiflory nor geography of Italy, can be underflood.
The feas of Italy are, the gulfs of Venice, or the Adriatic fea ; the
fcas of Naples, TuCcany, and Genoa ; the bays or harbours of Nice,
Villa Franca, Oneglia, Final, Savona, Vado, Spezzia, Luca, Pifa, Leg-
horn, Piombino, Civita, Vecchia, Gaeta, Naples, Salerno, Policraftro,
Rhegio, Ouilacc, Tarento, Manfredonia, Ravenna, Venice, Triefle, If*
tria, and Fiume ; Cape Spartavento del Alice, Otvanto, and Ancona ;
and the (Irait of Meltina, between Italy and Sicily.
The gulfs and bays in the Italian iflands are thcfe of Fiorenzo, Baf-
tia, Talada, Porto Novo, Cape Corfo, Bonifacio, and Ferro. in Corfi-
ca ; and the ftrait of Bonif.iC'O, between CorRca and Sardinia. The
bays of Caligari and Oriftagni ; Cape de Sardis, Cavello, Monte Santo,
and Polo, in Sardinia. The gulfs of McfTina, Melazzo, Palermo, Ma-
zara, Syracufe, ar^d Satania : capes Faro, Melazzo, Orlando, Gallo,
Trapano, Palfaro, and AllelTia, in Sicily ; and the bays of Porto Fc-
raio, and Porto Longone, in the ifland of Elba.
Metals and minerals^.] Many places of Italy abound in miner-
al fprings ; fomc hot, fome warm, and many of fulphureous, chaly-
beate, and medicinal qualities. Many of its mountains abound in mines
that produce great quantities of emeralds, jafper, ag^tc, porphyry, la-
pis lazuli, and other valuable flones. Beautiful marble of all kinds is
one of the chief produftions of Italy.
Population and character.] Authors are greatly dix'ided on
the head of Italian population. This roay be owing, in a great meaf-
ure, to the partiality which every Italian has for the honour of his own
province. The king of Sr-rdinia's fubjcfts, according to Zimmermani:!,
amount to 3,170,000, viz. in the duchy of Piedmont 2,/i5o,ooo, in the
duchy, of Savoy 300,000, in the kingdom of Sardinia 420,000. Na-
ples has about 4,500,000 fouls, and Sicily about 1,300.000. The city
of Milan itfclf, by the befl accounts, contains 300.000, and the d-.itchy
is proportionably populous. As to the other provinces of Italy, geo-
graphers and travellers have paid very little attention to the numbers
of natives that live in the country, and inform us by con je6lurc only,
of thofe who inhabit the great cities. Some doubts have arifcn
whether Italy is as populous now as it was in the time of Pliny, when
$5« r T A L Y.
it contained 14,000,000 of inhabitants. It is however believed tKa,c
the prefent inhabitants exceed that number. The Campagna di Ro-
ma, and fome other of the mofl: beautiful parts of Italy, are at prefent
in a manner defolate ; but we are to conhder that the modern Italians
are in a great meafurc free from the unremitting wars, not to niention
the tranlVnigration of colonies, which formerly, even down to the
i6th century, depopulated their country. Add to this, that the prin-
ces and fldtes of Italy now encourage agriculture and manufaftures of
^11 kinds, which undoubtedly promotes population ; fo that it may not
perhaps be extravagant, if we affign to Italy 20,000,000 of inhabit-
ants ; but fome calculations greatly exceed that number.
The national character of the Italians, lately been given by the Abbe
Jagemann, member of the Florentine Academy of Agriculture, as fol-
lows : " C onfidering the mildnefs of the climate, the uncommon fertili-
ty of the foil, the fituation of mofl towns and boroughs on hills, the
excellent fpring water from the Alps and the Appennines, the number
of mineral waters and baths, the fpaciouliicfs of tlie ftreets and houfes,
the delightful views, the frequent refidence of the Italians on their
villas, the fragrancy and healthinefs of the air, the temperate diet, the
facility of getting cured of defeafes in the hofpitals, one is inclined to
think that the corporeal frame of an Italian, if not enervated in early
youth, cannot but be ftrong, healthy and beautiful. The handfomeft
perfons of cither fex, are found in Tulcany. The Italians, in general
are alfo endoVved with good fenfe. and difcernment ; ajJt to defpife
mere theoretical fpecualtions, and to judge by their own feelings and
experience : But education is rather ncglefted. The chief part of
their religion confifts in an external obfervance and prafticc of eccle-
fiafiical rites, ceremonies, and injunftions. An Italian, not enlighten-
ed by reflection and experience, will fooner commit adultery than eat
sny fleflimeat on a Friday ; but a foreigner, who wifhes to pafs for a
Roman catholic, needs only to flick to his window an atteftation, by a
phyfician, that his flate of health requi^-es a flefli-meat diet ; and he
may, without any rifk, eat flefh-meat in Lent. Such atteflations may
be purchafed in cofl'ee-houfes, at Florence. The Italians are very
ieniual ; exceedingly fond of mufic ; little addi£led to drunkennefs and
coarfe jokes ; impatient of delay in their pafhon for the fair fex ; jeal-
ous of the F>ench. but fond of the national charafters of the Englifh
and the Germans. Tiiey flill breathe their ancient fpirit of liberty and
republicanifm, and are avcrle to monarchical government, to whicli
they were ful>jc6led by force. Hence a true-born Italian, of an inde-
pendent fortune, feldom courts public employments ; hence their befl
geniufes too are little Known ; hence alio their almofl general incli-
nation to fdtire, and the bitterncls of their faljres. Hence their gene-
ral hatre4 and contempt for the military lei Vice, and for the miniflers
and executors of criminal juvi-Idiftion. Their drefs and their v,-hole
conduft, piove their fondnsfj of liberty and cafe, and ihcir averfion to
conflraijip, ceremony and compliments. As lo great a variety of en-
joyments arul conveniences are, for an Italian, fo many necellaries of
life, he tfiuft be a rigid econoniift ; but thoie mod famous for their
economical management, are the Florentines and the Genosfc. Hence
ihcir habitual cullom of entering mto the moll minute details and cal-
r-'tlations, and of flriftly adhering to rules. licncc their peculiar tal-
eniir
ITALY. 8S5
%nts and fltill for commerce, trade, political economy, finances, tlieir
ijvidlty for gain, and their ^nvy at the profperity of other people.—
Their refentment laftsonly till they have produced a fatisfaSion ade-
quate to a wrong fullained ; they are lefs irafcible than many other
nations : But when grofsly injured in their charafter or fortunes,
they are capable of every excels,. Of aifaninations, however, Abbe
Jageman recoUefts only three iuftances in Tufcany, in fifteen years.
From their mutual diftruft, an Italian indeed feldom becomes an inti-
jnate friend to anpther Italian ; but then their friendfhip proves the
piore cordial and lading. No nation is more compaffignate to the dif-
treflcd, or more ready to ferve Grangers ; yet letters of recdmmenda*
tion ought not to be neglefted by travellers."
Religion.] The religion of the Italians is Roman Catholic. The
inquifition here is little more than a found ; and perfons of all religions
live unmolefled in Italy, provided no grofs infult is ofFered to their
worfhip. The ecclefiaftical government of the papacy has employed
many volumes in defcribing it. The cardinals, who are next in digni-
ty to his holinefs, are feventy : But that number is feldom or never
complete : They are appointed by the pope, who takes care to have %
majority of Italian cardinals, that the chair may not be removed from
Rome, as it v/as once to Avignon in France, the then pope being a
Frenchman. In promoting foreign prelates to the cardinalfhip, the
pope regulates liimfelf according to the nomination of the princes who
profefs that religion. His chief minlfter is the cardinal patron, gene-
rally his nephew, or near relation, who improves the time of the pope's
reign by amafTing what he can. When met in a confiftory, the car-
dinals pretend to control the pope, in matters both fpiritual and tem-
poral, and have been fometimes known to prevail. The reign of a
pope is feldom of long duration, being generally old men at the time
of their eleflion. The conclave is a fcene where the cardinals princi-
pally endeavour to difpUy their parts, and where many tranfaftions
pafs, which hardly fhew their infpiratlon to be from the Holy Ghoft^
During the eleftion of a pope in 1721, the animofities ran fo high, that
they came to blows with both tKcir hands and feet, and threw the
inkftandiihes at each other. We (hall here give an extra£t from the
creed of pope Pius IV. 1560, befoi-e his elevation to the chair, which
contains the principal points wherein the church of Rome differs from
the protcftant churches. After detlaring his belief in one God, and
ocher heads wherein Chriflians in general ate agreed, he proceeds as
follows :
*' I moft, firmly admit and embrace the apoftolical and ecclefiaftical
traditions, and all other conftituiions of the church of Rome.
'' I do admit the holy fcriptures in the fame fenfe that holy mother-
church dothjWhofe bufinefs it is tojudgeof the ttue fenfe and inter-
pretation of them ; and I will interpret them according to the unani-
mous confent of the fathers.
" I do profefs and believe that there are fevqn facraments of the
law, truly and properly fo called, inftitutcd by Jefus Chrift our Lord^
and neceifary to the falvation of mankind, though not all of them to
every one ; namely, baptifm, confirmation, eucharift, penance, ex-
treme unftion, orders and marriage, and that they do confer grace ■, and
that of ;h A convocation of Roman-catholic cardinals, archbifhops, bifliops and divines, wha af-
fembled at Trent, by virtue of a bull from the pope, anno 1546, and devoted to him, to dc»
termine on certain points of fsith, and to fupprefs what tiaey K'cre plsafci to icxm the ^,i-^^
mz Hcrefies in the church.
ITALY. 355
are obliged to pay the fame taxeswilh the laity, befides other burthens
which the king has it in his power lo inipofe on them. The clergy 'are
indeed entirely depeadant on the king, and fubjefl to the Iccular ju-
rifdiftion : The church preferments are all in ths gift of tiie kin-r.
The inhabitants of Naples and Sicily are bigotted Roman Catholics
and more zealous than thofe of Rome. There is, however, no inquifuion
silablifhed in the countiy. Ihe power of the Pope in thcfe kin;?doms
.is not great. In Naples, fomc prebends are in his gift ; but in Sicily,
all church preferment is in the gift of the king. The clergy are very
numerous ; and fo rich, that not lefs than one half of the riches of the
country are in the pofreffion of the church. There are, in Naples, 20
archbifliops and 107 bilhops : In Sicily, three archbifhops and eight
bifhops. In the year 17S2, there were in Naples alone 45,525 pricfts,
i>4,6g4 monks, 20,793 nuns. In 1783, government refolved to dif-
Iblve 466 convents of nuns, and the beginning has been a6lually jnade
to carry this refolution into execution.
Learning AND learned men, painters, 1 Since the revival of
STATUARIES, ARCHITECTS, AND ARTISTS. J learning, fome Ital-
ians have fhonc in controverfial learning, but they are chiefly celebrat-
ed by thofe of their own perfuafion. The mathematics and natural
philofophy owe much to Galileo, Toricelli, Malpighi, Borelli, and fev-
eral other Italians. Strada is an excellent hiftorian ; and the hiflory
of the council of Trent, by the celebrated father Paul, is a flandard
work. Machiavel is equally famous as an hidorian and as a political
ivriter. Among the profe writers in the Italian language, Boccace has
htcw thought one of the moll pure and correft in point of ftyle : lie
Vas a very natural painter of life and manners, but his produftions are
too licentious. Petrarch, who wrote both in Latin and Italian, reviv-
ed among the moderns the fpirit and genius of ancient literature : But
among the Italian poets, Dante, Ariofto, and TafTo, are the moft dif-
linguifhed. Metaflafio has acquired a great reputation by writing dra-
Hidtic pieces fet to muRc. Socinus, who was fo much diflinguiflied by
;;:s oppofuion to the dotlrlue of the Trinity, was a native of Italy.
The Italian painters, fculptors, architefts, and muficians, are unrl-
^-alled, not only in their numbers, but their excellencies. The revival
of learning, after the fack of Conftantinople by the Turks, revived tafle
iikewife, and gave mankind a relifli for truth and beauty in dehgn and
colouring. Raphael, from his ov/n ideas, affifted by the ancients,
flruck out a new creation with his pencil, and ftill (lands at the head
of the art of painting. ^Iichael Angelo Buonaroti united in his own
peifon painting, fculpturc, and archilefture. The colouring of Titian
has perhaps never yet been equalled. Bramante, Bernini, and many
other Italians, carried fculptureand archite£ture to an amazing height,
Julio Romano, Correggio, Caraccio, Veronefe, and others, are, as
painters, unequalled in their feveral manners. The fame may be faid
of CorcUi, and other Italians, in mufic. At prefent, Italy cannot
juflly boall of any remarkable genjus in tlic fine arts.
Universities.] Thofe of Italy are, Rome, Venice, Florence,
Mantua, Padua, Parma, Verona, Milan, Pavia, Bologna, Perufia, Fcr-
rara, Pifa, vhich has 46 Profeffors, Naples, Salerno, Palermo, Catania j
the four laft ar" in Naples and Sicily,
Y 7 An'TI(JUJTIB»
55^ i t A t Y.
, AMTiQUixiES AND cuiiiosiriESj'l Italy is the native country ijf
NATURAL AND ARTificiAL. J all that i.s ftupcndous, great oi"
beautiful, either in ancient or modern times. A library might be filled
by defcriptions and delineations of all that is rare and curious in arts ;
hor do the bounds of this work admit of enlarging upon this fubjeO:.
We can give but a very brief account of thofe objefls that are moft dif-
kinguifhed either for antiquity t>r excellence.
The amphitheatres claim the firft rank, as a fpecies of the ihoft fink-
ing magnificence: There are at Rome confiderable remains of that
which was erefted by Vefpalian, and finifhed by Domitian, called the
Coliffeo, Twelve thoufand Jewifh captives were employed by \'^er-
Jjafian in this building • and it is faid to have been capable of contain-
ing eighty feven thoufand fpeftators feated, and twenty thoufand (land-
ing. The architefture of this amphitheatre is perfeftly light, and its
proportions are fo jufl, that it does not appear near fo large as it really
is. Butithasbeenfirippedofallits magnificent pillarsandornaments, at
various times and by varidus enemies. The amphitheatre of Ver0na,ei e£l-
ed by the conful Flarninius, is thought to be the mofl entire of any in Italy.
There are forty-five rows of fleps carried all round, formed of fine
blocks of marble about a foot and a half high each, and above two'
feet broad. Twenty-two thoufand perfons may be feated here at their
eafe, allowing om: foot and a half for each perfo'n. This amphithea-
tre is quite perfeft, and has been lately repaired with the greatefl care^
at the ejtpenfe of the inhabitants. They frequently give public fpec-
tacles in it, fuch as horfe races, combats of wild beafls, &c. The ruins
of theatres and amphitheatres are alfo vifible in other places. The
triumphal arches of Vefpafian, Septimius Severus, and Conflantine the
Great, are flill (landing, though decayed. The ruins of the baths,
palaces, £fnd temples, anfwer all the ideas we can form of the Roman
grandeur. The Pantheon, Vv^hich is at prefent converted into a mod-
ern church, and which from its circular figure is commonly called the
Rotunda, is more entire than any other Roman temple which is now
remaining; There are flill left feveral of the niches which anciently
tontained th'e ftatues of the heathen deities; The outtide of the build-
ing is of Tivoli free- (lone j and within it is incrufled with' marble. The
{•oof of the Panfheoti is a round dome, \*ithout pillars, the diameter of
which is a hundred and forty-four feet ; and though it has no win-
dows, but only a round aperture in the centre of this dome, it is very
light in every part. The pavement conlifls of large fquare fhones and
porphyry, floping round towards the centre, where the rain water, fall«
ing down through the aperture on the top of the dome, is conveyed
away by a proper drain covered with a (lone full of holes. The col-
onnade in the front, which donfifls of fi;iteein columns of granite, thirty-
feven feet high, exclufive of the pedeflals and capitals, each cut Out of
a fingle block, and whit'i are of the Corinthian order, Can hardly be
viewed without aftonifhment. The entrance of the church is adorn-
ed with colum^ns forty-eight feet high, and the architrave is formed o^
a linglc pieCe of granite. On the left hand, on entering the portico,
is a large antique vafe of Numidian marble ; and in the area before tha
church is a fountain, with an antique bafon of porphyry. The pillars
of Trajan and Antonine, the former 17,5 feet high, and the latter cov-
ered with inftruftive fculptures, are ftill rem.aining, A traveller for-
ITALY. 85^
gets the devaftations of the northern barbarians, when he fees the rof-
trated column erected by Duillius, in commemoration of the firft naval
vi£lory which the Romans gained over the Carthagipians ; the ftatu-c
of the wolf giving fuck to Romulus and Remus, with vifible marks of
the ftroke of lightning mentioned by Cicero ; the very original brafs
plates containing the laws of the twelve tables ; and a thouland other
identical antiquities, fomc of them tranfmitted unhurt to the prefent
(imes ; not to mention medals and the infinite variety of feals and en-
graved ftoncs which abound in the cabinets of the curious. Many
palaces, all over Itaiy, are furniflied with bulls and flatues fabricated
in the times of the republic and the higher empire.
The Appian, Flaminian, and /Emilian roads, the firfl 200 miles, the
fecond 130, and the third ,50 miks in length, are in m?ny places ftill
entire ; and magnificent ruins of villas, refervoirs, bridges, and the
like, pref&nt themfelves all over the country of Italy.
The I'ubterraneous conftruftions of Italy are as ftupendous as thofe
pbove ground ; witncfs the cloaca:, and the catacombs, or repofitories
for dead bodies, in the neighbourhood pf Rome and Naples. It is not
above 30 years fiiice, a painter's apprentice difcovered the ancient
city of Pxft-um or Pofidonia, ip the kingdom of Naples, Hill (landing ;
for fo indifferent are the country people of Italy about ohjefts of an-
tiquity, that it vvas a new difcovery to the learned. A" inexhauftiblc
mine of curiofities are daily dug out of the ruins of Herculaneum, a
city lying between Naples and \''cfuvius, which in the reign of Nerq
was almoft deflroycd by an earthquake, and Afterwards, in the firlt
year of the reign of 'J'itus, overwhelmed by a dream of the lava of Vc-
fuvius. The melted lava in its courfe filled up the llreets and houfes
in fome places to the height of fixty-eight feet above the tops of the lat-
ter, and in others one hundred and ten feet. The lava is now of a con-
fifteney which renders it extremely difficult to be removed or cleared
away : It is compofed of bituminous particles, mixed with cinders,
minerals, mctallics, and vitrified fandy fubftances, which all together
form a clofe and heavy mafs. In the year 1713, upon digging into
thefe parts, fomewhat of this unfortunate city was difcovered, and ma-
ny antiquities were dug out ; but the fearch was afterwards difcontin-
ued, till the year 1736, when the king of Naples emploved men to dig
perpendicularly eighty feet deep, whereupon not only the city made
its appearance, but alio the be4 of the river wJiich ran through it.
The temple of Jupiter was then brought to light, and the whole of the
theatre. In the temple was found a ftatue of gold, and the inlcrip-
tion that decorated the great doors of entrance. In the theatre the
fragments of a gilt chariot of bronze, with horfes of the fame metal,
likewife gilt : This had been placed over the principal door of en-
trance. They likewife found among the ruins of this city multitudes
pfftatueSjbuftos, pillars, paintings, manufcripts, furniture, and various
utenfils, and the fearch is flill continued. The ftrcetsof the town appear
to have been quite ftrai ght and regular,and the houfes well built and much
.nlike ; fomc of the rooms paved with mofaic. others with fine marbles,
others again Vtfith bricks, tliree feet long and fix inches thick. It ap-
Tjears that the town was not filled up fo unexpeftedly wilh the melted
lava, as to prevent the greatefl part of the inhabitants from cicaping
with many of their richell efl^tls ; for when the excavations were
made, there were not more than a dozen fkcleions found, and but lit-
\,\c of gold, filver, or precious (lones, "^iiQ
35$ I T A L Y;
The town of Pompeia wasfleftroyed by the fame eruption of moUR|
Vefuvius, which occafioned the dedruftion of Herculaneum ; but it
was not difcovcred till near forty years after the difcovery of Hercula-
neum. One llreet, and a few detached buildings of this town, have
been cleared : The ftrect is well paved with the fame kind of (lone of
which the ancient roads are made, and narrow caufeways are raifed a
foot and a half on each fide for the conveniency of foot paffengcrs. —
The ftreet is narrow, and is fuppofed to have been inhabited by trades
people. The traces of wheels of carriages are to be feen on the pave-
ment. The houfes are fmall, but give ?in idea of neatnefs and conve-
niency. The belt paintings, hitherto found at Pompeia, are thofe
found in the temple of the gcddefs Ifis ; they have been cut out of the
walls, and removed to Pottici. Few fk^letons were found in the
flreets of this town, but a confiderable number in the houfes.*
With regard to modern cuiioiities in Italy, they are as bewildering as
the remains of antiquity. Rome itfclf contains 300 churches, filled
with all that is rare in architeflure, painting and fculpturc. Each ci-
ty and town of Italy contains a proportionable number. The church
of St. Peter, at Rome, is the moft aftonifhlng. bold and regular fabric,
that ever perhaps exifted ; and when examined by the rules of art, it
may be termed faultlefs. The houfe and chapel of Loretto is rich
beyond imagination, notwithftanding the ridiculous romance that com?
pcfes its hiftory.
The natural curlofities of Italy, though remarkable, arc not fo nu-
merous as its artificial. Mount Vefuvius, which is five Italian miles dis-
tant from the city of Naples, and Mount /Etna, in Sicily, are remarkable
for emitting fire from their tops. The declivity of Mount Vefuvius
towards the fea, is every where planted with vines and fruit trees, ar.d
it is equallv fertile towards the bottom. The circumjacent plain af-
fords a delightful profpeft, and the air is clear and wholefonic. The
South and Weil fides of the mountain form very different views, being
like the top, covered with black cinders and ftones. The height of
Mount Vefuvius has been computed to be 3000 feet above the furface
of the fca. It hath been a volcano, beyond the reach of hidoiv or tra-
dition. An animated defcription of its ravages in the year 79, is given
by the younger Pliny, who was a witnefs to what he wrote. From that
time toihe year 1 63 1 , its eruptions were but fmall and moderate, however,
then it broke out with accumulated fury, and dciolated feveral miles a-
round. In 1694 was a great eruption, which con tinned near a month, when
burning matter was thrown out with fo much force, that fome of it
fell at thirty miles diflance, and a vaft quantity of melted minerals,
mixed with other matter, ran down like a river for three miles, carry-
ing every thing before it which lay in its way. In 1707, when there
was another eruption, fuch quantities of cinders and afhes were thrown
out,
♦ Mr. Gawin HamiltoQ has lately made a very extraordinary difcovery of an ancient city
in Italy, sa the verge of a mountain near Frefcate. Having obtained permiffion from Prince
Borghefe, to dig upon his territories for vcftiges of antiquity, after an expenfive rdearch, the
workmen came to the roofs of buildings which were more pcrfet r?.afp.n.«bly fujppof? th^m to bp dijninift>eSo are faid to have perifiied. The
greateft mortality fell upon Thofe towns and countries fituated in the
plain of Calabria Ultra, on the wedern fide of the mountains Dejo,
Sacro, and Caulone. At Cafal Nuova, the princefs Gerace, and up--
wards of 4000 of the inhabitants, loft; their lives ; at Bagnara, the num-
ber of dead amounts to 3017; Radicina and Falmi count their lofs at
about 3000 each : Terra Nucva about 1400 ; Seminari ftill more. The
fum total of the mortality in both Calabrias and in Sicily, by the earth-
quakes alone, according to the returns in the fecretary of ftate's office
at Naples, is 32,367 : But fir William Hamilton faith he has good
reafvm to believe, that, includmg ftrangers, the number of lives loft
muit have been confiderably greater : 40,000 at leaft may be allowed,
he believes, without exaggeration.
In Sicily the ftates have likewife a fhare in government, by the right
which they poffefs of granting fubfidies to the crown. They are com-r
pofed of three claffes, or bracci, the nobility or military clafs, the cler-
gy, and the royal dcmefne lands, viz. 42 royal towns.
The great ftate officers are nominated by the king ; the higheft d«3*
partment of government is the ftate council, compofed of four minif.
ters or fecretariss of ftate. N?:j;t to this council is thst called configUo
coUatfraU',
I T A L Y. 573
rcUaterale, and fevcral departments for particular branches of public
bufinefs. Sicily is governed by a viceroy. The late king has pub-
lilhed a new code of laws, called Codex Carolinus ; yet, notwithfland-
incr the improvements it contains, the proceedings of juOice in this
country are flill very dilatory. It is (aid there are not iefs than 30.000
lawyers at Naples, (Swinburne). In fome parts of the kingdom the
polTclTors of large eftates have a tcrritotial jurifdiflion, in others the
king : From the provincial courts appeals may be made to the
Gran Cortc della Vicaria ; and, in the laft inflance, to the Supreme
Court of Appeal at Naples.
The prefent government feems to have the welfare of the country
more at heart than any former. There are, in Naples and Sicily, four
univerfitics, viz. thofe of Naples, Salerno, Palermo, and Catania, of
which the fir!l is the moft ufeful. At the capital there is likewife an
academy of I'ciences, and magnificent coUeftions of antiquities. Na-
ples has lon;:^ been the principal and favourite feat of muiic. Educa-
tion is greatly neglefted ; the fchools are ftill in the hands of monks,
whcfc intereil it is that fuperllition and ignorance fhouid prevail, and
who are the greateft enemies to the liberty of thinking and writing.
The Illandof Sardinia, which gives a royal title to the duke of Sa-
voy, lies about 150 miles weft of Leghorn, and hath feven cities or
towns. Its capital, Cagliari, has an univerfity, an archbifhopric, and
the feat of tlie viceroy, containing about 24,000 inhabitants. It is
thought his Sardinian majefty's revenues, from this ifland, do not ex-
ceed 5000I. fterling a year, though it yields plenty of corn and wine,
and has a coral fifliery. Its air is bad, from its marflies and high
mountains on ihc North, and therefore v/as a place of exile for the
Romans. It was formerly annexed to the crown of Spain, but at the
peace of Utrecht it was given to the emperor, and in 1719 to the houfc
of Savoy.
The Ifland of Corsica lies onpofitc to the Genoefe continent, be-
tween the gulf of Genoa and the Ifland of Sardinia, and is better
known by the noble ftand which the inhabitants made for their liberty
againft their Genoefe tyrants, and afterwards again fl: the bafc and un-
generous efforts of the French to enflave them, than from any advan-
tages they enjoy, from nature or lituation. Though mountainous and
woody, it produces corn, wine, figs, almonds, chelnuts, olives, and
other fruits. It has alfo fome cattle and horfes, and is plentifully fup-
plied, both by fea and rivers, with fifli. The inhabitants are faid to
amount to 120,000. Baftia, the capital, is a place of fome ftrength :
though other towns of the ifland, that were in poileflTion of the male-
contents, appear to have been but poorly fortified.
Capri, the ancient Cap re a, is an ifland to which Auguftus Caefar
often came for his health and recreation, and which Tiberius made a
fcene of the moft infamous pleafures. It lies three Italian miles from
that part of the main land which projefts fartheft into the fca. It ex-
tends four miles in length from Eaft to Weft, and about one in bicadth.
The weftern part is, for about two miles, a continued rock, vaftly
high, and inacceflible next the fea ; yet Ano Capri, the largeft town
of the ifland, is fituated here ; and in this part arc f-veral places cov-
ered with a very fruitful foil. The eaftern end of the ifland aU'o rifes
up in precipices that arc nearly a$ high, though not quite To long as th«
wefteii*
Twit ? T A L Y.
weflern. Between the rocky mountains, at each end, is a flip of iowcf
ground that runs acrofs the ifland. and is one of the pleafantefl fpots
ihat can eafily be conceived. It is covered with myrtles, olives, al-
monds, Oranges, figs, vineyards, and corn fields, which look extremely
frcfli and beautiful, and afford a moft delightful little landfcape, wheri
viewed from the tops of the neighbouring mountains. Here is fituafed
the town of Caprea, two or three convents, and the bifhop's palace„
In the midft of this fertile traft rifes a hill, which in the reign of Ti-
licrius was probably covered with buildings, fonje remains of which
are ftill to be feen. But the moft confiderable ruins are at the very
extremitv of the eafterh promontory.
From this place there is a very noble profpeft : On one fide of it the
fea exterids farther than the eye can reach ; jufl oppofite -is the greeri
promontory of Sarentum, and on the oth«r fide the bay of Naples.
IsCHiA, and fome other iflands on the ccafts of Naples'and Italy,
have nothing to diftinguifli them but the ruins of their antiquities, and
their being now beautiful fummer retreats for their owners, Elba
has beer, renowned for its mines from a period beyond the reach of hii-
tory. Virgil and Ariftotle mention it. Its fituation is about ten mile's
S. W. from Tuicany, and 80 miles in circumference, containing near
7000 inhabitants ; it is divided between the king of Kaples, to whorri
i'orto Longone belongs, and the great duke of Tufcany, who is mafler
of Forto, Ferraio, and ihe prince of Piombino. The fruits and wine
of the ifland are very good, and the tunnery, fifhery, and fait, pro-
duce a good revenue. '■ ■ ■
I fliall here mention the ifle of Malta, though it is not property
ranked with the Italian 'ifiands. It was formerly called Mclita, and is
lltuated in 15 degrees E. Ion. and 45 degrees N. lat. 60 miles foiith of
«Jape FalfarO in Sicily, and is of an oval figure, '20 miles long, and m
broad. Its air is cle^-r, but exceiliuely hot ; The whole i'.kind feems
So'be a white rock, covered with 2 thin i'lirface ofeaith, which is how-
ever amazingly produfiive of excellent fruits and vegetables, and gar-
iien-ftuif of all kinds; This illand, or rather rock, was given to the
knights of St. John of Jer\jfalem,' in 3-530, by the emperor Charles V,
when the Turks drove them out of Rhodes ; under the tender of one
lalcon yearly to thfe viceroy of Sicily, and to acknowledge the kings of
Spain and Sicily for their protectors : They are now known b\- the dif-
tinftion of the Knights of Malta. They are under vows of celil->acy
and chaftity ;. but they keep the former much better than the latter.
They have confiderable poffefTions in the Roman Catholic countries on
the Continent, and are under the government of a grandmafter, who
is eleftcd for life. The lord-prior of the order, was formerly accbunt-
td the prime baron in England. The knights are in' ninriber 1000 :
500 are to refide on the ifland, the remainder are in their feminaries in
other countries, but at any fummons aie to make a pevfonal appearance.
I'hey had a feniihary in England, till it was fupprcifed by Henry VHI.
Vv' hen the great maftcr dies, they fuffer no veffel to go out of the
ifland lill another is chofen, to prevent the pope from interfering in
the cieftion. Out of the 16 great croifcs, the great-mafler is elefted,
whofe title, is '' The moft illuftrious. and moft reverend prince, the
lr,ul-friar A, B. great mafter of the hofpital of St. John of Jcrufalem,
prince of Mglta and Gaza." All the kni^'its are Iwcrn to defend the
church
TURKEY
EUROPE.
S75
^hurch, to obey their fupeiiors, and to live on the revenues of their
order only. Not only their chief town Valet ta. or Malta, and its har-
bour, but their whole ifland is fo well foi tilied, as to be deemed im-
pregnable. On the 8th of Sept. there is an annual pioceniori at Malta,
in memory of the Turics railing the fiege on that day, 1663, after foui"
months affault, leaving their artillery, &c. behind.
History.] See RoUin's Ancient and Roman Hiftories — Gibbon's
pecline of the Roman Empire — and Goldfmith's Roman Hlflory.
TURK
Y.
The Grand Signior's Dominions are divided into
s. Turkey in Europe
2. Turk
g. Turk
EY in Europe."] inhabitants, C
EY in Asia. I 49,000,000 < 960,
EY in Africa. J [ 800,
Sq. Miles.
,060, Guthrie.
,000, Zimmermann,
TURKEY IN EUROPE.
Situation and Extent.
Miles. Degrees. Sq. Mile;
I.entrth, iooo"| , . f 17 and 40 eafl longitude, f « c
* => ' •■ J. between <^ ' , ^ .u i .• j s 182.^62
jBreadth, 900 J ]_ 34 and 49 north latitude. \ "^
Boundaries,
nTDOUNDED by Ruffia, Poland, and Sclavonia,
JX3 on the North ; by CircafTia, the Black Sea, tho
Propontis, Hellcfpont, and Archipelago, on the Eaft ; by the Medi-
teriftanean, on the South ; by the farac lea, and the Venetian and Au-
llrian territories, on the Weft. •
Divifions. Subdivifions. Chief to\vns,
("Crini and Little Tar-~| p^recop
On the north coaft of | tary, and the an- | ( Brachiferia
the Black Sea are the-^ cientTauiicaChei- y^ Kaffa
provinces of j fonefus* | (
(_Budziac Tartary J [_Oczakow
("Beffarabia
North of the Danube , ^r u • t ta •
Wiethe provinces of < ^'^^^'^'^via^olimDacia
Walachia, another
part of the ancient
^ Dacia J
Bender
Belgorod
Sq. M.
20,200
12,000
8, coo
)><( Choczim I 26,000
Falczin J
Buckaretch6o;OCoin,
Tergoviflo 19,000
Divifions.
* The R'jfliaas in i7Si, fe);?d on the Crimea, the puncipal part of thij divifion, and.
by a treaty figned January 9th, 1784, the Turks ceded it totlicin with the ilk of Taman, aiii
that part of Cuban which isbounded by the river of that name. The Tuikshavc riow on«
Jj the T-irtar nations beyond the river CubaFi, and from the Black Sea. So that tlie pref'-
ent boundaries between the TurkiiTi and Ru.Tian Eippircs arc foimedbytlK river B05 Lj
Europe and the river Cuban in Afia,
376 T U R K E Y IN E U R O P E,
DivifionSi Subdivifions.
South of the Danube
are
Bulgariajtheeaftpart
of the ancient M)fi.i
-< Scrvia, the weft part X Bdgraae
of Myfia Scmendrir
Kiffa
Chief towns. Sq.Nf^
" fWidin -^
NicopoU J .
SiHftra [^7=°^^
Scopia J
S 22.5^0
Bofnia, part of the
ancient lUyricum J L
8,64c
RcmaniaolimThrace
fMacedonia
"^ rConitantm- j
1 ) ople, N.L.I
f 1 41.EX.2c. J
OntheBofphorusand J „ -.._,. ^, | | ople, N. L. i> 21,200
HcUeipont 1
L J I. Adrianople
fSirymon i8.g8d
, ; Conteffa
South of Mount Rho
dope or A''gentuir.. y' Theffaly. new Janua ! j Salonichi
the north part of the • { '^ Lariffa
ancient Greece > I Achaia and Boeotia, j Athens 1
j now Livadia ' ' ''"'-"'-—
fEpirus
Thebes
On the Adriatic Sea or
Gulf of Venice, thej
ancient lUyricum
Albania
Dalmatia
^Ragufa republic''
J V.Lepanto J
") ("Chimera
Burtinto
Scodra
Durazzo
Gulcigno
I Zara
j Karcnza
3,420
7:955
4;SCq
Ra3ufa
Diviiioas.
* The rejiublic of Ragufa, though reckoned by geopfaphers pnrt of Turkey in Europe,
h rot under the Turki(h government. It is an ariltocratical (late, fonned nearly after the
jnodel of tliat of Venice. The government is in the hands of the nobility ; and the chief of the
republic, who is ftyled re€tor, is changed every month, and eleded by fcrutiny or lot. Dur-
ing his Ihortadminiftration, he lives in the falace, and wears n ducal habit. As the Ragu-
fans are unable to proteftthemfelves, they make ufe of their wealth to procure them pro-
tedlcrs, the chief of whom, for many years, was the grand-feignor. Tliey endeavoured al-
fo to keep upon good terms with the Venetians, and other neiphbouring ftates. But in the
year 1783, a difpute arofe between them and the king of Naples, rcfped/ng a claim of riglit
to his appointmg a commander of the Ragufan troops. It was terminated by Ihe republic's
putting itfelf under that king's proteiSion. The city of Ragufa is not above two miles in
circumference, but it is well built and contains fome handfome cdihces. The ancient
Epidaurus was fituated not far from this city. The Ragufans prolcfs the Romilh reli-
gion, but Creeks, Armenians and Turks are tolerated. Almoft all the f iti^ens are tradeis,
and they keep fo watchful an eye over their freedom, that the gates of the ciiy of Ragufa
src allowed to be open only a few hours in the day. The language chiefly in ufe among the
Ragufans is the Sclavonian, but the greaieft part of them fpe.ik the Italian. They have
many trading vefTels, and arc terriers in the Mediterranean, like the Dutch, being conftant-
ly at peace with the piratical fiates of Barbary. The city of Gravofa, and St3g:io, 30 miles
N. E. of Ragufa, are within the territories of this republic, and there are alfo five fmall
iflands belonging to it, the principal of which is Melida.
TURKEY
EUROPE.
377
In the Morea, the ai
cient Pcloponnefu
being the fouth divi--^
lion of GreecCj arc
Corlnthia
Argos
Sparta
Olympia, where the
games were held
Arcadia
Ells
><
Corinth
Avgos
Napcli de
Romania
Lacedae-
mon, now
Mifitria, on
the river
Eurotas
Olympia,
or Longi- )> 7,22tp
nica, on
the river
Alpheus
Modon
Coron
Patras
Elis, or Bel-
vide re, on
the river
Peneus,
tvIooKTAiNS.] Thefe are the men. celebrated of any in llie v/orld.
and at the fame time often moPc fruitful. Mount Athos lies on a pen-
infula, running into the Egean fea ; the Mounts Pindus and Olympus*
celebrated in Grecian fables, feparate Theflaly from Epirus. Parnaf-
:'us, in Achaia, fo famous for being confecrated to the Mufes, is welt
known. Mount IIa:mus is likewife often mentioned by the poets ; but
mod of the other mountains have changed their names ; for inftance the
mountains Shua, Witofka, Staras, Plamina, and many others. Even
the moft celebrated mountains above mentioned have had modern
names impofed upon them by the Turks, their new mafters, and others
in tbeir neighbourhood.
Seas,] The Euxine or Black Sea ; the Palus Ma^otis, or Sea o£
Afoph ; the fea of Marmora, which ieparatcs Europe from Afia ; the
Archipelago ; the Ionian fea, and the Levant, are fo many evidences,
that Turkey in Europe, particularly that part of it where Conftanti-
noplc flands, of all other countries, had the bed claim to be miflrefs of
the world.
Straits.] Thofe of the Hellefpont and Bofphorus arcjoincd to the
fea of Marmora, and are remarkable in modern as well as ancient hif-
tory.
Rivers.] The Danube, the Save, the Neifler, theNeipcr, and the
Don, arc the beft known rivers in this country ; though many others
have been celebrated by poets and hiftorians.
Lakes. ^
3-/8 TURKEY in EUROPE.
Lakes. 3 Thefe are not extremely remarkable, nor are they men-
i ioned with any great applaufe. either by the ancients or moderns. The
I.ago di Sentari, lies in Albania. It communicates with the Lago di
PLivc and the Lago di Holti. The Stymphalus, lb famous for its har-
pies and ravenous birds, lies in the Morca ; and Peneus, from its qual-
ities, is thought to be the lake from which the Styx iffues, conceived
by the ancients to be the palfage into hell.
Antiquities AND curicsitils, "1 Almofl: every fpot of ground,
KATWRAi. AND ARTIFICIAL. J cvcry rivcr, and every fountain
in Greece prefents the traveller with the ruins of a celebrated antiqui-
ty. On the Ifthmus of Corinth, the ruins of Neptune's temple, and
the theatre where the Ifthmean games were celebrated, are flill vihble.
Athens, which contains at prefent above io,ooo inhabitants, is a fruit-
ful fource of tlie mofl magnificent and celebrated antiquities in the
>'-orld, a minute account of which would exceed the limits of this
work ; but it will be proper to mention fome of the moft confiderable.
On the fouth-weft of Athens is a beautiful ftrufture, commonly called
the Lantern of Demoflhenes : This is a fmall round edifice of white
niarble, the roof of which is fupported by fix fluted columns of the
Corinthian order, nine feet and an half high ; in the fpace between
the columns are pannels of marble ; and the whole is covered with a
cupola, carved with the rcfemblance of fcales ; and on the frieze are
beautifully reprefented in relievo the labours of Hercules. Here are
alfo to be feen the temple of Winds : the remains of the tlieatre of
Bacchus ", of the magnificent ?.quedu£l of the emperor Adrian ; and of
the temples of Jupiter O.lympius, and Auguftus. The remains of the
temple of the oracle of ApoHo are (lill vifible at Caftri, on the fouth
Tide of mount ParnalTus, and the rrjarble fieps that d.cfcend to a plcafant
running v/ater. fuppofed to be the renowned Caftalian fpring, with the
niches for ftatucs in the rock, are flill diiccrnihle. The famous cave
of Trqphonius is ftiil a natural curiofity in Livadine, the old Bccotia.
Mount Athos, which has been already mentioned, and v;hich is com-
monly called Monto Santo, lies on a peninfula which extends into the
yEgean fea, and is indeed a chain of mountains, reaching the whole
length of the peninfula, feven Turkifh miles in length, and three in
breadth ; but it is only a fingie mountain that is properly called Athos.
This is fo lofty, that on the top, as the ancients relate, the fun-rifing
was beheld four hours fooner than by the inhabitants of the coaft ; and,
iat the folftice, its fliade reached into the Agora or market place of My-
rina, a town in Lemnos, which iHand was diflimt eighty-feven miles
taftward. There are twenty-two convents on mount Athos, befides a
great number of cells and groifos, with the habitations of no Icfs than
iix thoufand monks and liermits ; though the proper hermits, who live
in grottos, are not above twenty ; the other monks are anchorites or
£uch as live in cells. Thefe Greek monks, who call themfclves the
inhabitants of the holy mountain, are io far from being a fet of floth-
ful people, tliat. befides their daily offices of religion, they cultivate
fhc olive and vineyards, are carpenters, malbns, ftone-cutters, cloth-
woikers, taylors. &c. They alfo live a very auHere life ; their ufual
food, inflead of flefh, being vegetables, dried olives, ftps, and other
fruit ; otiions, cheefe, and on certain days. Lent excepted, fifh. Their
fr.fls are many and levsre ; wliichj with the heallhfulnefs of the air,
rsnder%
T U R K E Y IN F, U R O P E. 375
lenders longevity fo common there, th^t many oF them live, above an
hundred years. It appears from .Elian, that anciently the moimtairt
in general, and particularly the fummit, was acco-mted very healfliy,
and conducive to long life ; whence the inhabitants were called Ma-
crobii, or long-lived. We are farther informed by PhiloOratus, in the
iife of Apollonius, that numbers of philofophers ufed to retire to this
mountain, for the better contemplation of the heavens, and of nature ;
and after their e.-':ample the monks dnubtlefs built their cells.
' Cities. J ' Conftantinoplc, the capital of this great empire, is fituat-
ed on the European fide of the Bofphorus, It y/as buill upon the ru-
ins of the ancient Byzantium, by the Roman emperor Conftantinc the
Great, as a more inviting fitiiation than Rome for the feat of empire.
It became afterwards the capital of the Greek empire, and having ef-
caned the dellruftive rage of the barbarous nations, it was the greateft
ias well as the mofl beautiful city in Europe, and the only one during
the Gothic ages, in which there remained any image of the ancient
eletrance in manners and arts. While' it remained in the poilcffion of
the Greek emperors, it was the only mart in Europe for the commodi-
ties of the Eafl Indies. It derived great advantages from its being tho
rendezvous of the crufaders, and being then in the meridian of its glo-
iy, the European writers, in the ages of the crufades, fpeak of it v/ith
aftonifhment, " O what a vaft city is Conft;antinople (exclaims one
when he firft beheld it) and how beautiful? How many monafhcries
are there \n it. and how many pidaces built with wonderful art ! How
many manufa6tu-e'rs arc there in the city amazing to behold ! It would
be ailonifhing to relate how it abounds with all the good things, with
gold, filver, and fluffs of various kinds ; for every hour fhips arrive in
the port with all things nccclTary for the ufe of rnan." Conflantino-
ple is at this day one of the lineft cities >n the world by its htuation
and its port. The profpeft from: it is noble. The mod regular part,
h the Befeflin, inclofed with walls and gates v/here the merchants
have their fliops excellently ranged. In another part of the city is the
Hippodrome, an oblong fquare of 400 paces by 200. where they exer-
cifeon horfeback. The Meidan, or parade, is a large fpacious fquaie,
the general refort of all ranks. Oh the r)pporuc lide of the poitare
four towns, but cpnfide.rcd as a part of the fuburbs, their difhance be-
ing fo fmall, a perfcn may eatily be heard on the other fide. They are
named Pera, Galata, Pacha, and Tophana. In P«ra, the foreign a'm-
baffadors and all the Franks or ftrangers refide, not being permitted to
live in the city ; Galata alfo is moftly inhabited by Franks v.iid Jews,
»nd is a place of great trade. '1 he city abounds with antiquities : the
tomb of Conftantinc the (xreat is flill prcl'erved. The mofque of St.
Sophia, once a Chriflian church, is thought in fome refpefts to exceed
in grandeur and architetlure St. Peter's at Rome. The city is built ia
a triangular form, with the Seraglio Ifanding on a point of one of the
angles, from whence there is a profpeft of the deliglitful col'Tl of the
Lclfer Aha, which is riot to be equalled. When we fpe.'ik of the fe-
raglio, we do not mean the apartments in which the grand fignior's
women are confined, as is commonly imagined, but the whole inclo-
fure of the Ottoman palace, which might well fufhce for a moderate
town. 1 he wall which furiounds the Icraglio is thirty feet high, hav-
ing battlements, cmbrafurcs, and tuwcrs, in the fl) Ic cf ancient forti-
hcations.
gSo T U R K E Y i.v E U R O P Ev
ficatlons. There are in it nine gates, but only two of them magnifu
cent ; and from one of thele the Ottoman court takes the name of thd
Porie, or the Sublime Forte, in all public tranfaftions and records.
Both the magnitude and population of ConRantinople have been great-
ly exaggerated by credulous travellers. It is furrounded by a high
and thick wall with battlements after the oriental manner, and towers,
defended by a lined but fhallovvr ditch, the works of which are double
on the land f;dc. The beil authors think that it contains a million of
inhabitants, among them are reckoned 200,000 Greeks, 40,000 Arme-
nians, and 6o,oco Jews.
The city hath been frequently affailed by fires, either owing to the.
tiarrownels of the ftreets and the flrufture of the houfcs, or the arts of
the Janizaries. In Augud, J 784, afire broke out in the quarter fitu-
ate towards the harbour, and fpread into other quarters, and about
10.000 houfes (moft of which had been rebuilt fince the fare in 1782)
were confumed.
Oppofite to the feraglio, on the Afian fide, and about a mile and a
half diftant acrofs the water, is Scutari, adorned with a royal mofque,
and a pleafure lioufe of tlie grand fignior. On the brow of an adja-
cent hill is a grand profpeft ; in one view are the cities of Conllanti-
nople, Calata, and Pera, the fmall feas of the Bofphorus and Propontis,
with the adjacent countries on each fnore.
As to the population, manners, religion, government, revenues,
learning, military ftrength, com.merce, and manufaftures of the Turks,
thefe feveral heads depending on the fame principles all over the em-
pire, ihall be mentioned under Turkey in Asia.
ISLANDS belonging to T U R K E Y in E U R O P E, being Part of
Ancient Greece.
WE fiiali mention thefe Iflands chiefly for the ufe of fuch readers
as are converfant with ancient hiflory, of which they make fo diftin-
guifhed a part.
Ncgropont, the ancient Euboea, ftretches from the fouth call to the
?Ti0rth weft, and on the eaftern coafl of Achaia or Livadia. It is 90
miles long, and 25 broad, and contains about 13QO fquare miles. Here
the Turkiib gallies lie. The tides on its coafts are irregular ; and the
ifland itfelf is very fertile, producing corn, wine, fruit, and cattle, in
fuch abundance, that all kinds of provifions are extremely cheap.
The cliicf towns in the illand are, Negropont, called by the Greeks
Egripos, lituatedon the fouth M'eftcoall of the ifland, on the nanoweib
part of the ftrait -, and Caftel Rolfo the ancient Crayflus.
Lemnos, or Stammene, lies on the north part of the Egean fea or
Archipelago, and is almoft a fquare of 25 miles in length and breadth.
Though it produces corn and wine, yet its principal lichcs arife from
its mineral earth, much ufed in medicine, fometimes called terra Lemna
or figillata, becaufe it isfealed up by the Turks, who receive therefrom
a confidcrable revenue.
Te.vedos is remarkable only for its lying oppofite to old Troy, and
its being mentioned by Virgil as the place to which the Greeks retired,
and left the Trojans in a fatal fecurity ; it. hath a town of the fame
name,
SCYROS
T U R K E Y IN E U R O P F.. 381
ScYROS is about 60 miles in circumference, and is remarkable cliieny
for the remains of antiquity which it contains ; about 300 Greek fam-
ilies inhabit it.
Lesbos, or Mytelsne, is about 60 miles long, and is famous for
the number of philofophers and poets it produced. The inhabitants
v/ere formerly noted for their prodigality.
Scio, or Chios, lies about 80 miles weft of Smyrna, and is about
100 miles in circumference. This iiland, though rocky and moun-
tainous, produces excellent wine, but no corn, it is inhabited by
100,000 Greeks, 10,000 Turks, and above 3;000 Latins. It hath 300
churches befules chapels and monalleries ; aad a Turkifli garrifon of
1400 men. The inhabitants have manufactures of filk, velvet, gold
and lilver ftuiTs. The ifland likewife produces oil and filk, and the
lentifktree, or maftic, from which the government draws its chief rev-
enue. The women of this, and almoft all the other Greek iflands,
have in all ages been celebrated for their beauty, and their perfons
have been the moft perfeft models of fymmetry to painters and llatua-
ries. A late learned traveller. Dr. Richard Chandler, fays, '• The
beautiful Greek girls are the moft ftriking ornaments of Scio. Many
of thefe were fitting at the doors and windows, twifting cotton or filk,
or employed in fpinning and needlc-work, and accofted us with fa-
miliarity, bidding us welcome, as wc pa (Ted. The ftreets on Sundays
and holidays are filled with them in groups. They wear fhort petti-
coats, reaching only to their knees, with white filk or cotton fiofe.
Their head-drefs, which is peculiar to the ifland, is a kind of turban,
the linen fo white and thin it fecmed fnow. Their flippers are chiefly
yellow, with a knot of red fringe at the heel. Some wore them fas-
tened with a thong. Their garments were of filk of various colours i
and their whole appearance fo fantaftic and lively, as to afford us
much entertainment. The Turks inhabit a feparate quarter, and their
women are concealed." Among the poets and hiftorians laid to be
born here, the inhabitants reckon Homer, and (hew a little fquare
houfe, which they call Homer's fchocl.
Samos lies oppofite to Epheius, on the coaft of the Leffer Afia,
about feven miles from the continent. It is 30 miles long, and 15
broad. This ifland gave birth to Pythagoras, and is inhabited by
Greek Chriftians, who are well treated by the Turks, their mafterf.
The mufcadine Samian wine is in high requeft ; and the ifland alfo
produces wool, which they fell to the French ; oil, pomegranates, an4
filk. This ifland is fuppofed to have been the native country of Juno ;
and fome travellers think that the ruins of her temple, and of the ani-
cient city Samos, are the fineft remains of antiquity in the Levant.
To the fouth of Samos lies Patmos, about 20 miles in circumfer-
ence, but fo barren and dreary, that it may be called a rock rather than
an ifland. It has, however, a convenient haven ; and the few Greek
monks who arc upon the ifland fhew a cave where St. John is fuppo-
fed to have written the Apocalypfe.
The Cycladf.s iflands lie like a circle round Deles, the chief of
them, which is fouth of the iflands Mycone and Tirfe, and almoft mid-
way between the continent of Afia and Europe. Though Delos is
not above fix miles in circumference, it is one of the moft celebrated
of all the Grecian iflands, as V-ing the birth-j)lac? of ApoUo and Di-
|S5 • T U R K E Y IN E U R O P 2.
Sna, the magnificfent ruins of whofe temples are flill vlfible. T'u
ifiitnd is almoft deflitute of inhabitants.
Par OS lies between the iflands of Luxia and Mclos. Like all the
hther Greek iflands; it coutslins the mdfl ftrikjng and magnificent ru-
ins of antiquity ; but is chiefly renowned for the beauty and whitenefs
of jts marble.
Cerigo, or Cyt:'f.ra. Hcs fouth-e^ft of the Morea, and is about 50
miles in circumference, hut rocky and mountainous, and chiefly re-
imarkable for being the favourite rehdence of Venus. .
Santorin is one of the moll fouthern iflands in. the Archipelago^
and was fonneily called Caliila, and afterwards Thera. Though Ice-
iningly covered with purrice-ftones, yet, through the induflry of th*;
inhabitants, wbo are about 10.000, it produces bailey and wine, with
fome wheat. One-thirci of the people are of the Latin church, and
fubjeEt to a catholic bifhop. Near this ifland another arofe of. the
fame name, from the bottom of the fea, in 1707.. At the tim,6 of its
birth there was an earthquake, attended with moft dreadful lightning?
^nd thunders, and boilings of the iea for fever,al , days, fo that when it
arofe out of the fea, it was a. mele volcano, but the burning foon ce;if-
cd. It is about 2co feet above the fea ; and at the time of its firlt
emerging, was about a mile broad, and five miles in circumference, but
it has hnce increafed. Several other iflands of the Archipelago ap«
pea|L/to have had the like original, and iFie fea in their neighbourhood
isW' deep as not to be fathomed.
The famous, ifl.md of Rhodes is fitu^ted in the 28th degree of eaft
longitude, and 36 degrees 20 minutes north latitude, about 20 miles
fouth-welt of the continent of. Le.fler Ana, being about 6c> miles longj
and 25 broad. This ifland is healthful and pleafant, abounds in wine,
and many of the necelfaries of life; but the inhabitants import their;
corn from the neighbouring country. The chief town of the fame
name, ft:ands on the iidc of a hill fronting the fe-l, and is 3 miles in cir-
cumference, interfperfed with gardens, miraarets, churches, and tow-
ers. The harbour is the Grand Signior's prineipal arfenal for fhipping,
and the place is efteemed among the flLrongeft fdrtrefi^es belonging to
the Turks. 1 he co'oilus of brafs, which anciently flood at the mouth
of the harbour, and was 50 fathom wide, was defervedly accounted one?
of the wonders of the world : One foot being placed on each fide of
the harbour, fhips pa fling between its legs ; and it held in one hand a
light-houfe for the direftion of mariners, Ihc face of the coloifus
reprefented the fun, to whom this image was dedicated ; and its height
was. about 13, rj feet. The inhabitants of this ifland were formerly
mafl.ers of the fea ; and the Rhodian law was the direftory of the Ro-
mans in maritime affairs. The knights of St..John of Jerufalem, after
lofing Palefline, took this ifland from the Turks in 1308, but loft it in
1522 after a brave defence, and afterwards retired to Malta.
.. Can D I A, the ancient Crete, is ftill renowned for its hundred cities,
for its being the birlh-place of Jupiter, the feat of Icgiflature to all
^Greece, and many other hiflorical and political diflinftions. It lies
between 35 and 36 degrees of north latitude, being 200 rnites long, and
60 broad, almofl: equally difl;ant from Europe, Aha, and Africa, and
contains 3220 fquare miles. The famous Mount Ida ftands in the
Jniddle of the ifland, and is no betler than a barren rock : and Lethe,
thf;
Turkey i.m Europe. ^si
the nvcr of oblivion, is a torpid ftrcam. Some of the vallics of this
ifland produce wine, fruits, and cond ; all of them reiriarkably excel-
lent in their kinds. The liege of Candia, the capital of the ifland, in
modern times, was far more wonderful and bloody than that of Troy.
The Turks inverted it in the beginning of the year 164^, and its Vene-
tian gatrifon, after bravely defending itfyU againfl; ,56 florms, till the
latter end of September 1669, made, at lafl, an honourable capitulation.
The ficge coft the Turks 180,000 men, and the Venetians 8o,09o.
Cyprus lies in the Levant fea, about thirty miles diftant from tfic
coafts of Syria and Paleftine. It is 150 miles long, and 70 broad, and
lies at almoft an equal diftance from Europe and Africa. It was for-
merly famous for the worfliip of Venus, the Cyprian goddefs ; and
during the time of the Ct-ufades, v/as a rich flouriQ-iing kingr^ora, in-
habited by Chriftians. Its wine, efpccially that which grows at the
bottom of the celebrated Mount Olympus, is the mofl palat?ble, and
the richcft of all that grows in the Greek iflands. Nicofia is the capi-
tal, in the midft of the country, and the fee of a Greek archbiiliop, in-
deed moll part of the inhabitants of the ifland arc Greeks. Fainaguft:i,
its ancient capital, has a good harbour ; and the natural produce nt"
the ifland is fo rich, that many European nations find their account iii
keeping cohfuls relirling upon it ; but the oppreflions of the Turks
have depopulated and impoveriflied it to fuch a furprifing degree, that
the revenue they get from it does not exceed 1250I. a year. The ifland
produces great quantities bf grapes, from which excellent wine is
made, and alio cctton of a very fine quality is here cultivated, and oil,
fdk, and turpentine. Its female inhabitants do hot degenerate from
their anccftors as devotees to Venus ; and Paphos, that ancient ftat of
plcafure and corruption, is one of the divifions of the ifland. Richard
I. king of England, fubdued Cyprus, on account of its king's treach-
ery ; and its royal title was transferred to Guy Lufignan, king of Jcru-
falem, from whence it palled W the Venetians,
fjivide this country are as foliow :
A * TABLE,
386
A,
si
Nations.
Leng.
Bread.
Square
Miles.
ChieC
Cities.
piA. anc
bearing
T. Lond
U.ff. ct" ,
time from Religions
London. ;
iRuffian
.Chine(e
Mogulean
'Independ.
1 he buuniis of
thffe parts are
unlimited, each
power po/hing
on hisconquefts
d? Tar as he can
3,050, ccc
644,000
jS5 = 35'-
600,060
robollk
Chynian
Tibet
Samar- 7
cand ]
ii6oN.E.
4480N.E.
3780 E,
1800 E.
43.0
4 IS bef.!Ch.&Pag
8 4 bef.'l'agans
5 40 bcf.lPagans
4 36 bef.jPagans
Ch.na'
'44"
1 00 J
i,ics,&o.
Pf-kiny
4320.S.E.
7 24 bet.jf .1^^""
Muiiuls
2CCC
I SCO
1,916, i;cc
Oeihi
3720S.E.
5 16 hef.
Mah.&P.
inc. beyonc
the Ga^nge?
20C0
ICOO
741,50c
siani
Pegu
5040 S.E.
6 44 bef.
M.&Pag.
Per.-,.
1300
1 ICO
8oo,coc
Mrah^n
2460 S.E.
7, 20 bet.lMahom.
'Pt.otAr<,ba
13CC
I2CO
700, occ
vircca
2640 s.E
2 52 bet-jMahfrn.
Syr.a.
Holy land
270
160
29,OCC
Alepi).)
lS6o5.h.
2 30 bef.
Ch.&ivid.
Ch.icMa.
90
7.60c
Jerulalem
1920 S.E
i 24 bef.
1=
Natolia
75^-
390
i95,poc
BurU or
imvrna
.440 S.E.
t 48 bef.
Mahom.
<
c
Diarbeck or
Mefopotam.
2^0
210
27,600
Diarbeck
2060 S.E.
2 56 bef.
^ Maho.
^^
irac, or
Chaldei
42c
240
50,40c
■Bagdad
2240
i with
)>fonie
H
Turconiinia
or Armenia
Geori;ia
Cuidiltan
_nr AlVvria
360
3OC
~T8o
55,000
Erzerum
i860 S.E,
2 44 bef.
1 few
1 Chrif.
J tians.
24c
25.600
letiis
1920E.
3 10 brr.
3IO
205
23,900
Scherazer
2220 E.
3 00 bel.
Mahom.
All the iflands of Afia (except Cyprus, already deferibed, in the
Levant, belonging to the Turks) lie in the Pacific or Eaftern
Ocean, and the Indian Seas, of which the principal, where the
Europeans trade, or have fettlements, are.
inands
Towns.
Sq.Mile.
Tradewitbor
belnn.
ijeddo, Meaco
i38,occ
Dutch
Guam
Spain
Tai-o'-ian-fou
17, occ
1 China
Kionteheow
. ii,9cc
Minilla
i33>7"
Spain
Vi£toria fort, Tarnate
t)utchf
csLantor
L
Dutch
■)
Amboyna
doo
Dutch
f
Macaffar
68,400
Dutch
J
Gilclo
io-,4oc
D-utch
Borneo, Caytcngee
22? ,000
All naiion,-5
Achen, Bericooien
129,000
38,250
Enyliflwnd Dutch
.
batavia, Bantam
Dutch
es
Andaman, Nicobar
All nations
Candy
27,730
Dutch
Caridon
All nations
Bombay
Eniilifh
The Ladrones
Formofa
Anian
Ths Philippines
The Molucca or Clove ifles
The Banda, or Nutmeg ifl
Amboyna J furroundiBg
Celrbea Vfhe Molucca
Gilolo,&C. 5 &Banda i.^les
f Birneo
The Sundaides-? Sumatra
( Java, &(
The Andama&Nicobar ifl«
Ceylon
The Maldlvt!,
Bombay
The Karile ifles, and thofe'n the f:a of Kairttfchatka, lately
difcovered by the Ruffian'
.f^uffia
• Georgia hath lately claimed independcnccj and put itfelf under the ptotedlion of
TURKEY
T U R K E Y
ASIA.
TURKEY IN ASIA,
Situation and Extent.
Miles.
Length looo ]
Breadth 800 J
Boundaries.]
Degrees.
Sq. Miles.
between
t 27 and 46 eaft longitude. 1
\ 28 and 45 north latitude. / 5'^o,S20
BOUNDED by the Black Sea and Circaffia, on
the north ; by Pcrfia, on the eafl ; by ^Va-
bia and the Levant Sea, on the fouth ; and by the Archipelago, the
Hellcfpont, and Propemtis, which feparate it from Europe, on the
wcfl.
Divifions.
The eafter
provinces -^
are
Natolia, or
the Leffer , ^^ r
Aha, on < ^- An^a^^^
the weft.
Subdivifions.
t. Eyraca Arabic or Chaldes
2. Diarbec or Melopotamia
3. Curdiftan or Alfyria
4. Turcomania or Armenia
5. Georgia, including Men-
grelia and Imaretta, and
part of Circaffta
1. Natolia Proper
Chief towns.
BafTora and Bagdad.
Diarbec, Orfa&Mouful,
Nineveh and Betlis.
Erzerum and Van.
Teflis, Amarchia, and
Gonie.
Eaft of the
Levant Sea.
Mount
3. Aladulia
4. Caramania
Saria, with Palefline, or
the Holy Land.
}{
T r Burfa, Niei, Smyrna, and
} \ Ephefus.
i r Amafia, Trapefond, and
J \ Sinope.
Ajazzo and Marat.
Satalia and Tareffo.
Aleppo. Antioch, DamaC-
cuSjTyre, Sidon, Tripoli,-
Scanderoon & Jerufaiem^
AiNS.] Thefe are famous in facred as well as profan^
•writings^ The moft remarkable are, Olympus, Taurus and Anti-
taurus ; Caucafus and Ararat ; Lebanon and Hermon.
Rivers.]} The fame may be obferved of the rivers, which are the;
Euphrates, Tigris, Orontos, Meander^ Sarabat ; Kara ; and Jordan*
Wealth and Commerce.] The Turkifh dominions, including,
befides the above fpecified pofTefTionsin Europe, the provinces of Aha
Minor, Georgia, Minorelia, Armenia, Bagdad, Aleppo, Damafcus,
Palaeftina, part of Arabia and Egypt, belong to thole parts of the
vorld, which enjoy the moft delightful climate, and the happieft fuu-
ation for commerce and the acquifttion of opulence. Nature has
poured out her gifts on thefe provinces with profi:hon. But the ty-
rannical government now urevailing in this large part of the world
being hoftile to induftry and population, renders this immenfe empire
wretched and indigent.
Befidcs the fiue(t natural produftions which are found in Spain and
Italy, Turkey in Europe abounds in hories, and in various forts of
excellent peltry, fupplied by the wild beafts in the mountainous and
•woody parts of the provinces. It produces alfo a great dcai. of cotton,
maftix, manna, goats hair, which refembles filk in foftncfs, efpccially
the fort called camel-hair.
A a -T The
388 TURKEY: :; ASIA.
The province of Walachia in particular, prociuccs, in good years,
5,000,000 eymers of wine, the cymer weighing 2 2| lb. Three fmall
illands in the Archipelago, Methalika, Patrazzo, and Roftizza, yield
about 8oo,ooolb- of currants. Money and wax is produced in great
abundance in Moldavia ; the tenth part of the prolits from the hives
yields a revenue of 2oo.,ooo dollars to the Hofpodar, or prince of
Moldavia. (Sulzer.) Livadia, Macedonia, and Candia, produce annual-
ly uDwards 3,000.000 lb. of honey, of which about one-fourth is ex-
ported. (Sprengel.) Mod provinces raile, or might raiie, excellent filk
in cophderable quantities. That which is raifed in the province of
Macedonia is eflimated to amount to 100,000 lb. and at Theffalonica,
or Salonichi, to the amount of 500,000 piaflers, is annually fold.
Cotton is likewife found chiefly in Macedonia, which province ex-
ports 120,000 balls, fold at 80 piafters each. The French purchafe
annually 12,000 balls at Salonichi, the Englifh for 400,000 piaflers,
the Italians for 240,000, and the Germans for 1,700,000 piafleis.
(Sprengel.) Tobacco is exported from the fame place to Italy, to the
amount of 250,000 piaflers.
' The provinces of Moldavia and Wallachia polfefs immenfe maffes
of falt-rock, conne£led with the great rock ftrata of Gallicia and Tran-
fylvania ; and the prince of Wallachia gains upwards of 500,000 flor-
ins annually by the falt-works at Riamick. (Sulzer.) Moldavia
abounds in butlalos and oxen, of which 40,000 head are fold to the
neiphbouring provinces; nearly as many horfes are annually fold in
this province. (Bofcowich.) In the fame fertile didrifts, great num-
bers of fheep arc bred, reckoned to amount to 4,000,000. Befides
the profits arihng from the wool, the Iki^is of thefe flieep, and Ikins
of j7oats, are ufed in making Saffian and Morocco leather, liofnia
and^Servia fell about 40,000 hogs.annually to Hungary. The wines
of Greece, and its olive oil, are very celebrated for their excellence.
In the extenfive dominions of Turkey, which are bordered by
great ridges of mountains, the mineral kingdom might yield extraordi-
nary riches ; but the fcience of mining is ^as much neglefted by the
Turks as all other fciences. They have, however, begun to fearch
for copper and iron in Wallachia ; and the gold dufh, wafhed dov;n
by the rivers of that province, gives lufEcicnt indication of what may
be expefted to be found in its mountains. 'J'he feveral forts of marble
found in Greece have been highly efteemed in ancient and modern
times. Sulphur, allum, faltpetre, afphaltes, and other valuable min-
erals, are found in plenty.
If we confider the natural riches of the Afiatic provinces and of
l^gy-pt, we ccafe to wonder how the Turks, notwithftanding their
averfion to induflry and manufaftures, are no lofcrs by their trade, of
which the balance is rather in their favour. From Turkey the follow-
ing goods are exported : Cotton, filk, wool, camel yarn, leather,
coffee, wine, rice, fruits, tobacco, honey, wax, cattle, marble, &c.
The imports confifl in woollens, corn, indigo, fugar, cochenille, fpices,
cldfs, hard-ware, and Eafl India goods. The Turks are no great lof-
crs by their trade with France; they lofe not much by their trade
with the Dutch ; and they feem to be gainers by that with England.
In 1785, the goods exported from Turkey to England amounted to
146,906^
TURKEY I^^ ASIA. 389
146,906!. fterl. the goods impoited from England into Turkey to only
82,449!. fterl. They are likewife gainers by-lheir trade to Germany
and Ilungary : Tlie imports from the latlcr kingdom into 'i'urkcv
amounted, in 1778, to only 241,773 florins, whereas the Turkifn goods
fold to Hungary amounted to 1,328,337 florins. From thele benefits
derived from trade, eVen with the prefent iriconfiderable fliipping em-
ployed in it, and notwithftanding the want of inanufaftures, we may
infer how great the profits of commerce might be rendered, if indudry
fliould ever be fo far encouraged as to bear a jull proportion to the
natural wealth of the country.
The principal trading towns in Turkey arc the cities of Conftantino-
ple, Smyrnii, Aleppo, Damafcus, Alexandria, and Salonichi.
Government.! The government of the Turkifh empire is def-
potical ; the life and property of the fubjcft depend on the will of the
Sultan, who is tlie only free man in his dominions, and who exafts a
blind obedience to his will as a civil and religious duty. Yet the em-
peror is rellrained, in fome meafure, by the fame religious fyfl.em on
which his arbitrary power is founded, and fl;ill more by the intrigues
of the principal officers of his court or feraglio, who arc poffeffed of
the aftual power of which the Sultan enjoys only the appearance.
The great influence of the army, and, now and then, a fcnfe of op-
prelfion which roufcs tlie people to rebellion, are likewife objefls of
terror, and have often proved fatal to thefe arbitrary monarchs. The
Turkifli throne is hereditary in the family of Ofman : After the ex-
tin6Lion of the lineal dcfcendants of this prince, of whom there are
few remaining, the right of fucceflion devolves on the family of Ghe-
rai, Chan of the Crimea,
The I'upreme council of fliate is called the divan. The regular or
ordinary divan is compofed of the high officers of flate ; and, on par-
ticular emergencico, an extraordinary divan is held, which confifts,
befides thefe officers, of other perfons of experience and knowledge of
the law, called in by the minifters to afliO; in their deliberations. At
both meetings the Grand Sultan is ufuallv prefent, but only in an a 1-
jolning apartment, where he may hear the advice of his minifters :
The preiideiit of the divan is the grand vi her as firfl minifter, whofe
power in the Hate is exceedingly great, but whofe place is very preca-
rious, and generally fatal to the polfellor. The provinces of the em-
pire are ruled by governors, called Bafhaws, who exercife nearly the
fame arbitiary poAyer over the fubjeft provinces, which the Sultan h:.s
over the whole empire. The connexion of the diftant provinces with
the feat of the cmpiic is very weak, and often fhiinea army of 3co,ooo KieAi, would not be 100 large for an crr.pire of
fuch
TURKEY IN A S I A. 394
fuch extent, and which .contains fuch great numbers of inhabitants.
About one half of the above number may be confidered as of real ufe ;
and this was the aftual force of the empire in the beginning of the late
Ruffian war.
Navy..] About 6p fhips of war..
In the year 1786, the Turks had aftually 30 fhips of the line, o£
,Soo men each, and 40 galleys, 14D men each ; and this number was
intended to be increaicd.
In any extraordinary cxi:^cncy the Turks are able to fit out
40 .fhips of the line of 800 men each
40 gallics 140
20 caravellas 300
100 galliots to
Total 200 fhips of war, and 50,000 lea troops, or leventi. The
ilates under the prote6lion of the Forte, viz. Algiers, Twnis, and Tri-
poli, are obliged to furiiifh ten fliips of the line.
Religion.] The rftabliilied religion in this empire is the Ma-
^lometan, of the feft of the Sunnitcs : The heretical fcft of the Sha-
itcs is, however, taiorated ; all other religions are likewife included
in this fyftem of toleration, on paying a certain capitation. Among
*he Chriftians refiding in Turkey, thofe of the orthodox Greek re-
Jiigion are the mo/l numerous, and they enjoy feveral priviliges ; ihey
can, for inftance, be advanced to dignities and polls ot truftand prof-
it ; as to the princely dignity of Moldavia and Wallachia, to tjie place
of body phyficians and interpreters of the imperial court. The
Greeks are, in religioi.s matters, fubje6tto the patriarch of ConRanti-
noplc, who is confidercd as the chief of the Greek, church and riation.,
and whole authority and jurifdiftion is extenfive. Other branches of
the Greek church are the Armenians, Nedorians, Maronites, Coptes,
and others.
The Turkifh clergy is numerous : This body is compofcd of all the
learned in that empire : and they arc likewife the only teachers of
the law, who muft be confulted in all important cafes. In their ca-
pacity of lawyers, or interpreters of the Koran, which, in mofl ca-
fes, is the code of laws, the clergy are called ylana, or the inlhufted
in the law. The Grand Sultan himfelf as caliph, or fuccellbr to the
prophet Mahomet, is their head ; but their aftual chief is the Mufti,
an officer of great authority and political influence. The Sultan ha$
the power of depoling the Mufti, but he cannot take his property
from him, whi-ch is confidcr-cd as facred. The fucceifors or «iefcend-
antsof Mahomet, who are called emirs, or fheriffs, epjoy the fame
privilege. Thoie perfons or priefts, who are employed in the rites of
tJic public worfhip, are callecl Imans ; and the Mahometan temples
are known by the name of Mofqucs. There are, among the Turks,
eight religious orders ; their Monks are called Dcrvifes, and lead,
in general, a very auilere life. The Mofques are very richly endowed,
?nd the efl^tes which they have acquiied are become facred, and can-
r.ot he taken away even by the moil arbitrary defpots. Many opulent
pfrfons affign their eftatcs over to the Mofques, even in their life
time, and pay lliem a fmall annual rent, which enfures them the pof-
ieilion during life ; after their death, the whole is the property of the
' lunch,
Jew?
S92 T U R K E Y IN- A S I A.
Jews are very numerous in Turkey : They are fubjeO: to a chief 6/
their own nation, called Cochan PafcHa, whofe power over them is
even greater than that which the Patriarch exercifes over the Greek
Chriftians. Gypfics are found in all pt evinces. Upon the whole,
the number of Mahometans is greater than that of the fuhjefts of
other religious denominations.
Population, i.vHABiTAN'TS, man-1 The population cf this
NERS. customs, AND divEusioKs. / great country is by no means
equal either to its extent or fertility, nor have the bell geographers
been able to afcertain it, becaufe of the uncertainty of its limits. It
certainly -is not fo great as it was before the Chriftian nera, or even un-
der the Roman emperors ; owing to various caufcs, and above all, to
the tyranny under which the natives live, and their polvg?.my, which
is undoubtedly an enemy to population, as may be evinced from many
reafons, and particularly becaufe the Greeks and Atmenians, among
whom it is not praftifcd, are incomparably more prolific than the
Turks, notwithftanding the rigid fubjefacn in which they are kept by
the latter. The plague is another caufe of depopulation. The Turkifh
emperor, however, has more fubjscts than any two European princes.
The probable number of inhabitants we have mentioned in the table.
As to the inhabitants, tliey are generally well made and robuft men ;
when young, their complexions are fair, and their face-s handfoine ;
their hair and eyes are black or dark brovt^n. The women, when
young, are commonly handfome, but they generally look old at thirtyi
in their demxcanour, the Turks are rather hypochondriac, grave, fe-
date, and paflive : In matters of rclisjion, tenacious, fuperftitious, and
morofe. The morals of the Aiiatic Turks are preferable to thofe of the
European. 1 hev ate hofpitable to flrangcrs : They are likewife faid
TO be charitable to one another, and ptmftual in their dealings. Their
charity and public foirit is moft conlpicuous in their building caravan-
icras, or places of entertainment, on roads that are defLitute of accom-
modations, for the refrefhmcnt of poor pilgiims or travellers. With
tlie lame laudable vievr they fearch out tiie beft fprings, and dig wells,
which in thofe countries are a lurcuiy to weary travellers. The Tui^s
fit crofs legged upon mats, not only at their meals but in companvi
Their ideas, except what they acquire from opium, are fimple and con-
fined, {'cldom reaching without the walls of their own houi'es ; wheic
th?y fit converfmg with their women, drinking colfce, fnioking. tobac-
co, or chewing opium. They have little curiofity to be informed of
the fbte of their own or any othcl- country. Ifavifier, bafliaw, or
other ofiicer, is turned out, or ftrangled, they fay no more on the oc-
cafion, than that there will be a nev/ viher or goven;or, fcldom inquir-
ing into the realbn of the difgrace cf the forrj^er minifler. They have
few printed books, and feldom read any other than the Koran, and the
comments upon it. Nothing is negociated in Turkey without prei-
ents ; and here juftice may commonly be bought and fold.
The Turks dine about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and they fu}j
at hvc in the winter, and fiX in the fummer, and this is their jirincipal
meal. Among the great people, their diflies arc fcrved up one by one ,
but they have neither knife nor fork, and they are not permitted bv
their religion to uie gold or filver fpoons. Their victuals arc always
high feafoncd. Rice is the common food of the lower fort^ and fdmfe-
tiine:.
t U R K E Y IN A S I A. 3^J
times it is boiled up with gvavy ; but their chief difli is pilau, whicll
is mutton and fowl boiled to rags, and the vice being boiled quite dry,
the foup is high fealbned, and poured upon it. They drink water,
Jherbet, and coffee ; and the only dfbaurh they know is in opium,
■which gives them fenl'ations vcfcinbling thofc of intoxication. Cucfts
of higher rank fometimcs haVc their beards perfumed by a female flave
of tlie family. They are temperate and fober from a principle of their
religion, wh'ch forbids them the ufe of wine ; thoygh in private many
of them indulge thcmfclves in the ufe of ftrong liquors. Their com-
mon falutation is by an inclination of the head, and laying their right
hand on their breafb. They fleep in linen waiftcoats and drawers upon
matrafles, and cover theml'elves with a quilt. Yew or none of the con-
fidcrable inhabitants of this vafh empire have any notion of walking or
ridincr either for health or diverlion. The rnoft religious among them
iincl, however, fufiicient exercil'c when they conform themfelves to the
frequent ablutions, prayers, and rites prefcribed them by Mahomet.
'I'heir aftive diverfions confifl in fhooting at a mark, or tilting it
with darts, at whith they are very expert. Some of their great men
are fond of hunting, and take the held with numerous equipages,
which are joined by their inferiors ; but this is often done for politi-
cal purpofes, that they may know the ftrength of their dependants.
Within doors, the chefs or draught board are^hcir ufual amufements ;
and if they play at chance games they never bet money, that being
prohibited by the Koran.
Dress.] The m.en {have their heads, leaving a lock on the crown,
and wear their beards long. They cover their heads with a turban,
and never put it off but when they flecp. Their fhirts are without
collar or wriflband, and over them they throw a long velt, which they
tie with a falh, and over the vefl: they wear a loofe gown fomewhat
fhorter. Their breeches, or drawers, are of a piece with their (lock-
ings ; and inftead of fliocs they wear llippcrs, v>^hichthey put off when
they enter a temple or houfe. They fufFcr no Chriftians, or other peo-
ple, to wear white turbans. The drefs of the women differs little from
that of the men, only they wear ftiffened caps upon their heads with
horns iomething like a mitre, and wear their hair down. When they
appear abroad, they arc fo muffled up as not to be known by their near-
eft relations. Such of the women as are virtuous make no ufe of paint
to heighten their beauty, or to difguife their complexion ; but they
often tinge their hands and feet with henna, which gives them a deep
yellow. The men make ufe of the famcf expedient to colour their
Ijeards.
Marriages."] Marriages in this country arS chieily negoclated by
the ladies. When th.c term.s are agreed upon, the bridegroom pays
down a fum of money, a licence is taken out from the cadi, or proper
magiffrale, and the parties arc married. Ihe bargain is celebrated, as
in other nations, with mirth and jollity ", and the money is generally
employed in furnifliing the houfc of the young couple, 'i'hey arc not
allowed by their law more than four wives, but they may have as many
concubines as they can maintain. Accordingly, bcf:des -their wives,
the wealthy Turks keep a kind of Seraglio of women ; but all ihefe
indulgencics are fometimes infufficicrit to gratifv their unnatural
dehrcs.
FcMr.ALS.]
394 T U R K E Y IN A S I A.
Funerals.] The burials of the Turks are dece-nt. TTie corpfe is
attended by the i-elations, chanting paffages from the Koran ; and after
being depofited in a mofque (for lb they call their temples) they are
buried in a field by the iman or prieft, who pronounces a funeral fer-
mon at the time of ike interment. The male relations exprefs their
lorrow by alms and prayers ; the womtn, by decking the tomb on
certain days with flowers and green leaves : and in mourning for a
hiifband they wear a particular head urefs, and leave oflF all finery for
twelve months.
Learning and learned men."] Tlie Turks till of late profefled
a fovefeign contempt for our learning. Greece, which was the native
country of genius, arts, and fciences, produces at prefent, befides
Turks, nvimerous bands of Chriftian bifhops, priefls, and monks, who
in general are as ignorant as the Turks ihemfelves, and are divided in-
to various abfurd lefts of what they call Chriftianity. The education
of the Turks feldom extends farther than reading the Turkifh lan-
guage and the Koran, and writing a common letter. Some of them
underftand agronomy, fo far as to calculate the time of an eclipfe ;
but the number of thefe being very fmall, they are looked upon as ex-
traordinary perfons.
Antiquities and curiosities,! Thefe are fo various, that they
NATURAL AND ARTificiAL. J havc fumifhcd matter foT many
voluminous publications, and others are appearing every day. Thefe
countries contained all that was rich and magnificent in architcfture
and fculpture ; and neither the barbarity of the Turks, nor the depre-
dations they have fuffered from the Europeans, fecm to have diminifh-
ed their numbcT. They are more or lefs perfeft, according to the air,
foil, or climate, in which they (land, and all of them bear deplorable
m^iks of negleft. Many cf the fineft temples are converted into Turk-
ifh mofques, or Greek churches, and are more disfigured than thofe
which remain in ruins. Amidil fuch a plenitude of curiofities, all
that can be done here is to feleft fome of the moft ftriking ; and I fhall
begin with Balbec and Palmyra, which form the piide of all antiquity.
Balbec is fituatcd on a rifing plain, between Tripoli in Syria and Da-
mafcus, at the foot of Mount Libanus, and in the Heiiopolis of Caele
Syria. Its remains of antiquity difplay, according to the beft judges,
the boldeft; plan that ever was attempted in architcfture. The portico
of the temple of Heiiopolis is inexpreir:bly fuperb, though disfigured
by two Turkijh towers. The hexagonal court behind it is no-w
known only by the magnificence of its ruins. Their walls were a-
dorneu with Corinthian pilafters and ftatucs, and it opens into a quad-
rangular court of the fame tafte and grandeur. The great temple to
which this leads is now fo ruined, that it is known only by an entabla-
ture, fupported by nine lofty .columns, each confiding of three pieces
■joined together, by iron pins, without cement. Some of thofe pins are
a foot long, and a foot in diameter ; and the fordid Turks arc daily at
work to deftrcy the columns, for tlic fake of the iron. A fmall temple
;s ftill ftanding.with a pedeftal of eight columns in frcnt,and fifteen in
ihnk, and every v.'lic;'- lich.ly ornamented with figures in alto relief,
.-.xarefiing the heads of gods, heroes, and emperors, and part of the an-
',:icnt mvthologv. To the weft of diis temple is another, of a circular .
-,:m, of the Corintiiian and Ionic order, but disfigured with Tprkifl^
mof^ue^
TURKEY IN A S I A. 395
"sncyfqties and houfcs. The other parts of this ancient city are propor-
tionablv beautiful and ftupendous.
Various have been the conjeftures concerning the founders of thefe
immenfe buildings^ Tlie inhabitants of Aha afcribe them to Solomon,
-but fome make them fo modern as the time of Antoninus Pius. Per-
haps thcv are of diiTerent arras ; and though that prince and his fuc-
cellbrs may have rebuilt fome part of them, yet the boldnefs of their
architeflure, the beauty of their ornaments, and the flupendous exe-
cution of the whole, fecm to fix their foundation to a period before the
Chriflian a;ra, but without mounting to the ancient times of the Jews
or the Phccnicians, who probably knew little of the Greek flyle in
building and ornamenting. Balbcc,is at prefent a little city.encompafTed
with a wall. The inhabitants, who are about 5000 in number, chiefly
•Greeks, live in or near the circular temple, in houfes built out of the
ancient ruins. A free ftone quarry, in the neighbourhood, furnifhed.
'the ftoncs for the body of the temple ; and one of the ftoncs not quite
detached from the bottom of the quarry, is 70 feet long, 14 broad, and
d4 feet five inches deep, and reduced to our meafure is 1 : 35 tons. A
coarfe, white marble quarry, at a greater djflance, furnifhed the orna-
tnental parts.
Palmyra, or, as it was called by the ancients, Tadmor in the Defert,
is fituated in the v/ilds of Arabia Petric, about 33 deg. N, lat. and 200
miles to the fouth eafl of Aleppo. It is approached through a narrow
'plain, lined as it were with the remains of antiquity ; and, opening
all at once, the eve is prefented with the moft ftriking objeils that are
to be found in the world. The temple of the Sun lies in ruins ; but
the accefs to it is through a vafl number of beautiful Corinthian col-
umns of white marble, the grandeur and beauty of which can only be
known by the plates of it, which have been drawn and publifiicd by Mr,
Wood, who, with his friends, paid it a vifit fome years ago, purpofely
•to preferve fome lemembrance of fuch a curiofity. As thofe drawings,
or copies from them are now common, we mufk refer the reader
•to them, efpecially as he can form no very adequate ideas of
ruins from a printed relation. Superb arches, amazing columns, a
colonnade extending 4000 feet in length, terminated by a noble mau-
■foleum, temples, fine porticos, periftyles. intercolumniations. and en-
tablature«, all of them in the higheft llyle, and finifhed with the m.ofl
beautiful materials, appear on all hands, but fo difperfed and disjointed,
that it is impodible from them to form an idea of the whole when per-
feft. Thefe flriking ruins are contrafted by the miferable huts of the
wild Arabs, who refide in or near them.
Nothing but ocular proof could convince any man, ihr.t fo futv^iS
a city, formerly 10 miles in circumference, could exill in the midit of
wiiat now are traffs of barren uninhabitable fands. Nothing however
■is more certain, than that Palmyra was formerly the capital of a great
i.ingdom ; that it was the pride as well as the emporium of the ealtern
world, and thit itG merchants dealt with tjie Romd^^^, and tli;.' wcflern
Tiations, for the rnerchandifcs and luxuries of India and Aiabia. Its
prclcnt altered fituation, therefore, can be accounted for only by nat-
\iral caufcs, which, have turned the more fertile tra6ts into barren
defcrts. The Afiatics think that Palmyra, as well as Balbcr, owes its
rjriginal to Solomon ; and in this thcv receive fome countenance from
facied hiftory. In profane hift;oiy it is net mentioned before the lime
of
35^ TURKEY im A S I A.
of Marc Anthony ; and its moftfuperb buildings, are thought to be
of the lower empire, about the time of Gallienus. Odenathus, the laflt
king of Palmyra, was highly careffed by that emperor, and even de-
clared Auguftus. His widow Zenobia reigned in great glory for
forrie time, and Longinus, the celebrated critic, was her fecretary. Not
being able to brook the Roman tyranny, fhe declared war againft the
emperor Aurelian, who took her prifoner. led her in triumph to Rome,
and butchered her principal nobility, and among others the excellent
Longinus. He afterwards dedroyed her city, and malfacrcd its inhab-
itants, but expended large fums out of Zenobia's treafures in repairing
the temple of the Sun, the majeftic ruins of which have been mention-
ed. This, it mud be acknowledged, is but a very lame account of that
celebrated city ; nor do any of the Palmyrene infcriptions reach above
the ChrifLian zera, though there can be no doubt that the city itfelf is
of much higher antiquity, TJie emperor JuRinian, made foire efforts
to reilore it to its ancient fplendor, but without effcft, for it dwindled
by degrees to its prefent wretched flate. It has been obferved very
juftly, that its architefturc, and the proportions of its columns, arc by
no means equal in purity to thofe of Balbec.
Nothing can be more futile than the boailed antiquities fhcwn by
the Greek and Armenian priells in and near Jerufalem, which is well
known to have been fo often razed to the ground, and rebuilt anew,
that no fcene of our Saviour's life and fufFerings can be afcertained ;
and yet thofe ecclefiaflics fubfift by their forgeries, and pretending tO/
guide travellers to every fpot mentioned in the Old- and New Tefta-
ment. They are, it is true, under fevere contributions to the Turks,
but the trade ftill goes on, though much diminifhed in its profits. The
church of the Holy fepulchre, as it is called, faid to be built by Helc*
na, mother to Conlbntiue the Great, is dill {landing, and of tolerable
good architefture ; but its different divilions, and the difpofitions
made round it, are chietly calculated to fupport the forgeries of its
keepers. Other (fliurches, built by the iame lady, are found in Palef-
tinc ; but the country is fo altered in its appearance and qualities, that
it is one of the mofl defpicable of any in Afia, and it is in vain for a
modern traveller to attempt to trace in it any veiliges of the kingdom
of David and Solomon, But let a fertile country be under the
frowns of heaven, and abandoned to tyranny and wild Arabs, it will
in time become a defert. Thus oppreflion foon thinned the delicious
plains of Italy, and the noted countries of Greece and Afia the Lefs,
once the glory of the world, are now nearly deftitute of learning, arts,
and people.
Mecca and Medina are curiofities only through the fuperftition of
the Mahometans. Their buildings are mean, when compared to Eu-
ropean houfes or churches ; and even the temple of Mecca, in point of
architefture, makes but a forry appearance, though erefted on the fpot
where the great prophet is faid to have been born. The fame may be
iaid of the mofque at Medina, where that impoflorwas buried : fo that
the vaft fums fpent yearly by Mahometan pilgrims, in vifiting thofe
places, are undoubtedly converted to temporal ufes, I lliall not amufe
the reader with any accounts of the fpot which is faid to have formed
Paradifc, and to have been fituated between the river Euphrates and
Tigris, where there are fome trafts which undoubtedly deferve that
name.
TURKEY IN ASIA. 357
name. The different ruins, fome of them inexprcfiibly magnificent,
that are to be found in thofe immenfe regions, cannot be appropriated
with any certainty to their original founders ; fo great is the ignorance
in which ihey have been buried for thcfc ihoufand years paft. It is
indeed eaty (o pronounce whether the fiyle of their buildings be
Greek, Roman, or Saracen ; but all other information mull come
from their infcriptions.
The neighbourhood of Smyrna (now called Ifmir) contains many
valuable antiquities. The fame may be faid of Aleppo, and a number
of other places celebrated in antiquity, and now known only by geo-
graphical obfervations. The feat of Old Troy cannot be diftinouifhcd
by the finalleft veftige, and is known only by its being oppolite to the
ide of Tenedos, and the name of a brook, which the poets magnified
into a wonderful river. A temple of marble built in honour of Au-
guflus Casfar, at MilaiTo in Caria, and a iew firuilures of the fame
kind, in the neighbourhood, are among the antiquities that are ftill en^
tire. Three theatres of white marble, and a noble circus near Laodi-
cca. now Latichea, have fufFered very little from lime or barbarifm j
and fome travellers think that they dilcern the ruins of the celebrated
temple of Diana, near Ephefus.
Chief cities, mosques, ano"! Thefe are very numerous, and at
OTHER BUILDINGS. J thc famc timc very infignificantjbe-
caufe they have little or no trade, and are greatly decayed from their
ancient grandeur. Scanderoon Hands upon the fite of Old Alexan-
dria, but it is now almoft depopulated. Superb remains of antiquity are
found in its neighbourhood. Aleppo, however, prefervcs a rcfpefla-
ble rank among the cities of the Ahatic Turkey. It is flill the capital
ol Syria, and is fuperior in its buildings and conveniences to moft of
the Turkifh cities. Its houfes, as ufual in the Eaft, confift of a large
court, with a dead wall to the ftreet, an arcade or piazza running
round it, paved with marble, and an elegant fountain of the fame in
the middle. Aleppo and its fuburbs are leven milss in compafs, Hand-
ing on eight fmall hills, on tlic higheft top of which the citadel or
caflle is eiefted, but of no great firength. An old wall and a broad
ditch, now in many places turned into gardens, furround the city,
which contains 235.000 inhabitants, of \vhom 30.000 are Chriflians,
and 5000 are Jews. It is furnirhed with moft of the conveniences of
life, excepting good water, within the M'alls, and even that is fupplied
by an aqueJufl, diftant about four miles, faid to have been cre£ltd by
the emprcfs Helena. The ftreet s are narrow, but well paved with
large fquare ftones, and are kept very clean. Their gardens are pleaf-
anc, being laid out in vineyards, olive, fig, and piftachio trees ; but the
country round it rough and barren. Foreign merchants aie numerous
here, and tranfa6t their buhnefs in caravanferas, or large fquare build-
ings, containing their •vvare-houfes, lodging-rooms, and compting-
houfes. The city abounds in neat, and fome of them magnificent
mofques, public bagnios, v/hich are very refrefhing, and bazars, or
market-places, which are formed into long, narrow, arched or covered
ftreets, with little {hops, as in other parts of the Eaft. Their coffee is
excellent, and confidered by the Turks as a high luxury ; and their
fwcet meats and fruits are delicious. European merchants live here in
greater fplendor iind fafety tlian in any other city of thc Turkifh emr
pir?,
3^8 T U R K E Y in A S I A.
T)'ire, Wliich is owing to particular capitulations with tlie Porte,'
Coaches or carriages are not ufed here, but perlons of quality ride on
horfe-back with a number of fervants before them according to their
rank. The Englifh, French and Dutch, have confuls, who are much
refpefted, and appear abroad, the Englifii efpecially, with marks of
difUnftion.
Tlie heat of the country mikes it convenient for the inhabitants tcr
(leep in the open air, here, over all Arabia, and many other parts of
the Eafh, for which rcafon their houfes are Hat on the top. This prac-
tice accounts for the eaiiy acquaintance thofe nations had with adron-
omy, and the motions of lire heavenly bodies, and explains fome parts
of the holy fcripture. As the Turks are vefy uniform in their way of
living, this account of Aleppo may give the reader an idea of the other
TurkilVi cities.
Bagdad, built upon the Tigris, not faf, it is fuppofed, from the fite
of ancient Babylon, is the capital of the ancient Chaldea, and Was the-
metropolis of the caliphate, under the Saracens in the twelfth century.
This city retains but few marks of its aiicient grandeur. It is in the'
form of an irregular fquare, and rudely fortified, but the conveniency
of its fituation renders it one of the feats of the Turkifh government,
and it has flill a cftnhderable trade, being annually vihted by the
Smyrna, Aleppo, and weftern caravans. The houfes of Bagdad arc
generally large, built of brick and cement, and arched over to admit
the freer circulation of the air ; many of their windows are made of
elegant Venetian glafs, and the ceiling ornamented with chequered
work. Moft of the houfes have alfo a court-yard before therh, in the
middle of which is a fmall plantation of orange trees. The number of
houfes is computed at 80,000, each of which pays an annual tribute to
the Bafhaw, which is calculated to produce 300.000I. fterling. Their
bazars, in which the tradefmen have their flrops, are tolerably haiid-
fome, large and cxtenfive, filled with fhops of all kinds of merchan-
dize, to the number of i^.oco. Thefe were erected by the Perfians,
when they were in poffenion of the place, as were alfo their bagnios,
and almoft every thing here worthy the notice of a traveller. In this
city are five mofques, two of which are well built, and have handlome
domes, covered with varnifhed tiles of different colours. Two chap-
els are permitted for thofe of the Romifli and Greek perfuafions. On
the north-wefl corner of the city (lands the caftle, which is of white
Hone, and commands the river, confiding of curtains and baftions, on
which fome large canon are mounted, with two mortars in each baf-
tion, but in the year 1779, they were lb honey-combed and bad, as fo'
be fuppotcd hot to fupport firing. Below the caftle by the M''ater-fide,
is the palace of the Turkifh governor ; and there are fevcral fummer-
houfes on the river, which make a fine appearance. The Arabians,
who inhabited this city under the caliphs, were remarkable for the
purity and elegance of their dialeft.
Aiicient Affyria is now called the Turkifh Curdiftan, though part of
it is fubjcft to the Perfians. The capital is Curdiftan ; the ancient
Nineveh being now a heap of ruins. Curdiftan is faid to be for the
moft part cut out of a mountain, and is the refidence of a viceroy, or
bcglerbeg. Orfa, formerly Edelfa, is the capital of the fine province-
of Mefopotamia. It is now a mean place, and chiefly fupported by a,,
inanufafture
T U k fC E Y IN A S r A. 39^
manufa£ture of Turkey leather. Mouful is alfo in the fame province,
a large place fituated on the weft fhore of tkc Tigris, oppofite to'
where Nineveh formerly ftood.
Georgia, orGurgiftan, now no longer fub]e£l to the Turks, is chiefly
peopled by Chriliiarvs, a brave, warlike race of men. Their Lapital,Teflis,
is a handfome city, and makes a line appearance, its inhabitants being^,
about 30,000. It is fvtudted at the foot of a mountain, by the fide of
the river Kur, and is furrounded by ftrong walls, except on the tide of
the river. It has a large fortrefs on the declivity of the mountain,
which is a place of refuge for criminals and debtors, and tlie garrifon
confifts of native Perfians. There are fourteen churches in Teflis, lix
of which belong to the Georgians, and the reft to the Armenians ;
the Mahometan* who are here, have no mofq.ues. In the neighbour-
hood of the city are many pJea fan t houfes, and fine gardens. The
Georgians in general are by fome travellers faid to be the handfomeft
people in the world ; and fome think that they early received the
praftice of inoculation for the fmall-pox. They make no fcruple of
felling and drinking wines in their capital, and other towns ; and their
valour has procured them many diftinguifhing liberties and privileges.
Lately th.ey have formed an alliance with Ruffia, and claimed its pro-
teftion.
The ancient cities of Damafcus, Tyre, and Sidon, ftill retain part of
their former trade. Damafcus is called Sham, and the approach to it
by the river is inexprefTibly beautiful. It contains a fine mofque,
which was formerly a Chviftian chuich. It ftiU is famous for its ftecl
works, fuch as fword blades, knives, and the like ; the excellent tem-
per of which is faid to be owing to a quality in the water. The in-
habitants manufacture alfo thole beautiful filks called Damafks, from,
their city, and carry on a confiderable traffic in raw and wcrktd-f.lk,
rofe-water exlrafted from :he famous damafk rofes, fruits and wine.
The neighbourhood of this city is ftill beautiful, efpecially to the
Turks, wh« delight in verdure and gardens. Sidon, now Said, which,
likewife lies within the ancient Phoenicia, has ftill lome trade, and a
tolerable harbour, llie town is furrounded with a ftone wall, a cita-
del on the land fide, and arwther towards the fca. The houfes are
built chiefly of ftone, and are two ftories high. The inhabitants are
about 16,000, chiefly Chriftians of the Greek church, and the place is
the feat of a biflrot> ©f that perfuafion. There are in the town two
public baths, and two mofques. It ftands on a neck of land over a-
gainft Tyie, and both form a bay of about 16 miles in breadth. Tyre,
now called Sur, about 20 miles diftant from Sidon, fo famous formerly
for iis rich dye, is now inhabited by fcarcely any but a few fifhermen,
v/ho live in the ruins of its ancient grandeur. There are ftrong walls,
on the land fide, of ftone, i 3 feet high, and feven broad. The circumfer-
ence of the place is not more than a mile and a half; and Chriftians
and Mahometans make the number of 500. Some of the ruins of an-
cient Tyre are ftill vifible.
Natolia, or Afia Minor, comprehending the ancient provinces of
Lydia, Pamphylia, Plfidia, Lycaonia, Cilicia, Cappadocia", and Pontus,
or Amafia, all of them territories celebrated in the Greek and Roman
hiftory, are now, through the Turkifh indolence and tyranny, either
forfaken, or a theatre of ruins. The fites of ancient cities arc ftill dil-
ccrniblc;
j^co T U R K E Y iM A S I A.
cernible ; and fo luxurious is nature in thofe countries, that in many
places fhe triumphs over her forlorn condition. The felfifh Turks
cultivate no more land than maintains themfelvcs ; and their gardens
and lummcr-houl'es fill up the circuit of their moft flourifhing cities,
The moft judicious travellers-, upon an attentive furvey of theie coun-
tries, fully vindicate all that has been (aid by facred and profane writ-
ers of their beaut'/, ftrength, fertility and population. Even Paleftine
and Judaea, the mod defpicable at preient of all thofe countries, \\c
buried within the luxuries of their own foil. The Turks feem parties
ulaily fond of reprcfenting Judea jn the moll dreadful colours, and
have formed a thoufand falfehoods concerning it, M'hich being artfully
propagated by fome European writers, have impofed upon weak
Ghriftians.*
Under the government of f^fceik Daher, the ally of the famous AH
Bey, fome part of Paleftine revived. He enlarged the buildings and
walls of St. John de Acre, formerly Ptolemais, and fhcwed great in-
dulgence to the Chrillians. Its inhabitants were lately computed at
4P5OOO. Caifa, which Hands on the declivity of mount Carmel, dif-
tant about 20 miles from Acie, was alfo new built and enlarged by Da-
Jier. The ancient Joppa, now Jaffa, 50 miles weft from Jeruialem,
ftands on a rocky hill, hath an harbour fpr fmall vcflels, and its cir-
cumference is about two miles. The number of inhabitaprts is 7000 ;
the weftern part of ths town is inhabited by Chrifhians. 'The prefent
ftate of Ramah is i^eplorable, its walls in decay^ and moft of the hou-
fes empty, though the number of inhabitants is ftill between 3 and
4000. Not a houfe is ftanding'of the once magnilicent city of Cefaren,
but the remains of the walls teftify its former grandeur. Azotus is
about two miles in circumference, the inljabitants arc near 3000, and
moftly Mahometans : An old ftrufture is Ihewn here, v/ith fine marble
pillars, which is laid to be the houfe that Sampfon pulled down, when
intuited by the Philiftines. Gaza is ftiU refpeftable, it extends from
eaft to weft three miles, and is a mile in breadth, divided into the old
and new tov/n. The laltis inhabited by the inferior Tuiks and Arabs:
The number of the inhabitants is reckoned to be 26.000. It is about
five miles from the fea, and outiide the town is a maiket for the coun-
try people todifpofe of their commodities to the inhabitants, for they
are not permitted to enter the town. The country around is very fer-
tile, but its chi?f produce is corn, oil, v/ine, honey, bees-wax, flax, and
cotton.
TiTius.J The emperor's titles are fwelled with all the pomp of
eaftern magnificence. He is ftylcd by his fubjetts, the Shadow of God,
a God
* The kte reveiend Dr. Sh.iw, profeffor of Greek at OxfirJ, who feems to have exatnin- ,
eil that cpuntry with an uncommon degree of accuracy, ahd was qualiried by the fouiidell
philolbphy to make a molt juft obfervation, fays, that were the Holy L.ind as well cultivated
as in former times, it would be more fertile than the very bed parts ol Syria and Phcenicia,
becaufe the foil is generally miH:Ii richer, and, every thing coufidered, yitldt. larger crops.
Therefore she barrennefs, iayj he, of which fome autho'.s complain, does not proceed Irorri
the natural unfruitfuinefs ot the country, but from the want of inhabitants, the indolence
which prevails among the few who poii'efs it, and the perpetual difcords and depredations
of the petty princes who Qiare this line coui.try. Indeed the inhaL'iLmts can have but little
inclination to cultivate the earth. " In Palelfine,fays Mr. Wood, we have often feen th^
hufbandman fowing, accompanied by an armed friend, to prevc!;t his being robbed of th*
f«ci)." 4.nd, after all, whoever fov/s, is uncertain vyhejl>e»- he (hall evpr reap th? harvejt.
TURKEY IN ASIA. 4Qi
C Cod on Earth, Brother to the Sun and Moon, Dijpojtr of all earthly
Crowns, &c.
Court and SERAr,Lic»] Great care is taken in the education of
Jhc youths- who are dcfignecLfor the ftate, the army, or the navy ; but
they are fcldom preferred till about 40 years of age, and they rile by
their merit. They are generally the children of Chriftian parents, ei-
ther taken in war, purchafcJ, or prefects from the viceroys and gover-
nors of diflant provinces, the mofl beautiful, and well made, and
fprightly children that can be met with, and are always reviewed and
approved of by the grand-fignior, before they are fent to the colleges
or feminaries, where they are educated for employments according to
their genius and abilities.
The ladies of the feraglio area colkftion of beautiful young women,
chiefly fent as prefents from the provinces and the Greek iflands, moii
of them the children of Chriftian parents. The brave prince I Icra-
clius, hath for fome years pad abolifhed the infamous tribute of chil-
< Bokharia 850,000
[_Ufbeck Tartary J [Samarcand 339,840
Kamtfchatka is a great pepinfula, which extends from North to
South about feven degrees thirty minutes. It is divided into four
d-iftrifts, Bolcherefk, Tigilfkaia Krepoll, Verchnei or Upper Kamt-
fchatkoi Oftrog, and Nifhnei or Lower Kamtfchatkoi Oflrog.
Mountains.] The principal mountains are Caucafus in CircafBa,
and the mountains of Taurus and Ararat fo contiguous to it, that they
appear like a continuation of the fame mountain, which crofTes all
Afia, from Mongrelia to the Indies ; and the mountains of Stolp, ia
the North.
StAs.] Thefe are the Frozen Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the
Calpian Sea.
Rivers.] The principal rivers are, the Wolga, which runs a
cpurfe of tivo thoufand miles: The Oby, which divides Alia from
Europe ; the Tabol, Irtis, Gencfa or Jenlka ; the Burrumpooter, the
Lena, and the Argun, which divides the RulTian and Chinefe empires,
AiR, climate, soil, "1 The air of this country is very different,
AND PRODUCE* J by reafon of its vaft extent from north to
fouth ; the northern parts reaching beyond the aitlic polar circle, and
the foathern being in the fame latitudes with Spain, France, Italy, and
J>?rt of Turkey.
404 T A R T A R Y IN A S I A
Nova Zembla and the Rulfia Lapland are mofl: uncomfortable r€»
gions ; the earth, which is covered with fnow nine months in the
year, being extremely barren, and every where incumbered with un-
wholefome marflies, uninhabited mountains, and impenetrable thick-
neffes. The climate of Siberia is cold, but the air pure and whole-
fome ; and Mr. Tooke obferves, that its inhabitants in all probabib'ty
would live to an extreme old age, if they were not fo much addifted
to an immoderate ufe of intoxicating liquors. Siberia produces rye,
oats, and barley, aimed to the 6oth degree of northern latitude. Cab-
bages, radifhes, turnips, and cucumbers, thrive here tolerably well ;
but fcarcely any other greens. All experiments to bring fruit trees to
bear, have hitherto been'in vain ; but there is reafon to believe that
induflry and patience may at length overcome the rudenefs of the cli-
mate. Currants and flrawberries of feveral forts are faid to grow here
in as great perfeftion as in the Englifh gardens. Herbs, as well me-
dicinal as common, together with various eatable roots, are found very
generally here ; but there are no bees in all Siberia, Aflrachan, and
the fouthern parts of Tartarv, are extremely fertile, owing more to na-
ture than induflry. The parts that are cultivated produce excellent
fruits of almoft all the kinds known in Europe, efpecially grapes,
which are reckoned the largefl and fined in the world. Their fum-
xners are very dry ; and from the end of July to the beginning of Oc-
tober, the air is peflered. and the foil fometimes ruined, by incredible
quantities of locufts. Mr. Bell, who travelled with the Ruffian am-
batfador to China, reprefcnts fome parts of Tartary as defirable and
fertile countries, the grafs growing fpontaneoufly to an amazing
height. The country of Thibet is the highefl in Afia, and is a part of
that elevated traft wliich gives rife to the rivers of India and China,
and thofe of Siberia and other parts of Tartary.
MiiTAis AND MiNERAis.] It is faid that Siberia contains mines of
gold, fih'er, copper, iron, jafper, lapis lazuli, and loadflones ; a fort of
large teeth found here, creates feme difpute among the naturallfts,
whether they belong to elephants, or are a marine produftion ; their
appearance is certainly whimfical and curious, when polifhed with
art and fkill.
Animals.] Thefe are camels, dromedaries, bears, wolves, and all
the other land and amphibious animals that are common in the north
parts of Europe. Their horfes areof a good lize for the faddle, and
very hardy : As they run wild till they are five or fix years old,
they are generally headRrong. Near Aftrachan there is a bird called
by the Ruffians /^cz/;{ inhabitants in Tartdiy ; but from many cii cumflances we mufl:
conclude, that ibcy are far from being proportioned to the extent of
their country. They are in general flrong made, flout men ; their fa-
ces broad, their nofes flattifh. their eyes fmall and black, but very
quick ; their beards are fcarcely vifible, as they continually thin them
by pulling out the hairs by the roots. M. le Clerc's acccjunt of the
Tartars (or Tatars as he calls them) juft publilhcd, is curious. He ob-
tained the information on whick it is founded, from two princes and
feveral Mourzas of that nation. Their origin is the fame with that of
the ancient Tuiks ; and Turk was the general denomination of this
people until the time that Zingis-Khan made himfclf maflcr of the
North of Afia ; nay, they flill retain this title among thcmfelves,
though, afterthe period now mentioned, the neighbouring nations
give to all their tribes the general appellation of Taitars. The term
horde, according to him, does not fignify propeily a tribe ; it denotes a
tribe aflembled, either to march againft the enemy, or for other politi-
cal leafons.
Ihe beauty of the Circaffian women is a kind of ftaple commodity
in that country : for parents there make no fcrup^e of felling their
daughters to recruit the fctaglios, or rather harems, of the great men cf
1'uikey and Perfia. They are purchafed, v/hcn young, by merchants,
and taught fuch accomplifhrnents as fuit their capacities, to render
them moie valuable againft the day of fale.
According to Mr, Bruce, the Circafhan women are e?:tremcly well
fli::ped, with exceeding fine features, finooth, clc?.r complexions, and
beautiful black eyes, which with their black hair hanging in two tref-
fes, one on each fide the face, give them a moft; lovely appearance :
They wear a black coif on their heads, covered with a fine white cloth
tied under the chin. During the fummer they go almoft naked. They
have the reputation of being very chafle, though they feldom want op-
portunity to be oiherwife ; for it is an eflabliflicd point of good man-
ners among them, that as foon as any perfon com.cs in to fpeak to the
wife, the hufbaud goes out of the houfe ; but whether this continency
of theirs proceeds fiom their own gcnerofiiy, to recompenfe their huf-
bands for the confidence ihev put in them, or lias its foundation only
in fame, I pretend not to determine. Their language they have in
common with the other neighboiuing Tartars, although the chief peo-
ple among them are not ignorant of the Ruffian : The apparel of
the men of Circaflia is much the lame with that of the Nagayans, only
their caps are fbmething laigcr, and their cloaks being iikewifc of
coarfe cloth or fheep-fltins, are faflcncd only at the neck with a firing,
and as they arc not large enough to cover the whole body, they turn
them round according to the wind and weather.
The Tartars arc in general a wandciing fort of people ; in their pe-
rigrinations they fet out in the fpring, their number in one body be-
ing frequently lo. coo, preceded by their flocks and herds. When
they come to an inviting fpot, they live upon it till all its grafs arxl
• ciduic is eaten up. They have little money, except what they get
from
46(5 T A R T A R Y i^ ASIA.
from their neighbours the Ruffians. Perfians, or Turks in exchange fcV
cattle ; with this they purchafc cloths, filks, fluffs, and other apppire'l
for their women. They have few mechanics, except thofe who make
arms. They avoid all labour as the greatefl flavery ; their only em-
ployment is tending their fiocks, hunting;, and managing their Jiorles.
If they are angry with a perfon, they wifh he may live in one fixed
place, and work like a Ruffian. Among themfelves they are verv hof-
pitable, and wonderfully fo to frrangers and travellers, who coniRden-
tially put themfelves under their prote£lion. They are naturally of an
eafy. cheerful temper, always difpoled t6 laughter, and feldoni dcorelT-
ed by care and melancholy. When any of their people are infirm
through great age, or feized with diftempers reckoned incurable, it is
faid, they make a fmall hut for the patient near fome river, in which
they leave him with fome provifions, and feldom or never return to
vifit him. On fuch occafions they fay they do their parerits a good
office, in fending them to a better world. Notwithftanding this be-
haviour, manv nations of the Tartars, efpecially towards the fouth,
are traftable, humane, and are fufceptible of pious and virtuous fentl-
ments. Their affeftion for their fathers, and their fubmiffion to their
authority, cannot be exceeded ; and this noble quality of filial love
has diftinguifhed them in all ages. Hiftory tells us, that Darius, king
of Perfia, having invaded them with all the forces of his empire, and
the Scythians retiring by little and little, Darius fcnt an ambafiador to
demand where it was they propofed to conclude their retreat, and
when they intended to begin fighting. They returned for anfwer,
with a fpirit peculiar to that people, " They had no cities or cultivat-
ed fields, for the defence of which they fliould give him battle ; but
when once he Was come td the place of tlieir fathers monuments, he
fhould underftand in what manner the Scythians ufed to fight."
The Tartars are inured to horfemanffiip from their infancy : they
feldom appear on foot. They are dextrous in fliooting at a mark, in-
fomuch that a Tartar, while at full gallop, will fplit a pole with an ar-
row, though at a confiderable diftance. The drefs of the n>en is very
fimple and fit for aftion ; it generally confifts of a fhort jacket, with
narrow fleeves made of deer's fkirt, both of one piece, and light to the
limbs. The Tartars live in huts half funk under ground ; they have a.
fire in the middle, with a hole in the top to let out the fmoke, and
benches round the fire to fie or lie upon. I'his feems to be the corrt-
mon method of living among all the northern nations, from Lapland
eaflward, to the Japanefe ocean. In the extieme northern provinces,
during the Mnnter, every family burrows itfelf as it were under ground ;
and we are told, that fo fociable are they in their difpofitions, that
they make fubterrancous communications with each other, fo that they
may be faid to live in an invifiblc city. The Tartars are immoderately
fond of horfe-flefh, efpecially if it be young, and a litilc tainted, which
makes their cabbins extremely naufeous. Though horfe-flefh be pre-
ferred raw by fome northern tribes, the general way of eating it is af-
ter it has been fmcked and dried. The Tartars purchafe their wives
with cattle. In their marriages they are not very delicate. Little or
no difference is made between the child of a concubine or fiave, and
that of the wife ; but among the heads of tribes the wife's fon is al-
ways preferred to thefucceffion. After a wife is turned of forty, fhe
is
T A R T A R Y i>; A S I A. -4©;
i« employed in menial duties as another fervant, and as fuch mud at-
tend the young wives who fucceed to their places ; nor is it uncom-
mon, in fume of the more barbarous tribes, for a fatlier to marry hi:5
own daughter.
The defcendants of the old inhabitants of Siberia arc fl.iU moft of
them idolaters. They confift of many nations, entirely differing f:om
each other in their manner of living, religion, language, and .counte-
nances. But in this they agree, that none of them follow agriculture,
which i.s carried on by ibme Tartars, and fuch as are converted to
Chriftianity. A few of them breed cattle, and others follow hunting.
The population of Siberia has been much increafed fuice it became a
Ruffian province ; for the Ruflians have founded therein a number of
towns, fortrelTcs, and villages. Notwithftanding which it prefentS
but a void and defert view ; fmce, by its extent it is capable of fup-
portlnout feven miles from Lalfa. The Englifli Eaff India Company made
a treaty with the Lama in 1774.* The religion of Thibet, though in
many refccfts it differs from that of the Indian Bramins, yet in others
has a great affinity to it. The Thibetians have a great veneration for
the cow, and highly refpeft the waters of the Ganges, the fource of
which they believe to be in heaven. The Sunniaffes, or Indian pil-
grims, often vifit Thibet as an holy place, and the Lama always enter-
tains a body of two or three hundred in his pay. Befides his religious
influence and authority, the Grand Lama Ts poffcffed of unlimited
power throughout his dominions, which arc very extenfive, and flrctth
to Bengal.
Another religion, wliich is very prevalent among the Tartars, is that
of Schamanifm. The profeffors of this religious feft believe in one Su-
preme God, the Creator of all things. They bfclieve tlat he loves his
creation, and all his creatures ; that he knows cve\y thing, and is all
powerful ; but that he pavs no attention to the particular aftions of
men, being too great for them to he able to offend him, or to do any
thing that can be meritorious in his light. But they alfo maintain, that
the Supreme Being has divided the government of the world, and the
d^ffiny of men, among a great number of fubaltcrn divinities, under
his command and control, but who neveithelefs generally aCt accord-
ing to their own fancies ; and therefore m'ankind cannot difpenfe with
nling all the means in their power for obtaining their favour. They
jikcwife fuppofe, that, for the mod part, thefe inferior deities abomin-
ate and punifli premeditated villainy, fraud, and cruelty. They are atl
firmly pcrluaded of a future cxiftence ; hut they have many fuperfti-
t ous notions and praftices. Among all the Scharnanes, women are
conlidered as beings vaflly inferior to men, and arc thought to h.-rve
been created only lor their fenfual j Icafure, to people the world, niA
to
* The fortofDellinacotta "hicli fcm>",andcd the fiTncipal pafs tliCcugli the riJ;:e of the
Piotan moirntiiin*, was taken by ftoim, by Captain Jonoi in i''j, si.d ihe fame of tliis
e/f'oit made the Thibetians fue for peace.
T A R T A R Y rN A S I A. 409
to look after houfehold affairs: And in cnnrcquence of thefe princi-
ples, they arc treat r-d with much feveritv and conteinpt.
Ct RiosiTius.] Thefe arc compreJiendcd in the remains of the build-
ings, left by the above mentioned great conquerors and their fuccelfors.
Remains of ditches and ramparts arc frequently met with, which here-
tofore either furrounded fmall towns, now quite demoliflied, or were
defigned for the defence of camps, forts,or caftlcs, the velliges of which
are often to be difcovered upon the fpot, as well as other traces of de-
cayed importance. Many of them are in tolciable prefcrvation, and
make fome figure even at prefcnt.
'Ihc dcfcrt of Kirguis abounds in the relics of opulent cities. Some
gold and lilver coins have been found, with feveral manufcripts neatly
written, which have been carried lo Peteifourg. In iyjo, fays M.
\'oltaire, in his hiftory of Peter the Great, there were found in Kal-
muc Tartavy a fubterraneous houfe of Aone. fome urns, lamps, and ear-
rings, an cqueftrian {lat\ie, an oriental piince with a diadem on his
head, two women feated on thioncs, and a roll of manufcripts, which
was fent by Peter the Great, to the Ac?.dcmy of Infcriptions at Paris,
and proved to be in the language of Thibet. About 80 miles from
Taffa is the lake Pake, or Jangfo ; of that extent, the natives fay it re-
quires 18 days to walk round it. In the middle of it arc illauds, one
of which is the feat of the Lainajfa Tiircepnma, or the Great Regenerate,
in whom the Thebetians think a divine fpirit inhabits as in the Great
I.ama.
Cities' AND tom-ks.] Of thefe we know little but the names, and
that they are in general no better than fixed hordes. They may be taid
to be places of abode rather than towns or cities, for we do not find
that they are under anv regular government, or that they can make a
defence againft any enemy. The few places, however, that are men-
tioned in the preceding divifions of this country, merit notice, To-
bolflc and Aftrachan are confi lerable cities* the firft containing £5,000
and the latter 70,500 inhabitants. Fcits. villages, and towns have alfo
lately been ereftcd in different parts of Siberia, for civilizing the in-
habitants, and rendering them obedient to the Ruffian government.
Teiki, the capital of Circaffian Tartary, is feated in a fpacious plain
en an ifland formed by the rivers Terki and Bufi.row, and is garriloncd
by 2C00 regulafs, and icoo Coffacks. It is well fortified with ram-
parts and baflions in the modern flyle. well ftored with cannon, and
has alwavs a confidfrable ganifon in it, under the command of a gov-
ernor. The CarcafTian prince who refides here, is allowed five bun-
dled Ruffians for his guard, biit none of his own fubjcfts arc permitted
to dwell witliin any part of the fortifications. Ever fince the reduc-
tion of th'ofe parts to the obedience of Ruffia, they have put in all pla-
ces of flrength, not only Ruffian garrifons and governors, hut magif-
trales, and pricfls for the excrcife of the Chriftian religion; yet the
Circaffian Tartars arc governed by their own princc5,lords, and judges,
but thefe adminifl-cr judicc in the name of the emperor, and in mal-
tcrs of importance, not without the prcfcnce of the Ruflian governors,
being all obliged to lake the oath of allegiance to his ii7i]>ci ial majefty.
Taiku is the capital of DagcAan. and contains 3000 houfes, two fio-
rics high, platformed at the top for walking- The Tartars of this
province are i.uracrous, and Mahometans, governed by a fliefkel,
whufc
410 T A R T A R Y in ASIA.
whofe office is eleftive. The city of Derbent is fituated on the Caf-
pian fhore, and called the ftontier of PeiTia. It is faid to have been
firft built by Alexander the Great, and that he herd received the vifit
from ihe Amazonian queen Thaleftris. It is now inclofed with a broad
ftrong wall, built with large fquare ftones, hard as marble, from the
quarries in Caucafus, LalTa is a fmall city, but the houfes are of ftone,
and are fpacious and lofty,
CoMMERCR AND MAN u FA CTu R 1, s. ] This head maltcs no figure in
the hiftory of Tartary, their chief traffic confifting in cattle, ficins,
beavers, rhubarb, mun<., and fifli. The Aftrachans, notwithftandinj^
their interruptions by the wild Tartars, carry on a confiderable traffic
into Perfia, to which they export leather, woollen and linen cloth, and
fome European manufafkurcs.
PI I ST OK v.] Though it is certain that Tartar)-, formerly known by
the name of Scythia^ peopled the northern parts of Europe, and fur-
nifhed thofe amazing numbers who, under various names, deftroyed
the Roman empire^ yet it is now hut very thinly inhabited ; and thofe
fine provinces, where learning and the arts refided, are now fcenes of
horror and barbarity. This mufl have been owing to the dreadful
maffacres made among the nations by the two abovd mentioned con-
querors and their delcendants ; for nothing is more common in their
hillories than their putting to the fword three or four hundred thou-
fand people in a few days.
The country of Ufbec Tartary was once the feat oFa more powerful
fcmpirethan that of Rome or Greece. It was not only tlie native coun-
try, but the favourite refidence of Zingis, or Jenghis Khan and Tam-
trlane, who enriched it with the fpoils of India and the eaflern world.
But fome authors have abfurdly queflioned the veracity of the hiftori-
ans of thefe greac conquerors, though it be better eftablifhed t!«an that
of the Greek or Roman writers. The former, about th-; year 1206
made himfelf mafter of thofe regions, which form at this day the Afia-
tic part of the Pvuflian empire ; and his fon Eatou Sagin made himfelf
mailer of Southern Ruffia, and peopled it witii Tartar colonies, which
are now confounded or blended with the Ruffians. I-ong and heavily
did the Tartar yoke gall tlie neck of Ruffia, till allevii^tcd by the divi-
fions among themfelves. But not till Ivan III. who afcended the Ruf-
fian throne in 1462, were they delivered from thefe warlike invaders.
He repeatedly defeated them, fubdued the kingdom of Kafan and oth-
ther provinces, and made his name refpefted in all that quarter,
Tamerlane's memory has been more permanent than that of Zingis
Khan, his defeat of the Tuikifli emperor Bajazet hatli been before no-
ticed in the hiflory of that nation, and great were his conquefts, and
his name, far beyond the limits of his porper dominions. liisdefcent
is claimed not only by all the Khans and petty princes of Tartary, but
by the emperor of Indoftan him.feif. The capital of this country is
Bokharia, which was known to the ancients by the name of Bucharia.;
fituated in the latitude of 39 degrees 15 minutes, and 13 miles diftant
from the once famous city of Samarcand, the birth-place of Tamerlane
the Great, and who died in the year j 405.
The prefent inhabitants of this immenfe common, compofe innume-
rable tribes, who range at pleafure with their flocks and their herds,
in the old patriarchal manner. Their tribes are commanded by fepa-
rate.
C5 ll I N A. 41*
i'ate Khans or leaders, that, upon particular emergencies, cleft a great
^LhaIl. who claims a paramount power over flrangers as well as natives,
and who can bring into the field from 20 to 100 000 horfemen. Their
chief reftdenee is a kind of tnilifary ftation, which is moved and fhift-
^ ed according to the chance of war and other occafions,
Beddes what may he learned from their hiftory and traditions, the
flandard or colours of the lefpeilive tribes form a diftinftive mark,
M'herebv each 'iartar ];no\Vs the tribe to which he belongs^ Thefe
marks of diftinftion confrft of a piece of Chinefe linen, or other col-
oured lb.:tF. fufpendcd on a l;;nce, twelve feet in length, among the
Pagan Tai tars. The Mahometan Tartars write upon their llandards
the name of Cod^ in the Arabic language. The Kalmucs and the Mo-
gul Tartars, diftinguifli theirs by the natne of fome animal ; and, as all
the branches or divihons of a tribe preferve always the figure drawn
upon the ftandard of that tribc^, adding only the particular denomina-
tion of each biancli, thofc flandards anfwer the purpofe of a genealog-
ical tabic or tree, by which each individual knows his origin and de-
fcent.
They are bounded on every fide by the Ruffian, the Chinefe, the
Mogul, the Persian, and the Turkifli empires ; each of whom are pufh-
in; on their conquefls, in this exlcnfive, and in fome places, fertile
country. The Khans pav a tribute, or acknowledgement of their de-
pendency upon one or other of their powerful neighbours, who treat
them with caution and lenity ; as the friendfliipof thefe barbarians is
of the urmoft confequence to the powers with whom they are allied*
Some tribes, however, affeft independency ; and when united they
form a powerful body, and of late have been very formidable to their
hcighbburs, particulaily to the Chinefe. as we fhall mention in our ac-
count of that empire. The method of carrying on war, bv wafting
the cduntry, is very ancient among the Tartars, and praitifed bv all of
them from the Danube caflt*/ard. This circumftance, renders them a
tlreadful enemy to regular troops, who muft thereby be deprived of all
4"ubfiflence, while the Tartars, having always many fparc horfcs to kill
and eat, are at no lofs for provifious.
See Univer. Hift.
The empire of CHINA.
Situation and extent.
Miles. Degrees. Sq.Miles.
Length 1450"! V r2oand 42 north latitude. J 1,105,000
Breadth 1260/ °«t^^«^" \ g8 and 123 eaft longitude.!
To which fliould be added Chinefe Tartary. 644,000
Boundaries. TT is bounded by the Chinefe Tartary, and an amaz-
X ing ftonc wall, on the North ; by the Pacific Ocean,
which divides it from North America, on the Eaft ; by the Chinefian
Sea, South ; and by Tonquin, and the Tartarian countries and moun-
tains of Thibet and RufTia, on the Weft.
Divisions. J
4ia CHINA.
Divr5ioys."i The great divifions of this empire, according to the
authors of the Univcrfal Hiftory, is into fifteen provinces (exclufive
of that of Lyau-tong, which is fituateri without the Great Wall, though
under the fame dominion :) each of which might, for their largencfs,
fertility, populoufnefs, and opulence, pafs for fo many diftinft king-
dom F.
But it isneceffarv to acquaint the reader, that the information con-
tained in Du Aaldes voluminous account of China, are drawn from
the papers of Jefuils, and otliers fent thither by the pope, whofe mif-
fions have been at an end for above half a century. Some of thofe fa-
thers were men of penetration and judgment, and had great opportuni-
ties of being informed about a century ago ; but even their accounts of
this empire' are juflly to be fufpe£led. They had powerful enemies at
the court oT Rome, where they maintained their footing only by mag-
nifying their own labours and fucceifes, as well as the importance of
the Chinefe empire.
NANfE. 1 It is probably owing to a Chinefe word fignifying Middle,
from a notion the natives had that their country lay in the middle of
the world.
MoL'NTAiNs.] China, excepting to the north, is a plain country,
and contains no remarkable mountanins.
Riyp-RS AND WATER.] The chief are the Yamour and the Ar-
gun, which are the boundary between the Ruilian and Chinefe Tarta-
ry ; the Crocceus, or Whambo, or the Yellow River ; the Kiam,
or the Blue River, and the Tay. Common water in China is very in-
different, and is in fome places boiled to make it fit for ufe.
Bays.] The chief are thofe of Nankin and Canton.
Canals.] Thefeare fufficient to entitle the ancient Chinefe to the
charafterof being the wifeft and mod induflrious people in the world.
The commodioufnefs and length of their canals are incredible. The
chief of them are lined with hewn flone oft the fides, and they are fo
deep, that they carry large veffcls. and fometimes they extend above
looo miles in length. Thofe veffds are fitted up for all the convofni-
encics of life ; and it has been thought by fome. that in China the wa-
ter contains as many inhabitant."? as the land. They are furniflied with
ftone quays, and fometimes with bridges of an amazing conftru6^.:on.
The navigation is flow, and the veflels fometimes drawn by :nen.
About 10,000 boats from 200 tons and under, are kept at the public
pxpcnfc. No precautions are wanting, that could be formed by art or
pcrfeverance, for the fafety of the pafiengers, in cafe a canal is croffed
by a rapid river, or expofed to torrents from the mountains. Thefe
canals, and the variety that is feen upon the borders, render China the
xnoft delightful to the eye, of any country in the world, as well as fer-
tile, in places that are not fo by nature.
FoBKSTS.] Such is the indufliy of the Chinefe, that they are not
incumbered wifh forefiis or wood, though no country is better fitted
for producing timber of all kinds. They fuiTer. however, none to
;giow but for ornament and ufe, or on the fules of mountains, from
whence the trees, when cut down, can be conveyed to any place by
water,
AiR, SOIL, AND PRODUCE.] The air of this «mpire is according to
Ac utuatton of the phcf s. Towards the north it is fliarp, in the mid-
dle
CHINA. 4i3
die mild, and in the fouth hot. The foil is, either by nature or art,
fruitful of every thing that can ininiftcr to the neceCTities, conveni-
cncies or luxuries of life. The culture of the cotton, and the rice
fields, from which the bulk of the inhabitants are clothed and feu, is
ingenious almoft beyond delcription. The rare trees, and aromatic
produftions, either ornamental or medicinal, that abound in other
parts of the world, are to be found in China, and fome others pecu-
liar to itfelf ; but even a catalogue of them would forn7 a little volume.
Some, however, muft be mentioned.
The tallow tree has a fhort trunk, a fmooth bark, crooked branches,
red leaves, fliaped like a heart, and is about the height of a common
cherry-tree. The fruit it produces have all (he qualities of our tal-
low, and when manufaftured with oil ferve the natives as candles;
but iliey fmeU ftrong, nor is their lioht clear. Of the other trees pe ■
culiar to ('hina, are Ibme which yield a kind of flour ; fome partake of
the nature of pepper. The gum of fome is poifonoiis, but affords the
fineft varnifh in the world. After all that can be faid of thefe, and
many other beautiful and ufeful trees, the Chinefe, notwithflanding
their induftry, are fo wedded to their aacient cudoms, that they are
very little, if at all, meliorated by cultivation. The fame may be faid
of their richeft fruits, which, hi general, are far from being fo delicious
as thofe of Europe, and indeed of America. This is owing to llie
Chinefe never pra6liiing grafting, or inoculation of trees, and knowing
nothing of experimental gardening.
It would be unpardonable here not to mention the raw-filk, which
fo much abounds in China, and above all, the iea-plant, or fhrub. It
is planted in rows, and prur»*d to prevent its luxuriancy. Notwith-
llanding our long intercouife with China, writers are flill divided
about the different fpecies and culture of this plant. It is generally
thought that the green and boheate; are more powerful induce-
inents to cultiva<-e and parfue it. The literati are reverenced as rneu
of another fpecies, and are the only nobility known in China. If their
birth be ever fo mean and low, they beco:ne mandarins of the highefl
rank, in proportion to the extent of their learning. On the other
hand, however exalted their birth may be, they quickly hnk into pov-
erty ar)d obfcurity, if they neglect thofe fludies which raifed their fa-
thers. It has been obferved. that there is no nation in the world
where the fivft honours of tlje Hate lie fo open to the lowefl of the
people, afid where there is lefs of hereditary gre^tncfs. The Chinefe
range all their works of literature into four claffes. The fnft is the
clals of King, or the facrcd books, which contains ihe principles of the
Chinefe religion, morality, and government, and feveral curious and
obfcure records, relative to thcfe important fubjcfts. Iliftory forms a
€1,a1s apart ; yet, in this firft clals, there are placed lome hiflorical mon-
uments on account of their relation to religion and government, and
araor.g olWzYr, the Tekun-t/icou, a work of Confucius, which contains
the annals of twelve kings of Low, the native country of that iiluftri-
ous fage. The fccond clafs is that of the Su, or Che, that is, of hiflory
and the hiftorians. The third clafs, called lyit, or 7_yc, comprehends
philofophy and the philofophers, and contains all the works of the
Chinefe literati, the produftions alio of foreign fefts and religions,
which the Chinefe confider only in the light of philofophical opin-
ions, and all books relative to mathematics, aflronomy, phyfic, mllita-
vy fciencc, the art of divination, agriculture, and the arts and fciences
in general. The fourth clafs is called Tcic, or MiJccUanks, and con-
tains
CHINA. 417
tarns all the poetical books of the Chinefc, their pieces of eloquence,
their fongs, rorpances, tragedies, and comedicB. The Chiiicfe literati,
in all the periods of their monarchy, have applied iheml'elves Ids to
the ftudy of nature, and to the reiearchcs of natural philoropliv, than
to moral inquiries, the pradlcal fciencc of life, and internal polity and
maaners. it is faid, that it \vas not before tlie dynafly of the Sons;, in
the 10th and nth centuries after Chrifl, that the Chinefc philofophers
formed hypothefis conccrninsj the natural fyllem of the univerfe, and
entered into difcuffions of a fcholallic kind, in confcqucnce, perhaps,
of the intercourfe they had long kept up wilh the Arabians, who
ftudied with ardour the works pf Arillotle. And fince the Cliinefe
have begun to pay fome attention to natural philofophy, their progrefs
ifx it has been much inferior to that of the Europeans,
The invention of gunpowder is juilly claimed by the Chinefo, who
made ufe of it againft Zinghis Khan and Tamerlane. They feem to
have known nothing of fmall fire-arms, and to have been acq-uainted
only \yith the cannon, which tiiey call the fire-pan. Their iiiduflty
in their manufaftures of llufFs, porcelane, japanning, and the like fed-
entary trades is amazing, and can be equalled only by their labours in
the field, in making canals, levelling mountains, railing gardens, and
faavigating their junks and boats.
Antiquities akd curiosities. J Few natural curiofities prefent
themfelves in China, that have not been comprehended under foreign
articles. Some volcanos, and rivers and lakes of particular qualities,
are to be found in different parts of the empire. The volcano of
Liv.efang is faid fomrtimes to make fo furious a difcharge of fire and
gilhes, as to occafion a tempefl in the air ; and fome of their lakes are
faid to petrify filhes v.'hen put into them. The artificial curiofities of
China arc ftupendous. The great wall, feparating C hina from Tarta-
ry, to prevent the incurfionsof the Tartars, is fuppofed to extend fiom
1200 to 1500 miles. It is carried over mountains and vallics. and
reaches from the province of Xcnfi to the Kang {c&, between the
Provinces of Pckin and Lasnotum. It is in moil places built of brick
andmortar, which is fo well tempered, that though ithas'ftood for 1800
years, it is but little decayed. The beginning of this wall is a large
bulwark of flone raifed in the lea, in the provii\ce of Pctcheli, to the
call of I'ekin, and almoft in the fame latitude; It is built like the
walls of the capital city of the empire, but much wider, being terralfed
and caicd with bricks, and is from twenty to twenty-five feet high,
P. Kegis, and the other gentleman, who took a map of thcfi- provin-
ces, often ftretched a line on the top, to meafurc the bafis of triangles,
and to take dillant points with an inllrument. They always found it
paved wide enough for five or fix horfemen to traxel abreafl, with cafe.
Mention has been already made of the prodigious <;anals and roads
tiiat arc cut thi-ough this empire.
The artificial mountains prefent on their tops, temples, monafteries,
and other edifices. Some part, however, of what we are told con-
cerning the cavities in thcfe mountains, feems to be fabulous. Tho
ChJnele bridges cannot be fufiicicntly admired. They are built fome-
iimes upon barges ftrongly chained together, yet fo as to be parted,
and to let the vcfi'els pafs that fail up and down the river. Some of
iheso. run from mountain to mountain| aad confiil only of one arch ;
4i8 t H I N A.
that over the river SafTrany is 400 cuhits long, and 500 high, though a
fingle arch, anrl joins two mountains ; and fome in the interior parts of
the empire are faid to be flill more (lupendous. The triumphal arches
of this country form the next fpecies of artificial curiofities. Though
they are not built in the Greek or Roman flyle of architefture, yet
they are fupcib and beautiful, and ercfted to the memories of their
great men, with ^•^fi labour and cxpenfe. They are faid in the whole
to be eleven hundred, two hundred of w])icli are particularly magni-
fictriU Their fepulchral monuments make likcwife a great figure.
Their towers, the models of which are now fo common in Europe vm-
der the name of pagodas, are vaft embellifhments to tlie face of their
country. They feem to be con drafted by a regular order, and all of
them are finiflied with exquifite carvings and gildings, and other orna-
ments. That at Nankiu. whicli is 200 feet high, and 40 in diameter,
is the moft admired. It is called the Porcelane Tower, becaufe it is
lined with Chinefe tiles. Their temples are chiefly remarkable for
the difagreeable tafle in which they arc built, for their capacioufnefs,
their whirnfical ornaments, and the uglinefs of the idols they contain.
The Chinefe are remarkably fond of bells, which gave name to one
of their principal feftivals. A bell of Pe.kin weighs 120.000 pounds,
b\it its found is faid to be difagreeable. The lad curiofity I fliall
mention^ is their fire works, which in China exceed thofe of all other
nations. In fhort, every province of China is a fcene of curiofities.
Their buildings, except their pagodas, being confined to no order, and
fufceptiblc of all kinds of ornaments, have a wild variety, and a pleaf-
inof elegance, not void of magnificence, agreeable to the eye and the
imagination-, and prefent a diverfity of objefts nol to be found in Eu-
ropean architeftute.
CiHKF CITIES.] Little can be faid of thefe more than that fome of
them are immenfely large. The empire is faid to contain 4400 walled
cities ; I>o Compte fays but 2357 ; the chief of which are Pekin, Nan-
kin, and Canton. Pekin, the capital of the whole empire of China,
and the ordinary refidence of the emperors, is fituated in a very fertile
plain, 20 leagues diilant from the great wall. It is an oblong fquare,
and is divided into two cities : That which contains the emperor's pal-
ace is called the Tartar city, becauie the houfes were given to the Tar-
tars when the prefent family came to the throne ; and they refufing to
fuffer the Chinefe to inhabit it, forced them to live without the walls,
where they in a fliort time built a new city ; which, by beiuj^ joined to
the other, renders the whole of an irrcgvdar form, fix leagues in com-
pafs: The walls and gates of Pekin are of the furprifing height of fifty
cubits, io that they hide the whole city ; and are fo broad, that centi-
nels are placed upon thein on horfeback •, for there are Hopes within
the city of confiderable length, by which horfemen may afcend the
walls, and in feveral places there are houfes built for the guard. The
•rates, which are nine in number, are neither embellifhed with ftatues,
nor other carving, all their beauty confiding in their prodigious height,
which at a diftaricc gives them a noble appearance. The arches of
the gates arc built of marble, and the reft with large bricks cemented
with excellent mortar. Mort of the ftreets are built in a direft line,
the largeft are about 120 feet broad, and a league in length. The
ihops, where they fell filks and china-ware, generally take up the
whole
CHINA. 4:9
wKole flreet, anci afford a very agreeable profpc£l. Each fhop-keepev
places before his (hop, on a finall kind of pedeflal, a board about
twenty feet high, painted, varnifhed, and often guilt, on which are
written in large charafters the names of the fcveral commodities he
fells. Thefe being placed on each fide of the flreet at nearly an equ^l
diflance from each other, have a very pretty appearance ; but thehouf-
es arc poorly built in front, and very low, moH of them having only a
ground floor, and none exceeding one llory above it. Of all the build-
ings in this great city, the moft remarkable is the imperial palace, the
grandeur of which does not confill fo much in the noblenefs and ele-
gance of the architefture, as in the multitude of its buildings, courts,
and gardens, all regularly difpoied ; for within the walls are not only
the emperor's houfe, but a liiile town, inhabited by the oflicers of the
court, and a multitude of artificers, employed and kept by the empe-
ror ; but the houfes of the courtiers and artificers arc low and ill con-
trived. F. Attiret, a French Jefuit, Vvho was indulged with a fight of
the palace and gardfens, fays, that the palace is more than three miles
in circumference, and that the front of the buildings Qiines with gild-
ing, paint, and varniih, while the infide is fet oflF and furniflied with
every thing th^t is mod beautiful and precious in China, the Indies,
and Europe. The gardens of this palace are large trafts of grcun«d, iu
which are raifed, at proper diftanccs, artificial mountains, from 20 to
60 feet high, which form a number of fmall vallies, plentifully water-
ed by canals, which uniting, form lakes and meres. Beautiful and
jnagnificent barks fail on thefe pieces of water, and the banks arc orna-
mented with ranges of buildings, not any two of which are faid ta>
have any refemblance to each other, which diverfity produces a very
pleafing clTeft. Every valley has its houfe of pleafure, very large:
Many of thefe houfes are built with cedar, brought, at a vafl expenl'e,
the diftance of 500 leagues. Of thefe palaces, or houfes of pleafure,
there are more than iioo in this vafh enclofure. In the middle of a
lake, which is near half a league in a diameter every way, is a rockv
illand, on which is built a palace, containing more than a hundred
apartments. It has four fronts, and is a very elegant and magnificent
{lru6lure. The mountains and hills are covered with tiees, particular-.
Iv fuch as produce beautiful and aromatic flowers -, and the canals are
edged with ruftic pieces of rock, difpofed with fuch art, as exaftly to
refemble the wildnefs of nature. The city of Pekin is faid to contain
two million irjhabitants.
Nankin is faidtoexceed Pekin, both in extent and population. But
if we may judge from the account which M. Bourgeois, mifTionary at,
Pekin, gives of it, in a letter of his, dated in 1777, wc are to believe
that there is nothing remarkable in this celebrated city, but its famouii
Iteeplc, its vaii circumference, the barren hills, and uncultivat-ed trails,
of land that are ir>clcfcd within its walls, and which make a ftranger
think that he has left it far behind him when he is in the midfl of it.
Canton is the greateil port in China, and the only port that has
been much frequented by Europeans. The city wall is about five
miles in circumference, with very pleafant walks around it. From
the top of fome adjacent hills, on which forts are built, you have a fine
profpeft of the country. It is beautifully interperfcd with moun.
(C^ins, little hills, and Vdliies, all green. ; and thefe 2?5ia pleafantly di-'
423 CHIN A.
verfified with fmall towns, villages, high towers, teinpks, the feats of
mandai ins and other great men, which are wntefcd with delightful
lakes, canals, and final! -t-.ranches Irom the river Ta ^ on vv?iich arc num-
bcilcfs boats and junks, failing different ways through the moll fertile
parts of the country.. The city is entered by feven iron gates, and
wuhin-fide of each tfiere is a guard-houfe. The ftreets of Canton are
very ilraight, but gerrersUy narrow, and paved witii !lag-ftones» There
are many pretty buildings in this cily, great numbers of triumphal
arches, and temples well llocked with images. The ftreets of Cantorx
are fo crowded, that it is difficult to Vvalk in them ; yet a woman of
any fafliion is I'eldom to be Icen, unlefs by chance v^hen coming out of
their ch;drs. There are great numbers of market-places for fiih, flefh,
poultry, vegetables^ and all kinds of provihons, which are fold very
cheap. 7 here are many private walks about the fkifts of the town,
where thofe of the better foit have iheir houfcs, which are very little
frequented by Europeans, whofe buiinefs lies chiefly in the trading
parts of the city, where there are only fhops and warehoufes. Few
of the Chinefc traders of any fuoftance keep their families in the hotif?
Vvhere they do bufineFs, but either in the city, in the more remote fub-
urbs, or farther up in the country. They have all fuch a regard to
privacy, that no windows are made towards the flreets, but in fhops
and places of public buhnefs, nor do any of their windows look to-
wards thofe of their neighbours. Th-e fhops of ihofe that deal in hlk
arc very neat, make a fine fiiuw, and are all in one place ; for trades-
men, or dealers in One kind of good?, herd together in the fame ftreec.
It is com-putcd that there arc in this city, and its fuburbs, 1,200,000
people ; and thei-e'are often 5000 trading veffels lying before the city.
Trade AND MANUFACTURES.] China is fo happily fituated, and
produces fuch a variety of materials lor manufafturcs, that it rnav be
jaid to be the native land of induftry ; and which is excrcifed with vaft
art and neatnefs. I'hey hiake paper of the bark of bamboo, and other
trees, as well as bf cOttof?, but not comparable for records, or printing,
to the European. Their ink, for the ufe of drawing, is Well known in
England, arvd is faid to be made of oil and lamp-black. We have already
mentioned the antiquity of their printing, which they Rill do by cut-
ting their charafters on blocks of wood. The manufafture of that
earthen ware, generally known by the name of China, was long a l"e-
cret in Europe, and brought intmenfe fums to that country. The an-
cients knew and eftcemcd it highly under the nameo-f pOrcelane, but it
was oF a much better fabric than the modern. Though the Chinefe
affcft to keep that manufacture ftlli a fecrct, yet it is well known that
the principal material is a prepared pulverized earth, and that feveral
European countries far exceed the Chinefe in m.anufafturing this com-
modity.* The Chinefe filks are generally plain and flov/cred gaufes,
and they are faid to have been originally fabricated in that country,
where the art of rearing fUk-v/orms was firft difcovered. They manu-
fafture filks likewife of a more durable kind, and their cotton, and
other cloths, ate famous for furnilhinfj a light warm wear.
Their
* T'le Fnglifh in oarticular have carried this bra.nch to a high degree of perfection, as
appends from the commiirions which have bein roccivej of late from (eyeral princes of Ei4»
rope; and we hope thu a manufadture fo generally ufcfivU will meet with encouragement
from every true natrict in every foaatry vi'hsrc the r?w ir.Pterial is fpuod.
t H 1 N A, 421
Their trade, it is well known, is open fo Amei leans and to all the
European nations, with whom they deal for ready n.onrv ; for Inch is
the pride and avarice of the Chinese, that they think no rnanufaftures
equal to their own. But if is certain, that fince the dilcovery of the
porcelane manufatlures, and tlie vail improvements the Europca^is
have made in the weaving branches, the Chinefe commerce has been
on the decline.
CoK5iiTUT!o.\ Axn GOVERNMENT.] TKis was a vcfy inflruftive,
entertaining article, before the conquefl of China by the Tartars ; for
though their princes retain many fundamental maxims of the old Chi-
nefe, the Tartarsliave obliged the inhabitants to deviate from the ancient
difcinline in mans' refpetls. Perhaps their acquaintance with the Eu-
ropeans may have contributed to their degeneracy. The original plan
of tlie Chinefe government was patriarchical, aimofl in the ftriftefi:
fenfc of the word. Duty and <5bedience to the father of each family
was recommended and enforced in the mod rigorous manner ; but, at
the fame time, the emperor was confidered as the father of the whole.
His mandarins, or great officers of flate, were looked upon as his fub-
Ilitutes, and the degrees of fubmiffion which were due from the infe-
rior ranks to the fupcnor, were fettled and obferved with tiie mofh
fcrupulous precifion, and in a manner that to us feems highly ridicu-
lous. 'I'his frmple claim of obedience required great addrefi and
knowledge of human nature to render it effcftual ; and the Chinefe
legillators, Confucius particularly, appear to have been poffelfed of won-
derful abilities. They enveloped their diftates in a number ofmyftical
appearances, fo as to flrilie the people with awe and veneration. The
mandarins had modes of fpeaking and writing different from thofe of
other fubjefts, and the people were taught to believe that tlicir princes
partook of divinity. I'o that they were feldom fcen, and more leldom.
approached.
Though this fyflem preferred the public tranquillity for an incredi-
ble number of vcars, yet it had a fundamental defeft that often convulf-
ed, and at lad proved fatal to the date, becauie the fame attention was
not paid to the military as to ihs civil duties. Tire Chinefe had pal-
nons like other men, and fometimes a weak or wicked adminill ration
drove them into arms, and a revolution eafily fucceeded which they
juftified by fa) ing, that their fovcreign had ceafed to be their father.
During thofe connnotion.s, one of the parties naturally invited their
neighbours the Tartars to their alfifl^nce, and it was thus thofe barba-
rians, who had great fagacity, became acquainted with the weak fide
of thfcir conflitution, and they availed themfelves accordingly, by in-
vading and conquering the cmpiic.
Bclides the great doftrine of patriarchal obedience, the Chinefe hzd
fumptuary laws, and regulations for the cxpenfes of all degrees of fub-
jefts, which were very ufeful in preferving the public tranquillity, and
preventing the effefts of ambition. By their inRitulions likewife the
mandarins might rcmonflrate to the emperor, but in the moR fubroif-
five manner, upon the errors of his government, and when he was a
virtuous prince, this freedom was often attended with the mofl falutary
effefts. No country in the world is fo well provided with magiltrates
for the difchargcof juRice, both in civil and criminal matters, as Chi-
na ; but they are often inellcdual through want of public viituc in th«
execution
4zt C H I N^ A.
execution. The emperor is flyled '■'• Holy Son of Heaven^ Sok Govmi-^
or of ih(f Earth, Great Father of his Peopk."
REi.T'diON.] This article is nearly connefted with the preceding.
Though the ancient Chinefe worfhippcd idols, yet ihfeir philosophers
and legifiators had jufter fentiments of the Diety, and indulged the
people in the worfhip of fenfiblc ohjeils, only to make them more fub-
miflive to government. The Jeluits ma.de little, oppofition to this
when they attempted to convert the Ciiinefe ; and fufferfcd their prof-
elytes to vvorfliip Tien, pretending that it was no otTier than the name
of God, The truth is. Cor/ucius, and the Chinefe legiflatorS, intro-
duced a mofl excellent fyftem of r-icrals among the people, and en-
deavoured to fupply the want of jufb ideas of a future ftate, by pre-
Jcribing to them the worfliip of inferior d'^ities. Their morality ap-
proximated to that of Chriilianity ; but as Ave know little of iheir relig-
ion. Only through the Jefuits, We cannot adopt for truth the numerous
jhftances which they tell us of the confcrinitv of the Chinefe with the
Chriflian religion. Thofe fathers, it rrluft be ov^^ned, were men of
great abilities, and made a wonderful progrefs about a century ago in
their converhons : but they miftook tlie true charafter of the emperor
who was their patron : for he no looner found that fhey were in fafcl
iifpiring to the civil direction of the government, than he expelled
them, levelled their churches with the ground, and prohibited the ex-
crcife of their religion ; fince which time Chrifliauity has made no
progrefs in China.
Revenues.] Thefe are faid by fome to amount to twenty millions
{l.erling a year ; but this cannot be meant in l!^oney, which does not at
A\ abound in China. The taxes colle6>.ed for the ufe of government
in rice, and other commodities, are certainly very great, and may be
cafily im,pofed, as an account of every man's family and fubftance is
annually enrolled, and very pofTibly may amount to that fum..
MitiTARY AND MARINE STREKGTii.J Chif'ia is, at this time, a far
more powerful empite than it was before its conqueft by the eaftcrn
Tartars in 644. This is owing to the confuramate policy of Chun-
ichi, the firft Tartarian em.peror of China, who obliged his hereditary
fubjefts to conform themfelves to the Chinefe manners and policy,
and the Chinefe to wear the Tartar drefs and arms. The two na-
tions v.-ere thereby incorporated. The Chinefe were appointed to all
the civil offices of ihe empire. The emperor made Pekin the leat of
3 lis government, and the Tartars quietly fubmitted to a change of then
country and condition, which was fo much in their favour.
This fecurity, howGvcr, of the Chincie from the Tartars, t.ikcs from
them all military objefts : the Tartar nower alone, b'qing formidable to
that empire. The only danger that tfircatens it nt prefent is the difufe
I. farms. The Chinefe land army is faid to confift of five millions ot
men ; but in thefe zre comprehenderi all who are cm'ployed in tb.e col-
lettion of the revenue, and the prefcrvation of the canals, the great
ro?.ds, and the public peace. The i.mpevial guards amount to about
;^o.OO0. As to the marine force, it is compol'ed chiefly of the junks,
we have already mentioned, and other fmall fhips, that trade coaft-
wayS; or to the neighbouring countries, or to prevent fuddsn defcenfs.
A treatife on the military art, tranflated from the Chinefe into
*;he French language, was publiPied at Paris in ; 77!. from which it
appears
CHINA. 423
^p|»ears that tha Chinele are well veiled in the theory of the art of
war : But caution, and care, and circumfpeftion, are mucli rccom-
Incnded to their generals ; and one of their maxims is, never to fight
with enemies either more numerous or better armed than themielvcs.
History.] The Chincfc pretend as a nation to an antiquity be-
yond all nieafure of credibility ; and their annals have been carried
beyond the period to which the Icripture chronology affigna tlie crea-
tion of the world. Poan-Kou is laid by them to have been the iirft:
man, and the interval of time betwixt him and the death of the cele-
brated ("onfuciuR, which wtis in the year before Chrid, 479, has been
reckoned from 276.000 to 96.961,7.^0 years. But upon an accurate iu-
vcfligation of this I'ubjeft, thcfe extravagant pretenfions to antiquity,
appear to be wholl)' unlupported. A correfpondence has been carried
on, for a number of years pall, with the miihonarics of China, and
with two young Cliincle, whom, the delire of being ufeful to their
country, engaged to leave it lor I'ome time, that they might learn, in
France the European languages and fciences. After a rehdence or
leveral years there, where (hey applied themfclves with fingular atten-
tion to the ftudy of natural philofopliy, chemiflry, &c. and alio acquir-
ed a conliderable knowledge of trade, manufafturcs, and the mechanic
arts, they returned to Chinain 1765. carrying with thcminftruftions and
quellions, relating to a variety of objefts, which the learned and others,
defired to have elucidated. On their arrival in China, they joined
their labours, with thole of the rnilFionaries, and thus, fince the year
1766, a Variety of pieces have been annually fent, containing anfwers
to the (Jueftions that had been propofed to them.
In 1776, was printed in a 4to vol. at Paris, the {irft of a feries of vol-
ume (fomc of which have lince been publifhed) v.'hich we are allowed
Xo expeft from this annual correfpondence. This volume contains a-
mong other valuable things, an ample memoir concerning the antiqui-
ty of the Chinefe nation. It is replete with learned refearchcs, and
lliews a very extenlive degree of erudition. The authors give a niort«l
blow to the pretended antiquity of the Chinefe empire, and the auther.-
ticity of its ancient hiftor)-. They prove that^all hiflorical relations oT
events prior to the reign of YAO,who lived 1^057 V^-^^^ before Chrii't,
are entirely fabulous, compofed in modern times, unfupporled by au-
ihentic records, and full of contradictions.
The fame volume contains the tranflation of two books of great an-
tiquity, the one entitled Tahio, or the Grand Science : The oihcr'jybri^-
yong. or the exact middle way, with a preface and notci. Thclc ivvo
pieces of morality contain the mofl excellent precepts of wjfdom and
virtue, expteded with the greatcll eloquence, elegance and nrecifion.
In the preface to them we ;ne told, they were cOmpofed by the giand-
fon of Confudus, and one of his difciples, from the leifons of that gii^at
Philofopher. If fo, they ate indeed uncommonly curious, and arc
equal to the noblcft philofophical remains of Grecian antiquity, of
which they bear, in feveral places, a very flrciig rcfemblance. Btit
one of the paflages, which is \ ery flriking, «nd which far exceeds, in
clearnci's, the prophefy of Socrates, is that which fol!ov.'s. '• How iub-
lime are the ways of the Holy One I His virtue (hail iill the uuiverfc —
fliMl vivify all things, and Ihall rife to the 7Vtr or Supreme Deity.
W hilt a noble com (e is opening (o our vicv/ ! M"hat new lav.-s arul c^b.-
ligaiiui;^ 1
iU C M I N A.
ligations ! What sugufl rites and facred folemnitics ! But HbW ffeali
mortals obfcrve therh, if I^e does not F.rft give them the example ? His
coming alone can prepare us for lire performance of thefc fablime du-
ties. Hence that faying, known and repeated in all ages. " the paths 6f
perfeftion fliall neVer be frequented, until the Holj/ One, by way of
feminencf, fhall have confecrated them by the traces of his footileps.'^
This dertainly is a remarkable paitagc, efpecially if it has been tranf-
lated with precifion and fidelky, from an authentic produffion. of fd
early a date as the tirhc of Confucius.
The origin of the Cliinefs eriipire cannot be placed higher than two
Or three generations before Yao, But even this is carrying the em-
pire of China to a very high anLiquity, and it is certain that the ma-
terials for Chinefe hiftory are extremely ample. The grand annals of
the empire of China are comprehended in 668 vo'umes, and confift
of the pieces that have been compofed by the tribunal or department
of hiftcry, eflablifhed in China for tranfmittlng topofterrty the public
events of the empire, and the lives, charafters, and tranra6lions of its
fovereigns. It is faid, that all the fafts, which canceih the monarchy
fmce its foundation, have been depcfited in this department, and from
age to age have been arranged according to the order cf time, under
the infpeflion of government, and with all the precautions againft il-
lulion or partiality that could be fuggefted. Thefe precautions have
been carried fo far, that the hiftory of the reign of each imperial farn-
i!y. has only been publifhcd aftor the cxtinftion of that family, and
-vvas kept a profov.nd fccret during the dynafly, that neither fear nor
flattery might adulterate the trutih'. It is aflerted, that many or the
Chinclc hiftdrians expofcd themfelves to exile, and even to deaths
rather than difguife the defe£ls and vices of the fovereign. But the
emperor Chi-hoangti, at v/hofe command the great wall was built, ih
the year 213 before the Chriflian arra, ordered all the hiflorical books
and records, which contained the fundamental \z\vz and principles of
the ancient government, with the medals, infcriptions, and monu-
ments cf antiquity, to be burnt, that they might not be employed by
the learned tooppofe his authority, and the changes he propofed to in-
troduce into the monarchy, and that there might rem.ain no earlier rec-
ord, date, or authority, relative to religion, fcience, or politics, than
thofe of his own reign, and he be confidered as the founder of the em-
pire. Four hundred literati were burnt with their bocks ; yet this
barbarous cdift had not its full effeft ; feveral books were concealed,
and cfcaped the general ruin. After this period, flrift fearch was
inade for the ancient books and records that yet remained ; but though
iriuch induftrv was emploved for this purpofe, it appears that the au-
thentic hiflorical fources of the Chinefe, for the times anterior to the
year 200 before Cii rift, are very few, and that they r^re Hill in fmaller
number for more remote periods. But notwithilanding the depreda-
tions that have been made upon the Chinefe hiftory, it is ftillitnmenfe-
ly voluminous, and has been judged by feme writers fuperior to that of
all other nations. Of the grand annals before mentioned, which
amount to 668 volumes, a copy is prefcrved in the library of the
French king. A chronological abridgment of this great woik, in. one
hundred volumes, was publifhed in the Ai^ year of the reign of Kang-
bi ; that is, in the year 1 703. This work is generally called Kam-nao,
or the abridsjmcnti Bui
INDOSTAN, or Is'DiA ON Tins sittt the GANCta, 425
But the limits to which our work is confined will not permit us to
fcnlaigc upon fo copious a (ahjeft'^s tlii^t of the Chinefc hiftory ; nor
Would we have faid even fo much on this fubjeft, could wc liave refer-
red the readet to any good hiftory of (his Empire. It fecms, that the
original form of government, was monarchical ; and a fuccefTion of ex-
cellent, princes, and a duration of domeftic tranquility, united legifla-
lien with philofophv, and produced their Fo-hi, whofe hifiory is wrap-
ped up in myfherics, their Li-Loakum, and above all their Confucius,
at once the Solon and Socrates of China. After all, the continued
Wars for feveral centuries between the Chinefe and Tartars, and the in-
ternal revolutions of the empire, produced the moA. dreadful effefts, in
proportion as its conftitution was pacific, and they were atttcnded
with the mofl bloody exterminations in fome provinces ; fo that
though the Chincfc empire is hereditary, the imperial fuccclTion was
often broken into, and altered. Upwards of twenty dynafties. or dif-
ferent lines and families of fucceflion, are enumerated in their annals.
In the year 177!, all the Tartars which compofed the nation of the
Tourgnnths, left the fettlements which they had under the Ruflian
government on the banks of the Wolga, and the laick, at a fmall dif-
lance from the Cafpian fea, and in a vaft body of Bfty thoufand fami-
lies, they paffed througTi the country of the Hafacks. After a march
of eight months, in which they furmounted innumerable difficulties and
clangers, they arrived in the plains that lie on the frontier of Carapen,
not lar from the banks of the river Ily, and offered themfelves as fulv
jc6b to Kien-long, emperor of China, who was then in the thirly-fixth
year of his reign. He received them gracioufly, furnifhcd them with
provifions, cloths and money, and allotted to each family a portion of
land for agriculture and pafturage. The year follov.'ing there was a
-focond emigration of about thirty thoufand other Tartar families, who
alio quitted the fettlements which they enjoyed under the Rulliaii
government, and fubmitted to the Chinefe fccptre. The emperor
caufed the hifiory of the emigrations to be engraven upon ftone, ia
four different languages.
INDOSTAN, HINDOOSTAN, or India on this
iide the Ganges.
Situation akd ? ^ I ^KIS fine country, one of the mofi. celebrated
BouNDAHiES. i X in the woild for its antiquity, population
and opulence, is fituated between 66'^ and 92° 3o^of eaflern longitude,
and between the 8th and 361 h Degrees of northern latitude, and is
confequently, partly in the torrid, and partly in the northern temper-
ate Zone.
It is v/aflied on the South wefl by that part of the Indian Ocean,
called the Arabian fea, on the fouth-eaft by another large inlet of the
fame ocean called the Bay of Bengal, and bounded on all other fides
by Pcrfia, Independent Tarlary, Thibet, and India beyond the Ganges.
Divisions."! In the year 1596, the dominions of the Emperor of
Indoftan, confifled of 105 Sircars or Provinces, fubdivided into 2737
Kufbalis or townfhips. The Empire at that period wa parcelled in-
426 INDOSTAN, or India on tiJis side Tut Ganges*
to twelve grand divifions, and each was committed to the goveren'»
ment of a Soobadar or Viceroy. The names of the Soobahs or Vice-
royalties, were
Allahabad Ahmedabad Cabul
Agra Bahar Lahoor
Owdh Bengal Multan
Ajmeer Dehly Maiwa.
To thefe were added, by ccnqueft, Berar, Rhandeeis, and Ahmed-
na^ur, which were formed into tlirce Soobahs, incrcafing the number
to fifteen.*
I Indoftan is ufually di\Hded into Indoftan Proper, to thenorth ; and
the peninfula called the Deccan^ to the fouth,
Thefe contain a variety of provinces, whofc limits have been at all
times very iluftuating, from the unfctLled ilate of government.
TheTartar princes, the fucccfl'ors of Tamarlane, as they lubdued this
country, divided it into large provinces called Soubahs, which were
lubdivided into Circars and Purgunnahs : The boundaries of thefe
Soubahs having been fixed by the emperor Akber in the 16th century
are tolerably well known.
Of thefe Soubahs Indoftan Propel- contained thirteen, viz.
Soubahs or Provinces Chief Towns, &c.
/Cabal, a very ancient and beautiful city, lat. 34*'
30'. Ion. 164^. 40'.
^-"—■f j Gazna or Ghu^neen, fituated in the fecond cli-
L mate, a barren place.
fLahoor on the Rauvee, lat. 31®. 50'. Ion. 109".'
■r ^ f .1 Tt I 22' — -a very large, populous city.
Lahoor^orthePen- i . ^ , »i 't 1 iT u 1 / n c a ..
. , ^ <; Attock on the Indus, here called the R. of At-
-^ [ tock, has orie of the Urongefl fortreffes in the
(_ empire, built to fecure the paffage of the river.
fMoultan or Multan is one of the mod ancient
xvloultan < cities of Indoftan, and is in lat. 29*^. 25,' Ion.
„. , f Tatta, Pataia, on the Indus, here called the R.
^^"^y L of Mehran, lat. ag^*. 25. long. 107^'. 35.
Provinces
* Ayeen Akbcny or the inftitutes of the Emperor Akbtr, tranflated frem the original
jferfian, by Francis Gladwin, and publi{hed in 3 vols. 410. at Calcutta, 1783, & 1784.
+ The divifions of Indoftan have been very erroneeufly ftated in moft Geographies here-
tofore pubhlhed. The divifions as above given wcreobtaineJ from a gcntkiuan of acknowl-
edged acquaintance with the fubjeft, and are according to tlie gelebr;ite(l Map and Meir.oir
of Major Rennell, which are ellcemed of the firft authority.
J The weftern partof this Soubah is inhabited Ly a barbarous nation called Afghans,
tranfported hither by Tamerlane from the weftern coaft of the Cafpian lea ; they have been
alternately dependent on Indoftan and Perfia, and nearly oveitiirned the latter empire a few
years fince, liaving taken and pillaged the city of Ifpahan. No lefs Hun eleven different
languages are fpoken in this Soubah.
The country of Calhmire was a circar of Cabul : This celebrated country is environed on
uU fides by mountains, and watered by the R. Beiiat or Hyuafpc-., here called Ratab : It is
luppofedto have been originally a larf;e lake, until an earthquake opened a paft'agc through
the furrounding mountains for the wati^rs to flow off : Thu hnenefs of the climate, and in"
duftry of the inhabitants, have rendered it fo beautiful, that it is called the Terreftrial Pa-
radile of Indoftan : Its capital is Calhmere or Serinagur.
i) This Soubah is very populous, highly cultivated, aiid very healthj. The cultivated
hm'ds are chiefly fupplied with water from w^ells. Ice is btought from the northern moun-
tuiifj and fold here all the year.
INDOSTAK. OR India ok iiiis sict the Ganges,
427
Provinces
Delhi or Dehly
Agra*
Azmerc or Agi-
mere
Oude, Owdli or
Ahored
Bahar
Bengal
Allahabad
Maleva
Chief Towns, &c.
f Dchly or Gehan-abad on the R. Jumna, lat 28*^.
\ 15' Ion. 114^33'.
Agra on the R. Jumna. It contains 500 ftonc
buildings, of furprifing conftruftion, and ex«
quifite workmanfliip
Canoge on the R. Ganges
f Azmcre en the Puddar was a royal refidence
\ Chitore
j^Oude or Owhd,-|- on the Dewah or Gogra, one
J of the largeft cities of Indoftan, was the an-
-^ cient capital, lat 27". 22'. Ion. 1 18". 6'.
j Fyzabad on the fame R. is the prefent capital
I^Lucknow
rPatna on the Ganges
< Tirhoot, the ancient refidence of Hindoo Icarn-
l i^g , , . . .
TRuins of Gour or Lucis.nouti, Gatige-regia, of
immenfe extent, fituated formerly on the Gan-
ges, though the main channel of that river is
now 5 miles from it ; it was the capital of Ben-
gal 2270 years ; the feat of government was
in 1540 removed to
Tanda on the Ganges, now in ruins
-^ Rajemal "l have fucceeded to Tanda and
Dacca > become fucceflively the capi-
Moorfhedabad J tais of Bengal
Hoogly on the River Hoogly
^ Two emporiums 1 mile, diftant
Chittacong [^ from each other ; both in pof-
Satgong j felTion of Europeans. The lat^
(_ J tor famous for pomegranates.
r Allahabad Hdlabas at the confiux of the Ganges
and Jumnat
I^Bennarcs on the Ganges
Guzzerat or (iujc-
jerat
The Dec CAN'.]
<
f Ahmedabad, on the R. Sabermutty, lat, 23° con-
I taining icoo ftone mofques
Cambay and Ghogch are feaports
Surat on the R. Taptc, an emporium, formed in-
1 to 9 diviiions, each inhabited by a different
t, tribe, and they fpake difrcrent languages.
This name, v/hich ligiiifies the fouth, in the moft
extenfive fignification includas the whole peninful? fouth of Indoftan
Pioper, but in its more limited fenfe it only comprehends the prov-
inces of Candeifh. Bcrar. Golconda, Amednagur, and Vifiapour ; thus
C.N eluding
* The eaRefn part of Agra between the Ganges i!nd Jumna, is called the Doab, or cotm,
try between the two rivers. In this Soubah agricu'.tuie is in pertedicn.
t Near tiiis city are two fepukhral mcsuments, one 7 the other 6 cubits in length. The
vulvar protend that they are t^e tombs of Seih and Job, and relate wocdeiful florie.' of them.
:): The Hindoos call this ty<}l the King of •worfi'lpped ^uaco. "It is aftonifhing that
when the planet Jupiter enters the conftellation Leo, a hill arifesout otthe middle of the
Vj".i:igC5, and remaius for a month ; fo that people to up>-'n it and perform divine worfhip."
-•Vyeen .'^ki'Crry. Vol. II, p. 3.5,
4s3 IMDOSTANj or In'dia on this side the GANCEg.
excluding the provinces of Oriira, the Carnatic, and the Malabar ftateSj
which comprehend that long narrow traft between the Gauts and the
•wefttrn coaft, a confiderable psit of which was never fubjeftcd by the
Mogul emperors.
Pravinces. Chief Tov/ns, &c,
Candcifii Burhanpour
„ J Shawpour, ancient capital— ^Nagpour, prefcnt
\ capital
Golconda* fHydrabad or Bagnagar- — — Golconda Mafu-
^ ^ \ lipatam
Amednagur,! Bal- f Amednagur
lagate or Dow-'j Aurungabad
lataDad - [ Dowlatabad, a flrong fortrefs
VifiapoLir or Bcja-f,r.^
pour |V,riapour
J Cattac on the Mahanada
1 Balafore
Oriila
Carnatic
{Bii'naghar — Chandeghert
Areft-- Trichinapoli
Seringapatam — — Gingee
ipatam-
{\/r 1 k f Cochin
Maubar proper | ^^^-^^^
^^'''''' 1 Gca
L Mangalore
Presrnt DIVISION'.] Such was the general divifion of Indofiari
under the Mogul emperors, but the celebrated Pcrhan ufurper Thamas
Kouli Khan, having in the year 1738 defeated the emperor Mahomed
Shaw, plundered Delhi, and pillaged the empire of treafure lo the
amount of more than 70 millions fterling, reftored the unhappy prince
Kis dominions, but annexed to Perfia all the countries weftward of the
Indu3.
This dreadful incurfion fo weakened the authority of the emperor,
that the Viceroys of the different provinces either threw off their al-
legiance or acknowledged a very precarious dependence ; and en-
gaging in wars with each other, called in as allies the Eaft India com-
panies of France and England, who had been originally permitted as
traders, to form edabliftnnents on the coaHs : Thefe, from the great
fuperiority of European difcipline, from allies became in a fhort time
principals in an obftinate contelt. that at length terminated in the ex-
pulfion of the French from Indoftan ; and thus a company of Britifh
merchants have acquired, partly by cefTions from the country powers,
and partly by injuftice and ufurpation, territories equal in extent, and
iuperior in wealth and population to mod of the kingdoms of Europe.
The Mahrattas originally pofleffed feveral provinces of Indoftan,
frors whence they were driven by the arms of the Mogul conquerors ;
they were never wholly fubjefted, but retiring to the northern part of
the Gauts, made frequent irruptions from thefe inacceffible moun-
tains ; taking advantage of the anarchy of the empire, they have ex-
tended
* That part of Golconda between the GoJavery and Kiiftina was formerly called Tdlia-
gana, and its capital was Wariingole or Oringal, a fortrefs of vaft exleat.
■t The weftern part of this country is called IJaglana.
iNDOSTAN, or India on tiijs sidf. the Gangbj. 429
tended their frontiers, and are at prefent pofiefled of a iraft of country
J 00c BritiHi miles long hy 700 wide.
Hyder Alley, a foldiev of fortune, Who had learned the art of war
from the Europeans, having poffclTed himfelf of tliat part of the ancient
Carfiatic, called the kingdom of Myforc, has within a few yeai-s ac-
quired by continml conquefls, a confiderable portion of the fouthern
part of the Pcninfula ; this able and aftive prince, the mod formidable
enemy that the Englifh ever experienced in Indoftan, dying in 1783
left to his fon Tippo Saib, the peaceful poffcffion of his dominions, fu-
pcrior in extent to the kingdom of England.
Thefe extraordinary revolutions, ^i\'-ith others of !efs importance,
render the following account of the prefent divifion of property in
this unhappy empire, abfolutely necelfary, in order to miderftand itfs
modern hiftory.
PRESENT DIVISION of IN DOS TAN.
Such is tlie inftaliiiity of human greatnefs, that the |jrefcnt Grcac
Mogul, Shaw Allum, the defcendant of the Gi^tit Tamerlane, is merely
2 nominal prince, of no importance in the politics of Indoftan : He is
permitted to refidc at Delhi, which, with a fmall adjacent Territory, is
all that remains to him of that vaft empire, which his artceftors gov-
erned more than 350 years.
Tlie principal Divifions of this country, as they ftood in 1782, are
as follow, viz. The Briti/li poflefnons ; States in alliance with Brit-
ain ; Tippo Salb's Territories ; i^Iahratta ftates and their tributaries j
and the Territories of the Subah of the Deccan.
Brit.'.h possessions.] The Britifh poiTefTions contain about
150.000 fquare Britifh miles, (which is about x8,ooo more than is con-
tained in Great Britain and Ireland) and about 10 millions of inhab-
itants. They confift of three diftinft governments, viz.
r^ * ^r r^ > f Bengal Subah "1
(government of Cal- ,. 1 c u i. /-% .t /^
, .. „ u._ 1 <^ hahar Subah > On the Gansei.
cutta or Bengal ] »! v • j I
° 1^ Benares Zemindary J
Northern Circars On the coafl of Orifl'a,
rThe Jaghire -1
Government of Ma- J TerritoryofCuddalore I Onthecoaftof Coro-
drafs I of Devicotta j mandel.
L of Negapatam J
Government of Bombay On the Gulf of Cambay.
GovERKMENT Of BfiNGAt.] This govemmcnt was rich, flourilh-
ing, and populous before the late ufurpations in Indoflan ; it is finely
watered by the Ganges and Burrampooter with their numerous navi-
gable channels, and the feveral navigable rivers they receive : It is fer-
tilized by their periodical inundations ; and by its natural lunation is
well fecured againft foreign enemies : On the eafl and north it is de-
fended by llupendous mountains, large rivers, and extenfive wafles ;
on the fouth by a fea-coart; guarded by fliallcws and impenetrable
woods, where it is acceflible only by the River of Hoogly ; and on
the weft, thpugh more expofed, the natural banicr is ftrong. The.
capital
43© IND03TAN, OR India on this side the Ganges.
capital and feat of government is Calcutta, on the River of Hoogly,
navigable by fhips of the line ; it is a modern city, and though in an
unhealthy fituation, it is at prefent one of the moft rich, flourifhing,
and commercial cities in Indonan.
GovERNMUNT OF Madra^. J The great dcfcfts of this government,
are not only the want of connexion betu'een its parts, which are fcat-
tered along an extenfive coaft, and feparated from each other by flates
frequently hotlile, but being totally devoid of good harbours : Hopes
however have been entertained of removing this laft defeat, by rernqy.
ingthe bar at the mouth of that branch of the Caveri called Coleroon.
■which falls into the fca at Devicotta. The capital and feat of goveirn*
ment is Madras in the Jaghire, called alfo Fort St. George •, it is illy
fituated without a harbour, and badly fortified, yet contains upwards
of 200,000 inhabitants. — Fort St. David in the Territory of Cuddaloi?
is rich, flourifliing, and contains 60,000 inhabitants. — Masu li patam'
in the northern Circars, at one of the mouths of the Krifhna, was for-
merly the moft flourifhing and commercial city on this coaffc, and
though much declined, is fliU confiderable.
The northern Circars, which are denominated from the towns of
Cicacole, Rajamundry, Elore and Condapily, are defended inland bv.
^ flrong barrier of mountains and extenfive forefts, beyond which the
country is totally unknown for a confiderable fpace.
GovERNMEXT OF BoMBAY.] This government is Watered by the
Tapee and Nerbudda. Its capital and feat of government is Bombay,
in a fmall ifland in an unhealthy fituation, but well fortified and on a,
fine harbour. — Surat on the Tapte which forms an indifferent port,
is one of the moft rich and commercial cities in Indoftan. Tilmcheu^
jtY on the Malabar coaft, is dependent on Bombay.
A L L I 1; S OF T II r. BRITISH.
dominions of the Nabob 1 Fyzabad
of Oude I Luc know
Dominions
INDOSTAN, OR India on this side the Ga:'IGes. 431
Dominions of the Nabob of
Arcot, comprehend the<^'
eaftern part only of the an
cient Carnatic.
Arcot on the Paliar is the capita],
though the Nabobufually rsTides at
Madrafs.
Gingec, the ftrongefl Indian fcrtrefs in
the Carnatic.
Trichinapoli near the Caverl well for-
tified in the Indian manner, was rich
and populous, containing near
406. coo inhabitants, now almoft ru^
ined by the numerous fieges it has
fuflaincd.
Seringham Pagoda, in aniflandofthe
Caveri, is famons throughout Indof-
tan for its fanftity, and has no lefs
than 40,000 priefts who conftantly
refide here in voluptuous indolence.
Chandegeri, the ancient capital of the
empire of Narzzingua, formerly rich,
powerful, and populous ; near it is
the famons Pagoda of
Tripetti. the Lorretto of Indoftan, the
offerings of the numerous Pilgrims
who refort hither bring in an im-
menfe revenue.
Tanjore, Madura, and Tinivelly are
the capitals of fmall ftates of the
fame name, which with Marawar,
are dependent on the Nabob of Ar»
cot,
Territory of Futty Sing T • j i j
/^■i • ,u cuo. r Amedabad
Uuicker in the boubah or •< /^ 1
Gl Lambay.
uzerat. |_ ■'
Territory of the Rajah of / ^^.^^^^. ^ ^^^^^^^^^j ^^,.^^^^3^
TIPPO SAIB's Territories.
Kingdom of Mylore
Bednore
Canara
Part of Malabar proper
Seringapatam on the Caveri
Bednore or Hyder Nuggar
Mangalore
Calicut
Chitte'.droog, Sanore, Harponelly, Roydroog, Gooty, Condanore,
Canoul, Cuddapa, &c. arc the capitals of Territories of the fame name,
which have been fucceffively conquered by Hyder Ally.
MAHRATTA STATES axo their TRIBUTARIES.
This extenfive country is divided among a number of chiefs or
princes, who have one common head called the Paifliwa or Nana, to
whom however their obedience is merely nominal, as they often war
againft each other, and are feldom confederated except fpr mutual de-
fpnpe, Sputherii
43* INDOSTAN, or India on this side the Ganges.
e ^,. T, u 1VT u *^ f Satara the nominal capital of the Mah-
Southern Poonah Mahrattas, ,' ,. n , ^^ i, ■ n , r
. ^-, . . en -r \ ratta Hates, the Taimwa at pielent
or thelerntories of Paifn- _, ' « ^ *
wa, are naturally flrong,-^ ,-
being interfered by the v.; '
refides at
'oonah
", , c^u n . Auningabad, Amednagur, and Vifia-
nousbranchesoftheCrauti. \ =» • i • ^^ •, •
[_ pour, are m his Territories.
The Concan or traft between the Gauts and the fea is fomctiraes
called the Pirate coaft, as it was fubjeft to the celebrated Pirate An-
uria and his fuccelTors, whofe capital was the ftrong fortrcfs of Gneria,
taken by the EngliHi and Mahrattas in 1755 ; by the acquifition of this
eoaft the Mahrattas have become a maritime power, and dangerous
enemies to the government of Bombay.
f N'agpour is the capital
J iBalafore has confiderable trade
TT, n^ 1 .4 xt_ • Cuttack on the ?vlahanda, an important
Berar Mahrattas, their coun- aiu ? i- • ^ c
,-*i 1 . y polt which renders this nation a for-
try IS very Imle known to-< ^ • j 1, . \. -n ■ -n
y,^ ■ ^ midable enemy lo the Bncifli. as it
cuts err the communication bcLweca
the governments of Bengal and Ma-
l drafi.
Europeans.
Northern Ponah Mahrattas .^ . ., r •> - c- j-
I r ^ 1 fUupein, the reuQcnce ot omnia
govei-ned at prelcnt by , j \i. rj m n
7.. T rj u jr ■ i Indoor, the relidence of Holkar
binaia, l^olkar, andiome< „ , ' ,-, rr> j n ,.
, ■, r rj ui Caloy, the relidence of Guno;dar runt
other lets conuderable £, '^ .1 r 1 r n n
L ^agur, the relidence 01 Ballagee.
Territory of the SoubahoffTi j u i • *i •. 1
the Deccan>^^ 1 ^^^'^'^^^^ '' '^'^ "P^'^'-
Country of the Abdalli. Tliis government, which includes the Sou-
bah of Cabul, and the neighbouring p?.rts of PeiTia. ^''as formed by
Abdalla, one of the generals of Thamas Kouli Kan, when on the death
of that ufurper his em.pire was difmembered : Its capital is Candahar
in Perfia.
Country of the Seiks : They are faid to confift of a number of
fmall ftates independent of each other, but united by a federal union.
Country of the Jats or Getes, very little known to Europeans.
Country of Zabeda Cawn, an Afguan RohiUa.
Territory of Agra on the Jumna.
Furrukabad, or country of the Patan Rohillas, on the Ganges, fur-
rounded by the dominions of Oude.
Bundelclund,
Travan^ore near C. Commorin.
Air and seasons.] Tlie winds in this climate generally blow for
fix months from the fouth, and fix from the ncrtii. April, May, and
the beginning of June, arc exceflively hot, but refrefhed by fea breezes j
and in fome dry feafons, the hurricanes, which tear up the fands, and
let them fall in dry fhowers, are exceflively difagrecabls. The Eng-
li%
^ Aiwi'i h dependant qa the Sau|>ah.
INDOSTAN, OR India on this side the Ganges. 433
li{h, and confcquently the Europeans in general, who arrive at Indof-
tan, are commonly feized with fome illnefs, fuch as flux or fever, in
their different appearances -, but when properly treated, efpecially if
the patients are abflemious, they recover, and afterwards prove healthy.
About the end of June, a fouth-weft wind begins to blow from the
fea, on the coafl of Malabar, which, with continual rains, lafl four
months, during which time all is ferene upon the coafl of Coromandel
(the weftern and caftern coafts being fo denominated.) Towards the
end of Oftober, the rainy feafon, and the change of the monfoon be-
gins on the Corom.andel coafl, which being dcftitute of good harbours,
renders it extremely dangerous for fhipsto remain there, duiing that
time; and to this is owing the periodical returns of the Englifh fhip-
ping to Bombay, upon the Malabar coafl. The air is naturally hot in
this peninfula, but is refrefhed by breezes, the wind altering every 1 2
hours ; that is from midnight to noon it blows off the land, when it is
intolerably hot, and during the other twelve hours from the fea,
which lafi proves a great refrefliment to the inhabitants of the coad. —
The produce of the foil is the fame with that of the other parts of the
Eaft-Indies. The lik-e may be iaid of their quadrupeds, fifli, fowl, and
noxious creatures and infefts.
Mountains.] At C. Camorin commences a range of ftcep and lof-
ty mountains, called the Cauts or Gettes, which run parallel to the
weftern coall. and affumes various names as it advances northward :
Thefe mountains rife abruptly from the low Country on the weft, like
a ftupendous wall, that fupports a vaft extent of fertile and populous
plains, which are fo much elevated as to render the air, though in the
torrid Zone, cool and plcafant. Indoftan is fepaiated from the countries
that environ it to the northward by feveral ranges of ftupendous
mountains that Is-ave no general appellation, but are diftinguiflied by
various names, in different parts : Ofthcfethe moft remarkable are
the mountains Hindoo-Koh, the ancient Paropamifus and Indian Cau-
cafus, on the confines of Perfia and Independent Tartary. The moun-
tains of Thibet, on the confines of that country are very lofty, and
connecled with others farther n^th, offuch great height, that they
are fuppoled the higheft in Aha.
RivtRS.J Of the rivers of Indoftan three far exceed the reft ia
magnitude and utility ; the Indus, the Ganges, and the Burrampocter.
The Indus, called Sindeh by the Natives, iffues from the mountains o£
Hindoo-Koh, and foon becoming navigable is called the River of At-
tock ; in the upper part of its courfe it receives feveral fine, navigable
rivers, but none in the lower, where it croffes a flat, open country, and
falls into the Arabian fea, by feveral channels, the chief of which
is called the River of Mehran. Thefe channels form and interfeft a
large triangular ifland which they fertilize by their periodical inunda-
tions. The principal rivers it receives are the Behat, or liydafpes,
;ind the Ilyphafis, which formed the eaftern boundary of the conquefts
of Alexander.
The Ganges, one of the fineft rivers in the world, iffues from Ken-
taiffe, one of the vaft mountains of Thibet, and after a courfe of about
750 miles, through mountainous regions little known, enters Indoftan
at the Defile of Kupele, fuppofed by the natives to be its fource ; from
hence thi'^ fine river (which is revered by the Hindoos as a deity that
Dd is
434 ^NDOSTAN, or Ln'diaon rni:; tiaz the CANCts,
is to wafli away all their ftains, and who Cay that it flows from the lialr
of Mahadeo) pafTes through deliglitful plains, with a fmooth navigable
ftrcam, from one to three miles wide, during the remainder of its^
tourfe, which is about 1350 miles, to the bay of Bengal, into which it
falls by two larger, and a multitude of lefTer channels, that form and in-
terfe£l a large triangular illand, v.'hofe bafe at the fea is near 200 mile*
in extent. The entire courfe of the Ganges is 2100 miles, and is to
that of the Thames as 9! 10 1. The navigatior> of the eafhern branch
being dangerous is little frequented. The weftern branch, called the
little Ganges, or R. of Hoogly, is navigable by large fhips, and moft
generally frequented. The Ganges receives 1 1 rivers,fomeof which are
equal to the Rhine, and none inferior to the Thames, in England.
The learned among the Hindoos, have compofed volumes in praife of
thefe waters, all parts of which they confider as holy ; but fome parti-
cular parts are efteemed more fo than others. People of high rank
have the water of the Ganges brought to them from vaft di fiances, it
being thought neceflary to the performance of fome religious rites.
The water of th« Ganges has been celebrated in all ages, not only for
its fanftlty, but aU'u on account of its fiveetnefs, lightnefs, and whole-
fomenefs, and bccaufe it does not become putrid tiiough kept for years.
The Burrampooter, is called Sanpoo in the upper part of its courfe.
This rival lifter of the Ganges iffues from the fame mountains that give
birth to that river: buttaking a contrary direflion through Thibet, winds
to the fouth weft,through Adam, and enteringIndoftan,flows to the fouth,
affumes thename of Megna, and joins the weftern branch of the Ganges,
tvith an immenfe body of water,tcjual if not fuperior to theGangcsitfelf.
Thefe two noble Rivers when they approach the fea, divide inta
fuch a multitude, of channels, and receive fuch a number of navigable
ftreams, that a traft of country, nearly equal to Great Britain in extent,
enjoys by their means the fineft inland navigation that can be con-
ceived, and which gives conftant employment to 30,000 boatmen :
Thefe channels are fo numerous that very few places in this traft are
even in the dry fcafon 25 miles from a navigable ftream ; and in the
feafon of the periodical rains, they overflow their banks to the depth
of 30 feet, and form an inundation that fertilizes the foil to the extent
of more than loO miles.
Population, inhabitants, T The Mahometans (fays Mr.
RELIGION AND GOVERNMENT. J Ormc) who avc catlcd Moofs, of
indoftan, are computed to be about ten millioas, and the Indians about
an hundred millions.
The original inhabitants of India are called Gentoos ; or, as others
call them, Hindoos, and the country Hindooftan. Ihey pretend that
Brumma, who was their legiflator both in politics and religion, was
inferior only to God, and that he e.xifted many thoufand years before
Our accovmt of the creation. This Brumma, probably, was fome great
and good genius, whofe beneficence, like that of the pagan le^iflators,
}cd his people and their pofterity to pay him divine honours. The
Bramins (for fotheGentoo priefts are called)pretcnd that he becfueath-
ed to them a book called the Yidam, containing his doftrincs and in-
liitutions ; and that though the original is loft, they are ftvU poffeifed
of a facred commentary upon it, called the Shahftah, which is written
in the Shanfcrita language, now a dead language, and known only to
the BraminSj who ftudy it, even as our facred fcriptures are written in
Gieck
INDOSTAN, OR India on this side the Ga::ge3. 435
Greek and Hebrew. But whetl^er that language was originally differ-
ent from that of the country, or whether it has only now become unin-
telligible to the people, through that change which is incident to all
living languages, is not w(.!l known.
The foundation of Brumman's doftrine conflfted in the belief of a Su-
preme Being, who created a regular gradation of beings, fome fuperior,
and fome inferior to man ; in the immortality of the foul, and a future
ftate of rewards and punifhmcnts, which is to confift of a tranfmigia-
tion into different bodies, according to the lives they have led in their
pre-exiftcnt ftate. From this it appears more than probable, th^t the
Pythagorean mctempfychofis took its rife in India. The neceffity of
inculcating this fublime, but otherwife complicated doftrine, into the
lower ranks, induced the Bramins, who arc by no mear.s unanimous iri
thrir doftrines, to have rscourfe to fenfible reprefentatious of the Deity
and his attributes ; fo that the original doftrines of Brumma have de-
generated to rank ridiculous idolatry, in the worfhip of different ani-
mals, and various images, and of the mofl hideous figures, delineated or
carved. Wooden im;)ges arc placed in all their temples, and on cer*
tain feftivals are exhibited in the high roads and in the flrects of towns*
The human figures, with elephants heads, which are the objc£ls of their
devotion, have many hands, and are enormoufly corpulent.
The Hindoos have, from time immemorial, been divided into fouf
great fribrs. The fii fl and mofl noble tribe are the Bramins, who alone
can ofliciate in the prieflhood, like the Jewifli tribe of Levi. They
are not, however, excluded from government, trade, or agriculture^
though they are flriftly p'ohibited from all menial offices by their
laws. The fecond in order is the Sittri tribe, who. according to their
original inftitution, ought to be all military men ; but they frequently
follow other profclTions. The third is the tribe of Beiie, who are
chiefly merchants, bankers, and banias or fliopkeepers. The fourth
tribe is that of Sudder, who ought to be menial fervants ; and they are
incapable of raifing themfelves »o any fuperior rank. If any one of
them fhould be excommunicated from any of the four tribes, he and
his poderity are for ever fhut out from the fociety of every bodv in the
nation, excepting that of the Ilavri caft, who are held in utter detefta-
tion by all the other tribes, and are employed only in the rnsanefl and
viled ofRces. This circumflance renders excommunication fo dread-
ful, that any Hindoo will fuffer the torture, and even death itfelf, ra-
ther than deviate from one article of his faith.
Befides this divilion into tribes, the Gentoos are alfo fubdivided into
cn/li, or fmaller clafies and tribes ; and it has been computed that there
are eighty four of thcfc caffs, though fome have fuppofed there was a
greater number. Ihe order of pre-eminence of all the cafts, in a par-
ticular city or province, is generally indiiputably decided. The In-
dian of an inferior would think himfelf honoured by adopting the cuf-
toms of a fuperior caft ; but this laft would give battle fooner than
not vindicate its prerogatives : 1 he inferior receives the victuals pre-
pared by a fuperior call witii refpcft, but the fuperior will not partake
of a meal which has bccii'^repared by the hands of an inferior caff.
Their marriages are circumfcribed by the fame barriers as the rcfl of
their intercourfcs ; and hence, behdes the national phyfiognomy, the
members of each cafl. prefcrve an air of fliU greater rcfcmblance to one
D d 2 another.
43^ INDOSTAN, or India on this side the Ganges.
another. There are fome carts remarkable for their beauty, and others
as remarkable for their uglinefs. The moft ftriking features in th*
charafter of tlie Hindoos, are their fuperflition, and veneration for
the inflitutions and tenets of their forefathers.
In India, the dominion of religion extends to a thoufand particulars,
which in other countries are governed either by the civil laws, or by
tafle, cuftoin, or fafliion. Drefs, food, the common intcrcourfes of
life, marriages, profeffions, all are under the jurifdiftion of religion.
There is fcarcely any thing that is not regulated by fuperftition. It
prefcribes rules of conduct in all circvim'.lances and fttuations ; nor is
there any thing ahnoll fo trifling or minute as to be confidered a^ a
matter of indifference. The original government of the Hindoos, was
in reality an hierarchy ; for among that religious people, the higheft
authority was pofTeiTed by the priefthocd, or the Bramin caft. Nor 13
it in this inllance only, that we find a refemblance between the natives
of India and them. Not only were the governments of both nations
hierarchical, but in both there was a vail variety of religious obfer-
vances and ceremonies extending to manv particulars, which in othev
countries are matters of choice or of indifference ; and both entertain-
ed the mofl profound refpeft and veneration for their anceftors. All
thccaftacknowledgetheBramins for their prieils, and from them derive
their belief of the tranfmigration : which leads many of them to afilift
thcmfelvcs even at the death of a fly, although occahoned by inadvert-
ence. But the greater number of cafls arc Icfs fcrupulous, and eat, al-
though very fparingly, both of lifh and flelh ; but, like the Jews, not
of all kinds indifferently. I'he food of the Hindoos is fimple, confift-
ing chiefly of rice, ghee, which is a kind of imperfect butter, milk,
vegetables, and oriental fpices of different kinds, but chiefly what is
called in the Eaft, chilly, and in the Wed, green or Cayen, pepper.
The warrior caft, may eat of the flefn of goats, mutton, and poultry.
Other fuperior cafls may eat poultry and fifli : but the inferior calls
are prohibited from eating flelli or fifli of any kind. Their greateft
luxury, confifls in the ufe of the richefl fpiceries and perfumes, of
which the great people are very lavifh, and which grow almoft fpon-
taneoufly in tlieir gardens. They cflecra milk the pureft of foods, be-
caufe they think it partakes of forne of the properties of the ne£lar of
their gods, aiid becaufe they efteem the cow itfelf almofl like a divinity.
Their manners are gentle ; their happinefs confifls in the folaccs of a
domefl'c life ; and \.\\cy are taught by their religion, that matrimony is
an indifpcnfabie duty in every man, who docs not entirely feparate
himfelf from the world from a principle of devotion. Their religion
alfo permits tliem to have fcveral wives ; but they feldom have more
than one : And it has been obierved, that their wives arc diflinguifhed
by a decency of demeanour, a fblicitude in their families, and a fidelity
to their vows, which might do honour to human nature in the moft
civilized countries. The amufements of the Hindoos conlift ingoing
to their pagodas, in a {Tilling at religious fhev/s, and in fulfilling a vari-
ety of ceremonies prefcribed to them by the Bramins. Their religion
feems to forbid them to quit their ov/n flioies,* nor do they want any
thing
* The Gentoos are perfuaded, that the waters of the three great rivers, Ganges, Kitlna,
aai In4us, have the facred vircue of purifyuig thofe who bathe in them, from all pollutions
an4
INDOSTAN, OR I>:dia o^f this sire the GANcts. 437
tilling from abroad. They might, therefore, have lived in mucli tran-
<]uillity and happinefs, if others had looked on them with the fame in-
difference with which tlicy regard the reJl of the world.
The foldiers, are commonly called Raj;ih-poots, or pcrfons dofccnded
from rajahs, and refide chiefly in the northern provinces, and are rrcnerally
more fair-complexioned than the people ofthe fouthern provinces,
who are quite black. Thefe rajah-poots are a robuft, biave. faithful
people, and enter into the fervice of thofe who will pay them ; but
when their leader falls in battle.^ they think that their engagements to
liim are finiflicd, and they run off the field without any ftain upon
their reputation.
The cufkom of women burning themfelves, upon the death of^their
hufbarids, flill continues to be praftifed among fome of high caft^ and
condition, though much lefs frequently than formcily, and it is faid,
that the Bramins now do not encourage it.
One particular clafs of women are allowed to be openly prodituted :
Thele arc the famous dancing girls. Their attitudes and movements
are very eafy, and not ungraceful. Their perfons are delicately form-
ed, gaudily decorated, and highly perfume/J. By the continuation of
Avanton attitudes, they acquire, as they grow warm in the dance, a fran-
tic lafcivioufncfs themfelves, and communicate, by a natural contagion,
the moft voluptuous dciircs to the beholders.
The Gentoos are as careful of the cultivation of their lands, and their
public works and conveniences, as the Chinefc ; and remarkably hon-
eft and humane : There fcarcely is an inftance of a robbery in all In-
doflan, though the diamond merchants travel without defenlive weap-
ons. According to a late writer, the Hindoos, as well as the Perfians,
I'artars. and adjoining nations, who have Inhabited Indoftan fmce it
was invaded by Tam.erlane, though of different nations, religions, laws,
and cuftoms, poffefs neverthelefs, in equal degrees, hofpitalitv. polite-
nefs, and addrefs. In refinement and eafe they are fuperior to any peo-
ple to the weftward of them. In politencfs and addrefs, in graccful-
nefs of deportment, and fpeech, an Indian is as much fuperior to a
Frenchman of fafhion, as a French courtier is to a Dutch burgo-maftcr
<;f Dort. A Frenchman's eafe is mixed with forward familiarity, with
confidence, and felf-conceit ; but the Hindoos, cfpccially thofe of the
higher cafls, are in their demeanour eafy andunconflrained, flill more
than even a French courtier, and their eafe and freedom is referved,
modefl, and refpeftful.
Their perfons arc flraight and elegant, their limbs finely proportion-
ed, their fingers long and tapering, their countenances open and pleal-
ant, and their features exhibit the moft delicate lines of beauty in the
females, and in the males a kind of manly foftncls. Their walk and
gait, as well as their whole deportment, is in the highcft degree grace-
ful. The drefs of the men is a kind of clofe-bodicd gown, like our
women's
and fins. This religious idea feems to be fotinded on a principle ot" policy, and intended to
reftrain the natives Irom migrating into dittant countries ; for it is remarkable, that tfec
facred rivers are fo fituated, that there is not any part of the India where the inhabitants
may not have an opportunity of w;i(hing away their fins. 'I'iie Ganges, which riles in tlie
mountains of Thibet, with its ditVercnt branches, runs through the kingdom ol IJcngal,
Bahar, and Orixa, and the upper provinces of Oude, Rohilcund, A^ra, Delhi, and l.ahore.
The Cirtna divides the Carnatic from Golconda,and runs through Vifiapore into the interior
parts of the Deccan. And the Indus, bounding the Guzarat provinces, fepsrates Indoftan
Irom the donmuons of Perfia.
438 INDOSTAN, Or India on this side th "" Ganges.
women's gowns, and wide trowfers, refembling petticoats, reachitig
down to their flippers. Such of the women as appear in public, have
fhawls over their heads and fhoulders, {hort clofe jackets, and the tight
drawers which come down to their ankles. Hence the drefs of the
men gives them. In the eyes of Europeans, an appearance of effeminacy ;
whereas that of the women will appear rather mafculinc : Such is the
influence of habit and cuftom on fentiments ; an influence which ex-
tends to matters of tafle, and to objetU of higher importance.
Their houfes cover much ground, and have fpacious galleries and
accommodations of various kinds. The apartments are fmall, and the
furniture not very elegant, if we except the rich Perfian carpets. The
grandeur of their palaces confifts in baths, perfumes, temples, gods, and
harams. The harams or zenanas, that is, the refidences of the women,
are removed from the front of the houfe, and lighted only from a fquare
fpace in the centre of the whole building. The appaiel of the wom-
en is inconceivably rich ; they have jewels on their lingers and about
their necks, and alfo in their ears and nofl.riliij with bracelets on their
wrifl:s and arms, and around their ankles.
The temples or pagodas of the Gentoos are Rupendous but difguftful
ftone buildings, erefted in every capital, and under the direftion of the
Bramins. If the Bramins are mafters of any uncommon art or fcience,
they freq-.iently turn it to the purpofes of profit from their ignorant vo-
taries. Mr. Scrafton fays, that they know how to calculate eclipfes ;
and tliat judicial aftrology is fo prevalent among them, that half the
year is taken up with unlucky days ; the head aflrologer being always
confulted in their councils. The Mahometans likewife encourage
thofe fuperfl;itions, and look upon all the fruits of the Gentoo induft.ry
as belonging to themfelves. Though the Gentoos are entirely paflive
under all their opprcffions, and by their ftate of exiftence, the praftice
of their religion, and the fcantinefs of their food, have nothing of that
refentmcnt in their nature that animates the reft of mankind ; yet they
are lulceptiblc of avarice, and fometimes bury their money, and rather
than difcover it, put themfelves to death by poifon or otherwife. This
praftice, which it feems is not uncommon, accounts for the vaft fcarci-
ty of iilver that till of late prevailed in Indoftan.
1 he reafons above mentioned account likewife for their being lefs
under the influence of their pafflons than the inhabitants of other
countries. The perpetual ufe of rice, their chief food, gives them
but little nourifhment ; and their marrying early, the male before
fourteen, and their women at ten or eleven years of age. keeps ihem
low and feeble in their perfons. A man is in the decline of life at
thirty, and the beauty of the women is on the decay at eighteen : At
twenty-five they have all the marks of old age. Weaie not therefore to
vi^onder at their being foon ft^ranoers to all perfonal exertion and vig-
our of mind : And whatever may be the caufc, a recent traveller
anong them, ohfervcs, it is certain, that death is resJiirded with lefs hor-
ror in India than in any other countiy in the woild. The origin and
the end of all things, {';\y the philcfophers of India of the prefent times,
is a vacuum. A fl.ate of repofe is the Hate of greate/i. perfe£lion ; and
this is the ftate after which a wife man afpires. Ir is belter, fay the
Hindoos, to fit than to walk, and to flotp than to \\,/kc ; but di-ath is
the bcft of all. According to the Gcnioo laws, criuiliidL fcntcnced to
death
INDOSTAN, OR India on this side the Gakges. 439
death are not to be ftranglcd, fuffocated, or poifoned, but to be cut off
by the fword ; becaufe, without an efFufion of blood, malefaftors are
fuppofed to die Vvilh all their fins about them ; but the Ihedding of
their blood, it is thought, expiates their crimes.
The Mahometans, who, in Indoftan, are called Moors, are of Perfian,
Turkifh, Arabic, and other cxtraftions. They early began, in the
reigns of the caliphs of Bagad, to invade Indoftan. They penetrated
as far as Delhi, which they made their capital. They fettled colonies
in fcveral phiccs, vvhofe defcendants are called Pytans ; but their em-
pire was overti:rown by Tamerlane, who founded the Mogul govern-
ment, which (Ull fubfifls. Thofe princes being drift Mahometans, re-
ceived under their protection all that profeifed the fame religion, and
who being a brave, aftive people, counterbalanced the numbers of the
natives. They are faid to have introduced the divifion of provinces,
over which they appointed foubadars ; and thofe provinces, each of
v/hich might be flylcd an empire, were fubdivided into naboblliips ;
each nabob being immediately accountable to his foubadar, who in pro-
<;efs of time became almoll independent on the emperor, or, as he is
called, the Great Mogul, upon their paying him an annual tribute. The
vaft refort of Perfian and Tartar tribes has likewife ftrengthened the
Mahometan government ; But it is obfervable,that in two or three gen-
■erations, the progeny of all thofe adventurers, who brought nothing
with them but their horfes and their fwords, degenerated into all ths
eaitern indolence and fenfuality.
Of all thofe tribes, the Marattas at prefent make the greatefl figure.
They commonly ferve onborfcback. and, when well commanded, thev
have been known to give law even to the court of Delhi. Though they
are originally Gentoos, yet they are of bold, aftive fpirit, and pay great
refpeft to the principles of their religion. Mr, Scrafton fays, that the
Mahometans or Moors are generally of fo deteflable a chara6ler,thathe
never knew above two or three exceptions, and thofe were among the
Tartar and Perfian officers of the army. Thefe are void, we are told,
of every principle even of their own religion ; and if they have a vir-
tue, it is an appearance of hofpitality, but it is an appearance only ; for
while they are drinking with, and embracing a friend, they will ftab
him to the heart. But it is probable, that thefe reprefentations of their
moral depravity are carried beyond the bounds of truth.
The manner of drinking among the Gentoos is remarkable. They
religioully avoid touching the veffel that contains the liquor with their
lips, and pour it into their mouths, holding the bottle, or other veffel,
at leaft at a foot's diflance. Their idea is, that they v/ould be polluted
by ftagnating water. They will drink from a pump, or of any running
ilream, but not out of a pool.
Mr. Dalrymple obfervcs, according to the Gentoo conflitution, land
(lioufes and gardens excepted] is not private property, but belongs to
the community, in the feveral villages ; each of which are fupplied
with their refoeftive public officers, as the headman, to execute juf-
tice ; the conicopoly, to keep the accounts of the village ; the corn-
meter, fmith, barber, do£lor, aflrologer, &c. The grounds are culti-
vated by the community, and the produce fliared out in certain pro-
portion.s to all. One is allotted to the Pagodas and Bramins, one tQ
ike government, another to the public ofliccrs, one to tiic repair of
tanks.
440 INDOSTAN, or India oi-r this side thf. Gances,
tanks, or refervoirs of water, anri the reft diftribiited among the com-
munity : But we underfland that the Mahometan government, and the
intrufion of Europeans, have introduced fome innovations in this an-
cient conflitution, particularly, by farming the circar, or government
fnares.
Such are the outlines of the government by which this great empire
long fubfi fled without almofl the femblance of virtue amongits greatofH-
cers, either civil or military. It was fhaken, however, after the over-
throw of Mahomet Shah, by Kouli Khan, which was. attended by fo
great a diminution of the imperial aathority that the foubahs and na-
bobs became abfolute in their own governments. Though they could
not alter the fundamental laws of propertv, yet they invented new tax-
es, which beggared the people, to pay their armies and fupport their
power : fo that many of the people, a few years ago, after being un-
Tnercifully plundered by colleftors and tax-maflers, were left to perifli
through want. To fum up the mifery of the inhabitants, thofe fou-
baaars and nabobs, and other Mahometan governors, employ the Gen-
toos themfelves, and fome even of the Bramins, as the minifhers of
their rapscioufnefs and cruelties. Upon the whole, ever fmce the in-
vafion of Kouli Khan, Indoftan, from being a well regulated govern-
ment, is become a fcene of mere anarchy ; every great man protefts
liimfelf in his tyranny by his foldicrs, whofe pay far exceeds the nat-
ural riches of his government. As private affaffinations and other
murders are here committed with impunity, the people, who know
they can be in no worfe Rate, concern themfelves very little in the
revolutions of government. To the above caufes are owing the late
fucceffes of the Englifli in Indoflan. The reader, from this reprefen-
tation, may perceive, that all the PLnglifh have acquired in point of
territory, has been gained from ufurpers and robbers ; and their pof-
felTion of it being gurantecd by the prefent] lawful emperor, is faid to
be founded rpon the laws and conftitutions of that country. We are,
however, forry to be obliged to remark, that the conduft of many of
the fcrvants of the Eafl India Company towards the natives, and not
properly puniflied or checked, either by the dire£lors or the Britifh
legiflature, has in too many inftances been highly difhonourable to the
Englifh name, and totally inconfiflent with that humanity which was
formerly their national charafterifhic.
It may be here proper juft to obferve, that the complexion of the
Gerloos is black, their hair long, and the features of both fexes regu-
lar. At court, however, the great families are ambitious of intermary-
ing with Perfians and Tartars, on account of the fairnefs of their com-
plexion, refembling that of their conqueror Tameilane and his great
generals.
Provinces, citif.s, and other! Theprovinceof Agra isthe
BUILDINGS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE./ largcft in all Indoflan, con
taining 40 large towns and 340 villages. Agra is the greateft city, and
its caftle the largefl fortification in all the Indies. The Dutch have
a fattory there, but the Englifh have none.
The city of Delhi or Dehly, which is the capital of that province, is like-
wife the capital of Indoftan. It is defcribed as being a fine city, and con-
taining the imperial palace, whicli is adorned with the ufual magni-
ficenceof theEaiL Its ftables formerly contained 1 •2,000 horfes.brought
fioni
INDOSTAN, OR In'dia on Tins side the Ganges. 441
from Arabia, Perfia, and Tartary ; and 500 elephants. When the for-
age is burnt up by the heats of the feafon, as is often the cafe, thefc
horfes are faid to be fed in the morning with bread, butter, and fugar,
and in the evening with rice-milk properly prepared.
Tatta, the capital of Sindy, is a large city ; and it is faid that a
plague which happened there in 1699, carried off above 80,000 of its
manufafturcrs in iilk and cotton. It is ftill famous for the manufac-
ture of palanquins, which are a kind of canopied couches, on which
the great men all over India, Europeans as well as natives, repofe
when they appear abroad. They are carried by four men, who will
trot alono;. morning and evening 40 miles a day ; 10 being ufually hir-
ed, who carry the palanquin by turns, four at a time. Though a pa-
lanquin is dear at firft coft, yet the porters may be hired for nine or
ten Shillings a month each, out of which they maintain themfelvcs. —
The Indus, at Tatta, is about a mile broad, and famous for its tine carp
fini. ■
Though the province of Moultan is not very fruitful, yet it yields
excellent iron and canes ; and the inhabitants, by their fituation are
enabled to deal with the PeiTians and Tartars yearly for above 6o,coo
horfes. The capital is Moultan, about 800 miles, by the courfe of the
river, from the lea.
The province of Caffimere, being furrounded with mountains, is
difficult of accefs, but when entered, it appears to be the paradile of
the Indies. It is faid to contain 100.000 villages, to be Rored with
cattle and game, without any beafls of prey. The capital (CafTimere)
ftands by a large lake ; and both fexes, the women efpecially, are al-
moft as fair as the Europeans, and are faid to be witty and ingenious.
Theprovinceandcity of Labor formerlymade a great figure in the Indian
hi (lory, and is ftill one of the largeft and fincft provinces in the Indies,
producing the befl fugars of any in Indoftan. Its capital was once
about nine miles long, hu* is now much decayed. We know little of
the provinces of Ayud, Varad, Bekar, and Hallabas, that is not in
com non with the other provinces of Indoflan, excepting that they
are inhabited by a hardv race of men, who feem never to have been
conq lered, and though they fubmit to the Moguls, live in an eafy in-
dependent ftate. In fome of thofe provinces many of the European
fruits, plants, and flowers thrive, as in their native foil.
lienoal. of all the Indian provinces, is perhaps the mod interefting
to an Englifh reader. Its natural fituation, (as defcribed by Major
Rennel, late furvcyor general in Bengal) is fingularly happy with re-
fpeft to fecurity from the attack of foreign enemies. On the north
and eaft it has no warlike neighbours, and has moreover a formida-
ble barrier of mountains, rivers, or cxtenfive waftes towards thofe
quarters, fliould an enemy ftart up. On the fouth is a fca coaft guard-
ed by fhallows and impenetrable woods, and with only one port,
which is of difficult accefs, in an extent of 300 miles. Only on the
weft, can an encmv be apprehended, but there the natural barrier is
ftrong, and with its population and refourccs, and the ufual propor-
tion of Britifli troops. Bengal might bid defiance to any part of In-
doUan which was inclined to become its enemy. It is confide; cd as
the florehoufe of the Eafl Indies. Its fertility exceeds that of Egypc
after being overflowed by the Nile ♦, and the produce of its foil con-
iifts
44- IND03TAN, or India on this side the Ganges^
ftfls of lice, fugar-canes, corn, fefamum, fmall mulberry, and other
trees. " Moftof the rivers of Bengal," fays the author of Ayeen Ak-
berry, " have their banks cultivated with rice, of which there are a
vrjilety of fpecies. The foil is fo fertile in fome places, that a fingle
grain of rice will yield a meafure of 2 or 3 Seer. Some lands will pro-
duce tluee crops in a year. Vegetation is here fo extremely quick,
that as fall as the water rifes, the plants of rice grow above it, fo that
the ear is never above it. Men of experience affirm that a fmglc ftalk
will grow fix cubits in one r.ight." (Ayeen Akberry.) Its calicoes,
filks, falt-pctre, lakka, opium, wax, and civet, go all over the world ;
and provilions here are in vaft plenty, and incredibly cheap, efpccial-
ly pullets, ducks, and geefe. The country is interfe^ied by canals cut
nut of the Ganges for the benefit of commerce ; and extends near 100
leagues on both fides the Ganges, full of cities, towns, villages, and
caftles.
In Bengal, the worfliip of the Gentoos is praftifed in its greateft pu-
rity ; and their facred river (Ganges) is in a manner lined with their
magnificent pagodas or temples. The women, notwithftanding their
religion, are faid by fome to be lafcivious and enticing.
The principal Englifli faftory in Bengal is at Calcutta, and is called
Fort William : It is fituated on the river Hoogly, the mofl wefterly
branch of the Ganges. The fort itfelf is faid to be irregular, and un-
tenable againfl difciplined troops ; but the fervants of the company
have provided themfelves with an excellent houfe, and moft conve-
nient apartments for then^ own accommod;ition. As the town itfelf
i;a3 been in faft for fome time in polfeifion of the Company, an Englifla
civil government, by a mayor and aldermen, was introduced into it.
This was immediately under the authority of the Company. But in
J 773, an aft of parliament was pafTcd to regulate the affairs of the
Eafl India Company, as well in India as in Europe, By this a£l the
governor-general and four counfellors were appointed, and chofen by
the parliament, with whom was veiled the whole civil and military
government of the prefidency of Fort William; and. the ordering,
management, and government of all the territorial acquifitions and
revenues in the kingdom of Bengal, Bahar, and Oriffa, fo long as the
Company fiiould remain poifeffed of them. The governor-general
and council lo appointed, are jnvefled with the power of fuperintend-
ing and controlling the government and management of the prefiden-
ties of Madras, Bombay, and Bencoolen. The governor-general and
council lo pay obedience to the orders of ihe court of direftors, and to
corrcfpond with them. The governor-general and counfellors were
likewife empowered to eftablifli a courtof judicature at Fort William ;
to confifl of a chief juftice, and three other judges, to be named from
time to time by his majefty : Thefe are to exercife all criminal, admi-
ralty, and ecclefiaflical jurifdiftion ; to be a court of record and a
court of oyer and terminer for the town of Calcutta, and factory of
Fort William, and its limits, and the fa6lorics fubordinate thereto. —
But the efhablifliment of this fupremc court does not appear to have
promoted either the intcrefts of the Eafl-lndia Company, or the feli-
city of the people of the country. No proper attention has been paid
to the manners and cufloms of the people ; afts of great oppreffion and
injuftice have been committed ; and the fupreme court has been ^
luurte of great dilfatisfailion, diforder^ and confullon, Ir^
INDOSTAN, OR India on this sidu the Ganges.
443
In 1756, an unhappy event took place at Calcuf-a, which is too re-
markable to be omitted. The Indian nabob or foubadar, quarrelled
with the company, and invcftcd Calcutta with a large body of black
troops. The governor, and fome of the principal pei fons of the place,
threw themfclves, with their chief effefts, on bo^rd the fliips in the
river ; they who remained, for fome hours, bravely defended the place;
but their ammunition being expended, they furrendered upon terms.
The foubadar, a capricious, unfeeling tyrant, in (lead of obfcrvirig the
capitulation, forced Mr. Holwell, the governor's chief fervant, and
J45 Britifh fubjeclsj into a little but fecurc prifon, called the Black-
hole, a place about eighteen feet fquare, and fluit up from almofl: all
communication of free air. Their miferles during the night were in-
exprelTible, and before morning no more than twenty-thiee were
found alive, the reft, dying of fufFocation, which was generally attended
with a horrible frenzy. Among thofc laved was Mr. Holwcll himfclf,
wlio has written a mod alTsfting account of the cataflrophe. Ihe in-
fenfible nabob returned to his capital, after plundering theplace, imag-
ining he had rooted the Englifh out of his dominions ; but the feafon-
able arrival of admiral Wat (on, and colonel (afterwards lord) Clivc.
put them once more, with fome difficulty, in poffenion of the place ;
and the war was foon concluded by the battle of Plaffy, gained by the
colonel, and the death of the nabob Suraja Dowla, in whofc place
Mhir Jaffeir, one of his generals, and who had previoufly figned a fe-
cret treaty with Clive to defert his mailer, and amply reward the
Englilh, was advanced to the foubahfliip.
The capital of Bengal, where the nabob keeps his court, is Muxada-
bad, or Moorfhedabad : Benares, lying in the fame province, is the
Gcntoo univerfity, and celebrated for its fanftity. This zemindary
which includes alfo the circars of Gazypcur and Chunar, condituted
a part of the dominions of Oude or Owdh till 1774, when its tribute
or quit-rent of 24 lacks was transferred to the Englifh.
Chandenagore is the principal place polIefTcd by the French ia
Bengal : It lies higher up the river than Calcutta. But though
ftrongly fortified, furnifhed with a garrilon of 500 Europeans, and
1200 Indians, and defended by 123 pieces of cannon and three mor-
tars, it was taken by the Englifli admirals Watfon and Pococke, and
colonel Clive, and alfo was obliged to furrendcr in the laft war, but re-
ilored by the peace. Hoogly, which lies fifty miles to the north of
Calcutta, upon the Ganges, is a place of prodigious tiade for the rich-
eft of all Indian commodities. The Dutch have here a well fortified
fa£lory. The fcarch for diamonds is carried on bv about 10.000 peo-
ple from Saumelpour. which lies thirty leagues to the .\orlh of Hoog-
ly, for about fifty miles farther. Daccan is laid to be the iargeft city of
Bengal, and the tide comes up to its walls. It contains an Englifh
and a Dutch fattory. The other chief towns are Caffumbazar, Chin-
chura, Barnagua. and Maldo : befides a number of other places of lels
note, but all of them rich in the Indian manufactures.
We know little concerning the province or ioubaii of Malva, whicli
lies to the weft of Bengal ; Sindia and Holkar divide the Lngeft pari
of it. '] he capital of the former is Ougein. and of Ilolkar. the city oi
Indoor. It is as fertile as the other provinces, and its chief city is
Ratipor. The province of Kandifli included that of Berar and part of
Orijta
444 INDOSTAN, or India ok tihs side the Ganges.
Orixa, and its capital is Brampur, or Burhanpoor, a ilourifhing cit)',
and it carries on a vaft trade in chintzes, callicoes, and erribroidered
fluffs. Cattack is the capital of Orixa, and lies in the only road be-
tween Bengal and the Northern circars, and belongs to the Berar Ra-
iah Moodajee Boofla, whole dominions are very cxtenfive. Of the
five Northern circars, CicacolCj Rajamundry, EUore, and Condapilly
are in poffeffion of the Englifh, and Gunton is in the hands of the
Nizam.
We fhall fpenk of thofe provinces, belonging to the Malabar, or Coro-
mandcl coaft, the two great objefts of Englifli commerce in that coun-
try ; and firfl, of the eaftcrn, or Coromandel coaft.
Madura begins at Cape ConiOrin, the Ibuthernmofl point of the pen-
infula. It is about ihe bignefs of the kingdom of Portugal, and is
faid to have been governed by a fovereign king, who had under him
leventy tributary princes, each of them independent in his own do-
minions, but paying bun a tax ; now, the cafe is much altered, the
prince of the country being fcarcely able to proteft himfclf and his
people from the depredations of his neighbours, but by a tribute to
buy them ofl' ; the capital is Tritchinopoly. The chief value of this
kiiigdom feems to confift of a pearl fiiliery upon its coaft. Tanjore is
a little kingdom, lying to the eaft of Madura. The foil is fertile, and
its prince rich, till plundered by the nabob of Arcot, and fome Britifli
iubjefts connefted with him. Within it lies the Danifh Eaft India
fctllernent of Tanquebar. and the fortrefs of Negapatam, which was
taken from the Dutch the laft war, and confirmed to the Englifh by
the late treaty of peace. The capital city is Tanjore, governed by a
rajah under the Englifh proteftion.
The Carnatic, as it is now called, is well known to the Englifh. It
is bounded on the eaft by the bay of Bengal, on the north by the river
Chriltina, which divides it from Golconda ; on the weft by Vifapur,
or Vilipour, and, on the fouth, by ilie kingdoms of Mefi'aur and Tan-
jore ; being in length, from ibuth to north, about 345 miles. If Tan-
jore, Marrawar, Tritchinopoly, Madura, and Tincvelly be included,
and they are all appendages of the Carnatic, the length of it from
north to fouth is 570 miles, but no where more than 110 wide, and
chiefly no more than 80. The capital of the Carnatic is Bifnagar, and
©f the Englifh ally the nabob, Arcot, whole dominions commence on
the fouth of the Guntoo circar, and extend along the whole coaft of
Coromandel to Cape Comorin. The country in general is efteemed
healthful, fertile, and populous. Within this country, upon the Co-
romandel coaft, lies fort St. David's, or Cuddalore, belonging to the
Englifh, with a diftrift round it. The fort is ftrong, and of great im-
portance to the Englifh trade. Five leagues to the north lies Pondi-
cherry, once the emporium of the French in the Eaft Indies, but
Vv^hich had been repeatedly taken by the Englifh, and as often reftored
by the treaties of peace.
Fort St. George, better known by the name of Madras, is the capital
of the Englifh Eaft India company's dominions in that part of the Eaft
Indies, and is diftant eaftward from London, about 4800 miles. Great
complaints have been made of the filuation of this fort ; but no pains
have been fpared by the company, in rendering it impregnable to any
force that can be brought againft it by the natives. It prolefts two
tov.-n:.
INDOSTAN, OR India on this side the Ganges. 445
towns, called, fhom the complexions of their fcveral inhabitants, the
White and the Black. The white town is fortified, and contains ati
Englifh corporation of a mayor and aldermen. Nothing has been
omitted to mend the natural badnefs of its lituation, which feems orig-
inally to be owing to the neighbourhood of the diamond mines, that
are but a week's journey dillant. Thefe mines are under the dircdlion
of a Mogul officer, who lets them out by admeafurement, enclofmg
the contents by pallifwdoes ; all diamonds above a certain weight orig-
inally belonged to the emperor. The diftri6l belonging to Madras,
does not extend much more than 40 miles round, and is of little value
for its produce. Eighty thoufand inhabitants, of various nations, are
faid to be dependant upon Madras ; but its fafety confifls in the fupe-
riority of the Englifh by fea. It carries on a confiderable trade with
China, Pei fia, and Mocha.
The reader needs not be informed of the immenfe fortunes acquired
by the Englifli, upon this coaft, within thefe thirty years ; but fome of
thefe fortunes appear to have been obtained by the mofl iniquitous
praftices. There feems to have been fome fundamental errors in the
conftitution of the Eaft India Company. The direftors confidered
the riches acquired by their governors and other fervants as being
plundered from the company, and accordingly fent out fuperinten-
dants to control their governors and overgrown fervant?, and have
from time to time changed their governors and members of the coun-
cil there. As this is a fubjeft of the greateft importance that ever per-
haps occurred in the geography of a commercial country, the reader
will indulge us in one or two refleftions.
The Englifli Eaft India company, through the diftraftions of the
Mogul empire, the fupport of their government, and the undaunted,
but fortunate fucceflcs, of their military officers, have acquired fo amaz-
ing a property in this peninfula,andin Indoftan, that it is fuperior to the
revenues of many crowned heads: And fome of their own fervants
pretend, that when all their expenfes are paid, their clear revenue
amounts to near two millions ftcrling -, out of which they were to pay
400.000I. annually to the government, while fuffered to enjoy their
revenues. How that revenue is coUefted, or from whence it arifes, is
beft known to the company : Part of it, however, has been granted in
property, and part of it is fecured on mortgages, for difcharging their
expenfes in fupporting the interefls of their friends, the emperor, and
the refpeftive foiibadars and nabobs they have affifted.
This company has exercifed many rights appropriated to lovereign-
ty ; fuch as thofe of holding forts, coining money, and the like. Thofe
powers were thought incompatible with the principles of a commercial
limited company, and therefore tlie Englifh miniflry and parliament
ha\e repeatedly interfered : In order to regulate the affairs of the
company, a board of control at home is at length eflabliflicd. It has
alfo been hoped, that in confequence of this interference of the gov-
ernment, fuch meafures may be taken with the Eaftern princes and
potentates, as may render the acquifitions of the company permanent
and national.
We have already mentioned the kingdom of Golconda, which, be-
ftdes its diamonds, is famous for the cheapnefs of its provifions, and for
making white wine of grapes that are ripe in January. Golconda is
fuhjc£t
44^ INDOSTAN, or India on this side the Ganges.
fubjefl: to a prince, calledNizam or foubadarof the Deccan,whoisricli,
and can raife loo.ooo men. The famous diamond mine, Raolconda,
is in this province. The capital of his dominions is called Bagnagur,
oi- Hyderabad, but the kingdom takes its name from the city of Gol-
conda, and comprifes the eallcrn part of Dowlctabad. Eaft fouth-eaft
of Golconda lies Mafulipatam, where the Englifh and Dutch have
faftories. The EngliOi have alfo faftories at Ganjam and Vifagapa-
tam, OP this coaft ; and the Dutch at Narfipore. The province of O-
riffa, from whence the Englifh company draw fome part of their rev-
enues, lies to the north of Golconda, extending in length from eaft to
well about 550 miles, and in breadth about 240. It is governed chiefly
by Moodajee Boonflah, and his brother Bembajee, allies to the Marat-
tas. In this province flauds the idolatrous temple of Jaganaut, which
they fay is attended by 500 priefts. The idol is an irregular pyramid-
ical black ftone, of about 4 or 50oIb. weight, with two rich diamonds
near the top, to reprefent eyes, and the nofe and mouth painted with
Vermillion. Near this is the temple of the Sun, one of the moft mag-
nificent buildings in the world.
Major RenncU obferves, that there is a void fpace between the
known parts of Berar^ Golconda, Oi ilia, and the northern circars of
near 300 miles in length, and 250 in breadth, and that it is not likely
to be filled up unlefs a great change takes place in European politics in
India. The Britifh polTelTions in the northern circars, extend only
70 miles by land, and in fome places not more than 30, which form a
flip of 350 miles in length, bounded towards the continent, by a ridge
of mountains. Within thefe, and towards Berar is an extenfive tra6l
of woody and mountainous country, with which the adjacent provin-
ces appear to have fcarcely any communication. Though furrounded
Wy people higlily civilized, and who abound in ufeful manuff;6lures, it
is faid, that the few fpecimens of the miferable inhabitants of this traft
who have appeared in the circars, ufe no covering but a wifp of flraw.
This wild coiuitry extends about 160 miles, and the firfl civilized peo-
ple beyond them are the Barar Marat tas.
The country of the Deccan comprehends feveral large provinces, and
fome kingdoms ; particularly thofe of Baglana, Balagate, Telenga, and
the kingdom of Vifiapour. The truth is, the names, dependencies,
and governments of thofe provinces, are extremely unfettled ; and
fince their reduftion by Aurcngzebe, or his father, have been fubjeft
to almoft annual revolutions and alterations. The principal towns are
Aurungabad, and DoItabad,or Dowlatabad : The latter is the ftrongeft
place in all Indoflan. Near it lies the famous pagod of Elora, in a
plain of about two leagues fquare. The tombs, chapels, temples, pil-
lars, and many thoufand figures that furround ii, are faid to be cut out
of the natural rock, and to furpafs all the other efforts of human art.
Telenga lies on the eaft of Golconda, and its capital, Beder, contains a
garrifon of 3000 men. The inhabitants of this province fpeak a lan-
guage peculiar to themfelves.
Guzerat or Gujerat is a maritime province on the gulf of Cambaya»
and one of the fineft in India, but inhabited by a fierce rapacious peo-
ple. It is faid to contain 35 cities. Amedabad is the capital of the
province, where there is an Englifh fa6lory, and is faid, in wealth, to
vie
INDOSTAK, oh Ixdia ok this side the Gan'Ces. ^j^j
vie with the richefl towns in Europe. About 43 French leagues dif-
tant lies Surat, where the Englifl-i have a flourifhing faclorv.
Vifiapour is a large province, the wcftcrn part is called Konhan,
which is intermingled with the Portuguefe poltefTions. 'I he rajah of
Vifiapour is laid to have had a yearly revenue of i\x millions fleiling,
and to bring to the field 150,000 foldiers. The capital is of the (ame
name, and the country very fruitful. The principal places on thi*
coaft are Damam, Baflaim Tropor, or Tarapor, Chawl, Dandi-Rajah-
pur, Dabul- Rajah pur, Gheriah, and Vingorla. The Portuguefe have
loft feveral valuable poffcfTions on this coaft, and thofe which remain
are on the decline.
Among the iflands lying upon the fame coaft is that of Bombay, be-
longing to the Englifh Eaft-India company. Its harbour can conve-
niently hold looo fhips at anchor. The idand itfelf is abo.it feven miles
in length, and twenty in circumference ; but its fuuation and harbour
are its chief recommendations, being deftitute of almoft all the conve-
nienciesof life. The town is about a mile long, and poorly built ; and
the climate was fatal to Englifh conflitutions. till experience, caution,
and temperance taught them prefervativcs againft its unwholefomenei'^
The bcft water there is preferved in tanks, which receive it in the
rainv icafons. The fort is a regular quadrangle, and well built of
ftone. Many black merchants rcfide here. This ifland was part of
the portion paid with the infanta of Poitugal to Oharles II. who gave
it to the Eaft-lndia con pany ; and the ifland is ftill divided into three
Roman catholic parilhes, inhabited by Portuguefe, and what are called
catholic Meftizos and Canarins •, the former being a mixed breed of
the natives and Portuguefe, and the other the Aborigines of the country.
The Englifh have fallen upon m.ethods to render this ifland and town,
under all their difadvanlages, a fafe, if not an agreeable refidence. The
governour and council of Bombay have lucrative pofts.as well as the of-
ficers under them. The troops on the ifland arc commanded by Eng-
lifh officers ; and the natives, when formed into regular companies,
and difciplined, are here, and all over the Eaft-Indies, called Seapoys.
The inhabitants of the ifland amount to near 60.000 of different na-
tions ; each of whom enjoys the practice of his religion unmolefted.
Here, befides Europeans of all countries, you meet with Turks, Pei-
iians, Arabians, Armenians, a mixed race, the vileft of their fpccies,
dcfcended from the Portuguefe, and the outcafts from the Gentoo re-
legion, &c. and alio captives that are fiaves to every other tribe. The
Turks that refort to this place on account of trade, are like the reft of
their countrymen, ftately, grave, and referved ; and honeft in their
dealings, 'i'hc Pcrfians are more gay, lively, and converfible, but lefs
honeft in matters of trade, than the faturnine Turks. The Arabians are
all life and fire, and when they treat with you on any fubjeft, will make
you a fine oration in flowing numbers, and a mufical cadence : but they
are the moft difhoneft of all. The Armenians are generally liandfome
in their features, mild in their tempers, and in their nature Icind and
beneficent. They are a kind of Chriftians, and an honour to that ft-ft,
beyond numbers that go from England.
Near Bombay are feveral other iflands, one of which, called Ele-
phanta, contains the moft inexplicable antiquity perhaps in the world.
A figure of an elephant, of the natural fizc, cut coarfely in ftone, pre-
fents itfelf on the landing-place, near the bottom of a mountain. An
eafy
44^ INDOSTAN, oa India on this side the Ganges^
erafy flope then leads to a ftupendous temple hewn out of the folid rock,
eighty or ninety feet long, and forty broad. The roof, which is cut
flat, is fupportcd by regular rows of pillars, about ten feet high, with
capitals, refembling round cufhions, as if prefled by the weight of the
incumbent mountain. At the farther end are three gigantic figures,
•which have been multiplied by the blind zeal of the Portuguefe. Be-
sides the temple, are various images, and groupes on each hand cut in
the ftone ; one of the latter bearing a rude rcfemblance of the judg-
ment of Solomon ; alfo a colonnade, with a door of regular architec-
ture : but the whole bears no marmer of rcfemblance to any of the
Gen too works.
The ifland and city of Goa, the capital of the Portuguefe fettlements
in the Eaft-Indies, lies about 30 miles fouth of Vingoila. The ifland
is about twenty-feven miles in compafs. It has one of the finefl and
beft fortified ports in the Inqies. This was formerly a moft fupcrb
fettiement, and wasfurpaffed either in bulk or beauty by few of the
European cities. It is faid that the revenues of the Jcfuits, upon this
ifland, equalled thofe of the crown of Portugal. Goa, as well as the
reft; of the Portuguefe feitlements on this coafb, is under a viceroy,
who flill keeps up the remains of ihe ancient fplendour of the govern-
ment. The rich peninfula of Salvett is dependent on Goa, Suiida
lies fouth of the Portuguefe territories, and is governed by a rajah,
tributary to the Mogul. Canoree lies about foity miles to the fouth of
Goa, and reaches to Calicut. Its foil is famous for producing rice, that
fupplies many parts of Europe, and fome of the Indies. The Cano-
rines are faid generally to be governed by a lady, whofe fon has the ti-
tle of rajah ; and her fubjcftsare accounted the bravefl. and mojl; civi-
lized of any in that peninfula, and remarkably devoted to comtrercc.
The celebrated Hydcr Ally, with whom the Company formerly
made a peace, but with whom their fervants foon after embroiled then,
and who lately made a violent irruption into the Carnatic, took many
of its chief places, obtained great advantages over the company's troops,
and brought his forces to the gates of Madras, but died before the con-
clufion ol the war, is faid to be a native of Myfore, which lies to the
fouih-wefl of the Carnatic ; and the ChriRians of the apoftle St. Tho-
mas, live at the foot of the Gatti mountains. The dominions of Tip-
poo Saib, fon of Hyder Ally, comprehend generally the provinces of
Myfore, Bcdnore, Zaimbctore, Zanare, and Dindigal, befides his ac-
quifition to the northward from the Marattas : They are at leafk 400
miles in length, and in the breadth from 290 to 130, fo tliat he hath
the laroefl: fhare in the Peninfula.
Though Malabar gives name to the whole fouth-wefl: coafl: of the
peninfula, yet it is confined at prefent to the country fo called, lying
on the weft of Cape Connmorin, and called the Dominions of the
Samorin. The Malabar language, however, is common in the Carnat-
ic ; and the country ilfelf is rich and fertile, but pcOered with green
adders, wh.ofe poifon is incurable. It was fornerly a large kingdom
of itfelf. The moft remarkable places in Malabar are Cranganorc. con-
taining a Dutch factory and fort ; Tellichery, where the Enolifli have
a fmall fettiement, keeping a conftant garrifon of thirty or forty foU
diers. Calicut, where the French and Portuguefe have fmall fadtories,
befides various other diflin£l tcrritoiies and cities. Cape Comorin,
which
IND05TAN, OR India on this side the Gan'ges. 449
Vhich isthe fouthernmofl part of this peninfula, though not above three
leagues in extent, is famous for uniting in the fame garden the two
fcafons of the year ; the trees being loaded with bloffoms and fruit on
the one fide, while on the other fide they are dripped of all their leaves.
This furpriiing phenomenon is owing to the ridge of mountains fo
often mentioned, which traverfe the whole peninfula from foulh to
north. On the oppofite fides of the Cape, tlie winds are conftaotlv at
variance, blowing from the weft on the weft fide, and from the eaft on
the eaftern fide.
Before we take our leave of India, it may be proper to obferve, that
in the diftrift of Cochin, within Malabar, arc to be found fome thou-
fands of Jews, who pretend to be of the tribe of Manaifeh, and to have
records engraven on copper plates in Hebrew charafters. They are
faid to be fo poor, that many of them embrace the Gentoo religion.
The like difcoveries of tho Jews and their records have been made in
China, and other places of Afia, which have occafioned various fpecu-
lations among the learned.
It appears to be the intercfl; of the Eaft India Company, that their
governments in India fhould interfere as little as poffiblein the domcf-
tic or national quarrels of the country powers, and that they (hould al-
ways endeavour to be in a ftate of peace and tranquillity with their
neighbours. But thefe maxims of found policy they have not ad-
hered to ; the governours and fervants of the Eaft India Company
have unneceUarily, and fometimes ver)' iniquitoufly, embroiled ihcm-
fclves with the country powers, and engaged in wars of a very per-
nicious and indefenfible nature. The wars into which they have en-
tered with the Marattas, and with that enterprifing prince Ilydcr Al-
ly, nov/ dead, but fucceedcd by a warlike fon, Tippo Saib, have been
attended with an enormous expenfe, and been extremely prejudicial to
the interefts of the company, and the nation at home. By temporary
plans of violence and injuftice, and fometimes difregarding their own
treaties, they have forfeited the good opinion of the natives ; and by
exciting the indignation of the country princes againft them, greatly
leflcncd the fecurity of the poffelTions of the company.
The emperor oF Indoftan, or Great Mogul (fo called from being de-
fcended from Tamerlane the Mongul, or Mogul Tartar) on his advance-
TTient to the throne, afl'umes fome grand title ; as The Conqueror oj the.
World ; the Ornament of the Throne, &c. but he is never crowned.
History.] The reader will find much entertaining and ufeful in-
formation both hiftorical and Geographical, concerning this country,
in a work, in three quarto volumes, publiihed at Calcutta, in ty'j^^, enti-
tled " Ayeen Akbcrry, or the Inftitutes of the Emperor Akber," Tranf-
lated from the original Perfian, by Francis Gladwin. This valuable
work is in Harvard College Library, at Cambridge.
Ee The
4'50 INDIA BEYOND THE GanGE?,
The Peninsula of INDIA beyond the Ganges^
called the Farther Peninsula.
Situation and Extent.
Miles. Degrees. Sq. M.
Length 2000 1 , , f i and 30 north lat. l
" ! 1 y between •{ , "^ a , > 74 {,£500
iireadui icooj L Q'i and 109 ealt long, j ^^ '-^
Boundaries.] ' S Mil S peninfula is bounded by Thibet and
JL China, on the North ; by China and the Chi-
pefe fea, on the Eafl ; by the fame fea and the ftraits of Malacca, on
the South ; and by the bay of Bengal and the Hither India, on the
Wefl. The fpace between Bengal and China is now called the prov-
ince of MeckluSj and other dillncls, fubjeft to the king of Ava or
Burmah.-
Grand divifions, Subdivifions, Chief towns. Sq. M.
Acham "j f Camdani
I I Ava \. i<
J [ Arracan. J
On the north weft ^ Ava ^ ■{ Ava > 180.000
Arracan
Pegu, E. lo. 97. N. la. 1 7-30. 50,000
II
-^ , ^ ,, f, J Marthban I Mariaban
On the foalh-well \ c- 1 1 o
Siam I Siam, E.l. 100-55. N. la. 14-1(5, 170.000
Malacca J L Malacca, e. 1. loi .n. la. 2-1 2. 4B.000
fTonquin "j fCachao, or Keccio, e, ion. 1 12.000
On the north eafl; I I I 105. n. lat. 21-30.
[ Laos J [ Lanchang. 59,400
Co'.hinChina Thoanoa 61.900
^ , r ■, r, f Cambodia "1 f Cambodia "1 r
On the fouth-calt ■< ^, .,. M p a^-,^ • i* 00,200
|_ Chi am pa J L i aaram j '
Name.] The name of India is taken from the river Indus, which
of all others was beft known to the Perhans. The whole of this pen-
infula was unknown to the ancients, and is partly fo to the moderns.
Air and criMAra.] Authors difFer concerning the air of this
country, fomc preferring that of the fouthern, and fome that of the
northern paits. It is generally agreed, that the air of the former is
Iiotanddiy, but in fome places moift, and confequently unhealthy.
The climate is fubjeft to hurricanes, lightnings, and inundations, fo
that the people build their houfes upon high pillars to defend them
from floods ; and they have no other idea of feafons, but wet and dry.
Eafleily and wellerly utonfoons (which is an Inu'an word) prevail in
this country,
^L)u^ITA^^'s.] Thofe run from North to South almoft the whola
length of the country ; but the lands near the fea arc low, and an-
nually overHowcd in the rainy feafon.
Rn'ERs.] The chief arc Sanpoo or Burrumpootcr, Domea, Mecon,
Ivlenan, and Av;i, or the great river Nou Kian.
Cays and Straits.] The bays of Bengal, Siam, and Cochin-Chi-
na. The Ilraits of Malacca and Sincapora. '1 he promontcries of
Siam, Romana, and Banfac.
Sou. .\ND PRODUCT OF Tin, "1 "i'hc foil of thIs peninfida i*- fruit-
oiFFERSNT NATIONS. _ J fid in (^enctal, and produces all the
d'llicious
India beyond tue Gance3. 451
delicious fruks that are found iti other countries contiguous to the
Ganges, as well as roots and vegetables ; and in Ava, a quantity of falt-
petre. and the bell teek. timber, or Indian oak, which fui fhip-building
in warm climates is of much longer duration tiian any European oak.
Tcek ■(hips of 40 years old ate no uncommon objecls in the Indian feas.
This peninfula abounds lihovvife in filks, elephants, and quadv.ipeds,
both domellic and wild, that arc common in the louthcrn kmi^doms of
Afia. The natives dtive a great trade in gold, diamonds, ruhics. to-
pazes, amethylts, and other precious ftoncs, Tonquin producer liule
or no corn or wine, but is the moft. healthful country of all the penin-
fula. In fome places, efpecially towards the north, the inhabitantii
have fwellings in their throats, faid to be owing to the badnefsof theiv
Water.
LvHABrTANTS, CUSTOMS, "1 The Touquincfe are excellent mechan-
AND DiVERSio.Ns. J ics and fair traders ; but greatly oppreff*
ed by their king and great lords. His majelly cngroffes the trade, and
his faftors fell by retail to the Dutch and other nations. The I'onqui-
nefc are fond of lacker houfes, which are unwholcfome and poiionous.
The yjcoplc in the iouth are a favage race, and go almofl: naked, v/itll
large filvcr and gold ear-rings, and coral, amber, or Ihell bracelets. lit
Tonquin and Cochin-China, the two fexes are foarcely diflinguilhable
by their drefs, which rcfembles that of the Perhans. The people of
quality are fond of Englifli broad-cloth, red or green ; and others wear
a dark-coloured cotton cloth. In Azem, which is thought one of the
bell countries in Aha, the inhabitants prefer dogs-flefl^ to all other an-
imal food. The people of that kingdom pay no taxes, becaufe the king
is fole proprietor of all the gold and filver, and other metals, found in
his kingdom. They livcj however, eaiy and comfortably. Almoft
every houfe keeper has an elephant for the. conveniency of his wives
and women, polygamy being piaftifed all over India.
It is unquelfionable that thofe Indians, as well as the Chincfe, had
the ufe of gunpowder before it was known in Europe ; and the in-
vention is generally afcribed to the Azemcfe. The mhabitants of thcs
louthc'.n divihon of this peniniula go under the the name ot Malayans,
from the neighbouring country of ivialacca.
Though the religious fuperltitions that prevail in this peninfula are
extremely grofs, yet the people believe in a future ftatc ; and when
their kings are interred, a number of animals are buried with them^
and fuch veflels of gold and fdver as they think can be of ufe to thetu
in their future life. The people in this peninfula are ccmmor.ly very-
fond of fhew, and ofteu make an appearance beyond their circumftan-
ccs. They are delicate in no part of their drefs but in their ha-.r,
which they buckle up in a very agreeable manner. In their food liiey
arc loathfome ; for belidcs dogs, they eat rats, mice, ferpents, and
(linking fifh. The people of Arracan are equally indelicate in their
amours, for they hire Dutch and other foreigners to coniuromate the
nuptials with their virgins, and value their women moll when in a
(li.tc of pregnancy. Their treatment of the hck is ridiculous beyond
belief ; anu in many places, when a patient is judged to be incurable,
he is expofcd on the bank of fome river, where he is cither drowned,
or devoured by birds or bcafts of prey. Notwithllanding the great
antiquity of molt Indian nations, it is faid, on the veracity of lome
E c 2 \vbo
452 I N D I A auvoND the Gaxgej.
who have feen them, that on the coiifines of Arracan and Pegu, there
is a people (if folilavy favages roaming through woods in queft of prey,
deferve the name of people) that appear to b lin the very firlt ftage of
focietv. They are the only people in the known Vv'orld that go abfo-
lutely naked, without the fmallefl; covering on any part of their bodies.
They live on fruit, v.-hich grows fpontaneoudy, in the uncultivated
defert they inhabit, in great abundance ; and on the flcfl-i of animals,
which they tear alive and devour raw. They fit on their hams, with
their legs and arms difpofed in the manner of monkeys. At the ap-
proach of men, they fly into-their woods: They take care of their
ofl'spring, and live in families, but fcem to have no ideas of fubordi-
nation of rank or civil government.
The diverfions common in this country are fifliing and hunting, the
celebrating of feflivals, and afting comedies, by torch light, from even-
ing to mofning.
Language.] The langiiags of tlie court of Delhi is Perfian, but in
this peninfula it is chiefly Malayan, interfperfed with other dialefts.
Learning and leaned men. J The Bramins, who are the tribe
of the prieflhood, defcend from thofc Brachmans who are mentioned
to us with fo much reverence by antiquity ; and although much infe-
rior, either as philofophers or men of learning, to the reputation of
their anceRors, as priefts, their religious dofirines are ftill implicitly
followed by the whole nation ; and as preceptors, they are the fource
of all (he knowledge which exiiis in Indoftan. But the utmoft ftretch
cf their mathematical knowledge feems to be the calculation of eclipfe?.
They have a good idea of logic ; but it does not- appear they have any
treatifes on rhetoric ; their ideas '.^f mufic, if we may judge from their
praftice, are barbarous ; and in medicine they derive no afliftance
from the knowledge of anatomy,, fince dilTcdlions are repugnant to their
religion.
The poetry of the Aliatics is too turgid, and full of conceits, and
the diftion of their hiftorians very dilFufe and veibofe ; but though
the manner of eaflern compoiitinns differs from the correft tafie of
Europe, there are many things in the w^-itings of Aiiatic authors wor-
thy the attention of literary men. IMr. Dow obferves, that in the
Shanfcrita, or learned language of the Bramins, which is the grand
repofitory of ^the religion, philolophy, and hiilory of the Hindoos,
there are in particular many hundred volumes in profe which treat of
the ancient Indians and their hiftory. The fame writer alfo remarks,
that the Shanfcrita records contain accounts of the affairs of Wefterri
Afia very different from what any tribe of the Arabians have ti-anfmit-
ted to poflerity ; and that it is more than probable, that, upon exam-
ination, the former will appear to bear the marks of more authenticity,
and of greater antiquity than the latter. The Arabian v/riters have
been generally fo much prejudiced againft the Hindoos, that their ac-
counts of them are by no means to be implicitly relied on.
Mr. Dow ohferves, that the fmall progress, which correftnefs and
elegance of fentiment and diftion have made in the Eafl, did not pro-
ceed from a want of encouragement to literature. On the contrary, it
appears, that no princes in the world patronized men of letters with
more generofity and refpecl than the Mahometan emperors of Indof-
tan. A literary genius was not only the certain means to acquire a
degree of wealth which muftaftonilh Europeans, but an infallible road
for
INDIA BEYOND THE CaNGES.
for rifing to the firft ofRces of the ftale. The charafter of the learned
was at the fame time fo facred, that tyrants, who made a paftiine of
embruing their hands in the blood of their other fubjcils, not only aU-
ftained from offering violence to men of genius, but Rood in (ear of
their ftrength.
Manu lACTURES AND COMMERCE.] THcfe Vary in the different
countries of this pcninfula ; but the chief branches have been already
mentioned. The inhabitants, in fome parts, are faid to manufafcUue
their fait out of allies. In all handicraft trades that they undorfland,
the people aie more induftrious. and better workmen, than moll of the
Europeans; and in weaving, lowing, embroidering, and fome other
manufafturesj it is faid that the Indians do as much work with their
feet as their hands. Their painting, though they are ignorant of draw-
ing, is amazingly vivid in its colours. The linenefsof their linen, and
and their hllagrce work in gold and lilvcr, are beyond any tin'ng of
thole kinds to be found in other parts of the world. The commerce
of India, in fliort, is courted by all trading nations in the world,
and probably has been fo from the earlieft ages : It was not unknown
even in Solomon's time ; and the Greeks and Romans drew from
thence their higheft materials of luxury. The grealeft flaare of it,
through events foreign in this part of our work, is now centered in
England, though that of the Dutch is ftill very conhderablc ; that of
the French lias for fome time declined, nor is that of the Swedes and
Danes of much importance.
Constitution, government, 1 This article is fo extenfive, that
RARITIES anb CITIES. J it requires a flight review of the
kingdoms that form this peninfula. In Azem, it hath already been
obierved, the king is proprietor of all the gold and hlver ; he pays lit-
tle or nothing to the Great Mogul ; his capital is Ghergong or Kirga-
nu. W'e know little or nothing of the kingdom of Tipra, but that it
was anciently fiibject to the kings of Arracan ; and that they lend to
the Chinefe gold and lilk, for which they receive hlver in return.
Arracan lies to the foiith of Tipra, and is governed by twelve princes,
l"ubje6l to the chief king, who relides in his capital. His palace is ve-
ry large, and contains, as we are told, fevcn idols caft in gold of tvyo
inches thick, each of a man's height, and covered over with diamonds
and other precious ftones. IVgu is about 350 linglifh miles in length,
and alm.off the fame in breadth. The riches of the king v.hen an in-
dependent ftate, were almolt incredible ; Ibme of his idols, as big as
life, being of maffy gold and lilver. Mis revenues arofe fiom the rents
of lands, of which he was fole proprietor, and from duties on mer-
chandife ; fo that fome thought him to be the richeft monarch in the
world, excepting the Chiuclc emperor. lie was faid to be able to
bring a million, and on occalioii, a million and a half of foldicrs to the
Held, well clothed and aimed ; and to be mailer of 800 tr.iined ele-
phants, each with a callle on his back, holding four foldicrs. —
The conffitution of this empire is of the feudal kind, for he alhgns
lands and towns to hi^ nobles upon military tenures. In the year
1754, Pegu was reduced to the /tale of a dcpcn Jcnt pro\-incc by the
king of Avi. Macao is the great mart of trade in that province.
\Vc know little of the kingdom of Ava, Monchaboo was the rcfi-
dence of the king, and not Ava, in 1755. It is laid, the honours the
king
454 INDIA EEYOKD THE GaKGES.
king adumes are np,xt to divine. His fubjefts trade chiefly in mufk
and jewels, rubies and faphires. In other particulars, the inhabitants
refemble thofe of Pegu. In thofe kingdoms, and indeed in the greateft
part of this peninfula, the doftrines of the Grand Lama of Thibet pre-
vail, as well as thofe of the Bramins.
The kingdom of Laos or Lahos, formerly included that of Jangoma
or Jangomay, but that is now fubjeft to Ava ; we know few particu-
lars of it that can be depended upon. It is faid to be immenl'elv pop-
ulous, to abound in all the rich commodities as well as the grols fuper-
ilitions of the Eaft, and to be divided into a number of petty king-
doms, all of them holding of one fovereign, who, like his oriental
brethren, is abfolulely defpotic, and lives in inexprelhble pomp and
magnificence; but is of the Lama religion, and often tho flave of his
priefts and minifters.
The kingdom of Siam has been often defcribed by mifTionaries and
pretended travellers in the moft romantic terms ; and therefore we
can pay little other credit to their accounts, farther than that it is a
rich and flourifhing kingdom, and that it approaclies, in its govern-
ment, pqlicy, and the quicknefs and acutenefs of its inhabitants, very
near to the Chinefe. The kingdom of Siam is furrounded by high
mountains, which, otj the eafl fide, feparate it from the kingdoms of
Camboja and Laos ; on the weft, from Pegu ; and ou the north, from
Ava, or. more properly, from Jangoma ; on the fouth it is wafhcdby
the river Siarn, and has the peninfula of Malacca, the north-weft part
^vhereof is under its dominion. The extent of the country, however,
is very uncertain, and it is but indifferently peopled. The inhabil-
ants of both fexes are more modeft than any found in the reft of this
peninfula. Great care is taken of the education of their children.
Their marriages are fimple, and pei formed l)y their talai>oins, or priefts,
fprinkling holy water upon the couple, and repeating fome prayers.
We are told that gold is fo abundant in this country, that their moft
ponderous images are made of it ; and that it is feen in vaft quantities
on the out fide of the king's palace. Thefe rehitions are found, by
modern traveller*, to be the fiftions of French and other mifiionaries ;
for though the country has mines of gold, their ornaments are either
exceiTively thin plates of that metal, or a very bright lacker that cover
wooden or other materials. The government here is extremely def-
potic ; even fervants muft appear before their mafters in a kneeling
pofture ; and the madarins are proftrate before the king. Siam, the
capital, is reprcfented as a large city, but fcarcelv a fixth part of it is
inhabited ; and the palace is about a mile and a half in circuit. Ban-
kok, vyhich ftands about i3 leagues to the fouth oF Siam, and 12 miles
from the fea, is the only place towards the coaft that is fortified with
walls, batteries, and brafs cannon ; and the Dutch b.ave a f^florv ?.t
Ligor, which Aands on the cAl Cidc of the peninfula of .\Lilaccu, but
belonging to Siam.
The peninfula of Malacca is a large country, and contains feveral
kingdoms or provinces. The Dutch, however, are faid to be real
inaftcrs and fovereigns of the whole peninfula, being in poflTeffion of
the capital (Malacca.) The inhabitants differ hut little from brutes in
their manner of living ; and yet the Malayan Iarigua?,e is reckoned the
pureft ef any fpoken in all the Indies. We arc told by the lateft tra^'-
I N D I A BEYOND THE GanT.ES.
4$;
cllevs, lint its chief produced is tin, pepprr, elephants tcetli, canes, and
gums. Some mi {nonaries prciend that it is the, GoMen Cherfonerns,
f)r Peninfula of the ancients, and that the inhabitants ufed to meafure
their riches by bars of gold. The truth is, that the excellent fituation
of this country admits of a trade with India : fo that when it was firfl
difcovcred by the rortugurfe, \s-ho were afterwards expelled by the
Dutch, Malacca was the richefl city in the EaO., next to Goa and Or-
mus, being the key of the China, the japan, the Moluccas, and the
vSunda trade. The country, however, at prcfent, is chiefly valuable for
its trade with the Chincfe. This degeneracy of the Malayans, who
were formerly an induftrious, ingenious people, is cafily accounted for,
hy the tjnanny of the Dutch, whofe intereR it is that they fhould nev-
er recover from their prefent ftatc of ignorance and llavcry. ,
The Englifh carry on a fmuggjling kind of trade in their country
fliips, from the coafl of Coromandel and the Bay of Bengal to Malac-
ca. This commerce is connived at by the Dutch governor and coun-
cil among them, who little regard the orders of their fuperiors. provi-
ded ihev can enrich thcmfelvcs.
Cambodi.T, or Cainbrjn, is a country little knov/n to the Europeans ;
but, according to the bcfl information, its greated length, from north
lo fouth, is about 5P0 Englifli miles ; and its greatefl breadth, from
weft to eafl:, about 398 miles. This kingdom has a fpacious river run-
ning through itj the banks of which are the only habitable parts of the
natiori, on account of its fulliy air, and the peftiferous gnats, fsrpents,
and other animals !)rcd in the woods. Its foil, commodities, trade,
animals, and produfts by fca and land, are much the fame v/ith the
other kingdoms of lliis vafl. peninfula. 'J'he betel, a creeping plant
of a paiticular flavour, and, as they fay, an excellent rem.edy for all
thofe difeafes th?t arc common to the inhabitants of tlie Eafl. Indies, is
the higliefl luxury" of the Cambodians, from the king to the peafanr ;
but is very unpalatable and difagreeable lo the Europeans. The
fame barbarous magniliccncc. the defpotifm of their king, snd the ig-
norance of the people, prevail here as throughout the rcfl of the pen-
infula. Betv/ccn Cambodia and Cochin-China lies the little kingdom
of Chiampa, the inhabitants of which trade with the Chinefe, and
iccm therefore to be fomewhat more civilized than their neighbours.
Cochin-China, or the wcriern Cliina, is lituated under the torrid
zone, and extends, according to fdme authors, about 500 miles in
length ; but it is much Icfs e.xtenhve in its breadth from eafl to weft.
Taos, Cambodia, and Chiampa, as well as fome other fmaller king-
doms, are faid to be tributary to Cochin-China; fomc particulars of
which we have mentioned in the general view of this peninfula. 'J'hc
manners and religion of the people feem to be originally Chinefe ;
and they are much given 10 trade. Their king isfaid to I)e rmircTd'^ly
rich, and his kingdom enjoys all the advantages of commerce that aic
found in the other parts of the Eaft Indies ; but at the fame lime we
are told, that this mighty prince, as well as the king of Tonquin, is
fubjeft to the Chincfe emperor. It is reafonable to fuppofc, that all
thofe rich countries were peopled from China, or at Icaft that they
had, feme time or other, been governed by one head, till the nether
empire became fo large, that it might be convenient to parcel it out,
jcfsrvi.ig to itfclf a kind of feudal fuperiority over them all.
Tonquin
456 INDIA BEVOND THE GaNGES.
Tonquin has been already mentioned, and little can be added ta
what has been faid, unlefs we adopt the fiftions of the catholic mif-
fionaries. The government of this kingdom, however, is particular-
The Tonquinefe had revolted from the Chinefe, which was attended
by a civil war. A compromife at laR took place between the chief of
the revolt and the reprefentative of the ancient kings, by whicli the
former was to have all the executive powers of the government, under
the name of the Chouah ; but that the Bua, or real king, fliould re-
tain the royal titles, and be permitted fome inconfiderable civil pre-
rogatives within his palace, from which neither he nor any of his fam-
ily can (lir without the permiffion of the chouah.
The chouah refides generally in the capital Cachao, which Is fitua-
ted near the centre of the kingdom. The bua's palace is a vafh flruc-
ture, and has a fine arfenal. The Englifh have a very flourifl^ing
houfe on the north-hde of the city, conveniently fitted up with Aorc-
houfes, and ofhce-houfes, a noble dining-room, and handfome apart-
ments for the merchants, faftors, and officers of the company.
The above is the beft account we have been able to give of this vail
peninfula. Its rarities, confi fling of houfes overlaid with gold, and
folid idols of the fame metal, adorned with an infiiiite number of prec-
ious flones and jewels, are mentioned by many travellers ; but it is
difficult to give them credit, when we coniider the undifciplined wcak-
Dcfs of the inhabitants, their fuperftition, indolence, ignorance, and
native timidity ; which mufl render them a prey not only to European
adventurers, but to the Tartar conquerors of China. To this we may
add, the univerfally admitted pafTion of thofe people for oflentation,
and the many difcoveries that have been made by candid travellers, of
their difplaying plated or gilded furniture and ornaments, at which
they are wonderfully expert, for thofe of mafly gold.
The poffefTion of rubies, and other precious flones of an extraordi-
nary fize, and even of white and party-coloured elephants, conveys
among thofe credulous people a pre-eminence of rank and royalty,
and has fometimes occafioned bloody wars. After all, it mufl be ac-
knowledged, that, however dark the accounts we have of thofe king-
doms rnay be, yet theie is fufficient evidence to prove, that they are
immenfely rich in all the treafiires of nature; but that thofe advan-
tages are attended Vv'ith many natural calamities, fuch a: floods, volca-
nos, earthquakes, tempells, and above all, rapacious and poifonous
animals, which render the poffeffion of life, even for an hour, preca-
rious and uncertain.
PERSIA.
A.
457
PERSIA.
Situation and extent.
Miles. Degrees. Sq. Miles.
Lenpth 1300 1 , , [44 and 70 eaft longitude. "1 o
Breadth 1100} ^^'^^^" ('5 and 44 north latitude. ) ^°°-^^°-
Boundaries.] "jV /TODERN Perfia is bounded by the mountains
i.VJL of Ararat, or Daghiuan, which divide it
from Circaffian Tartary, on the North-Weft ; by the Cafpian fea,
which divides it from Ruflia, on the North ; by the river Oxus. which
divides it from L'fbcc Tartary, on tlie Norch-Eafl ; by India, on the
Eaft; and by the Indian Ocean, and the gulfs of Perfia and Ormus,
on the South ; and by Arabia and Turkey, on the Weft.
This kingdom is divided into the following provinces: On the
frontiers of India arc Choralau, part of the ancient Hyrcania, includ-
ding Herat and Efterabad ; Sableullan, including the ancient Baftria-
na and Candahor ; and Sngiftan the ancient Drangiana. The foutheri:
divifion contains Makeran, Kerman, the ancient GedrofTia, and Far-
fiftan, the ancient Perha. The fouth weft diviiion, on the frontiers
of Turkey, contains the provinces of Chufiftan, the ancient Sufiana,
and Irac-Agem the ancient Parthia. Thcnorth-vvcft divifion, lying be-
tween the Cafpian fea and the froiitiers of Turkey iu Afia. contains
the provinces of Aderbeitzcn, the ancient Media ; Gangca, Daghiftan,
part of the ancient Iberia and Colchis ; Ghilan part of the ancient
iiyrcania ; Shirvan, and Mar.anderan.
Name.] Perfia, according to the poets, derived its name from Per-
feus, the fon of Jupiter and Danae. Lef; fabulous authors Uippofe it
derived from Paras, which lignifies a horfeman ; the Perhans, or Par-
thians, being always celebrated for their Ikill in horfemanfliip.'
Air.] In fo cxtenfive an empire this is very dilrerent. Thofe
parts -which border upon Caucafus and Daghiftan, and the mountains
near the Cafpian fea, are cold, as lying in the neighbourhood of thofe
mountains which arc commonly covered with fnow. The air in the
midland provinces of Perfia is ierene, pure, and exhilarating, but in
the fouthein provinces it is hot, and iometimes communicates nox-
ious blafts to the midland parts, which are fo often mortal, that the
inhabitants fortify their heads with very thick turbans.
Soil AND productions.] Thei'e vary like the air. The foil is
far from being luxuriant towards Tartary and the Calpian fea, but
with cultivation it might produce abundance of corn and fruits. —
South of mount Taurus, the fertility of the country in corn, fruits, wine,
and otlier luxuries of life, is equalled by few countries. It produces
wine and oil in plenty, fenna, rhubarb, and the fineft of drugs. Tlu"
fruits are delicious, efpecially their dates, oranges, piftachio nuts, mei
ons, cucumbers, and garden-ftufi". not to mention vaft quantities of ex-
cellent hlk ; and the gulf of Baifora formerly furnilhcd great part o:
Europe and Afia with very fine pearls. Some parts, near Ifpahan ei
pecially, produce almoft all the flowers that are valued in Europe ;
and from tome of them, tiic roles efpecially, they extraft waters of r.
falubriou-
fr,S
R
fa.u.nous.na odonfic kind, xvhich form a gainful commod^tv in
trade. In fhort, the Auits, vegerablcs, and flowers of Perf.a, are of a
noft excellent flavour ; and had the natives .he art of horticukure to
. great periea.on as fume nations ir, Europe, by tranfplaruin; en
f,.afl,ng and other mehorations. they would add greatly o the r? lural
r.ches of he country. The Perfian afTafoelida flows f>L a pla^t c
jcd H.ltot, and turns ,nto a gum. Sorr.e of it is white, and foL black •
but the former jsfo much valued, that the natives m,ke very ' ch
iauces of It, and fometimes eat it as a rarity. ^
Mountains.] Tbefe are Caucafus and Ararat, which are called
..he„.ouutamsof Daghifl^n; and the vaft collcdion of moun ains
:^^^m Si^;!;f:sf ■^'^"^' '-' ^^--^^ ''- -^'^-^ ^^^ --
Rivers.] It ha. been obferved, that no country, of fo great an ex-
h of^ oT V K ""''''•'' T'"? '^ ^^^'^" ^'^^ --^ conlderable 'e
Jiofe of tne kur, anciently Cyrus: and Aras, anciently Araxes
wh,chnfes - or ,, ^, _^^.^^^^; ^^^^ joi^.ing S
il^a^s, fan into the Cafpian lea. sL: im^ri^vS '^;:i [^
the mounta.ns water the country ; but their flreams are fo inconfider
he navigated even with boats. The
an river, though it divides PerHa
le river Indus on the eafl, and the
by meansofrefervoirs. aa„.-.^■,A/ i. ' _ ■ ., . ^ . ^ luppnea
,1 . r — ^-"w^ , i,ui lueir itreams are io inconf'dpr
.ble, tnat few or none of them can he navigated ev en with b^at Th"
Oxus can fcarcely be called a Perfian river' though it divide, Pef I
from Upec i artary. Perfra has the river Indus on the ft and "L
Euphrates and 1 igns on the v/eft. '
, r 7 — r-""'^"-"- prevails, IS admirab y well fuoolied
by means of refervoirs, .queduas, canals, and other ing'enious methods
Meta.s A.o ^^^-ERALs.] Perfia contains mines of iron cooper
iulphu" f!lt"^ ' '''T''' ^^""' ^^'^'^^ ^^^ f-'"^ - Ch'orS-
Se-^^of r 'd 7- ' Tm'"^'"'^^,' "^ ^^'^"'^ - ^^- mountains. Quar-
Taurt ' ' ^^ "'''^^'- ^'^''''^^'' ^^^" difcovcred near
FopULATioN, iNHABiTA.:TS, MAN'-'l It is impoffible to fpeak
.gg-srofHou^^
fe:K:s^eSh-lS::.h;?-^e J ^';hr?;r^f b^t ^
^i:^is:\o:?v ^^^' ""h'^ ^^ s^- on each hS;, J::?^ t:J:,
k>nlb rd M ?'" ;heu- temples; but religious people wca
^ag boards. Men of rank and quality wear very ma^rnif rent turbans •
n.any of them ccft twenty -five p^ound -. and few^under nine or en ~
.?nu' "ffVh """" '' '^"P "^^" '''-''' ^•'^■■y — ' ^^^ that they n'v-
f ' P^"l«ff their caps or their turbans out of refpea even to .hi k"nl
i neir drefs is very fimple. Next to their fldn thev wear caUico {hh"?'
over them a veft, which reaches below the knee, girt ^v it"a ^^1?^
over that a loofe garment fomewhat fnorter. The maredals of the" r
-.h,o,d.,cd with gold and hlvcr. They wear a kind of loofc boots
-.a ..^s, ana h.ppers on their feet. They are fond of riding, and
PERSIA. 439
very expenfive in their equipages. They wear at all times a dagger
in their f.ilh. and linen trcwlci?. Ihe collars of their fhirts and
clothes are open ; fo that th.cir drefs upon the \vholc is far better
adapted for the purpofes boih of health and aflivity, than the long
flowin
The Perlians write like the Hebrews, from the right to the left ; are
neat in their fcals and materials for writing, and wonderfully expedi-
tious in the art. The number of people employed on their manu-
fcripts (for no printing is aiiowcd there) is incredible. Their grcuL
foible feems to be oflentation in their equipages and dreffes ; nor are
t!;ey lefs jealous of their women than the Tuiks, and other eaftern na-
tions. They arc fond of mufic, and take a pleafure in convcrhng 7n
large companies : but their chief diverfions are thofc of the lield,
huniing, hawking, horlcmanfhip, and the exercife of arms, in all
which they are very dexterous. They excel, as their anceflors the
Pcirlhians did, in archery. They are fond of rope-dancers, jugglers,
and fighting of wild beafls ; and privately playing at games of chance.
Men may many for life, or for any deteimined time, in j'cifa, as
well as thiough all Tartary ; and travellers or mcichants, who intend
to (lay fome time in any city, comm.only apply to the < adce, or
j'ldgc, for a wi'c duiiiig the time they propofc to itay. Ihe cadcc for
a flatcd gratuity, produces a number of girls, whom h.e declares to be
hone ft,
460 • PERSIA.
honeft, and free from difeafes ; and he becomes furety for them. A
gentleman who lately attended the Ruffian embalfy to Perfia declares,
that, amongft thoufands, there has not been one inllance of their dif-
honefty during the time agreed upon.
Religion.] The Perfians are Mahometans of the fc£l of Ali ; for
which reafon the Tmksj who follow the fuccefTion of Omar and Abu
Bekr, call them heretics. Their religion is. if pofTible, in fome things
more fantaflical and I'enfual than that of the Turks ; but in many
points it is mingled with fome bra;nin fuperftitions. When they are
ta^ed by the Chriflians with drinking ftrong liquors, as many of them
do, they anfwer very fenfibly, '• You Chriflians whore and get drunk,
though you know you are committing fins, which is the very cafe
with us." Having mentioned the bramins, the comparifon betwef;n
then and the Perfian giccbrzs or gaurs, who pretend to be the difciplcs
-■ind iucceffors of tlie ancient magi, the followers of Zoroafter, may he
highly worth a learned difquifition : That both of them held original-
ly pui-e and fimpie ideas of a Supreme Being, may be eafily proved ;
but the Indian bramins and parfees accufe the gains, who flill worfhio
the fire, of having fenfualized thofe ideas, and of introducing an evil
principle into the government of the world. A combullible ground,
about ten miles diftant from Baku, a city in the north of Perfia, is the
fcene of the grubres devotions. It mufl be admitted, that this ground
is impregnated with very furprifing inflammatory qualities, and con-
tains feveral old little temples ; in one of which the gucbres pretend to
prelerve the facred flame of the univerfal fire, which riles from the
end, and a large hollow cane (luck in the ground, refembling a lamp
burning with very pure fpirits. The Mahometans arc the declared
enenties of the gaurs, w!so were banifhed out of I'erfia by Shah Abbas,
Their fe£l is faid to be numerous, though tolerated in very few places.
The long wars between the Perfians and the Romans feem early to
have driven the ancient Chriflians into Perfia, and the neighbourint^
countries. Even to this day, many fefts are found that evidently have
Chriilianity for the ground- work of their religion. Some of them,
called Souffees, who are a kind of quietifls, facrihce their pafTions to
God, and profsfs the moral duties. The Sabean Chriflians have, in
their religion, a mixture of Judaifm and Mahometanilm ; and are nu-
inerous towards the Perfian gulf. We have already mentioned the
Armenian and Georgian Chriflians, who are very numerous in Perfia.
The prefent race of Perfians are iaid to be very cool in the doftrinesof
Mahomet, owing chiefly to their late wars with the Turks.
Learning and learned men.] The Perfians, in ancient times,
were famous for both ; and their poets renowned all over the Eaft.
There is a manufcript at Oxford (Eng.) containing the lives of an hun-
dred and thirty-five of the finefl Periian poets. Ferdufi and Sadi were
among the mofl celebrated of the Perfian poets. The former compri-
i'ed the hiftory of Perfia in a feries of epic poems, which employed ]>im
•for near thirty years, and which are faid by Mr. Jones to be " a glori-
ous monument of Eadern genius and learning." Sadi was a native of
Schiras, and flourifhed in the thirteenth century, and wrote many fine
pieces, both in profe and verfe. Shemfeddin was one of the moil em-
inent lyric poets that Afia has pmduced ; and Nakhfbeb wrote in Per-
iian a book called the " Tales ot a Parrot," not unlike the Decameron
of
PERSIA. 461
of Boccace. Jami was a moft animated and elegant poet, who tlour-
ifticd in the middle of the fifteenth century, and whofe beautiful com-
pofitions, on a great variety of fubje6>s. are prefervcd at Oxford, in
twenty-two volumes, Hariri compofed in a rich, elegant, and flowery
flyle, a moral work, in fifty diflertations, on the changes of fortune,
;ind the various conditions of human life, interfperl'ed with a number
of agreeable adventures, and feveral fine pieces of poetry.
At prcfcnt, learning is at a very low ebb among the Ferfians. Their
boalled Ikill in aftronomy is now reduced to a mere fmattering in that
fcience, and terminates in judicial aftrology ; k> that no people in the
world are more iuperftilious than the Ferfians. The learned profef-
hon in greateft efteem among them is that of medicine ; which is at
perpetual variance with aflrology, becaufe every dofe mud be in the
lucky hour fixed by the aftrologer, which often defeats the ends of the
prefcription. It is laid, however, that the Peifian phyficians are acute
and fagacious. Iheir drugs are excellent, and they are no ftrangersto
the praftices of Galen and Avicenna. Add to this, that the plague is
but little known in this country ; as equally rare arc many other dif-
eafcs that are fatal in other places ; fuch as the gout, the ftone, the
fmall-pox, confumptions, and apoplexies. The Perfian praftice of
phyfic is therefore pretty much circumfcribed, and they are very ig-
norant in furgcry, which is exercifed by barbars, whofe chief knowl-
edge of it is in letting blood ; for they trufl the healing of green
wounds to the excellency of the air, and the good habit of the pa-
tient's body.
Antiquities AND CURIOSITIES,! The monuments of antiquity
NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL. / in Fcrfia, are morc Celebrated fot
their magnificence and cxpenfe. than their beauty or tafle. No more
than nineteen columns, which formeily belonged to the famous palace
of Fcrfepolis, are now remaining. Each is about fifteen feet high, and
compofed of excellent Farian marble. The ruins of other ancient
buildings are found in many parts of Perfia, but void of that elegance
and beauty which is difplayerl in the Greek architefture. The tombs
of the kings ol Perfia are ilupendous works .: being cut out of a rock,
and highly ornamented with fculptures. The chief of the modern
edifices is a pillar to be feen at Hpahan. fixty feet high, confiding of
the (kulls of hearts, eredled by Shah Abbas, after the fupprelRon of a
rebellion. Abbas had vowed to ereft fuch a column of human (kulls ;
but upon the fubmiflion of the rebels, he performed his vow by fub-
ftituting thofe of brutes, each of the rebels furnifhing one.
The baths near Gombroon work fuch cures, that they arc efteemed
among the natural curiofities cf Perfia. The fprings of the famous
Naphiha near Baku, are mentioned often in natural hiftory for their
furprifing qualities ; but the chief of the natural curiofities in this
country, is the burning phasnomenon, and its inflammatory neigh-
bourhood, already mentioned under the article of Religion.
Houses, CITIES, AND puclic r.oiriCEs.J The houfes of men of
quality in Perfia, are in the fame tafte with thofe of the Afiatic Turks
already ccfcribed. They are fcldorn above one ftory high, built of
bricks, with flat roofs for walking on, and thick walls. The hall is
arched, the doors arc clumfey and narrow, and the room.s have no
communication but with the hall ; the kitchens and office-houfes be-
ing
46a P £ R S i A.
ing built apart. Few of them have chimnies, but a round hole in the
middle of the room. Their furniture chiefly confifls of carpets, and
their beds are two thick cotton quilts, which ferve them likewife as
toverlids, with carpets urwder thsm.
lipahan or Spahawn, the capital of Perfia, is fcated on a fine plain^
within a mile of the river Zendcrhcnd, which fupplies it with water.
It is faid to be twelve miles in circuiiiference. The ilreets are narrow
and crooked, and the chief amufcment of the inhabitants is on the flat
iroofs of their houfes, where they fpend their fummer evenings ; and
different families alTociatc toijether. Tiie royal fquare is a third of a
mile in length, and about half as much in breadth ; and we are told,
^that the royal palace, with the buildings and gardens belonging to itj
is three miles in circumference. There are in Kpahan 160 mofques,
1800 caravanferas, 260 public baths, a prodigious number of fine
fquares, ftreets, and palaces, in which arc canals, and trees planted to
fliade and better accommodate the people. This capilitl is faid for-
nlierly to have contained S^Cf 000 inhabitants ; but was often depopu-
lated by Kouli Khan during l\is wars, fo that we may eafily luppofe,
Ihat it has loft great part of its magnificence. In 1744, when Mr.
Hanway Vv-as there, it was thought that not above 5000 of its houfes
were inhabited^
Schiras lies about 200 miles to the fouth of Aflrachan. It is an
bpen town, but its neighbourhood is inexpreffibly rich and beautiful,
being laid out for many miles in gardens, the flowers, fruits, and vines
of which are incomparable. The vines of Shiras are reckoned the beft:
'of any in Perfia. This town is the capital of Pars, the ancient Perfia,
and hath a college for the fhudy of ealtern learning. It contains an
\uicommon number of mofques, and is adorned by many noble build-
ings, but its flreets are narrow a/id inconvenient, and not above 4000
of its houfes are inhabited.
The cities of Ormus and Gombroon, on the narrow part, of the Pcr-
fian Gulf, were formerly places of great commerce and importance.
The Engiilli, and other Europeans, have faftories at Gombroon, where
they trade wiih the Perfians, Arabians, Banyans, Armenians, Turks,
and Tartars, who come hiiher with the caravans which fet out from
various inland cities of Afia, under the convoy of guards.
iVIolqucs are leligious buildings, fquare, and generally of Hone ; and
are pretty much the fame in all Mahometan countries. Before the.
chief gate there is a fquare court, paved with white marble, and lo\V
galleries round it, whofe roof is fupported by marble pillars. Thofe
galleries farvc for places of ablution before the Mahometans go into
the mofque. About every mofque there are fix higb towers, called
minarets, each of which has three little open galleries, one above an-
other. Thefe towers, as well as the mofques, are covered with lead,
and adorned with gilding and other ornaments ; and from thence in-
stead of a bell, the people are called to prayer by certain officers ap-
pointed for that purpofe. No wo!nan is allowed to enfer the mofque ;
nor c-an a man with his fhoes or flockings on. Near mod mofques is
a place of entertainment for ftrangers during three days ; and the tomb
of the founded, with convcnicncies for reading the Koran, and pray-
ings
The
PERSIA. 4^3
The bagnios in the Maho:r.etan countries are wonderfully well con-
flrufted for the purpofe of bathing. Somt'limes they aie fquare, but
oftenei' circular, built of white well poliflifd {tone o<- niaihle. Each
bagnio contains three rooms ; the firft for drc^lling and undrelTmg ; the
I'econd contains the water, and the third the bath ; all of them paved
■with black and white maible. The operation of the bath is very curi-
ous, but wholefome ; though to thofe not accuflomed to it, it is pain-
fid. The waiter rubs the patient with grc<\t vigour, then handles and
Ihctches his limbs as if^he was dillocating every bone in the body ; all
which cxercifes are, in thofc inert warm co!:ntries, very conducive ta
health. In public bagnios, the men bathe fiom morning to lour in
the afternoon ; when, ?.!! male attendants being removed, the ladies
fuccced, and when coming out of the bath difplay their fincft clothes.
Wc might here attempt to defcribe the caflcrn feraglios or haramS,
the women's apartments ; but from the mofh credible accounts, they
are contrived accorduig to the tafte and conveniency of the owner,
and divided into a certain number of apartments, which aie feldom ov
never entered by flrangers ; and there is no country where women arc
lb ftridlly guarded and coiifmed as among the great men in Pcrfia.
MAMUfACTUKES A N D coMME R c E.] The Pcrfians equal, if not ex-
ceed, all the manufafturcs in the world in filk, woollen, mohair, car-
pets, and leather. Tiielr woiks in thcfe join fancy, talle, and elegance,
to richncfs, neatnefs, and fliew ; and ye;; they arc ignorant of painting,
and tlieir drawings ."ire very rude. Their dying excels that of Europe,
Their filver and gold laces, and threads, are admirable for prcferving
their luftre. Their embroideries and hoife furniture are not to bo
equalled ; nor ;ire they ignorant of the pottery and window-glafs maii-
ufaftures. On the oilier hand, tlieir carpenters are very indifl'crcnt
artifts, which is laid to be owing to the fcarcity of timber all over Per-
fia. Their jewellers and goldfmiths are cluiniV workmen ; and they
are ignorant of lock-making, and the manufdilure of looking-glaffe*.
Upon the vthole, they lie under inexprcffible difadvantages from th.c
form of their govcrntnent, which renders them flaves to their kings,
who often engrols either their labour or their prohts.
The trade of the Perfians, who have little or no fhipping of their
own, is carried on in foreign bottoms. That between the Enghfii ana
other nations, by the gulf of Ormus at Gombroon, was the moft gain-
ful they ha-1 ; but the perpetual wars they have been engaged in have
ruined their commerce. The great fchemc of the Englifh, in trad'.ri?;
with the Perfians through RuIIia, promifcd vail advantages to both
nations, but it has hitherto anfwcred the expectations of neither. Per-
haps the court of Pelcrfburgh is not fond of luffering the Englifli to
cft'ablifh thcmfclves upon the Caipian fea, the navigation /^f which i«;
now poilcfled by the Pvullians ; but notliing can be faid with certainty
on that head, till the government of Peifia is in a more fettled condi
tlon than it is at prefcnt.
Cons riruTiON A.ND covrRNMENT.1 Both thefc are extrcnuly
precarious, as reftingin the breaft of a defpotic, and often capricious
monarch. Tiie Perfians however had fome fundamental rules of gov •
crnment. They excluded from their throne females, hut not tiicir
male progeny, lilindnefs likewifc Was a d!fq'.ial!fic?.tion Ur the roy-
al fucceiFion. In other rerp.;th the kin^r's will was a law fjr ihc pen-
pL-.
464 PERSIA.
pic. The in ftances that have heen given of the cruelties and inha-
mnnities praftifed bv the Mahometan kings of Perfia, are almoft in-
credible, efpecially during the two laft centuries. The reafon giveti
to the Chriflian ambairadors, by Shah Abbas, one of their moft cele-
brated princes, was, that the Perfians were fuch brutes, and fo infenfi-
ble by nature, that thev could not be governed without the exercife of
exemplary cruelties. But this was only a wretched and ill-grounded
apology for his own barbarity. The favourites of the prince, female
as well as male, are his only counfellors, and the fmallefl difobedience
to their will is attended witji immediate death. The Perfians have no
degrees of nobility, fo that the refpcft due to every man, on account
of his high ftation, expires with himfelf. The king has been known
to prefer a younger ion to his throne, by putting out the eyes of the
elder brother.
Revenues.] The crown claims one third of the cattle, corn, and
fruits of his fubjefts, and likcwife a third of iilk and cotton. No rank
or condition of Perfians is exempted from fevere taxations and fervicfis.
The governors of provinces have particular lands affigned to them for
maintaining their retinues and troops ; and the crown lands defray the
expenfes of the court, king's houfehould, and great officers of flate.
After faying thus much, the reader cannot doubt that the revenues of
the Persian kings were prodigious ; but nothing can be faid with any
certainty in the prefent diltratled (late of that country. Even the
water that is let into fields and gardens is fubjeft to a tax ; and foreign-
ers, who are not IVIahometans, yjay each a ducat a head.
MiMTARY STRENGTH.] This confiflcd formerly of cavalry, and
it is now thought to exceed that of the Turks. Since the beginning
of this century, however, their kings have rai fed bodies of infantry.
The regular troops of both brought to the field, even under Kouli
Khan, did not exceed 60.000 ; but according to the modern hiflories
of Perfia, they are eafily recruited in cafe of a defeat. The Perfians
have few fortified towns ; nor had they any fiiips of war, until Kouli
Khan built a royal navy ; but fince his deatli we hear no more of their
fleet.
Arms and titles.] The arms' of the Perfian monarch are a lion
couchant looking at the rifing fun. His title is Shah, or the Difpo-
Jcr of Kingdoms. Shah or Khan, and Sultan, which he affumes like-
wife, are 7'artar titles. To afts of ftate the Perfian monarch does not
fubfcribe his name ; but the grant runs in this manner. This aEl is giv-
en by whom i/ie univtrfc obeys.
History.] All ancient hiflorians mention the Perfian monarchs
and their grandeur ; and no empire has undergone a greater variety
of governments. It is here fufficient to fay, that the Perlian empire
I'ucceeded the AfTyrian or Babylonian, and that Cyrus laid its founda-
tion about 556 years before Chrift, and reftored the Ifiaelitcs, who
had been captive at Babylon, to liberty. It ended in the perfon ot
Darius, who was conquered by Alexander ^?.q years before Chrifl.
When Alexander's empire was divided among his great general offi-
cers, their pollerity were conquered by the Romans. Theie lafi:, how-
ever, never fully fubducd Ferha, and the natives had princes of their
own, bv the name of Arfaces, who more than once defeated the Roman
legions. The fucceffurs of thcic princes furvived the Roman empire
ilfelf,
P i: R S X - A. ^iCs
itfelf, but were fubdued by the famous Tamerlcne, whofe pofterity
were fupplanted by a doftor of law, Cheki Adir, the a.iccftor of the
Sefi or Sophi famdy, and who pretended to be defcendcd from Ma-
homet himfelf. His fucccffors, though fomeof them were valiant andt
politic, and enlarged the empire, and from him fometimes Called So-
phis, proved in general to be a difgrace to humanity, by their cruelty,*
Ignorance and indolence, which brought them into fuch difrepute
with their lubjefts, barbarous as they were, that HafTein, a prince of
the Sell race, who fucceeded in 1694, was murdered by Mahmud,fon
and fuccelTor to the famous Miriweis ; as Mahmud himfelf was by Ef-
ref, one of his general officers, who ufurped the throne. Prince
Tahmas, the reprefiritative of the Sefi family, had efcaped from the
rebels, and affjmbling an army, took into his fervice Nadir Shah, who
defeated and killed Efref, and re-annexed to the Perhan monarchy all
the places difmembered from it by the Turks and Tartars during their
late rebellions. At lall the fecret ambition of Nadir broke out, arid
after alfuming the name of Thamas Kouli Khan, and pretending that
his fcrvices were not fufficiently rewarded, he rebelled againft his fov-
ercign, made him a prifoner, and, it is luppofed, put him to death.
This ufurper afterwards mounted the throne, under the titli of
Shah Nadir ; made a fuccefsful expedition into Indoftan, where he
acquired an amazing booty, but brought back an inconfidcrable part
of this booty from India, lofing great part of it upon his return, by the
Marrattas and various accidents. He next conquered Ufbec Tartary ;
but was not fo fuccefsful a^.ainft the Dagheftan Tartars, whofe coun-
try he found to be inacceiTible. He beat the Turks in feveral engagd-
ments, but was unable to take Bagdad. The great principle of his
government was to flrike terror into all his fubjefts by the mod cruel
executions. His conduft became fo intolerable, that it was thought
his brain was touched ; and he was aflafTinated in his own tent, partly
in felf-dcfence, by his chief oflicers and his relations, in the year 1747-
Many pretenders, upon his death, darted up ; but the fortunate can-
didate was Kerim Khan, who was crowned at Tauris in 1763, and,
according to the lateft accounts, ftill keeps polTeffion of the throne.
See KoUin's Ancient Hiftoryi
* The inilances of wanton cruelty, and the moft favage barbarity, recorded of fome of the
kings of Perfia, are Ihocking to humanity, and a rtriking evidence ot the miferies and cai-
-imities oc-jafioned by d^l'potic power. Shah Aisbas, furnamed the Great, having three fons,
caufcJ the eyes of the two youngeft to be put out, and'atterwnrdj put the eidtll to death. Hft
was fucceeded by his grandr'on, who began hii reign by ordering the eyes of his only broth--,
er to be cut out, and he alfo cilt from a rock his two uncles, who had before been bUoded by
Order of Shah Abbas. The inftjnces of his cruelty were innumerable . He buried »livc forty
four women ot his Karam, tiiough wlien he w.is not hunung, or over his cups, he ulcd to
pals his time with tiiem. Si^i'lic, or Suliman, who afeended the throne of Perfia in 1666*
and was a brutal tjraiit, when he was intoxicated either with wine or anger, often ordered
the handsj feet, ears, and nofes, of thofe near him to be cue olf, iheireycs to be plucked 6ut,
or their lives ro rv facrUiced, as if it were his t>alli;ne .
ARABIA,
F£
A
A.
R A B I A.
Mil
SiTUATioi? AND Extent.
Degrees.
Sq. Miles.
Length 1430! ^^^^^^^^ 1 35 ai>d 60 eaft longitude.
Breadth 1 200 J 112 and 30 north latitude.
Boundaries.] T> OUNDED by Turkey on the North ; by the gulfs
-U of Perfia or Balfora, and Ormus, which feparate it
Irom Perfia, on the Eaft ; by tlie Indian Ocean, South ; and the Red
Sea, which divides it from Africa, on the Weft.
Di'vi lions.
Subdivifions.
Chief towns.
1. Arabia Petrjea, N. f
w. 1 _ ■■ "■
1 r Suez, E. Ion. 33-27. N
/ t lat. 29-50.
" H'*ggi'i2 or Mecca
- r Mecca, E. Ion. 43-30.
2. Arabia Deferta, in 1
J lat. 21-20.
the middle. j
' 1 Siden — Medina
I Tehama -
I Dhafar
"Mocha - -
■^
"Mocha, E. long. 44-4
N. lat. 13-45'
Sibit
Hadramut -
Hadramut
3. Arabia Felix, S. E.^ Caffeen - -
><
Caffeen
Segur -
Segur
Oman or Mufcat
Mufcat
Jamama -
Jamama
_Bahara -
J
LElcalf.
Name.] It is remarkable that this country has always preferved its
ancient name. The word ylra^, it is generally faid, fignifies a robber,
or freebooter. The word Saracen, by which one tribe is called, is
faid to fignify both a thief and an inhabitant of the defert. Thefe
names juftly belong to the Arabians, for they feldom let any merchan-
dife pafs through the country v.?ithout extorting fomething from the
owners, if they do not rob them.
Mountains.] The mountains of Sinai and Horeb, lying in Ara-
bia Petraea, eaft of the Red-Se*a, and thofe called Gabel el Ared, in A-
rabia Felix, are the moft noted.
Rivers, seas, gulfs, and capes.] There are few fountains,
fprings, or rivers in this country, except the Euphrates, which wafhes
the north-eaft limits of it. It is almoft furrounded with feas ; as the
Indian Ocean, the Red-Sea, the gulfs of Perfia and Ormus. The chief
capes or promontories are thofe of Rofalgate and Mufledon.
Climate, ai r, soil, and vroduce.] As a confiderable part of this
country lies under the Torrid Zone, and the Tropic of Cancer paflcs
over Arabia Felix, the air is exceflively dry and hot, and the country
is fubjeft to hot poilonous winds, like thofe on the oppofite fhores of
Perfia, which often prove fatal, efpecially to ftrangers. The foil, in
fome parts, is nothing morQ than immenfe fands, which, when agitated
by
ARABIA. 467
by the winds, roll like the troabled ocean, and fomctimes form moun-
tains by which whole caravans have been buried or loft. In thefe def.
erts, the caravans, having no tracks, are guided, as at fea, by a com-
pafs, or by the ftars, for they travel chiefly in the night. Here, fays
Dr. Shaw, are no paft^ures clothed with flocks, nor vallies (landing
thick with corn : here are no vineyards or oliveyards ; but the whole
is a loncfome defolate wildcrncfs, no otherways diveif.ficd than by
plains covered wi h fand, and mountains that are made up of naked
rocks and precipices. Neither is this country ever, unlefs fometimes
at the equinoxes, rcfreflicd with rain ; and the intcnfenefs of the cold
in the night is almoft equal to that of the heat in the day-time. But
the fouthern part of Arabia, dcfcrvedly called the Happy, is bleffed
with an excellent foil, and, in general, is very fertile. There the cul-
tivated lands, which are chiefly about the towns near the fea-coaft,
produce balm of Gilcad, manna, niyrrli, cafTia, aloes, frankinccnfe,
fpikenard, and other valuable gums : cinnamon, pepper, cardamum,
oranges, lemons, pomegranates, figs, and otlier fruits ; honey and wax
in plenty, with a fmall quantity of corn and wine. This country is
famous for its coffee and its dates, which laft are found fcarcely any
where in fuch perfcftion as here and in Perfia. There are few trees
fit for timber in Arabia, and little wood of any kind.
Animais.] The moft ufcful animals in Arabia are camels and
dromedaries ; they are amazingly fitted by Providence for travelling
the dry and parched deferts of this country, for they are fo formed,
that they can throw up the liquor from their flomach into their throat,
by which means they can travel fix or eight days without water. The
camels ufually carry 8oolb. weight upon their backs, which is not ta-
ken off during the whole jouiney, for they naturally kneel down to
reft, and in due time rife with their load. The dromedary is a Imall
camel that will travel many miles a day. It is an obfervation among
the Arabs, that wherever there are trees, the water is not far off ; and
when they drav/ near a pool, their camels will fmeli it at a diftance,
and fet up their great trot till they com.e to it. The Arabian horfcs
are well known in Europe, and have contributed to improve the breed
of thofe in England. They are only fit for the faddle, and are admired
for their make as much as for their fwiftnefs and high mettle. The
fineft breed is in the kingdom of Sunnaa, in which Mocha is fituated.
Inhabitants, MANNERS, 7 The Arabians, like moft of the na-
cusTOMs, AND DRESS. ^ tions of Afia, are of a middle ftature,
thin, and of a fwarthy complexion, with black hair and black eyes.
They are fwift of foot, excellent horfemen. and are faid to be in gene-
ral a brave people, expert at the bow and lance, and, fince they became
acquainted with fire arms, good markfmen. The inhabitants of the in-
land country live in tents, and remove from place to place with their
flocks and herds, as they have ever done fir.ce they become a nation.
The Arabians in general are fuch thieves, that travellers and pil-
grims, who are led thither from all nations through motivesof devotion
or curiofity, are ftruck with tenor on their approaches towards the
deferts. Thofe robbers, headed by a captain, traverfc the country
in confiderable troops on horfeback, and affault and plunder the car-
avans ; and we are told, that fo late as the year 1750, a body of 50.000
Arabians attacked a caravan of m.errhants and pilgrims returning
-from
-468 A R A B I A.
from Mecca, killed about 60,000 perfons, and plundered it of every
thing valuable, though efcorted by a Turkifh armv.
It has been contended fays Mr. Bruce, that Polygamy is unnatural
and detrimental to the population of a country. This has been found-
ed upon a calculation fiom the bills of mortality of particular coun-
tries, by which it appears that the number of the fexes is equal. In
England the proportion is found to be, as thirteen to twelve : Nature
liaving provided a greater proportion of men, in order to make up for
the havock occahoned by war, murder, drunkennefs, and all fpecies of
violence to which women are not lo fubjeft as men. Thefe arguments
however, do not apply to this country and many others : From a dil-
igent enquiry, il appears, that from the Iftlimus of Suei to the Straits
oF Babehnandeb, which contains the three Arabias, the proportion is
fully four women to one man.
Without allowing Mahomet all the abilities fome have done, we
rnay furely fuppofe him to have feen this great difproportion of four
\A'omen born to one man : And from its obvious confcquences, we are
not to wonder that one of his firft cares was to reftify it, as it ftruck
at the very root of his Empire, Power and Religon ; with this view,
he enafted, or rather revived, the law which gave liberty to every In-
dividual to marry four wives, each of whom was to be equal in rank
and honour, without any preference but vyhat the prcdileftion of
the hufband gave her. By this he fecured civil rights to each
woman, and procured a means of doing away that reproach, of
dyiiig tcithont ijfue, to which the minds of the whole fex have al-
v/ays been fenhble, whatever their religion was, or from whatever
part of the world thev came. Many, have taxed this permilTion
of a plurality of wives, (one of the mofh ii otitic at diX\(^ ne.cejfary meafares
of that I.egiflator) vvith a tendency to encourage lewdnefs, from which
it was very far diflant. The expediency of tlie meafure will further
appear, by drawing a comoarifon between the flate of women in thofc
countries in which the former calculations are made, and the one we
are now defcribing. X-^'omen in thofe countries are commonly capa-
ble of child bearing at fourteen, let the other term be forty eight,
when they bear no more : Thirty four years therefore thefe women
bear children. At the age of fourteen or fifteen they ate objects of
our love ; they are endeared by bearing us children after that time,
and none will pretend, that at forty eight and filty years a woman is
nut an agreeable companion. Perhaps the la'l; years, to thiJiking
minds, are fuliv as agreeable as the firft. We grow old togeihrr, we
have a near profpefl of dying together ; nothing can preltnt a more
agreeable pifture of fecial life, than monogamy in thefe countru;.--
The Arab on the other hand begins to bear children at eleven, t\d
feldom or never has a child after twenty. The time then of her cinld-
bearing is nine years, and Jour uovien taken together, have then the
term of thirty fix ; fo that the women in tiie foimer cafe, who bear
thildren for thirty four years, have oidy two years Icfs than the
wives whom Mahoniet has allowed. But there are other grievous
diflFerences, An Arabian girl, at eleven years old, is the objeft ot
jnan's defire ; being an infant howpver in under ftanding, fhe is not a
rational companion for him. A man marries there, fay at tzvenly, and
before he is thirty, his wife improved as a companion, ccafes to be an
objeft of his defires, and a mother of children ; fo that the beil and
-' inod
ARABIA. 469
moft vigorous of his davs are fpent with a woman he cannot love, and
with her he would be deftir.cd to live forty or foity-five years withoijt
conafort to himfelf by incrcafc of family, or utility to the public.
I'he rcafons then againft poliganiv, which fubfills in the countries
firn. mentioned, do by no means fubiift in Arabia.*
The habit of tlie rovinp; Arabs is a kind of bhie fhirt, tied about
them with a white fafh or girdle ; and fome of them have a veil of
furs or fheep-fkins over it ; they alfo wear drawci?, and fometimes
flippers, but no fldckings : and have a cap or tm ban on their head.
Many of them go almoft naked ; but, as in the eaftern countries, the
women arc fo wrapped up, that nothincr can be difccrned hut their
eyes. Like other Mahometans, the Arabs eat all manner of f-efh, ex-
cept that of hogs ; and prefer the ficfh of camels, as we prefer veni-
fon, to othea" meat. 1 hey take care to drain tlie blood from the flefh,
as the Jews do, and like them refufe fuch fifli as have no fcales. Cof-
fee and tea, water, and fherbet made of oranges, water and fugar, is
their ufual drink ; thev have no ftrong liquors.
Religion.] Of this the reader will find an account in the follow-
ing hiftory of Mahomet their countryman. Many of the wild Arabs
ate flill Pagans, but the people in general piofels Mahometanifm.
Le.'VRNing and i.anguagk.] Though the Arabians in former ages
were famous for their learning and fkill ni all the liberal arts, there is
Icarccly a country at prefent where the people are lo univeifally ig-
norant. The vulgar language ufed in the three Arahias is the Arabefk,
or corrupt Arabian, which is likcwife fpoken, with fome variation of
dialeft, over great part of the Ead, from Egypt to the court of the
Great Mogul, The pure old grammatical Arabic, which is faid to be
a diale£t of the Hebrew, and by the people of the Eaft accounted the
richeft, mofl energetic, and copious language in the world, is taught
in their fchools, as Greek and Latin arc among Europeans, and ufed by
Mahometans in their worfliip ; for as the Koran was wiitten in this
language, they will not fuffer it to be read in any other : They look
upon it to have been the language of Paiadife, and think no man can
be maflerof it without a miracle, as confiding of feveral millions of
words. The books M'hich treat of it fay, they have no fewer than a
thoufand terms to exprefs the woid camel, and live hundred for that
t,>f a lion.
In the Temple oF Mecca, or fufpended on its walls and gates, are
fe\-en Arabian poems, called the Moalakaf, a fine fpccirncn of Orien-
tal poetry, as to the dramatic pafloral, which have been lately tranf-
lated into Englifli by lir William Jones : The following (lanzas of
one of the poems are tranfcribed, as they fcrve to gratify the curiolity,
and alfo difplay a lively and entertaining view of the Arabian cuftoms
and modes of living.
1. " Defolate are the manfions of the fair, t|ie Nations m Minia,
where ihey reftcd, and tliofe where ilicv fixed their abodes !
Wild are the hills of Goul, and defertcd is the fummit of Rijaam,
2. The canabsof Rayann are deflroyed ; the remains of them ate laid
bare, and fmoolhed by the floods, like characters engraved on the
fulid rocks.
3. Dear
* Bruce's Travels.
47» ARABIA.
3. Dear ruins ! Many a year has been clofed, many a month, holy
and unhallowed, has elapfed fmce I exchanged tender vows with
the fair inhabitants.
4. The rainy conftellations of fpring have made their hills green and
luxuriant : The drops from the thunder-clouds have drenched
them with profufe as well as gentle fliowers :
^. Showers from every nightly cloud, from every cloud veiling the
horizon at day-break, and from every evening cloud, rcfponfive
with hoarfe murmurs.
f. Here the wild cringo-plants raifc their heads ; here the antelopes
bring forth their young by the fides of the valley; and here the
oftriches drop their eggs.
y. The large-eyed wild cows lie fuckling their young a few days
old ; their young, who will foon become an herd on the plain.
8. The torrents have cleared the rubbifh, and difclofed the traces of
habitations, as the reeds of a writer reftore effaced letters in a
book.
g. Or as the black duft, fprinkled over the varied marks on a fair
hand, brings to view, with a brighter tint, the blue fhains of woad.
10. I ftood afking news of the ruins concerning their lovely habit-
ants ; but what avail my queftions to dreary rocks, who anfwer
them only by their echo ?
It. In the plains, which now are naked, a populous city once ftood ;
but they decamped at early dawn, and nothing of them remains
but the canals, v.hich encircled their tents, and the Thumaam-
plants, with which they were repaired.
12. How were thy tender affeftions raifed, when the damfels of the
tribe departed ; when they hid themfelves in carriages of cotton,
like antelopes in their lair ; and the tents, as they were flruck,
gave a piercing found !
13. They were concealed in vehicles, whofe fides were well covered
with awnings and carpets, with fine fpun curtains, and piftured
veils.
14. A company of maidens were feated in them, with black-eyes and
graceful motions, like the wild heifers of Tudah, or the roes of
Wegera, tenderly gazing on their young.
15. They haftened their camels, till the fultry vapour gradually Hole
them from thy fight ; and they feemed to pafs through a vale,
wild with tamarifks. and rough with large ftoncs, like the valley
of BeiJIia."
Chief CITIES, CURIOSITIES, 1 What is called the Defert of Sinai,
AND ARTS. / is a beautiful plain near nine miles
long, and above three in breadth ; it lies open to the north-eaft, but to
the fouthward is clofed by fome of the lower eminences of Mount Si-
nai ; and other parts of tliat mountain make fuch encroachments upon
the plain as to divide it into two, each fo capacious as to be fufficient
to receive the whole camp of the Ifraelites.
From Mount Sinai may be feen Mount Iloreb, where Mofes kept
the flocks of Jethro, his father-in-law, when he faw the burning bufli.
On thofe mountains, are many chapels and cells, polTeffed by the
Greek and Latin monks, who, like the religious at Jerufalem, pretend
tofhew the very fpot where every miracle or tranfaftion recorded \i\
fcripture happened, The
ARABIA. i7t
The chief cities in Arabia are Mocha, Aden, Mufchat, Suez, and
Juddah or Jidda. Mocha is well built, the houfes very lofty, and are
with the walls and forts covered with a chinam or ftucco that gives a
dazzling whitenefs to them. The harbour is femicircular, the circuit
of the wall is two miles, and there are feveral handfonie mofques in
the city. Suez, the Arfinoe of the ancients, is furrounded by the
defert, and but a fhabby place. The fhips are forced to anchor a
league from the town, to which the leading channel has only about
nine feet water. Juddah is the place of the greateft trade in the
Red Sea, for there the commerce between Arabia and Europe meets
and is interchanged, the former fending her gums, drugs, coffee, &c,
and from Europe come cloths, iron, furs and other articles by the way
Cairo. The port of Juddah, according to Mr. Bruce, is very exten-
five, confiding of numberlefs fhoals, fmall iflands, and funken rocks,
with deep channels between them. The harbour is very fecure, but
difficult of entrance : The pilots, however, are very fltilful, and no
accidents ever happen.
We cannot omit here to mention the aftonifhing manner in which
trade is carried on at this place. While Mr. Bruce was there in May,
1769, nine (hips arrived from India, feme of them worth perhaps
£^200, 000. One merchant, a Turk, living at Mecca, thirty hours
journey off, where no chriftian dares go, while the whole continent is
open to the Turk for efcape, offers to purchafe the cargoes of four out
of nine of thefe Ships himlelf : Another of the fame caft, comes and
fays he will buy none, unlefs he has them all. The famples are fnewn,
and the cargoes of the whole nine fliips are carried into the wildeft
part of Arabia, by men with whom one would not wifh to truft him-
felf alone in the field. This is not all ; two India Brokers come into
the room to fettle the price. One on the part of the India Captain,
the other on that of the buyer the Turk. They are neither Mahome-
tans nor Chriftians, but have credit with both. They fit down on
a carpet, and take an India fhawl, which they carry on their
fnoulder like a napkin, and fpread it over their hands. They talk in
the mean time, on different fubjefts ; of the arrival of the fhips from
India, or of the news of the day, as if they were employed in no feri-
ous bufinefs whatever. There never was one inftance of a difpute
happening in thefe fales.
Matters are to be carried ftill further, and the money is to be paid.
A private Moor, who has nothing to fupport him but his chara£Ver,
becomes refponfible for the payment of thefe cargoes. This man de-
livers a number of hempen bags full of what is fuppofed to be mon-
ey. He marks the contents upon the bag, and puts his feal upon the
firing that ties the mouth of it. This is received for what is marked
upon it, without any one ever having opened the bag, and in India, it
is current for the value marked upon it, as long as the bag lafts.
Juddah being the moft unwholefome part of Arabia, is at the fame
time, in the moft barren and defert fUuation. This, and many other
inconveniences under which it labours, would pi-obably have occa-
fioned its being abandoned altogether, were it not for its vicinity to
Mecca, and the great and fudden influx of wealth from the India
trade, which once a year, arrives in this part, but does not continue,
paffing on as through a turnpike to Mecca, whence it is difpcrfcd all
•ver
472 A k A B I A.
over the eafl. Very little advantage however accrues to Juddahj
The cufloms are all immediately I'erit to a needy fovereign, and a hun-
gry let of relatioiis, dependents and minifters at Mecca. The gold is
returned in bags and in boxes, and pafles on as rapidly to the fliips as
tlie goods da to the market, and leaves as little profit behind. In the
mean time provifions r-'le to a prodigious price, and this falls upon
the townfmen, while all the profit of the traffic is in the hands of
ftrangers, mod of whom, after the market is over, retire to Yemen, and
other neighbouring countries, which abound in every fort of provifion.
Though Jidda or Juddah is the country of their Prophet, yet no where
are there fo many unmarried women ; and the permiifion of marry-
ing four wives was allowed in this di drift in the firfl inftance, and af-
terwards communicated to all the tribes. But Mahomet, in his per-
miilion of plurality of wives, feems conft.intly to have been on his
guard againft. iuffering that, which was intended for the welfare of his
people, from operating in a different manner. He did not permit a
man to marry two, three or four wives, unlefs he could maintain
them : And the man whi-i married ihcm was obliged to Ihew before
the Cadi or tome equivalent officer, that it was in his power to fup-
f)ort them. From this great fcarcity of provifions, which is the re-
ult of an extraordinary concourfe of people to a place almoft dcfli-
tute of the neceffaries of life, few inhabitants of Jidda can avail them-
felves of the privileges granted by Mahomet, as they cannot maintain
more than one wife. From this caufe arifes the want of people here,
and the large number of unmarried women.
Mecca the capital of all Arabia, and Medina, deferve particular no-
tice. At Mecca, the birth-place of Mahomet, is a mofque fo glorious,
that it is generally counted the mod magnificent of any temple in the
Turkifli dominions ; lis lofty roof being railed in fafliion of a dome,
and covered with gold, with two beautiful towers at the end, of ex-
traordinary height and architefture, m dee a delightful appearance, and
are confpicuous at a great diftance. The mofque hath a hundred gates,
with a window over each ; and the whole building v/ithin is decorat-
ed with the fined gildings and tapedry. The number of pilgrims who
yearly vifit this place is almod incredible, every Mutfulman being
obliged by his religion to come hither once in his life time, or fend a
deputy. At Medina, about fifty miles from the Red Sea, the city to
which Mahomet Red when he was driven out of Mecca, and the place
•where he was buried, is a djtely mofque, fupported by 400 pillars,
and furniffied with 300 filver lam.^s, which are continually burning.
It is called the A/ 6»^/2 //o/y by the Turks, becaufa in it is placed the
coffin of their prophet Mahomet, covered with cloth of gold, under
a canopy of filvcr tilTue, which the balhaw of Egypt, by order of the
grand-iignior, renews every year. The camel which carries it derives
a fort of fanctity fiom it, and is never to be ufed in any drudgery after-
wards. Over the foot of the coffin is a rich golden crefcent, fo curi-
Gudy wrought, and adorned with precious ftones, that it is edeemed a
mader-piece of great value. Thither the pilgrims refoit, as to Mecca,
but not in fuch number;--..
GovEKNMiiN I . J The inland country of Arabia is under the gov-
ernment of many petty princes, wlio are diled xerifsand imans, both
vi :hc;n including offices of king and pried, in the fame manner as the
calif*
R A B I A.
473
califs of the Saracens, the fucceffors of Mahomet. Thefc monarchs
appear to be abfohite, both in fpirituals and temporals : t'lie fucceffion
is hereditary, and they have no other laws than thofc found in the
Koran, and the comments upon it. The northern Arabs owe fubiec-
tion to the Turks, and are governed by bafliaM^s refiding arnong them ;
but it is certain they receive large gratuities from the grand-ii-rnior
for prote£ting the pilgrims that pafs through their country from ihe
robberies of their countrymen. The Arabians have no ftandina recr-
xilar militia, but their kings command both the perlbnsand the purfes
of their fiihjefts, as the neccffity of affairs requires.
History.] The Arabs are dcfcended from Ifhmael, of whofe pof-
terity it was foretold, that they fhall be invincible, " have their hands
againfl every man, and every man's hands againfl theirs." They are
at prefent, and have remained from the remoteft ages, during the va-
rious conqucfts of the Greeks, Romans and Tartars, a convincing
proof of the divinity of this preditlion. The conquefts of the Arabs
make as wonderful a part of their hiRory, as the independence and
freedom which they have ever continued to enjoy. Thefe. as well as
their religion, began with one man. whofe charafter forms a very Angu-
lar phenomenon in the hiftory of mankind. This was the famous Ma-
homet, a native of Mecca, a city of that divifion of Arabia, which, for
the luxuriancy of its foil, and happy temperature of its climate, has
ever been efleemed the lovelieft and fweeteft region of the world, and
is diftinguifhed by the epithet of Happy.
Mahomet was born in the fixth century, anno 569, in the reign of
Juftinian II. emperor of ConRantinople. Though defcendedof mean
parentage, illiterate and poor, Mahomet was endowed with a fubtile
genius, like thofe of the fame country, and pofifcffed a degree of enter-
prize and ambition peculiar to himfclf, and much beyond his condition.
He had been employed, in the early part of his life, by an uncle, Abu-
teleb, as a faftor, and had occafion, in this capacity, to travel into
Syria, Palefline, and Egypt. He was afterwards taken into the fervice
of a rich merchant, upon whofe death he married his widow, Cadiga,
and by her means came to be poflTedcd of great wealth, and of a numer-
ous family. During his peregrinations into Egypt and the Eaft, hs
had obferved the vaft variety of fcfts in religion, whofe hatred againft:
each other was ftrong and inveterate, while at the fame time there
were many particulars in which the greater part of them were agreed.
He carefully laid hold of thefe particulars, by means of which, and by
addreihng himfelf to the love of power, riches, and pleafure, palhons
univerfal among them, he expefted to raife a new fyftem of religion,
more general tb.an any which hitherto had been cflablifhed. In this
defign he was affifted by a Sergian monk, whofe libertine difpofition
had made him forfake his cloifter and profcihon, and engage in the
fervice of Cadiga, with whom he remained as a domeflic when Ma-
homet was taken to her bed. This monk was perfectly qualified
by his gre-it learning, for fupplying the defcfts which his malter, for '
want of a liberal education, laboured under, and which in all proba-
bility, mull have obftrufted the execution of his dcfign. It Wis
neceffary, howe\er, that the religion they propofcd to cRablifh fhould
have a divine fanftion ; and for this purpofe Mahomet turned a cala-
mity, with which he was adlicled, to his advantage. He was often
G g fubjeft
474 A R A B I A.
fubjeft to fits of the epilepfy, a clifeafe which thofe whom it afflifirs ar^
defiro'js to conceal ; Mahomet gave out therefore that thefe fits were
trances, into which he was miraculoufly thrown by God Almiohty,
during which he was inftrufted iri his will, which he was commanded
to publifli to the world. By this ftrange flory, and by leading a re-
tired, abftemious. and auflcre life, he eafily acquired a charafter for
fuperior fanftity among his acquaintance and neighbours. When he
thought himfelf fufficiently fortified by the numbers, and the enthufi-
afm of his followers, he boldly declared himfelf a prophet, fent by
God into the world, not only to teach his will, but to compel mankind
to obey it.
As we have already mentioned, he did not lay the foundation of his
fyftem fo narrow as only to comprehend the natives of his own coun-
try. His mind, though rude and enthufiaflic, was enlarged by travel-
ling into diftant nations, whofe manners and religion he had made a
peculiar ftudy. He propofed that the fyftem he eftablifhed ihould
extend over all the neighbouring nations, to whofe do6trines and pre-
judices he had taken care to adapt it. Many of the inhabitants of the
£aftern countries were at this time much addifted to the opinions of
Arius, who denied that Jefus Clirill was co-equal with God the
Father, as is declared in the Athanafiau creed. Egypt and Arabia
were filled with Jews, who had fled into thefe corners of the world
from the perfecution of the emperor Adrian, who threatened the total
extinftion of that people. The other inhabitants of thefe countries
\vere pagans. I'hefe, however, had little attachment to their decayed
and derided idolatry ; and, like men v>/hofe religious principle is weak,
had given themfelves over to pleafure and fenfuality, or to the acquifi-
tion of riches, to be tlie better able to indulge- in the gratifications of
fenfe, which, together wiih the dodrine of predelli nation, compofed
the fole principles of their religion and philofophy. Mahomet's lyftem
was exaftly fuited to thefe three kinds of men. To gratify the two
former, he declared that there was one God, who created the world
and governed ail things in it ; that he had fent various prophets into
the world to teach his will to mankind, among whom Mufes and Jefus
Chrift were the moft eminent ; but the endeavours of thefe had proved
ineff^edludl, and God had therefore now fent his lail and greateft pro-
phet, with a commiftion more ample than what Mofes or Chrift had
been entrufted with. He had commanded him not only to publifii
his laws, but to fubJue thofe who were unwilling to believe or obey
them ; and for this end to eftahlifii a kingdom upon earth which fhould
propagate the divine jaw throughout the world ; that God had defign-
ed utter ruin and d2ftru6tion to thofe who fhould refufe to fubmit to
him ; but to his faithful follovvers^ he had given the I'poils and pof-
feflions of all the earth, as a reward in this life, and had provided for
them hereafter a paradifc of ail fenfual enjoyments, efpecially thofe of
love ; that the pleafurcs of fuch as died in propagating the faith, would
be peculiarly intenfe, and vaftly tranfcend thofe. of the reft. Thefe,
together with the prohibition of drinking ftrong liquors (a reftraint
not very fevere in v\'aim climates), and the do6lrine of predeftination,
were the capital articles of Mahomet's creed. They were no fooner
publilhed than a vaft many of his countrymen embraced them with
implicit faith. They were written by the prieft we formerly raention-
INDIAN AND O RI E N T A L I S L A N D S . 475
c:d O R I E N T A L ISLANDS.
original inhabitants are faid to live in the mountains, and make ufe of
poifoned darts ; but the fea-coaft is governed by Mahometan princes ;
the chief port of this illar.d is Benjar-Maffeen, and carries on a com-
merce with all trading nations.
Sumatra has Malacca on the north, Borneo on the eafl, and Java
on the fouth-eaft, from which it is divided by the ftraits of Sunda ; it
3S divided into two equal parts by the equator, extending five degrees,
and upwards, novth-wefl of it, and five on the fouth-eall ; and is looo
jniles long, and I'oo broad. This ifland produces fo much gold, that
it is thought by fome to be the Ophir mentioned in the fcriptures ; but
Mr. Marfden in his late hiftery of the ifland, thinks it was unknown
to the ancients. The higheft mountain in Sumatra, is called Ophir by
the Europeans, vvhofe fummit above the level of the fea is 13,842 feet,
exceeding in height the Peak of Teneriffeby 577 feet. The Portuguefe
■were the firft difcoverers and fettlers, but met with difgrace in their at-
tempts againft Acheen. The firft Englifh fleet that made its appear-
ance in this part of the world, and laid the foundation of a commerce
that was to eclipfe that of every other European ftate, vifited Acheen
in the year 1602, under captain Lancafher, who carried a letter from
queen Elizabeth to the king of that place. The Englifh Eaft-India
comp;aiy have two fettlernents here, Bencoolen, and Fort-Marlbo-
rough ; from whence they bring their chief cargoes of pepper. The
king of Acheen is the chief of the IVlahomctan princes who pollefs the
fea-coafts. The interior parts.are governed by Pagan princes, whofe
governments are all independent, and their language and manners are
very different. The natural produtls of Sumatra are pretty much tlic
fame v/ith thofe of the adjacent iflands, but this ifland is furpaffed by
few in rice, pepper, and camphor, and in the bountiful indulgence of
nature. It is from thil country that moft of the caflia fent to Europe
is produced. The caflia tree grows to fifty or fixty feet, with a ftcm of
about two feet diameter, and a beautiful and regular fpreading head.
The quantity of pepper produced in the Eaft-India company's diltrifts
on Sumatra, is annually 1200 tons ; of which the greater part comes to
-Europe, and the refl: is fent to China.
Rain is very frequent here ; fometimes very heavy, and almoft al-
ways attended with thunder and ligiitning. Earthquakes are not un-
common, and there are feveral volcanos on the ifland. The people
who inhabit the coafh are Malays, who came hither from the peninfula
of Malacca : but the interior parts are inhabited by a verv different
people, and who Iiave hitherto had no connexion with the Europeans.
Their langv.age and charafter difl"er much from thofc of the Malays ;
the latter ufing the Arabic character, as do the Achecnefe. The prin-
cipal internal languages of the ifland are the Rejang and Batha, each
containing characters ejTentially different from each other. The peo-
ple between the diflricb of the Englifli company, and thofe of the
.Dutch at Pi'.lembang, on the other fide the ifland, write on long narrow
;fnps of the bark of a tree, with a piece of bamboo. They begin at the
bouom, and write from the left hand to the right, contrary to the ci;f-
tom of other eaflern nations. Thefe inhabitants of the interior parts
ol Sumatra are a free people, and live in fmall villages, called Doofons,
independent of each other, and governed each by its own chief. All
cl them have laws, fome written ones, by which they punifn offend-
ers.
INDIAN AND ORIENTAL ISLANDS. aSi
t?vs, and terminate difputes. They have almoftall of them, particularly
the women, large fvvellings in their throat, fome nearly as big as a
Tnan's head, but in general as big as an oftrich's egg, like the goi-
tres of the Alps. That part of this ifland which is called the Calfia
country, is well inh?bited by a people called Battas, who differ from
all the other inhabitants of Sumatra in language, manners and cuftoms.
They have no king, but live in villages, independently of each other,
and generally at variance with one another. They fortify their vil-
lages very ftrongly with double fences of camphor plank pointed, and
placed v/ith their points projefting outwards ; and between thefc
fences they place pieces of bamboo, hardened by fire, and likewife point-
ed, which are concealed by the grafs, but which will run quite through
a man's foot. Such of their enemies whom they take pnfoners, they
put to death and eat, and their (kulls they hang up as trophies, in the
houfes where the unmarried men and boys eat and deep. They allow
of polygamy : a man may purchafe as many wives as he pleafes ; but
Mr. Marfden obferves, it is extremely rare, that an inftance occurs of
their having more than one, and that only among a fewof their chiefs »
hilt this continence is attributed to their poverty. The original cloth-
ing of the Sumatrans is the (ame with that of the inhabitants of the
South-Sea iilands, generally flyled Otheitean cloth. The Buffalo
{cart'ozo) conllilutes a principal part of their food, and is the only ani-
jnal employed in their domellic labours. The Sumatran pheafant is a
bird of uncommon beauty.
Within about ninety miles of Sumatra is the ifland of Enganho,
which is very little known, on account of the terrible rocks and break-
ers that entirely furround it. It is inhabited by naked favages, who
are tall and well made, and who generally appear armed with lances
and clubs, and fpeak a different language from the inhabitants of any
of the neighbouring iilands.
' The greatcll partof Java bx^longs to the Dutch, who have hereerefleda
kind of commercial monarchy, the capital of which is Batavia, a noble
and populous city, lying in the latitude of fix degrees fouth, at the
month of the river Jucata, and furnillied with one of the fine ft; har-
bours in the world. The town itfelf is built in the manner of thofe
in Ilolland, and is about a league and a half in circumference, with
five gates, and furrounded by regular fortifications ; but its fuburbs
are laid to be ten times more populous than itfelf. The government
here is a mixture of Eaftern magnificence and European police, and
held by the Dutch governor-general of tire Indies. When he appears
abroad, lie is attended by his guards and officers, and with a fplendor
luperior to that of any European potentate, except on fome folemn oc-
cahons. The city is as beautiful as it is ftrong, and its fine canals,
bridges, and avenues, render it a moft agreeable refidence. The de-
Icription of it, its government, and public edifices, have employed
whole volumes. The citadel, where the governor has his palace, com-
mands the town and the I'uburbs, which are inhabited by natives of
almolt every nation in the world ; the Chinefe refiding in this ifland
are computed at loo.oco ; but about 30.000 of that nation were bar-
baroufiy maffacrcd, without the fmalleft offence ever proved upon
?hcm, in 1740. This maffacre was too unprovoked and deteftable to
ur defended even by the Dutch, who, when the governor arrived in
II h Europe
482 INDIAN AKD ORIENT A L ISLANDS,
F.urope. fent him back to be tried at Batavia ; but he never has been
heard of lince. A Dutch garrifon of 3000 men conflantly refides at
Batavia ; and about 15.000 troops are quartered in the ifland and the
neighbourhood of the city. Their government is admirably well cal-
culated to prevent the independency either of the civil or military
power.
The Andaman and Nicobar iilands.] Thefe iflandslie at the en-
trance of the bay of Bengal, and furnifli provifions, confiding of tropi-
cal fruits and other necelfiiries, for the fhips that touch there. They
are otherwife too inconfiderable to be mentioned. They are inhabited
by a harmlefs, inofFenfive, but idolatrous people.
Ceylon, or Se i en-dive.] This illand, though not the largeft, is
thought to be by nature the richeft, and fineft :lland in the world ; and
is celebrated for being the only place which produces the true Cinna-
mon. It is feparated by the Gulf of Manora, from the continent of
Indoftan, to which it is fuppofed to have been joined, till torn from
it by the force of the waves, or earthquakes ; and the fliallownefs of
the intervening channel feems to favour this opinion, for a fand-bank,
called Adain's bridge, (on which only a few feet water runs,) inter-
rupts all navigation except by boats. On this bank, and the neigh-
bouring Goaftj is a pearl filhery, formerly coniiderable, but now much
declined.
This ifland, which is happily fituafed for commerce, is inhabited by
two diflinft nations, the Bedas to the north, and the Cinglaffes to the
fouth ; it is about 250 miles long, and 200 broad ; the natives call it,
with fome fhew of reafon, the teneftrial paradife ; and it produces,
befides excellent fruits of all kinds, long pepper, fine cotton, ivory,
filk, tobacco, ebony, mulk, cryflal, falt-petre. fulphur, lead, iron, flcel,
copper ; befides cinnamon, gold, and hlver, and all kinds of precious
ftones, except diamonds. All kinds of fowls and fifh abound here.
Every part of the illand is well wooded and watered ; and bcfvdes
fome curious animals peculiar to ilfelf, it has plenty of cows, buffa-
loes, goats, hogs, deer, hares, dogs, and other quadrupeds. The Cey-
lon elephant is preferred to all others, efpecially if fpottcd ; but l^x^eral
noxious animals, fuch as ferpents and ants, are likewife found here.
The chief commodity of the illand is its cinnamon, which is by far the
beft in all Alia. Though its trees grow in great profufion, yet the beffc
is found in the neighbourhood of Columbo, and Negambo,
Mountains, covered wiih impoflible forefls, interleft it in ail direc-
tions, amongil which Adam's pic rifes like a lofty cone, far fuperior to
the red in elevation, and vifible, (it is faid) at the diftance of more
than 100 miles. From this mountain ilTues the Mowil-ganga, the
largeft river in the ifland, which vifiting Candy the ancient capital,
falls after a courfe of feveral miles into the bay of Trinconomale,
the finefl not only in Ceylon, but in all Indoftan ; it is capable of re-
ceiving 1000 fail of the laigeft fhips in perfeft fecurity. Ceylon,though
formerly divided into feveral petty kingdoms, has now but one prince,
■who poffefles only the internal parts of the ifland, and refides at Deg-
lige, but is called the king of Candy, from the ancient capital, which
having fuffered much in the v/ars, between the Portuguefe and natives,
has ceafed to be the royal refidcnce.
The Dutch, who expelled the Portuguefe, have pollened themfe'ves
of the entire coail, in order to exclude all other nations from the cin-
namon
INDIAN AND O RI E N T A L ISLANDS. 4^3
namon trade : this valuable fpice, however, is cultivated only in the
fouth-weft coafl, in a n-c:6l called the Cinnamon coaft. in which the
principal places are. Coi i;m»o, the capital of the Dutch iV ttlemcnts,
in the idand, regularly fortihcd, on a tolerable harbour formerly vciy
confiderablc, but much declined. Columbo root, an article lately in-
troduced into the viutaia mediea, or\g\ua\\y grew in America, and was
thence tranfplanted to this town, which ^rives name to it, and fupplies
all India, and F-uvopc with it. It is a bitter, rather ungrateful to the
tafte, but when received into the (lomach, it appears to be corrobcrant,
antilceptic. fed.itive ?.nd powerfully antiemetic. It has been iited
with great lucccfs in the cholera morbus and other bilious complaints.
Point De Gal i.e. on a fmall indifferent harbour, is fortified, and be-
come the centre of the Dutch trade in the ilhind.
It may be here proper to obferve, that the cinnamon-trcc, which is
a native of this idand, hac two. if not three barks, which form the true ,
cinnamon; the trees of a middling growth and age jflFord the bcft •.
and the body of the tree, which when ftiipped is white, fervcs for
building and other ufes. In 1 656. the Dutch v;ere invited by the na-
tives of this deli^cious ifland, to defend them againft the PorCuguefe,
whom they expelled, and have monopolized it ever fince to themfeives.
Indeed, in January 1782, Trinconomale, the chief fea-poft of the
ifland was taken by the Englifh, but foon afterwards retaken by the
French, and reftored to the Dutch bv the lad treaty of peace.
TheMAiDiVFs. Thefc area vaft clufter of fmall iflands or little
rocks juft above the water, lying between the equator and eight de-
grees north latitude, near Cape Comorin. They are chiefly reforted to
by the Dutch, who drive on a prt)fitable trade with the natives for
couries, a kind of fmall fliells, which go, or rather formerly went for
money upon the coafts of Guinea and other parts of Africa. The
cocoa of the Maldives is an excellent commodity m a medicinal ca-
pacity : " Of this tree (fays a well-informed author) they build veflels
of twenty or thirty tons ; their hulls, mads, fails, rigging, anchors,
cables, provifions, and firing, are all from this ufeful tree.
We have already mentioned BoMr.AYon the Malabar coaft, in fpeak-
ing of India. With regard to the language of all the Oriental illands,
nothing certain can be faid. Each ifland has a particular tongue ;
but the Malayan, Chlnefe, Portuguefe, Dutcl'., and Indian words, are
fo frequent among them, that it is difncult for an European, who is not
very expert in thofe matters, to know the radical language. The fame
may be almoft faid of their religion ; for though its original is certain-
ly Pagan, yet it is intermixed with many Mahometan, Jewifli, Chriflian
religions, and with many foreign fuperflitions.
The fea which feparates the fouthern point of the peninfula of
Kamtfchatka from Japan, contains a number of iflands in a pofition
from north-north-eaft to fouthfouth-eaft, which are called the Ivt-rii.e
Islands. They are upwards of twenty in number, are all mountain-
ous, and in feveral of them are volcanoes and hot fprings. 'J'hc prin-
cipal of thefe iflands are inhabited ; but fome of the little ones are en-
tirely defcrt and unpeopled. They differ much from each other in
rcfpcft both to their fituation and national conflitution. The forefts
in the more ndrthern ones are compofed of laryx and pines ; thofe
to the fouthward produce canes, bamboos, vines, &c. In feme of
them arc bears and foxes. The
484 INDIAN AND ORIENTAL ISLANDS.
Thefea-otter appears on thecoaflsofall thefeinands,aswell aswhaleSj
fea-horfes, feals, and other amphibious animals. Some of the inhabi-
tants of thefe iflands have a great likenefs to the Japanele in their
manners, language, and perfonal appearance ; others very much re-
femble the Kamtfchadales. The northern iilands acknov.'ledge the
fovereignty of the empire of Ruffia ; but thofe to the iouth pay hom^
age to Japan. The Kurilians diftover much humanity and probity in
their conduft, and are courteous and hofpitable ; but adverfity renders
them timid, and prompts them to fuicide. Tliey have a particular vene-
ration for old age. They reverence an old man whoever he be, but
have an efpecial afFeftion for thofe of their refpeftive families. Theis"
language is agreeable to the ear. and they fpeak and pronounce it {low-
ly. The men are employed in hunting, fiftiing for fea animals anci
whales, and catching fowl. Their canoes are made of wood that their
forefts produce, or that the fea cads upon their fhores. The women
have charge of the kitchen, and make clothes. In the northern iflands
they few, and make different cloths of the thread of nettles. The
fouihern iflanders are more refined and polifhed than the northern, and
carry on a fort of commerce with Japan, whither they export whale-
oil, furs, and eagles feathers to fledge arrows with. In return, they
bring Japanefe utenfils of metal and varnifhed wood, TKillets, fabres,
different fluffs, ornaments of luxury and parade, tobacco, all forts of
trinkets, and fmall wares.
A F R I C
AFRICA.
AF R I C A. the third j^rand rlivlfion of the globe, is generally TCp-
relcntcd as bearing foine refemblancc to the form of a pyramid,
the bafc being tlie northern part of it, which runs along the fliores of
the Mediterranean, and the point or top of the pyramid, the Cape of
Good Hope. Africa is a peninfvila of a prodigious extent, joined to
Aha only by a neck of land, about hxty miles over, between the Red
Sea and the Mediterranean, ufually called the Iflhmus of Suez, and its
utmoH; length from north to fouth, from Cape Bona in the Mediterra-
nean, in 37 degrees north, to the Cape of Good Hope in 34-7 fouth
latitude, is 4300 miles ; and the broadeft part from Cape Verd. in 17-20
degrees, to Cape Gurdafui, near the flraits of Babel-Mandeb, in 51-20
ea(t longitude, is 3500 miles from eaft to weft. It is bounded on the
north by the Mediterranean fea, which feparates it from Europe ; on
the eaft by the Ifthmus of Suez, the Red Sea, and the Indian ocean,
which divides it from Afia ; on the fouth by the foulhern ocean ; and
on liie weft by the great Atlantic ocean, which feparates it from Ame-
rica. As the equator divides this exlenfivc country almofl in the
middle, and the far greater part of it is within the tropics, the heat is
in many places almoft infupportable to an European ; it being there
increafed by the rays of the fun from vaft defcrts of burning fands.
The coafts, however, and banks of rivers, fuch as the Nile, are gene-
rally fertile ; and moft parts of this region arc inhabited, though it is
far from being fo populous as Europe or Afia. From what has been
faid, the reader cannot cjfpeft to find here a variety of climates. Iri
m^ny parts of Africa, fnow feldom falls in the plains ; and it is geuK-
rally never found but on the tops of the higheft mountains. The na-
tives, in thefe fcorching regions, would as foon expeft that marble
fhould melt, and flow in liquid ftreams, as that water by freezing
fliould lofc its fluidity, be arrefted by the cold, and cealing to flow, be-
come like the iolid rock-
The moft confiderable rivers in Africa, are the Niger, which falls
into the Atlantic or weftern ocean at Senegal, after a courfe of 2800
miles. It increafes and decreafes as the Nile, fertilizes the country,
and has grains of gold in many parts of it. The Gambia and Senegal
are only branches of this river. The Nile which dividing Egypt into
two parts, difcharges itfelf into the Mediterrajiean, after a prodigious
courfe fiom its fource in Abyftinia. The moft confiderable mountains
in Africa are the Atlas, a ridge extending from the weftern ocean, to
which it gives the name of Atlantic Ocean, as far as Egypt, and had
its name from a king of Mauritania, a great lover of aftronomy, who
ufcd to obferve the rtars from its fummit ; on which account the poets
reprefent him as bearing the heavens on his fhouldcrs. The mountains
of tlie moon, extending themfelves between Abylfinia and Monomo-
pata, and a-e ftill higher than thofe of Atlas. Thofe of Sierra Leona,
or the mountains of the Lions, which divide Nigiitia fi cm Guinea,
and
486 AFRICA.
and extend as far as Ethiopia. Thefe were ftyled by the'ancients the
Mountains of God, on account of their being fubjeQ; to thunder and
lightning. The Peak of TenerifFe, wliich the Dutch make their firfh
meridian, is about tv/o miles high, in the form of a fugar-loaf, and is
fituated on an ifland of the fame name near the coaft. The moft noted
capes, or promontories, inT-,ns
Negrolaiid ;2'20o 8jc
) Mcidiriga
25C.O S. JFaaans |
o
Guinea
jiSoo' 3 be
iienin
-•700 S.
Pagans
Nubia
Q/ioj bof
J Nubia
241 « S.
Ma. & Pa.
^1
Abyllirila
A hex
900; 80c
,54o| i;^,c
)|Dnr
ditr 2800 .S.K.
Chnllian.
cala 3580 S.L. (Jh. & Pa. |
ihe miudle paits, called the uower Ethiopia, are very little knowiT
to the Eiifnpeans, but arc computed at 1,200.000 iquare miles.
L,.MIlgU
410 300
Loau<>(3
3300 S. |Ch. & I'a. j
(^ont;0
5Z!0
420
St. Salvador
3480 b.
Ch. & Pa. j
AnQ;ola ■
3 bo
1:^0
2 re
.80
2 . i 0
300
! .oando
^750 s.
Ch. & Pa.
Bcnffuela
Kenoucla
3900 s.
Pagans.
M ataman
450
N'o. dcwns
* * :t:
I'agans.
Ajaa
100
tv.-ava
3702 .S.E
P.:t;ans.
Zanguebar
1400
Zo^
Viehiidaor Mu-
zamoiqiic
4440 S.E.
i^agans.
Monnmotapa
9OG
b
00
Monomotapa I4500 6. j
'aijans.
ivioiieinuffi
90(;
bbo
Chicova
4260 s.
'agans.
Sotala
4H0
30Q
Sohala
4000 S.E
■-aaans. \
Terr^de Nat.
boo
3.50
Mo I'owns
* * *
i'd^aus. \
Cai?r:u-ia or 1 ( A
Ho.t.ntot W /°1
660
C-apc of Good
Hope
5200 s.
Pagans. \
The principal iflaiidi ot Arnca lie in t!i2 iriJian leas and Atlantic Ocean ; uf wimh Liici
tbllowuii; belong to, or trade with, the Europeans, and ferve to refrelh their iljippin^',!
to rind rrom India. {
lilands. ^
Sq.Mi. I Towns.
Trad, with or belon.j
Babel Mandeb, at the entrance of
Eabel Mandeb
All Nations i
the Red Sea
1
Socotra, in thf Indian Occ-.in
3,600 1 Caktufia
Ditto J
The Comora lllt-s, ditto
I, coo 1 Joanna
Ditto 1
Madagafcar, ditto
168,000 1 St. Au'tin
Ditto 1
Mauritius, ditto
1,840 Mauritiuj
Frerch !
oourbon, ditto
2,IC0 1 Bourbon
Ditto 1
It. Helena, in the Atlantic Ocean
St. Helena
Engiiln
Alccnfinn, ditto
Uninhabited
St. Matthew, do
Ditto
St. Tho:na.,Auaboa,Piinces7 £
ifland, FeixUnandopo ^^
S. Thomas, An aboa
Portuguefe
Ja-'e Verd Illandi, dirto
2,000
St. Domingo
Ditto
'io e>, ditto
Fort St. M-cha'-l
French
■>'naries, ditM
Palma,St.Chriaoiihers
Spanifh
■Madeiras, ditto
1,500
Santa Cruz, Fuiichal
Portuguefc
The Az..,e5,orVv'fnt. Ides lie! ->
ncarlv at an, equal diftance > ^
2,C0O
Angra, St. Michael
Ditto
tr'vT,K,r-'vi. A iV; (■..■': Am.-r. ) '°
E Cx Y P T. 489
Having given the reader fome idea of Africa, in general, with the
principal kingdoms, and their fiippofcd dimenfions, we (hall now con-
sider it under three grand divifions : Firft, Egypt ; fecondlv, the dates
of Barbary, ftretching alongr the coaft of the Mediterranean, from
Egypt on the eafl, to the Atlantic Ocean, weft ; and, laftlv, that part
of Africa, between the tropic of Cancer and the Cape of Good Hope ;
the Irfftofthefc divifions, indeed, is vaftly greater than the other two ;
but tlie nations, which it contains, are fo little known, and fo barba-
rous, and, like all barbarous nations, fo fimilar in moft refpcfts to one
another, that they may, without impropriety, be thrown under one
general head.
Situation and Ektent,
Miles. Degrees. Sq. Miles,
Lencrth 600 1 1 , f 20 and Q 2 north latitude. "1 .
Breadth 250) ^"^^""" ( 28 and 36 eaftlongitude. /* ^ojoo.
BouNDARiES.]TT is boundcd by the Mediterranean Sea, North ; by
1 the Red Sea, Eaft ; by Abyflinia, or the Upper Ethi-
opia, on the South ; and by the Defert of Barca, and the unknown
parts of Africa, Weft.
Divifions. Subdivifions. Chief towns.
r ■*) fGRAND Cairo, E.lon,
I I j 32N. Lat.30.
Northern divifion contains-( Lower Egypt >< Alexandria
j j I Rofctto
\_ J l_Damietta
.^, ,. -r ."Itt -n ^ r Savd or Thebes
Southern aivihon contains >Lpper Egypt r ^ f 'rp
Air.] It is obferved by M. Volney, that during eight months of
the year (from March to November) the heat is aimoft infupportable
by an European. " During the whole of this ieafon, the air is inflamed,
the fky fparkling, and the heat opprcftive to all unaccuftomed to it."
The other months are more temperate. The foutherly winds which
fometimes blov/ in Egypt, are by the nitives cMed poifonous winds, or
the hot winds of the defert. They are of fuch extreme heat and aridity
that no animated body expofed to it can withftand its fatal influence.
During the three days which it generally lafts, the ftreets are defertcd ;
and woe to the traveller whom this wind furprizes remote from fhcl-
ter : when it exceeds three days it is infupportable.
Rivers, son, and produce.] The fources of this celebrated river
were fo much unknown to the ancients, that to fearch for them be-
came a proverb to cxprefs any ridiculous or impoffible attempt. By
the Jcfuit milhonaries, however, who formerly paffed into AbylTinia,
they certainly were exp'ored ; and the very reafon given by Mr. Bruce
for itippofing that the milRonaries never were there, muft be a convinc-
1 i i"S
49P EGYPT.
ing proof to every rational perfon that they really -did viCit thetn. The
reafon he gives, is a fmall diifcrence betwixt his calculation and that c(
the niilhonaries in the latitude of the fountains from which the prin-
cipal blanch of the Nile proceeds, and which, according to his map, is
cxaftly in i i degrees north latitude, 1 he diflerence is not auite a d'-:-
gree ; it is impoilible to know which of the travellers are in the right,
andwemay aswell makethis diifcrence an argument againft Mr. Bruce,
asagainfl the mifhonaries. According to both accounts, it rifes in the
territory of Gojam in Abyflinia, runs firil northward, then changing
its couife to north-eaft, falls into the great lake of Dembea, from
whence takfng a circle fouth and wefhvard, it again aflumesa norther-
ly direftion, and being joined by two other large rivers, named the
While River and the Atbara, or Aflaboras, it paffes through the great
defert of Nubia, enters Egypt at the fouth weft corner under the Tro-
pic of Cancer, and continues its courfe between two rows of moun-
tains, fertilizing annually the low ground between them ; for the
whole of Upper Egypt, as has already been mentioned, is a long and
not very broad valley. The fountains are lituated, as has already been
mentioned, in a long and not very broad valley. The fountains are
fituated, as has already been faid, in ii degrees north latitude ; and al-
moft 37 eaft longitude ; and are three in number, riling out of the
marfhy ground at the foot of a mountain ; the water is fine, and iffues
in confide'rable quantity. About two miles from its fource the ittcam
becomes fufliciently large to turn a mill, but foon afterwards increafes
greatly, though even after a courfe of 60 miles it is fordable at certain
leafons.
The natives, at the head of the Nile, pay divine honours to it.
Thoufands of cattle are offered, fuppofed to rehde at its fource. The
Lake Dembea is much the largeft known in this country. Itsgreateft
breadth is thirty-five miles ; but it decreafes greatly at each extremity,
where it is not fometimes above ten miles broad. Its greatefl length
is forty nine miles from north to fouth. In the dry months, from
Ocftober to march, the Lake flirinks greatly in fi::e ; but after all
thofe rivers are full which are on every hde of it, and fall into the
lake, like Radii drawn to a center, then it Iwells, and extends itfelf inia
the plain country, and has of courfe a much larger furface.
The fertility of Egypt is well known to arife entirely from the annu-
al overflowing of the Nile, and this is now equally well known to arife
from the rains w^hich fall periodically in Abylhnia. By thcfe its waters
are augmented, and begin to rife about the middle of June, and
continue fo to do until the middle of September, or the end of that
month, the inundation taking up 100 days to arrive at its height.
After that time it gradually' decreafes, and returns to its former
channel, and fo great is the influence of the fun, that even the
vaft quantity of water which at all times runs in its channel, becomes
corrupted and heated to fuch a degree, that it can fcarce be ufed be-
fore the return of the flood. No notice, however^ is taken of the rife
of the river till the end of June, when it has ufualiy fwelled to five
or dx cubits beyond its former flandard. This is publickly proclaim-
ed through the ftreets of Cairo by a crier, and the daily increafc con-
linues to be proclaimed in like manner, till it has attained the height
of 16 peeks, when great rejoicings arc made, and the inhabiunts cry
out
cut Jla^aA f///(i^, " God has given us abundance." This common-
ly happens about the end of July, ov before the aoih of Auguft, andfc
the fooner it riles to the height jufl: mentioned, the greater hoi^e they
Ijave of a plentiful harveft. Sometimes, however, they are difap-
pointed, as was the cafe in 1705, when it did not rife to the requiftte
height, till the 1 Qlh of September ; the conRqiience of which w^s, that
a famine and peftiknce eiidied. After the inundation has rifcn to
this height, the banks are cut to let it into the canals which water
the country, and prepare it for the reception of the feed. > The height
to which it rifcs is different, depending entirely on the quantity of rain
that falls in Abyflinia. If it does not attain to 16 peeks, the inhabitants
?.re exempted from paying tribute. Eighteen culnis produces but an
indilVerent crop ; 22 a very good one ; but, if the inundation exceeds
fi J, a famine enfucs, bccvtufe the waters do not retire in time for fowing
the corn.
I'he waters of the Nile afe mightily extolled by the E;;yptians, on
account of theirwholefome and light qualities, and likewilc their plea-
fant tafte ; but thcfe commendations are naturally to be expefted fiom
people who never faw any other water ; though it is certain that by
the great length of its couifc, the Nile mull be very perfcftly deprived
of every falinc and earthly taint, excepting only the mud which hap-
pens'to be accidentally mixed with it. This indeed is fo abundant in
the dry fcafon, that it cannot be ufed without filtraiion, and even
then has a putrid quality, which were it to continue long, would un-
doubtedly biing on dangerous difeales, but the waters of the inunddr
lion are always pure and wliolelome.
SoitAND PRODUCE.] The fertility of the foil of Egynt has been celebra-
ted in all ages, and if proper care was taken, there is not the leaff. rcafon
to doubt that it would now be the fame as ever. In the drv months
indeed the whole of this country is a dufty defert ; though this is ow-
ing to nothing but the want of water ; for the gardens which are arti-
ficially watered afford a pcrpe:ual verdure. As fomc parts of the
country He too high to be reached by the inundation, artificial means
are likewilc uled for walcriaig the corn grounds, though by rcafon of
the unartful methods made ufeof, very little produce can be expected.
One of the ways in which the water is generally raifed is by the Sakiak,
or Periian wheel, turned by oxen, and leaving feveral earthen veffels
faflened to it by a rope, which empty themfelves as the wheel turns
round, into a ciftern at top. In places where the banks of the river
are high, they fometimes make bafons in the fide of them, near which
they fix an upright pole, on the top of which is another moving upon
an axle. At one end of the crofs pole hangs a great ftone, and at the
other a leathern bucket ; and the latter being pulled down by two
men, is raifed by the weight of the ftone, and emptied into a proper
ciftern. From thefe cifterns the water is conveyed to the gardens, or
plantations, and allowed to run in feveral little trenches, from wiiencc
It is conducted all round the beds in rills, which th-? gardener ealily
ftops by railing the earth with his foot, and diverts the current another
way.
Throughout all Egypt the foil is remarkably impregnated with that
fpecies of fait called Mineral Alkali, mingled with fome common fait,
and thismay bcfuppofed a reafon of the extraordinary qvucknefs of
vegetation
492 £. o I r 1.
vegetation in this country, ^^;hich is fo remarkable, that a certain fpa-
cies of gourd, named Kara, will fend out in one night a fhoot four
inches in length ; but for the fame reafon in all probability it is, that
foreign plants will not thrive here. Thus the European mercliants,
refiding at Cairo, arc obliged annually lo fend to Malta for the feeds of
their garden fluffs ; and always obfervc, that though they thrive very
veil, and bear feed the firfl year, yet if that feed is fown, the fucceed-
iny the name of Mauritania and Numidia, the ancient
African language is ftill fpoken in fome of the inland countries, and ev-
en by fome inhabrtants of the city of Morocco. In the fea-port towns,
and maritime countries, a baftard kind of Arabic is fpoken ; and fca-
• • faring
The Stated of B A R B A R Y.
50t
faring people are no ftrangers to that medly of living and dead langua-
ges, Italkin, French, Spanifh, &c. that is fo well known in all the
ports of the Mediterranean, by the name of Lingua Franca.
Antiquities AND curiosities, "|^ This article is well worth the
NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL. j ftudy of an antiquary, but the
fubjefts of it are difHcult of accefs. The reader can fcarcely doubt
that the countries wliich contained Carthage, and the Pride of the
Phsenician, Greek, and Roman works, are replete with the mod curi-
ous remains of antiquity ; but tliey lie fcattered amidft ignorant, bar-
barous inhabitants ; and but few curious perfons, except Dr. Shaw,
have vifited the country. Some remains of the Mauritanian and Nu-
midian greatnefs are ftill to be met with, and many ruins which bear
evidences of their ancient grandeur and populoufnefs. Thcfe point
out the old Julia Casfarea of the Romans, which v/as little inferior in
maf.nificence to Carthage itfelf. A few of the aquedufts of Carthage
are faid to be dill remaining, but no veltige of its walls. The fame is
the fate of Urica, and many other renowned cities of antiquity ; and fo
over-run is the country with barbarifm, that their very fites are not
known, even by their ruins, amphitheatres, and other public buildings
which remain Hill in tolerable prefervation. Befides thofe of claflical
antiquity, many Saracen monuments, of the moft ftupendous magnifi-
cence, are likewife found in this vaft traft ; thefewere erefted under
the califs of Bagdad, and the ancient kings of the country, before it
was fubdued by the Turks, or reduced to its prefent form of govern-
ment. Their walls form the principal fortifications in the country,
both inland and maritime. We know of few or no natural curiofities
belonging to this country, excepting its falt-pits, which in feme places
take up an area of fix miles. Dr. Shaw mentions fprings found licrc
that are fo hot as to boil a large piece of mutton very tender in a quar-
ter of an hour.
Cities and public buildings.] Mention has already been made
of Morocco, the capital of that kingdom, but now almoft in ruins, the
court having removed to Mequine/, a city of Fez, 30 miles diflant,
and very populous. Incredible things are recorded of the magnificent
palaces in both cities ; but by the beft accounts the common people
live in a dirty, flovenly manner.
The city of Algiers is not above a mile and an half in circuit, though
it is computed to contain near 120,000 inhabitants, 15,000 houfes, and
107 mofques. Their public baths are large, and handfomely paved
with marble. The profpeft of the country and fea from Algiers is
very beautiful, being built on the declivity of a mountain ; but the
city, though for feveral ages it has braved fome of the greatefl; powers
in Chriflendom, it is faid. could make but a faint defence againft a re-
gular fiege, and that three Englifh fifty-gun fhips might batter it about
the ears of its inhabitants from the harbour. If fo, the Spaniards mufl
have been very deficient either in courage or conduft. Thev attacked
ic in the year 177,5, by land and by fea, but were repulfcd with great
lofs, though they had near 20,oco foot and 2000 horfc, and 47 king's
fhips of difierent rates, and 346 tranfports. In the year 1 783 and 84,
they alfo renewed their attacks by fea to dedroy the city and gallies,
but after Ipending a quantity of amunition, bombs, &c. were forced
to retire witliout cither its capture or extinftion. The mole of the
harbour
50S The States ok B A R B A R 'i\
harbour Is 500 paces in length, extending from the continent to a fm^li
ifland were there is a caftle and large battery.
The kingdom of Tunis, which is naturally the fineft of all thefe
Hates, contains the remains ol many noble cities, fome of them dill in
good condition. The capital, about 30 miles fouth of old Carthage, has
fortifications, and is about three miles in circumference. The houfes'
are not magnificent, but neat atid commodious ; as is the public ex-
change for merchants and their goods ; but, like Algiers, it is diftrelT-
ed for want of frclh water.
The city of Tripoli < onfiRs of an old and new town, the latter being
the moll flourilhing ; but never can make any confiderable figure, on
account of the inconveniences attending its fituaiion, particularly the
want of fweet water. The city of Oran, lying upon this coaft, is about
a mile in circumference, and is fortified both by art and nature. It
was a place of confiderable trade, and the objeft of many bloody dif-
putes between the Spaniards and the Moors, Conflantina was the
ancient Cirta, and one of the ftrongeft cities of Num'idia, being inac-
ceffible on all fides, excepting the fouth-weft.
Befides the above tov/ns and cities, many others, formerly of great
renown, lie fcattered up and down this immenfe traft of country. The
city of Fez, at prefent the capital of the kingdom fo called, is faid to
contain near 300,000 inhabitants, befides merchants and foreigners.
Its mofqes amount to 500 : one of them magnificent beyond defcrip-
tion, and about a mile and a half in circumference. Mequinez is
efteemed the great eporium of all Barbary. Sallee was formerly fa-
mous for the piracy of its inhabitants. Tangier, fituatcd about two
miles within the ftraits of Gibraltar, was given by the crown of Portu-
gal as'p.'irt of the dowry of queen Catharine, confovt of Charles TI. of
England. It was intended to be to the Englifh what Gibralter is
. now ; and it muft have been a mo'l noble acquiiition , had not the mif-
tmderftandings between the king and his parliament occafioned him
to blow up its fortifications and demolifh its harbour ; fo that from
being one of the fineft cities in Africa, it is now little better than a
fifhing town. Ceuta, upon the fame ftrait, almofloppofite to Gibral-
tary is ftill in the hands of the Spaniards, but ofien, if not always, be-
fieged or blocked up by the Moors. Tetuan, which lies within twen-
ty miles of Ceuta is now but an ordinary town, containing about 800
houfes ; but the inhabitants are faid to be rich, and tolerably civilized
in their manners.
The provinces of Suz,Taffilet, and Oefula, form no part of the dates
of Barbary, though the king of Morocco pretends to be their fove-
reign ; nor do they contain any thing ihat is particularly curious.
Zaara, is a defert country, thinly peopled, and nearly deftitute of
both water and provifions.
'Manufactures and Commerce.] The lower fubjefts of thefe
ftates know very few imaginary wants, and depend partly upon their
piracies to be fupplied with neceffary utenfils and manufaftures : fo
that their exports confift chiefly of leather, fine mats, embroidered
handkerchiefs, fword-nots, and carpets, which are cheaper and fofter
than tnofe ot I'urkcy, though not fo good in other refpefts. As they
leave almofl: all their commercial affairs to the Jews and chriflans fett-
ied among them, the latter have eftablifhed filk and Ititen works,
'.vhich
The States of B A R B A R. Y. fOg
vhich fupply the higher ranks of their own fubjcfcls. They have no
(hips that, properly fpeaking, are employed in commerce ; fo that the
French and Englifli carry on the greatefl part of their trade. Their
exports, befidcs thofe already mentioned, confifl in elephants teeth,
oftrich feathers, copper, tin, wool, hides, honey, wax, dates, raifins,
olives, almonds, gum arabic, and fandrac. The inhabitants of Mo-
rocco are likcwife faid to carry on a confiderable trade by caravans to
Mecca, Medina, and fomc inland parts of Africa, from whence they
bfin^ back vaft numbers of negroes, who ferve in their armies, and
are flaves in their houfcs and fields.
In return for their exports, the Europeans furnifh them with timber,
artillery of all kinds, gunpowder, and whatever they want, eitl:icr in
their public or private capacities; the particulars of which are too
many to fpecify. The duties paid by the Englifli in the ports of Mo-
jocco, are but half thofe paid by other Europeans. It is a general ob-
fervation, that no nation is fond of trading with thefe ftates, not only
on account of their capricious defpotifm, but the villany of tlieii indi-
viduals, both natives and Jews, many of whom take all opportunities
of cheating, and when detefted are fcldom punifhed.
It has often been thought furprifing, that the Chriftian powers fhould
fufFer their marine to be infuhed by thofe barbarians, who take the
(hips of all nations with whom they are at peace, or rather who do not
pay them a fubfidy either in money or commodities. W^ cannot ac-
count for this forbearance other wife than by fuppofing, firft, that a
breach with them might provoke the Porte, who pretends to be their
lord paramount ; fecondly, that no chriflian power would be fond of
feeing Algiers, and the reflof that coaft, in pcffeirion of another ; and,
thirdly, that nothing could be got by a bombardment of any of their
towns, as the inhabitants would inflantly carry their effecls to their
deferts and mountains, fo that the benefit, refulting from the conquc{l:,
muft be tedious and precarious. Indeed expeditions againft Algiers
have been undertaken by the Spaniards, but they were illcondu^Lcd
and unfuccefsful : of thefe fome account hath already been given.
Constitution and government.] In Morocco, government
cannot be faid to exifl. The emperors have for fome ages been par-
ties, judges, and even executioners with their own hands, in all crimi-
nal matters ; nor is their brutality more incredible than the fubminion
with which their fubjcftsbear it. In the abfence of the emperor, every
military officer has the power of life and death in his hand, and it is
feldom that thev mind the form of ^ judicial proceeding. Some vel-
tiges, however of the califate governm.ent ilill continue ; for in
places where no military officer refides, the mufti or high-pricfi: is the
fountain of all juftice, and under him the cadis, or civil officers, who
aft as our juftices of the peace. Though the emperor of Morocco is
not immediately fuhjcft to the Porte, yet he acknowledges the Grand
Signior to be his fupcrior, and he pays him a diftant allegiance as the
chief reprefentative of Mahomet. What we have faid of Morocco is
applicable to Fez, both kingdoms being now under one emperor.
Though Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli, have each of them a Turkifli
bafhaw or dey, who governs in the name of the Grand Signior, yet
very little regard is paid by his ferocious fubjefts to his authority.
He cannot even be faid 'to be nominated by the Poite, When a
vacancy
50-4 The States of B A R B A R Y.
vacancy of the government happens, which commonly does by mur-
der, every foldier in the army has a vote in choofing the fucceeding
dey ; and though the eleftion is often attended with bloodfhed, yet
it is no fooner fixed than he is cheerfully recognized and obeyed. It
is true, he mufk be confirmed by tlie Porte ; but that is feldom refufed,
as the divan is no ftranger to the difpofitions of the people. The
power of the dey is defpotic ; and the income of the dey of Algiers
amounts to about 150.000!. a year, without greatly opprelting the fub-
jefts, who are very tenacious of their property. A detachment of the
army of their ftates is annually fent into each province to coUcft the
tribute from the Moors and Arabs ; and the prizes they take at fea,
fometimes equal the taxes laid upon the natives. Thefe deys pay
flight annual tributes to the Porte. When the Grand Signior is at
war with a Chriftian power, he requires their affiilance, as he does
that of the king of Morrocco ; but he is obeyed only as they think
proper. Subordinate to the deys are officers, both military and civil ;
and in all matters of importance, the dey isexpefted to take the advice
of a common council, which confifts of thirty bafliaws. Thefe bafh-
aws feldom fail of forming parties, among the foldiers, againft the reign-
ing dey. whom they make no fcruple of affaflinating, even in council ;
and the ftrongeft candidate then fills his place. Sometimes he is de-
pofcd ; fometimes, though but very feldom he refigns his authority to
fave his life ; and it is feldom he dies a natural death upon the throne.
The authority of the dey is unlimited ; but an unfuccefsful expedition,
or too pacific a conduft, feldom fails to put an end to his life and gov-
ernment.
Rkvenues."] We have already mentioned thofe of Algiers, but
they are now faid to be exceeded by Tunis. They confift of a certain
proportion of the prizes taken from chriflians, a fmall capitation tax,
and the cuftoms paid by the Englifh, French, and other nations, who
arc fuffcred to trade with thofe flates. As to the king of Morocco,
we can form no idea of his revenues, becaufe none of his fubjefts can
be faid to poffefs any property. From the manner of his living, his
attendance, and appearance, we may conclude he does not abound in
riches. The ranfoms of Chriftian flaves are liis perquifites. He fome-
times fliares in llie veflels of the other ftates, which entitles him to a
part of their prizes. He claims a tenth of the goods of his Mohome-
tan (ubjefts, and fix crowns a year from every Jew merchant. He
haslikewife confiderable profits in the Negrolandandother caravans,ef-
pecially the flave-trade towards the fouth. It is thought that thewhole
of his ordinary revenue, in money, does not exceed i6.t.goo a year.
Military strength at sea and land.] By the beft accounts
we have received, the king of Morocco can bring to the field 100,000
men ; but the ftrcngth of this army confifts of cavalry mounted by his
negro flaves. Thofe wretches are brought young to Morocco, know-
no other ftate but fervitude, and no other .mafter but that king, and
prove the firmeft fupport of his tyranny. About the year 1727, all
the naval force of Morocco confifted only of three fmall fhips, which
lay at Sallee, and being full of men, fometimes brought in prizes. The
Algerlnes maintain aWit 6500 foot, confifting of Turks, and cologlies,
or the fons of foldiers. Part of them ferve as marines on board their
veftels. About icoo of them do garrifon duty, and part are employed
in
The States of B A R B A R Y.
S05
:n fomenting difTcrences among the neighbouring Arab princes. Bc-
Tidesthefe, the dey can bring 2000 Moorifli horfe into the field ; but
as they are enemies to the lurks, they are little trufted. Thofe troops
are under excellent difcipline, and the deys of all the other Barbary
Hates keep up a force in proportion to their abilities ; fo that a few-
years ago they refufed to fend any Tribute to the Turkifh emperor,
Who feems to be fatisfied with the fliadow of obedience which they pay
him.
It is very remarkable, that though the Carthaginians, who inhabited
this very country of Barbary, had greater fleets and a more extenfive
commerce than arty other nation, or than all the people upon the face
of the earth, when that ftate flouriflied ; the prelent inhabitants have
fcarcely any merchant fhips belonging to them, or indeed any other
fhan what Sallee, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli fit out for piracy ; which,
though increafed fincc the laft attack of the Spaniards, are now but
few and fmall, and feme years ago did not exceed fix fhips from thirty-
fix to fifty guns. The admiral's fliip belongs to the government ; the
other captains are appointed by private owners, but fubjeft to military
law. With fuch a contemptible fleet, thefe people not only harrafs
the nations of Europe, but oblige them to pay a kind of tribute by way
of prefents.
History."] There perhaps is no problem in hiftory fo unaccounta-
ble as the decay or fall of the fplendor, power, and glory of the (tales
of Barbary ; which, when Rome was miftrefsof the tvorld, formed the
faireft jewels in the imperial diadem. It was not till the feventh cen-
tury, thac, after thefe ftates had been by turns in poflelhon of the Van-
dals and the Greek empeiors, the califs or Satacens of Bagdad con-
quered them, and from thence became mafters of almofl: all Spain, from
whence their pofterity was totally driven about the year 1495, when
the exiles fettled among their friends and countrymen on the Barbary
toaft. This naturally begot a perpetual war between them and the
Spaniards, who preiTed them fo hard, that they called to their aflift-
•ncc the two famous brothers BarbarOfTa, who were admirals of the
Tiirkifh fleet, and who, after breaking the Spanifli yoke, impofed upon
the inhabitants of all thofe ftates (excepting Morocco) their own.
Some attempts were made by the emperor Charles V. to reduce Al-
giers and lunis, but they were unfuccefsful ; and, as already obferv-
ed, the inhabitants have in faft fhaken off the Turkifli yoke likewife.
The emperors or kings of Morocco are the fucceflbrs of thofe fove-
reigns of that country who were all called xeriffs, and whole
powers refembled that of the Califate of the Saracens. They have
been in general a fct of bloody tyrants ; though they have had among
them fome able princes, particularly Muley Moluc, who defeated and
killed Don Sebaftian, king of Portugal. They have lived in almofl a
contidiucd fl:atc of warfare with the kings of Spain and other Chriftian
princes ever iince ; nor does the crown of Great-Britain fometimes
♦i-.fdain. as 'n the year 17C9, to purchafe their friendfliip with prei'cnts.
Of
H
So6 Of THE S L A V E CO A S T, &c.
Of Africa, from the Tropic of Cancer to the Cape
of Good- Hope. See the Table and Map.
TH I S immenfe territory is, comparitively fpeaking, very little
known; there is no modern traveller that hath penerated into
the interior parts ; fo that we are ignorant not only of the bounds, but
even of the names of feveral inland countries. In many material cir-
cumftances, the inhabitants of this extenlive continent agree with
each other. If we except the people of Abyfiinia, they are all of n
black complexion : In their religion, except on the fea-coafts, which
have been vifited and fettled by ftrang-rs, they are pagans ; and the
form of government is every where monarchical, or defpotic. Few
princes, however, polTefs a very extenfive jurifdiftion ; for as the na-
tives of this part of Africa are faid to be grofsly ignorant in all the arts
of utility or refinement, they mufl be little acquainted with one
another ; and generally united in fmall focieties, each governed by
its own prince. In Ctrngo, Loango, and Angola, we are told of
powerful raonarehs ; but on examination, it is found that the author-
ity of thefe princes ffcands on a precarious footing, each tribe or
fcparate body of their fubjefts being under the influence or a petty
chieftain of their own, flyled Negiis, to vfhofc commands, however
contrary to thufe of the Negafcka Nn^afrhi:, or king of kings, they are
always ready to fubmit. This indeed mull always be the cafe among
nide nations, where the art of governing, like all others, is in a very
fimple and imperfcft (late. In the fucceflion to the throne, force
generally prevails over right ; and an uncle, a brother, or other col-
lateral relation, is on this account commonly preferred to the dcfcend-
ants, whether male or female.
We are but imperfectly acquainted v.'iih the manners and cufloms
of the people of this extenfive tounuy. I'he accounts given us by
Mr. Bruce, of the Ab}'ninians, reprcfent them as in a fiatc of very
great barharifm. Their manner of feeding is beyond a parrallel, if
we may believe the report of our author. lie informs us, that hav-
ing fallen in with fome foldiers driving a cow before them, he was
furprifed to fee them throw down the animal, cut off pieces of her
llefli, and then flapping the Ikin over the wound, make her get up and
walk on as before. This he at firft fuppoied to be a military man ce-
vurc, and an expeditious method of carrying provifions along with
them ; but he foon found that it was the common pra£lice of the
country, and that the fate of the unfortunate animals ufed by Abyf-
fmians for food, was much worfe than if they were devoured by tha
mofl cruel wild beads. The latter would kill them at once, or at leaft
not keep them long in torment ; but thefe wild beafls in Iinnian jhaps,
protraft their agonies as much as polTible ; flefh being in no eflima-
tion among them, unlefs it be warm and quivering with life. In their
manners, they are debauched in the moft incredible degree ; the
country is a feat of continual war and bloodfhed ; ignorance, and the
mod abominable fuperflitions univerfallv prevail ; and, when to all
this we join the nominal piofeflion of Chriftianity, the idea is too
fliocking to be born.
Although
Of the slave COAST, &c.
507
Although we read from tiic Jefuits, fays Mr. Bruce, a great deal
about marriage and pol)g3my, yet there is nothing which may be
averred more truly, than that there is no fuch thing as maniaoe in
AbyfTinia, unlefsthat which is contrafted by mutual confcnt, without
other forms, fubfifting only till diffolved of one or other, and to be re-
newed or repealed as often as it is agreeable to both parties, who
when they pleafc, cohabit together as man and wife, al'ier having been
divorced, had children by others, or whether they have been married,
or had children with others or not. Upon feparation they divide the
children. If the numbers are unequal they are divided by lot.
There is no fuch diflindion as legitimate or illegitimate children from
the king to the beggar.
The religion of the Abyflinians is a mixture of Chriftianity, Juda-
ifm and Paganifm, the two latter of which are by far the moR predom-
inant. There are here move Churches than in any other country, and
though it is very mountainous, and confequently the view much ob-
ftrufted, it is very I'cldom you fee lefs than five or fi;j churches, liv-
ery great man that dies thinks he has atoned for all his wickcdnefs, if
he leaves a fund to build a Church, or has built one in his life time.
Wherever a viftory is obtained, a church is erected, the htuation for
them is always chofen near lunning watei, for the convenience of their
purifications and ablutions, in which they obferve fl.ii£lly the Icviti-
ca! law. The churches are all round, with tliatchcd reefs : Their
funimits are perfeft cones : The out Tide is furrounded by a number of
wooden pillars, which are nothing elfe than the trunks of the cedar
tree, and arc placed to fupport the edifice, about eight feet of the roof
projecting beyond the wuli of the church, -which forms an agreeable
\valk or colonadc, around it in hot weather, or in rain. The infide
of the church is in fevcral divilions, according as is prcfcribed by
the law of Mofcs. The finl is a circle fomcwhat wider than the in-
ner one ; here the congregation (it and pray. Within this is a fquare,
and that fquare is divided by a veil or curtain, in which is another
very fmall divifion anfwering to the holy of holies.
This is fo narrow, that none but tlie pricfts can go in to it. You
muft be bare-footed whenever you enter the church, and then you
may go through every part of it, provided you arc pure, that is, have
not been concerned with women for 24 hours before, nor touched
dead bodies or carrion ; (a curious alTemblageof ideas,) in which cafe
you muft {land at an awful diftance and fay your prayers.
The churches are full of piftures flovenly painted on parchment,
and nailed upon the walls. Sometimes for a particular church they
get a number of piftures of faints, on fkins of parchment ready iini Hi-
ed from Cairo, in a flylc very little fuperior to their own perform.m-
ces. There is no choice in their faints, they are both of tlie old and
new Teftamcnt, and thofe that might be difpenfed with from both.
There is St. Pontius Pilate and his wife ; there is St. Balaam and his afs;
Samfon and his Jaw Bone ; and fo of the reft.
The Abylfinians receive the holy facrament in both kinds, in un-
leavened bread, and in the grape bruifed with tlie hufk together as it
grows, fo that it is a kind of marmalade, and is given in a flat Iponn.
Large pieces of bread aic given to the communicants in proportion to
their quality, and it fomctimcs is the cafe, with great men, who tliough
they
50« Of THE SLAVE C O A S T, Set.
thev open their mouths as wine as they conveniently can, yet from tM-
refpeft the prieft pays them, inch a portion of the loaf is put into theic
mouths, that water runs fiom their eyes, from the incapacity of chew-
ing it, which however they do as indecently, and with full as much
noife as they eat at tabic.
The AhyfTinians are not all agreed about the (late of fouls before
the refurreflion of the body. The opinion which genevaUy prevails,
is that there is no third fbate, but that, after the example of the thief,
the fouls of good meri enjoy beatific vifion immediately upon the fcp-
eration from the body. But tlieir pra6tice and bocks both contvaditl
this ; for when any perfou dies, alms are given, and prayers arc offer-
ed for the fouls of thofe departed, which would be vain did they be-
lieve they were in the prefence of God.
The fertility of a country fo prodigioufly extenfive, might be fup-
pofedmore various than we find it is ; in faft, there is no medium in
this part of Africa with regard to the advantages of ioil ; it is either
perfeclly barren, or extremely fertile ; this arifes from the mtcnfe he4£
of the fun, vvhich, where it meets with fufHcient moifture, produces with.
the utmofl luxuriancy ; and in thofc countries \yhere theve are few ri-
vers, reduces the furface pf the earth to a barren fand. Of this fort
are the countries of Anian and Zaara, which, for want of water, and
confecjuently of all other neceffarieSj are reduced to perfcft deferts, as
the name of the latter denotes. In thole countries, on the other hand,
where there is plenty of water, and particulra-ly where the rivers over-
flow the land, part of the year, as in Abyffinia, the productions of na-
ture, both of the anlrnal and vegetable kinds, are found in the highefi:
perfeftion and greatell; abundance. The countries of Mandingo, Ethi-
opia, Congo, Angola, Batua, Truticui, Monomotapa, Cafati, and Me-
henemugi, are extremely rich in gold and filver. The baler metals
• likswiie are found in thefe and many other parts of Africa. But the
perfons of the natives, deteflable as is the traffic, make the moll confi-
derable article in the produce ^nd trade of this mifcrable quarter of
the globe.
The principal towns in this part of Africa, wliich are knovyn, arc
tlie following,
Gondar, the metropolis of Abyflinia, is fituatcd upon a hill of confi-
derablc height, the top of it nearly plain, on which the towri is placed.
It coniills of about ten ihoufand families in times of peace : The hou-
fes are chiefly of clay, the roofs thached in the form of cones, which
is always the conftruflion within the tropical rains. On the weft end
of the town is the king's houfe, formerly a ftrufture of confiderablc
confequence ; it was a fquare building, flanked wilh fquare tov/ers,
was formerly four flories high, and from the top of it had a magnificent
view of all the country fouthward to the lake Izana. Great part of
this houfe is now in ruins, having been burnt at different times ; but
there is ftill ample lodging in the two loweft floors of it ; the audi-
ence chamber being above one hundred and twenty feet long.
Adowa, the capital of Tigre, is fituatcd on the weft fide of a fmall
plain, lurrounded every way by mountains : it contains about 300 hou-
ics ; it was not formerly the capital, but has accidentally become io
upon the acceffion of the governor, whofe property lies in and about
"-1. His man fion houfe refembles a prifon rather than a palace, for
there
Of the slave COAST, &c. 509
tVre are in and about it, more than 300 perfons in irons, fome of
whom have been there for 20 yeiUSjmoflly with a view to extort money
from them, AJowa is the feat of a confideveble manufafture of coaif«
cotton cloth, which circulates inftead of money all over Abyflinia.
Sire, the capital of the province of the fame narne, is lituated on the
brink of a very fleep, narrow valley. In the ipidfl of this valley runs
a brook bordered with palm trees, which bear no fruit : Its ho\ifes are
all of clay. This town is alfo famous for the manufaflure of coarl'c
cotton cloths, which pafs for current money through all the Province
of Tigrc ; bciide thefc, beads, needles, cohol and incenle, at times only,
are confidercd as money. Sire is fituatcd lat. 14°, 4/, 35'/ north, and
long. 38^ o' 16" E. from Greenwich, and although in one of the fineft
count 1 ies in the world, fays Mr. Bruce, puu id fevers of the very word
kind, are almofl conftant here.
The nations bounding on AbyfTinia, are but little or not at all
known. They are, tiie chief of them, on the north, fouth and Wed^
t'agan blacks, Scnnaar, the chief town of the kingdom of Sennaar, ii
in lat. 13? 3'i'36'' north, 33^ 30' 30' cafl from Greenwich ; It is on
the weft fide of the Nile, and clofe upon the banks of it. The ground
whereon it (lands, rifcs jufl enough to prevent the river from entering
tlie town. The country aiound Sennaar is exceedingly plcalant in
the months of Auguft and September. The corn at this icilon is now
fprung up, and makes the whole of this immenfc plain appear a level -
green land, intcr'.pcrled with great h-.kes of water, and ornamented at
certain intervals with groups of villages, the conical tops of the houfes
appearing at adiltance. like fmall encampments. Through this e^tcnfive
plain, winds the Nile, a delightful river there, more than a mile broad,
full to the brim, but never overrtowing. Every where on thefc banks
are feen, numerous herds of the moft beautiful cattle of various kinds,
the tribute recently extorted from all the Arabs ; who. freed from their
Vexations, return home with the remainder of their flocks in peace, at
as great a dillapcc from the town, couniry, and their oppreffers as they
poihbly can.
War and treafon feem to be the only employment of this horild peo-
ple, whom Heaven has icparated by almofl nnpaffable deferts from the
jeft of mankind. The drefs of the Scnnaar's is verv fimple: It confifts
of a long {hirt of blue furat cloth, called marotuy. which covers them
from the lower part of their neck down to their feet, but does not con-
ceal the neck ilfelf ; and this is the only dilYerence between the men's
and women's drefs ; that of the women covering theirs altogej^her, be-
ing buttoned like ours. Both men and women go barefooted in the
houfe. Their floors are covcied with Perfian carpets, efpecially the
women's apartments. In fair weather, they wear fandals ; and with-
out doors ihcy ufe a kind of wooden patten, neatly ornamented with
fhells. In the greaieft heat at noon, they order buckets of water to
be thrown upon them inflead of bathing. Both men and women an-
noint themfclves, at leaft once a day, with camel's oieafe, mixed with
civet, which they imagine foftens their fl^in, and prcfervcs them from
cutaneous eruptions, of which they are fo fearful, that the fmallefl
pimple in any vifible part of their body, keeps them in their houle till
it difappears. They lie all night, in a fjiirt dipt in grcafe, upon a
bull's We tanned, and very much foficned by this conllant gveafing,
and
5IO Or THE SLAV
and very cool at the fame time, though it occafions a fmell that no
wafhing can free them from. Their horned cattle are the largeft and
fatteft in the world, and are exceedingly fine ; but the common meat
fold in the market, is camel's flelli : The liver of the animal, and the
fparerib are always eaten raw, through the whole country.
All the nations of Africa, within the tropics, are wonderfully affefted
at the fmalleft eruption or roughnefs of the Ikin ; nor is there any
remedy, however violent, that they will not fly to, for immediate re-
lief. A very fingular complaint mentioned by travellers as common
to thefe countries, is the Farcnteit. a corruption of an Arabiac word
■which fignlfies the worm of Pharaoh. This animal afflicts thofe who
are in a habit of drinking flagnant water, it appears indifcriminately
in every part of the bodv : It comes on with an itching in the fpot,
and on obfervingjthe fmall black head of this worm is very vifible. Its
body is feeniingly of a white hlky texture, very fmall like a tendon.
After its appearance, the natives of thefe countries, who are ufed to
it, feize it gently by the head, and wrap it round a thin piece of filk,
or fmall bird's feather. Every day, or feverai times a day, they try to
wind it up upon the qjill as far as it comes readily ; and upon the
fmallefl refiftancc, they give over lead it fliould break. They are of-
ten as much as five feet in length.
On the Guinea or weftern coaft, the Englifh trade to James Fort,
and other fettlements near and up the river Gambia, wtiere they ex-
change their woollen and linen manufaftures, their hard ware and
i'pirituous liquors, for the perfons of the natives. By the treaty of
peace in 1783, the river of Senegal, with its dependencies were given
up to France. Among the Negroes, a man's wealth confills in the
number of his family, whom he fells like fu many cattle, and often at
an inferior price. Gold and ivory, next to the Have trade, form t lie
principal branches of African commerce. Thefe are carried on from
the fame coaft, where the Dutch and French, as well as Englifli, have
their fettlements for this purpofe.
According to a late fenfible writer, Mr. Ramfay, the annual Britifh
exports to Africa are eftimated at 5CO;Oool. including a confiderable
quantitv that is annually exchanged with American and other foreign
traders on the coafl ; about 50,000!. of this is returned in ivory, gold
duft, gum, &c. The greateft part of the profits of the flave trade is
raifed on the fugar plantations. If by eftablifliing faftories, and en-
couraging civilization on the coafl; of Africa. and returning fome of the
Weft- India and other flives, to their original country, fome amends
could be made for pafl treachery, to the natives, and the inhabit-
ants could be inftrufted in the culture of tobacco, indigo, cotton, rice,
&c. to barter with us for our manufaftures, great might be the profits
and much would it ferve the caufe of humanity. An undertaking of
this kind has lately been fet on foot by the Sierra ZeoT/ccompany which
bids fair to be fuccefsful, and does very great honor to the humane gen-
tlemen, who are agents in this bufinefs.
The Portuguefe are in poffeflion of the eaft: and weft coaft of Afri-
ca, from the Tropic of Capricorn to the Equator ; which immenfetratl
they became mafters of by their fuccefTive attempts, and happy dilcov-
cry and navigation of the Cape of Good Hope. From the coaft of Zan-
guebar, on the eaftern fide, they trade not only foi the articles above
mentioned
Of the slave COAST, &c, 511
mentioned, but likevvifc for feveral others, as fena, aloes, civet, amber-
preafe, and frankincenfe. The Dutch have fettlements towards the
fouthern part of the continent, in the country called Caffraria, or the
land of the IlottentolS, particularly Cape Town, which is well fettled,
and fortified ; where their ihips, bound for India, ufuaHy put in, and
trade. with the natives for their cattle, in exchange for which they give
them fpirituous liquors.
The cftablifhment which the Dutch Eaft-India company have
made on either fide of the Cape of Good Hope, the extreme fouthern
point of that great Continent, which comprehends Europe, Afta and
Africa, extends according to compulation, 450 miles Eaftward and
Weflward, and 250 towards the North. In this extenhve domain,
the population amounts to 17,000 inhabitants of European delcentjand
about 30,000 flaves, Africans and Afiatics,
This country is capable of being made, by the fimpleft means, a pop-
ulous commercial Colony. Its pure and temperate climate is favour-
able to health, longevity and population. Its foil, though not appa-
rently rich, is, from the genial temperature of the air, and alternate
dews and funfhine, fo kindly vegetative, that it nouriflies with little
culture, and almoft fpontaneoufly, whatever the hulbandman, thebot-
anift, the florift choofes to commit to its bofom. Thus it is calculated
to produce whatever is requifitc to the increafe of flocks, horfes, and
cattle ; and at the fame time to yield whatever is neceflary to the
comfortable fubfiftance of the human fpecies.
The greateft want of this country, is that of timber for building,
and even for fuel. The navigable rivers are feparated from each oth-
er by great diftances : But canals are more prafticable here than in
the low countries of Europe. The call lide of the promontory, and
the inland parts, are the richeft,and capable of the higheft cultivation.
The two principal parts with regard to aftual commerce, are Table
Bay and Falfe Bay, which are always fafe ; fo formed and fheltered,
as alternately to yield fecurity againft the two prevailing winds,
which are peculiar to that meridian. There are other bays very fit
foi navigation ; but the policy of the chartered fovereigns, the Eaft
India Company, has drawn a veil over the true knowledge of them.
The fame jealoufy which hides the knowledge of the ports to which
Ave allude, prohibits the inhabitants from tranfporting, on any pre-
text, their produce and effefts to the principal towns, coaftwife by
water. The excellent vines of the Cape, if encouraged and improved,
would yield to none in tafle, flavour or delicacy. Its grains are not
inverior to thofe of Sicily. Aloes, myrtle wax, fait and paints, it is
capable of furnifhing in profufion ; as alfo indigo, cotton and tobac-
co. It contains virgin copper, and copper ore, and the appearance 01
the foil in many places indicates the poUefuonof the precious metals.
Families in this place generally confift of from 7 to 17 children,
and fome from 18 to 27. From the want of intercourfe with ftrang-
crs, they are all allied together with interrrarriagcs ; without feeling,
however, for each other any kindred affeftion, and even without that
fympathy andfellowlhip which prevail in other countries among
neighbours. The hmalcs aptjear to be more numerous than the other
iex. It iscom.puted,thatat the leafl five fixthparts of the whole number
of European dcfcent (17.000) are females and male children under
manhood.
512 Or THZ S L A V E C O A S T, &c.
manhood. About onefouithpart of thofewhoal-edefcendedfromEurC'•
pean5, refide at Cape-Town, and about two-fifths of all the flaves.
The people of this place are lefs the defceudants of the Dutch thart
of emigrant"; from Fiance (after the revocation of the Edift of Mantz)
frOm all the proteftant cftates in Germany, and from the Aufliian Ne-
therlands.
As there is no exportation but from Table and Falfe Bays, wines,
grain, and fome other articles pay duties upon entering the towns.— ^
There is a confiderable quantity of wheat Ihipped annually by the
company to Batavia, Ceylon and Holland. Cattle and fheep for the
ufe of fhipping, are provided by contfa£ling fanners, who pay a duty
for this excluiivc privilege.
The chief juftice, or fifcal, unites in his own perfon the three dif-
tinft branches of government; the leg illative, the judicial and the
executive. This legiflatof, judge and executioner, with high powers,
ptiffeffes great privileges and emoluments : He can impole and levy
taxes for his own nfe ; diipenfe with laws : create new crimes;
compound for crimes of all denominations and complexions, and in
general, dilpofeas he pleafcs, of the lives and fortunes of the whole
people, it is true there is a kind of controlling power, paramount to
this highly privileged perfon ; but woe to him who dares appeal to
that tribunal.
Moft families manufafturc their Ov.^n articles of wearing apparel and
houfehold furniture : So that they are only obliged to import from
Europe and Aha the grofs materials, and a few of the fimpleft arti-
cles of conveniency, and flill fewer of lukury. Their ftreets are fpa-
cious, airy and regularly laid out at right angles ; and they feem to
have inherited a»d preferved the cleanlinefs of Haerlem and Delft.
But there is one inconveniency which they cannot remedy with all
their induft;ry. The fliong fqualls of wind which often force them-
felves through narrow palfcs between the furrounding mountains,
raile duft in the ftreets, in troublefome quantities, in fpitc of the
frfequent application of water from canals and occafional gutters.
Every houle keeper has good accommodations for boarders : but ftran-
gers are difcouraged from fettling there by political finelVe. As the
Cape of Good-Hope has, for many years, been a half-way houfe for
refrefiiment, out and home, travellers of quick Conceptions and fome
genius, have had frequent opportunities of drawing the ftrangeft med-
leys of charaders, and of remarking the various eftcdb of wealth, and
climate on the manners and paflions of men. The various degrees of
rank, and the different flations and circumftances of perfons travelling
to and from India, have furnilhed ample fcope for obfervations of this
kind.
The Aborigines of the country, who are called Hottentots, and who
arc of a mild and trattabic difpolition, have been eafily reduced to the
condition of obedient fubjecls. They are a quiet, inoffenlive people,
ufetul to the Dutch in many refpefts,. particularly in the management
of flocks and herds of cattle. They have been very much mifreprefent-
ed in Europe : And it is furprifing that the falfehoods which have beert
propagated concerning them, fhould lo long have gained credit in the.
world. 1| is not true, that they are in the practice of eating raw flefh,
ov that they ontwine their bodies with the entrails of cattle. They pre-
pare
Ok THE S L A V E COAST, &c. 513
pare their food with fire ; and their cloathing confifts of a drefied
hide, which is lied like a collar round the neck, hangs down over the
fhouldeis near to the ground, and is broad, and it may be wrapt round
the fore part of the body : befides this, they wear another covering of
fkin round the loins, which reaches half way down the thighs. Some-
times they have a cap for the head, and fhoes for the feet of the fame
materials. Their fhoes arc formed of a piece of hide, drawn clofely
about the feet with thongs of the fame. The Hottentots having few
conveniences for bathing, and living in a climate where they are very
frequently involved in clouds of duft, have acquired habits of dirti-
neU ; but their ikins, when wafhed, are clear, though fallow. There
is a ftraggling nation of Hottentots, in very inland partt of the coun-
try, who are mere favages, having neither flocks nor herds, houfes,
huts nor fettled refidence. Thcfe favages live by prey, and their abodes
are caves, rocks and trees. They ufe very little cloathing ; It has been
faid, that ihey are cannibals ; but this has not been afcertained. They
are untameablc and unmanageable by any means that have been yet tried.
They refufe toconverfe as other uncivilized nations readily do, by nat-
ural hgns ; and fcarce deferve to be ranked among the human fpecies.
They are happily, very few in number, and are feldom to be fecn in
day-light. They make their depredations in the night, like fo many
wolves and tigers.
We are informed by a latt learned traveller, that the Hottentots
live much in the fame manner as the ancient Gauls, mentioned in
Caefar's Commentaries ; reCiding in different herds or tribes, on the
banks of rivers, and near the forefls ; where tliey form fo many dif-
tinft villages and independent republics. By means of the rivers, the
country about them is fertile in the produftion of thofe roots and
wild fruits on which the Hottentots in a great meafure fubfifl ; and the
forefls yield them the like advantages. The Hottentot villages are all
circular ; the cabbins of which they are compofed being covered with
fkins, and fo very low, that a man muft either floop very mvich, or
crawl on his knees, to get into them. They ferve, indeed, chiefly to
contain provifions, and their implements of hufbandry ; the owner
himfelf never occupying them unlefs when it rains ; At other times,
he paffes his leifure hours in fleeping at the door of his hut ; where
he lies on his belly, and expofes his back to the fun and the vreather ;
waking now and then toamufe himfelf with fmoking a certain flrong-
fccnted herb, which hath much the fame efFe6l as our tobacco.
The employment of the Hottentots is purely pafloral ; their prin-
cipal and almoft only occupation being the care of their herds of
fhcep andkine. Of thefe each village hath one common herd ; eve-
ry inhabitant taking it in his turn to be herdfman. This charge re-
quires many precautions, very different from thofe which are taken
by our herdl'men, hcalls of prey being numerous and fierce in the
fouthern parts of Africa. Lions, indeed, are not very common there ;
but there are elephants, the rhinoceros, leopards, tigers, and feveral
kinds of wolves, moredcftruftive than ours, together wi h many oth-
er furioas animals that abound in the forcfts, and occafionally make
excnrfions towards the Cape, and deflroy the tame cattle. To pre-
vent thefe misfortunes, it is the buhnels of the iierdfmen to go, or
fend, every day round his diflrift, in order to dilcovcr if any beafl of
M m prey
514 Of the slave C O A S T, &c.
.prey be lurking in that quarter. In which cafe, he affembles the
whole village together, and makes his report ; when a party of the
floute/t among them arm themfelves with javelins and poifoned ar-
rows, and follow the perfon who may have difcovered the bead, to
the cave or covert where he is lodged. Here they iarange thetn-
felves in two lines ; the herdfman entering the cave, and endeavour-
ing to provoke the beaft to follow him out, where he is inevitably de-
ftroyed. United among themfelves by the bonds of fiateinal con-
cord, the inhabitants of the fame village live in conftant peace. But
they take cruel vengeance on the neighbouring tribes, on the firfk in-
fult that is offered them. The fubjeft of their mutual complaints is
generally the dealing of a fheep or cow, and foraetimes only a luf-
picion of it ; the confequences, however, are ufually very terrible,
w^hen they determine on revenge ; as they take all polfiblc means, af-
ter having made this determination, to make the aggreliors fuppofe
the injury forgotten ; but no fooner do ihey find their diffimulation
hath taken effe6i;, in the fecurity of the enemy, than they fall i'uddcn-
ly upon them with poifoned weapons, fparing neither age nor fex,
but rooting out at once the whole community ; fuch is the method of
going to war in this country.
The care of houfehold affairs among the Hottentots belongs to the
department of the females. The men, indeed, are the butchers, and
prepare the meat for drefiing ; but the care of providing the vegeta-
bles concerns onlv the women. Thus the mother of a family fets out
in a morning, attended by fuch of her children as are able lo follow
her, and carrying the reft in her arms or on her back. In this man-
ixpr {he fearchesthe woods and river fides, for roots, pulfe, or fruit ;
of which having gotten a fufficient quantity, fhe returns, lights a fire
on a large ftone before the cabbin, and when the food is dreffed,
wakes her hufband, who fits down to his meal with the refl of the fam-
ily. The women are clothed with iheepfkins, as well as the men ;
•wearing the wool outwards hi lummer, and inwards during the win-
ter.
History.] The AbyflTinians, from a very ancient tradition, accord-
ing to Mr. Bruce, attribute the foundation of their monarchy to Men.
ilck, fon of Solomon, by the Queen of Sal^a, (Sheba) or Arab, rendered
in the Vulgate, the Queen of the South. The annals of the Aby ffinians
fay, (he was a Pagan, when fhe left Arab, but being full of admiration
at the fight of Solomon's works, fine was converted to Judaifm in Je-
rufalem, and bore him a fon whom fhe called Menilek, and he became
their firfb King. She returned with her fon to Saba, or Arab, v/hom,
after keeping him iome years, i"he fent back to his father to be in-
ihufted. Solomon did not neglefl his charge, and he was anointed
and crowned King of Ethiopia, in the temple of Jerufalem, and at his
inauguration, took the name of David : After this he returned to A-
rab, and brought with him a colony of jew$, among whom were many
doftors of the Law of Mofes, particularly one of each Tribe, to make
]udges in his kingdom, from whom the prefent Umbra (or Supreme
fudges, three of whom always attend tlie kir.g) are laid and believed
to be defcended. With thefe came alio Azarias, the fon of Zadok the
prieft, and brought with him a Hebrew tranfcripl of the lav/, which
was delivered into his cuftody, as he bore the title of Nebrit, or High
Prieft ;
Of TriE SLAVE COAST, &.c. 51;^
t'ried ; and this charge though the book itfelf was burnt with the
church at Axum in the Mcorifh war of Adel, is ftiU continued, as it
iaid, in the lineage of Azarias, who are keepers of the church of Axum
at this day. All Abyflinia was thereupon converted, and the Govern-
ment of the church and ftate modelled according to what was then in
ulc at Jerufalem.
Mr. Bruce has collefted a chronological lift of the Princes who have
reigned in that country, from the reftoration of the line of Solomon, to
the time he was there, in the year 1769. The kings of AbyfTinia. are
fibovesU laws. Thev are lupreme in all caufes, ccclcfiaftical and civil.
The land and perfons of their fubjefts are equally their property, and
cverv inhabitsnt ot their kingdom is born their flave : If he hears a
higher rank, it is by the king's gift ; for his nearcft relations are ac-
counted nothing better. Punifhments inflifted on criminals are the
crols or crvxciHxion, flaying alive, lapidation, plucking out the
eyes : This lafh is inflitlcd ulually on rebels. It is confidered as a fun-
damental law of the land, that none of ihe royal family, who have any
bodily defctt or deformity fnall be allowed to fucceed to the crown ;
and for this purpofe any of the princes who may have efcaped from
the mountain of Wcchne, and who are afterward:, taken, are mutilated
in fome of their members, that thus they may be difqualified from fuc-
ceeding. The crown being hereditary in one family, but cleftive in
the perfon, and polygamy being permitted, muft have multiplied thefe
heirs very much, and produced conftant difputes, fo that it was found
neceffary to provide a remedy for the anarchy and efFufion of royal
blood, which was otherwife inevitably to follow. The remedy was a
humane and gentle one ; they were confined in a good climate, upon
a high mountain, and maintained thereat the public expenfe : They
five taught to read and write, but nothing elfe . 750 Clotlis for wrap-
ping round them, 3000 ounces of Gold, which is 30,000 dollars are
allowed by the ilate for their maintainance. Thefe princes are hardly
ufed, and in troublefome times, often put to death upon the fmalleft
pretenfions. It is faid, that their revenue is fometimes fo grofsly mif*-
applied, that fome of them die with hunger and cold. The fituation
however is not fo diflrelTing as that of the princes of the neighbouring
kingdom of Sennaar or Nubia. There, no mountain is truftsd with the
confinement of their princes ; but as foon as the father dies, the throats
ofall the collaterals, and all their dcfcendanls that can be laid hold of, are
cut; and this is the cafe with all the Rates in the defert, weft of Sennaar.
The Portuguefe are fovereigns of the greateft part of the coaft, and
have a number of black princes their tributaries. There are fome in-
dependent princes who have extenfive dominions, particularly the
kings of Dahome and Widah, the moft noted of any for the infamous
ftavc trade. Upwards of 200 years have the European nations traded
with Africa in human flcfh, and encouraged in the Negroe countries,
wars, rapine, defolation, and murder, that the Weft India iflands
might be fupplied with that commodity. The annual exportation of
thole poor unhappv creatures from Africa for flaves has exceeded
100,000, numbers of whom are driven down like flieep, perhaps 1 000
mdes from the fea ccaft, who are generally inhabitant.! of villages,
that have been furrounded in the night bv armed force, and carried
ofi fr;r fale.
A
5»<
AFRICAN ISLANDS.
A fea officer lately vinted all the chiefs of the Negroes i« the En-
glifh fettlements, from Santa Apollonia to Athera, -which is upwards
of 250 miles, and found the police and punifliment of all crimes fup-
ported by the {lave trade. Thofe who commit crimes or trefpafies
againfl. their laws, are, aC the decifion of twelve elders, fold for flaves
for the ufe of their government, and the fupport of their chiefs.
Theft, adultery, and murder, are the higheft crimes, and, whenever
they are deiefted. fubjeft the whole family to flavery. But any indi-
vidual condemned to flavery for the crime of his relation, may redeem
his own perfon, by furnifhing two flaves in his room. Or when a
man commits one of the above cardinal crimes, all the male part of
his family are foifeited to fTavery ; if a woman, the female partis
fold. " While on the coaft" fays he, " I fav;' inflances of this fort fo
truly cruel, as made my very hofom bleed. This traiTic in crimes
makes the chiefs vigilant. Nor do our planters, who purchafe them,
life any pains to inflruft them in religion, to make them amends for
the opprelFion thus exercifed on them. I am forry to fay they are un-
naturally averfe to every thiijg that tends to it ; yet the Portuguefe,
French, and Spaniards, in their fettlements, fucceed in their attempts
to inftruft them, as much to the advantage of the cominerce, as of re-
ligion. It is for the f^ike of Chriftianity, and the advantages accom-
panying it, that Englifli flaves embrace every occafioa of delerting to
the fettlements ofthefe nations."
It is high time for the legiflature to enforce and put an end to this
moft infamous of all trades, and fo difgraceful to the Chriftian name,
and fo repugnant to the principles of a free government.
o
AFRICAN ISLANDS.
F the African iflands, fom.e lie in the Eaftern or Indian Ocean,
and feme in the Weftern or Atlantic. We fhall begin with
thofe in the Indian Ocean ; the chief of which are Zocotra, Babel-
mandeb, Madagafcar, the Comora Iflands, Bourbon, and Mauritius.
ZocoTRA. This ifland is fituated in eaft Ion. 53, north lat. 12,
thirty leagues eaft of Cape Gardefoi, on the continent of Africa : It
is eighty miles long, and fifty-four broad, and has two good harbours,
where tlie European fl=iips ufed formerly to put in when they loft
their palTage to India, It is a popalous, plentiful country, yielding
moft of the fruits and plants that are ufually found within the tropics,
together with frankincenfe, gum-tragacanth, and aloes. The inhabii-
ants are Mahometans, of Arab extraftion, and are under the govern-
ment of a prince or Sheik v/ho is probably tributary to the Porte.
BftBELMANnEB. The ifiand oi Babelmandeb gives name to the
flraight at the entrance of the Red Sea, where it is fituated in eafl Ion.
44 30, north lat. 12, about four miles both from the Arabian and
AbylTinian fhoies. The Abyflfmians or Ethiopians, and the Arabians,
formerly contended with groat fury for the pofTeflion of this ifland, as
it commands the entrance into the Red Sea, and preferves a commu-
nication with the ocean. This ftrait was formerly the only paffage
through
AFRICAN ISLANDS.
517
through which the commodities of India found their way to Europe ;
but fince the difcovery of the Cape of Good Hope, the trade by the
Red Sea is of little importance. The ifland is of little value, being a
barren, fandy fpot of earth, not five miles round.
CoMORA.' Thefe Iflands are, Joanna, Mayotta, Mohilla, Ajigezcia,
and Comora ; fituated between 41 and 46 eafl Ion. and between 10
and 14 fouth lat. at an equal diftance from Madagafcar and the conti-
nent of Africa. Joannri, the chief, and which claims fovereignty ov-
er, and exafts tribute from the others ; is about 30 miles long and 15
broad, and affords plenty of provifions. and fuch fruits as are produ-
ced between the tropics. Eaft-lndia fhips, bound to Bombay, ufual-
ly touch here for refrefbmcnts. The inhabitants are negroes of the
Mahometan perfuafion, and entertain our feamen with great human-
Madagascar. This is the largeft of the African iflands, and is
fituated between 43 and 51 deg. eafl Ion. and between 10 and 26 fouth
lat. 3eo miles foulh-eafl of the continent of Africa ; it being near
1000 miles in length from north to fouth ; and generally between 2
and 300 miles broad. The fca rolls with great rapidity, and is exceed-
ing rough between this ifland and the continent of the Cape of Good
Hope, forming a channel, or paffage, throucrh which all European fhips,
in their voyage to and from India, generally fall, unlefs prevented by
florms.
Madagafcar is a pleafant, defirable, and fertile country, abounding
in fugar, honey, vines, fruit-trees, vegetables, valuable gums, corn, cat-
tle, fowls, precious ftones, iron, fomc filver, copper, ftecl, and tin. It
affords an agreeable variety of hills, vallies, woods, and champaign ;
watered with numerous rivers, and well flored with fifh. The air is
generally temperate, and faid to be very healthy, though in a hot cli-
mate, ihe inhabitants are of different complexions and religions :
fome white, fome negroes, fbme Mahometans, fome pagans. The
whites, and thofc of a tawny complexion who inhabit the coafls, ate
defcended from the Arabs, as is evident from their language, and their
religious rites ; but here are no mofques, temples, nor any flated wor-
fhip, except that they offer facrifices of beafls on particular occafions ;
as when fick, when they plant yams, or rice, when they hold their Af-
femblies, circumcife their children, declare war, enter into new-built
houfes, or bury their dead. Many of them obferve the Jewifh fab-
bath, and give fome account of the facred hiffory, the cieation and
-fall of man, as alfo of Noah, Abraham, Mofcs, and David ; from
whence it is conjeftured that they are defcended of Jews who formerly
fettled here ; though none knows how or when. This ifland was dif-
covered by the Portuguefe, and the French took pofTcfTion of it in
1642 ; but the people ditliking their government, were driven
out in 1651 ; fince which the natives have had the fole pofTefTion of
the ifland, under a number of petty princes, who make war upon one
another for flaves and plunder,
Mai;ritius, or Maurice, was fo called by the Dutch, who firft
touched here in 1598. in honour of prince Maurice their ffadtholder ;
but the French have given it the name of the isle of Frakce. It is
fituated in eafl Ion. 56, fouth lat. 20. fouth about 400 miles eafl of Mad-
agafcar. It is of an oval form, about 150 miles in circumference,
with
5i{J AFRICAN ISLANDS.
with a Hue Iiarbour, capable of holding fifty large fhips, fecure again 1?.
any wind that blows, and loo fathoms deep at the entrance. The cli-
mate-is extremely healthy and pleafant. The mountains, of which
there are many, and fome lo high that their tops are covered with
fnow, produce the. beft ebony in the world, befides various other
kinds of valuable wood, two of which greatly refemble ebony in qual-
ity : one red, the other y^How as wax. The illand is watered with
fevcral pleafant rivers well {locked with fiTa ; and though the foil is
none of the mofl; fruitful, yields plenty of tobacco, rice, fruit, and
feeds a great number of cattle, deer goats, and fheep. It was former-
ly fubj eft to the Dutch, but is noxv in poileflion of the French.
■Bourbon. The Ifle of Bcnirbon is lituated in eaft Ion. 54, fouth
lat. 211, about 300 miles eaft of JNIadagafcar, and is about 90 miles
round. There are many good ro^ds fo;- fhipping round Bourbon,
particularly on the north and foulh lides ; but hardly a fingle harbour
where fliios can ride fecure acTa'nft thofe hurricanes which blow du-
ring the monfoons. Indeed the coaft is fo furrounded with blind
rocks, funk a few feet below the water, that coafting along fhore is at
all times dangerous. On the fouthern extremity is a volcano, which
continually throws out flames, fmoke, and fuTphur, with a hideous
roaring noife, terrible in the night lo mariners. The climate here,
though extremely hot, is healthy, being refrefhed with cooling gales,
that blow morning and evening from the fea and land ; Sometimes,
however, terrible hurricanes fhake the whole ifland almoft to its foun-
dation ; but generally without any other bad confequence than fright-
ening, the inhabitants. The ifland abounds in brooks and fprings,
sand in fruits, grafs, and cattle, with excellent tobacco (which the
French have planted there,) aloes, white pepper, ebony, palm, and
«ther kinds ot wood, and fruit-trees. Many of the trees yield odorif-
erous gums and refins, particularly benzoin of an excellent fort in
great plenty. The rivers are well flocked with fifh, the coaft witli
land and fea tortoifes, and every part of the country v/ith horned cat-
tle, as well as hogs and goats. Ambergris, coral, and the moft beauti-
ful fhells, are found upon the Ihore. The woods are full of turtles
doves, paroquets, pigeons, and a great variety of other birds, beauti-
ful to the eye and pleafant to the palate. The French firft fettled
here in the year 1672, after they were driven from the ifland of Mad-
agafcar. They have now fome confiderable towns in the ifland, with
a governor ; and here their Eaft- India (liips touch and take in refrefh-
ments.
There are a great many more fmall iflands about Madagafcar, and
on the eaflern cOaft of Africa, laid down in maps, but no where de-
fcribed.
Leaving therefore the eaflern world and the Indies, we now turn
round the Cape of Good Hope, which opens to our view the Atlantic,
an immenfe ocean, lying between the two grand divihons of the globe,
having Europe, Afia, and Africa, or the Old World, on the eaft ; and
America, or the New World, on the weft. In this Ocean on the Af-
rican coaft are the following iflands that have not yet been defcribed,
viz. St. Helena, Afcenflon, St. Matthew, St Thomas, &c. Goree,
Capc-Verd, the Canary and Madeira iflands,
St.
AFRICAN ISLANDS. 519
St. Heiena. The firft idand on this fide the Cape is St. Helena,
fituated in weft Ion. 6-4, Ibuth lat. 16, being i noo miles weft of tbe
continent of Africa, and 1800 eaft ol foulh America. The ifland is a
rock about 21 miles in ciicuniftrence, very high, and very flcep, and
only acceffible at the landing-place, in a fmall valley at the eaft (Ide of
it, which is defendtd by batteries 0/ gums planted level with the wat-
er ; and as the waves are perpetually dal"hing on the Ihorc, it is gen-
erally difficult landing even here. There is no other anchoiage about
the ifland but at Chappcl Valley Bay ; and as the wind always blows
from the fouth-eaft, if a Ihip over-flioots the ifland ever fo little, fhe
cannot recover it again. The Englifli plantations here afford pota-
toes and yams, with figs, plantains, bananas, grapes, kidney-beans,
and Indian corn ; of the laft, however, moft part is dcltioyed by the
rats, which harbour in the rocks, and cannot be deftioycd : lo that
the flour they ufe is almoft wholly imported from England ; and in
times of fcarcity they generally eat yams and potatoes in (lead of bread.
Though the ifland appears on every iide a hard barren rock, vet it is
egreeably diverfified with hills and plains, adorned with plantations
of fruit-trees and garden-flulf. They have great plenty of hogs, bul-
locks, poultry, ducks, geefe, and turkeys, with which they fupply the
Tailors, taking in exchange fliirts, drawers, or any light cloths, pieces
of callico, filks, muflins, arrack, fugar, &c.
St. Helena is laid to have been firft difcovercd by the Portuguefe on
the feftival of the Emprefs Helena, mother of the Emperor Conftan-
line the Great, whofe name it ftill bears. It does not appear tliat the
Portuguefe ever planted a colony here : And the Englifh Eaft-Iudia
company took polfelfion of it in 1600, and held it without interrup-
tion till the year 1673, when the Dutch took it by furprife. However,
the Englifh, under the command of Capt. Munden, recovered it again
within the fpace of a year, and at the lame time took three Dutch
Eaft-India fhips that lay in the road. There are about 200 families in
the ifiaud, moft of them defcended from Englifh parents. 'I he Eaft-
India ftiips take in water and frefti provifions here, in their way home ;
but the ifland is fo fmall, and the wind fo much againft them outward
bound, that they then very feldom fee it.
The company's aflairs are here managed by a governor, deputy-gov-
ernor, and ftore-keeper, who have ftanding falaries allowed by the
company, bcfides a public table well furniflied, to which all comman-
ders, mafters of fliips, ard principal paffengers are welcome.
Ascension. This ifland is fituated in 7 deg. 40 min. fouth lat. 600
miles north weft of St. Helena : It received its name from its being
difcovered by the Portuguefe on Afcenfion-day ; and is a mountain-
ous, barren ifland, about 20 miles round, and uninhabited ; but has a
fafe, convenient harbour, where tJie Eaft-India ftiips generally touch
to furnifh themfelves with turtles or tortoifes, which are very pleiuiful
here, and vaftly large, fome of them weighing above an hundred pounds
each. The failors going afliore in the night-time, frequently turn two
or three hundred of them on their backs before morning ; and arc fome-
t'mes fo cruel, as to turn many more than they u(e leaving them to die
on the Ihore.
Sr. Matthew. This is a fmall ifland lying in 6-1 weft Ion. and 1-30
fouth lat. 300 miles to the nurll;euft of Afcenfion, and was alio difcov-
ered
520 A F R i C A N I S L A N D S.
ered by the Portuguefe, who planted and kept poiTeffion of it for Ibme
time ; but afterwards deferted it, this ifland now remains uninhabited,
having httle to invite other nations to fettle there, except a fmall lake
of frefh vvater.
The four following iflands, viz. St. Thomas, Princes Island, An-
NABOA, and Fernandopo, are fiiuated in the guiph of Guinea, be-
tween Congo and Benin ; all of them were firll difcovered by the Por-
tuguefe, and belong ftill to them ; they furnifli fhipping with frefh wa-
ter and provifions as they pafs by. And to the honor of the Portu-
gucle government, and difgrace of the Weft-India legiflatures, there
are 15.000 Negro Chriftians in St. Thomas', inftruded to read and
write, who daily attend divine worfhip, clean and well clothed.
Cape Verd Islanhs. Thefe iflands are fo called from a cape of
that name on the African coall, near the river Gambia, over againft
which they lie, at the diftance of 300 miles, between 23 and 26 deg.
weft long, and 14 and 18 deg. north lat. They were difcovered in the
year 1460, by the Portuguefe, and are about 20 in number ; but lome
of them being only barren, uninhabited rocks, are not worth notice,
^^' ]^Efi, Bia.vo, Fogo, Mayo, Bonavifta, Sal, St. Nicholas, St. Vin-
cent, Santa Cru?, and St. Antonio, are the moll confiderable, and are
lubjeft to the Portuguefe. The air, generally Ipeakmg, is veiy hot, and
in fome of them very unv/holefome. They are inhabited by Europeans,
or the defcendants of Europeans and negroes.
St. Jago, where the Portuguefe viceroy refides, is the moft fruitful,
beft inhabited, andlaigefl of them all, being 150 miles in circumfe-
rence, yet it is mountamous, and has much barren land in it. Its prod-
uce is fugar, cotton, fome wine, Indian corn, cocod-nuis, orangCo and
other tropical fruits ; but the plant of moft co.dequence is m.
and exucmely fertile. It has very good harbouis, wiieie fhips may
ride with fafety againft all winds, except the fbuthwcfl ; and is fre-
quented by Indiamen outward and homeward bound. The other
ifland 16 an inconiideiable barren rock.
Azores."!
AFRICAN ISLANDS. [523J
Azores.") Leaving the Madeiras, with which we tlofc the ac-
count of Africa, wc continue our courfe wellward through this im«
menle ccean, which brings us to the Azores, or, as they are called, the
\Ve(tcrn lilands, that are fituated between 25 and 32 degrees weft
Ion. and between 37 and 40 degrees north lat. 900 miles well of Por-
tugal, and as many call of Newfoundland, lying almoft in the midway
between Europe and America. I'hey are nine in number, and aro
named Santa Maria, St. Miguel or St. Michael, Tercera, St. (ieorge,
Graciofa, Fayal, Pico, Flores, and Corvo. They were dilcovered in
the middle of the 15th century, by Jofhua \'ander Berg, a merchant
of Bruges in Flanders, who in a voyage to Lifbon, was by ftrefs cf
weather driven to thefe iflands, which he found deftitute of inhabi-
tants, and called them the Flemifh Ulands. On his arrival at Lifbon,
he boafled of this difcoveiy, on which the Portuguefe fet (ail immedi-
ately, and took poirclhon of them, to whom they (fill belong, and
were called in general the Azores, from the great number of hawks
and falcons found among them. All thefc iilands enjoy a very clear
and lerene Iky, v/ith a falubrious air ; but are expofcd to violent earth-
quakes, from which they have frequently fuffered ; and alfo the in-
undations of furrounding waves. They arc, however, extremely fer-
tile in corn, wine, and a variety of fruits ; alfo in cattle, fowl, and
fifli. It is faid that no poifonous or noxious animals breed on
the Azores, and that if carried thither they will expire in a few
hours.
St. Michael, which is the largeft, being near 100 miles in circum-
ference, and containing 50,000 inhabitants, was twiee invaded and
plundered by the Engliih in tne reign of queen Elizabeth. Tercera
is the mod important of thefe iflands, on account of its harbour,
which is Ipacious, and has good anchorage, but is expofcd to the
loutheafk winds. It is generally vifited by their homeward bound
fleets from Brazil, Africa, and the Eaft Indies. Its capital town,
Angra, contains a cathedral and five churches, and is the rcfidcnc?
.of the governor of thefe iflands, as well as the bifhop.
[SC4] NEW DISCOVERIES.
NEW DISCOVERIES.
IN this place, I fhall mention tliofs only which have been made i'k
the eaftern hcmifphefT, having given ah acrcbnl of the others at thb
dole of our defcription of Amcrrca. The parts difcovered in this
hemifpheie that merit particular notice, are New Holland, New
Guinea, New Britain, and New Ireland. We fhall aH^c the
name of New Ireland. There arc many high hills in New Britain
and it abounds with large and (lately trees. To the cadward of New
Britain, and in both the above ftraits, are many iQands, mofl of which
are (aid to be extremely fertile, and to abound with pUnta'us and co-
coa nut trees.
N EW I R EL A N D • .
Extends in length, from the north ca(l to the fouth call, aoo'uHwo
hundred and fcventy miles, but is in general very narrow. It abounds
with a variety of trees and planis, and with many >)igeons, parrots,
rooks, and oth.cr birds. The inhabitants are black, and w«»<)lly head-
ed, like the negroes of Guinea, but have not like them, flat nofcs and
thick lips. Northweflward of New Iicland, a clufler of idands was
Teen by Capt. Carteret, lying very near each other, and (uppoled to
confift of twenty or thirty in number. Ore of thefe, which is of a
very confidcrable extent, was named Ntw IlANOVFn; but the reft
of the duller received the name of the Admirai.tv Islands.
SANDWICH ISLANDS.
BESIDES the voyages already mentioned, another voyage was
perfoimed by Capt. Cook and Capt. Gierke, in the Refolution and
Difcovery, during the years 1776, 1777, 1778, and 1779, '" dearth of
H north wc(t paliage b'ctv.-cen the continents of Afia and America.
After they had arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, they proceeded
from thence to New Holland : in this ccutfc they dilcovered tv\-o
iHands, which Capt. Cook called Prince Edward's illes. The !arpe(t
about 15 leagues in circuit, is in lat. /]b'' ,V3Mou'h, Ion. 37° 4G': TIjc
other about 9 leagues in circuit, laf. 46" ^o' and long. 38'"" 8', E. both
barren and ainioit covered with fnow. From tlience ihey prnrecded
fo New Zealand, and afterwards ihcy vifited the Friendly and the So-
ciety Klcs. In January 1777, they arrived at the Sandwich ifles, which,
are tvvelvc in number, and are fituated between 22** 15' and i2''53'.\'.
lat. The airof thc(e illands is in general (alubrioLis, and m^uy ot
~ the
[gaS] NEW DISCOVERIES.
the vegetable produftions are the fame with thofe of the Society and
Friendly Ifles. The inhabitants are of a middle fize, ftout and well
made, and their complexion in general & brown olive. Owhyhee is
in circumference about 300 Englifh miles, and the number of inhabi-
tants is computed at 150,000- The others are lj»rge and well peo-
pled. The natives are defcribed as of a mild and fiiendly ternper
and carriage, and in hofpitality to flrangers not exceeded by the in-
habitants ot the Friendly Ifles. On the 7Lh of February, being nearly
in lat. 44° 33' north, and Ion. 235^36' ealt, they faw part of the Amer-
ican continent bearing north ealt.
Capt. Cook afterwards difcovered King Georec's Sound, which is
fituated on the north weft coaft of America, and is extenfive ; that
part of it where the fhips under his command anchored, Is ini lat,
49° 3^' north, and Ion, 233"^ 28' eall. The whole found is furrounded
by high land, which in lome places appears very broken and ruggedj
knd is in general covered with wood to the very top. They found
the inhabitants here rather below the middle fize, and their complexr
ions approaching to a copper colour. On the 12th of May, they
difcovered Sandwich Sound, in lat. 59° 54^ north. The har-
bour in which the fhips anchored, appeared to be almoll fur-
lounded with high land, which was covered with fnow ; and here
they were vifjted by fome of the Americans in their canoes. The):
afterwards proceeded to the i^and of Unalafchka, and after their de-
parture from thence fiill continued to trace the coaft. They arrivcci
on the 2oih of Auguft 1778, in lat. 70 deg. 54 iriin. Ion. 194 deg. t^^
min. where they found ihemfelves almoft furrounded with ice, and
the farther they proceeded to the eaftward, the cloferthe ice became
compared. They continued labouring among the ice till the 25th,
when a ftorm came on, which made it dangerous for ihem to proceed i
and a conlultation was therefore held on board the Kefolution, as
foon as the violence of the gale abated, when it was refolved, that as
this paflTage was impiafticahle for any ufeful purpofe of navigation,
which was th« great objeft of the voyage, it fhould be profccuted nq
farther ; and efpecially on account of the condition the fhips were
in, the approach of winter, and their great diftance from any known
place of refrefhment. The voyage, indeed, afforded fufficient evt-
dencc, that no pratlicable palfage exifts between the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans towards the North ; and this voyage alfo afceriained
the weftern boundaries of the great continent of America. On their
return it unfortunately happened, that the celebrated and able naviga-
tor, Capt. Cook, was killed in an affray with the natives, by an &£k
bi ludden relcntment and fear, rather tlian from a bad difpofition, on
the illand of Owh-yhee, the largeft of the Sandwich ifles, on the i4_th
t)f February 1779 ; and his death was univerfally regretted, not only
in Great Britain, but alfo in other parts of Europe, by thole to whom
his merits and public fervices were known. In his iail voyage he
had explored the coaft of America, from 42 deg. 27 min, to 70 degj
40 min. 57 lee. north. After the death of Capt. Cook, the command
devolved on Capt. Gierke, who died at fea on his return to the fouth-
Ivard on the 22d day of Auguft 1779. The two fhips returned home
by the Cape of Good Hope, and on the 5th of Oftober 1780, anchor-
ed at the .Nore.
A NEW
52i
ANEW
GEOGRAPHICAL TABLE.
Containing the Names and Situations of the chief Cities, Towns, Seae, Gulfs,
Bays, Straits, Capes, and other remarkable Places, in the known Wgrld.
Colleded from the moft authentic Charts, Maps, and Obfervations,
►**»-»^>»ccc@oa>^^-®««>*^-=—
kames of Placi-f^ Provinces.
ABbeville
Aberdeen
Abo
Acapulco
Achem
Adrianople
Adriatick fea,or
GuU' ot Venice
Adventure (Ifle)
Agde
Agen
St.Agnes (lights)
Agra
Air
Aix
Albany
Alby
Aleppo
Alexandr^tta
Alexandria
Alexandria
Algiers
Amboyna
Ambrym Ifle
Amiens
Amsterdam
Amllcrdara
Ancona
Angra
Annapolis
Antigu* (Saint
John's town)
Antioch
Antwerp
Ap« (Ifle)
Archangel
Archipelago
Afcenfion Ifle
Aftrscan
Athens
Augafla
St. Aiiguflin
Augulbne
AVA
Avignon
Aurora Ifle
Picardy
Aberdeenfliire
Finland
Mexico
Samaira
Romania
Between
Pacific
Languedoc
Guienne
Scillics
Agra
Airfliire
Provence
New York
Languedoc
Syria
Syria
Lower Egypt
Virginia
Algiers
Amboyna Ifle
South
Picardy
Holland
Ifle
March of Ancona
Tcrcera Ifle
Maryland
Antigua Ifle
Syria
Brabant
Pacific
Dwina
Ifknds of Greece
Aftracan
Achaia
Georgia
Madagafcac
L. Florida
Ava
Provence
Seutb
Countries^
trance
Scotland
Sweden
North
Eafl; Indies
lurkey
Italy and
Turkey
Ocean
France
France
Atlantic ocean
Fall India
Scotland
France
United States
France
Turkey
Turkey
Turkey
United States
Barbarv
Eaft India
Pacific ocean
France
Netherlands
Pacific ocean
Italy
Atlantic ocean
U. States
Canb. lea
Turkey
Netherland*
Ocean
Ruflia
Europe
South Atlantic
Ruflia
Turkey
United States
South indiao fea
North
Eaft In^ia
France
Faci.&c oc^
QiiarttYs
Lat. Long.
D. M. D. M.
Europe
300/M.
i°54'E.
Europe
57-22 N.
1-40W.
Europe
60-27 N.
:i2-i8 E.
America
17.10 N.
101-20W.
Afia
5-22 N.
95-29 E»
Europe
42-oD N.
26-30 E.
Europe
Mediterranean Sea.
Afia
17-05 S.
144-12 W»
Europe
43->8N.
3-33 E.
Europe
44-12 N.
0-40 E.
Europe
49-56 N.
6-41 W.
Afia
26-43 N.
76-49 E;
Europe
55-30 N.
4-35W.
Europe
43-3» ?^-
5-3' E»
America
42-48 N.
73-30W.
Europe
43-55 N.
2-13 E.
Afia
35-45 N.
37-25 E,
Afia
36-35 N.
36-25 E.
Africa
31-11 N.
30-21 E,
America
38-45 N.
77-ioW,
Africa
36-49 ^f.
2-, 7 E.
Afia
4-25 S.
127-25 E,
Alia
16-09 s.
168-17 E.
Europe
49-53 N.
2-22 E.
Europe
52-22 N,
4-49 E.
Afia
21-09 s.
174-51 W.
Europe
43-37 ^'.
13-35 E.
Europe
38-39 N.
27-07W.
America
09-02 N.
76-4oU%
N. America
17.04N.
62-04W.
Afia
36-30 N.
36-40 E.
Europe
51-13 N-
04-27 E,
Afia
16.46 s.
168-32 E.
Europe
64-34 N.
38-59 E.
Mediterranean Sea.
Ocean
7-56 N.
14-27 W.
Afi^
46-00 N.
51-00 E.
Europe
38^5 N.
23-57 E.
America
33-39 N-
82 9W.
Africa
23-35 s.
43- » 3 E.
ii.4oW.
America
»9-5» N.
Aiia
20-20 N.
95.30 K.
Europe
43-57 N.
04-53 E.
Af«'
Ji-»8 §.
i68.a> Ji.
524
A NEW G
EOGRAPHI
. Numts of Places.
Provinces.
Countries t
TlAgdad
H) Balafore
Eyraca Arabia
Turkey
Orixa
Eaft India
Bilbec
Syria
Turkey
Baldivia
Chili
South
Baltic fca
between
Germ. 8c Swcd
BAItlMORE
Maryland
Tnited States
Barbuda Ifle
Atlantic ocean
Barcelona
Catilonia
Spain
-BaGl
Baiil
Switzerland
Baffeterre
Guadaloupe
Carib, fea
Baffoia
Eyraca Arabia
Turkey
Battia
Corlica
Italy
Ba'.ivia
Java
Eaft India
Bath
Soinerfetfhire
England
Bay of BIfcay
Coaa of
France
Bay of Bengal
Coaft of
India
Bayeiix
Normaiidy
Fiance
Bayonne
Gafcony
France
Beifall
Ullter
Ireland
Belgrade
Servia
Turkey
- Bencoolen
Sumatra
Eaft India
- Bender
Baffarabia
Turkey
Bcnningtoa
Vermont
United States
BtKLIN
Brandenburg
Germany
Bermudas
Bermuda Ifles
Atlantic ocean
Bf-rn
Bern
Switzerland
Berwick
Berwicklhire
Scotland
Bethlehem
Pcnnfylvania
United States
• Buboa
Bifcay
Spain
Birmingham
Warwickfliire
England
• Black.ZM-v/w.fea
Turkey ia
Europe and
• Bokhana
Uibeck
Tartary
- Eolabola
We
Pacific ocean
" Bologna
Bolognefe
Italy
• Bologne
Picardy
France
- Bolfcheri/koi
Siberia
Ruilia
■ Bombay
Bombay Ifle
Eail India
Borroughfton-
Linlithgowihirt
Scotland
Botton [nefs
Liucolnfhire
England
' Boston
Mafiachufetts
United .States
• Bourbon Iflc
South
Indian ocean
• Bouideaux
Guienne
France
Breda
Biabaot
Netherlands
■ Bremen
Lower Saxony
Germany
• Ereslau
Silefia
Bohemia
■ Breft
Brttany
France
Bridgetown
Barbadoes .
Atlantic ocean
• Briftol
Somerfetlhirc
England
Britlfii fea
Between
Brit, and Germ,
liruges
Flanders
Netherlands
Brunfwicfc
Low Saxony
Germany
BruJlels
Brabant
Netherlands
• £uda
Lower
Hungary
Buenos Ayrcs
La Plata
Brafil
Bukaraft
Walachia
Turkey
Burlington
Jerfey
North
• /^Abelloport
V^ Ca«hao
Terra Iirma
South
Tonquin
Eaft India
Cadiz
Andalufia
Spain
Caen
Normandy
France
Cagliari
Sardinia
Italy
Cahors
Guienne
France
■Cairo
Lower
Egypt
Qiiarkr.
Afia
Afia
Afja
America
Europe
America
N. America
Europe
Europe
N. America
Alia
Europe
Alia
Ei'rope
Europe
Alia
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Afia
Europe
N. America
Europe
N. America
Europe
Europe
America
Europe
Europe
Alia
Alia
Afia
Europe
Europe
Afia
Alia
Europe
Europe
America
Africa
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
N. America
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
S, America
Europe
America
America
Afia
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Africa
Lai.
D.M.
33-20 N.
21-20 N.
33-30 N.
39-35 S.
Atlantic
39-21 N.
»7-49>>'-
41-26 N.
47-35 N.
'5-59N.
30-45 N,
42-20 N.
06-10 S.
51-22 N.
Atlantic
Indian
49-16 N.
43-29 N.
54-3^ ^^
45-00 N.
C3-49 s.
46-40 N.
42-42 N.
52-32 N.
32-25 N.
4--00 N.
55-48 N.
40-37 N.
43-26 N.
55-30 N.
39-15 N.
16-32 S.
44-29 N.
5C-43N.
5^-54 N.
1S-56N.
53-48 N.
53-10 N.
42-23 N.
20-51 S.
44-50 N.
51-40 N.
53-25 ^^•
51-03 N.
48-22 N.
13-05N.
51-35 N-.
Atlantic
51-16 N.
52-30 N.
50-5= N-
47-40 N.
34-35 S.
44-26 N.
40-08 N.
10-03 ^*
21-30 N.
36-31 N.
49-11 N.
39-25 N.
44-26 N.
30-02 N.
Uf:g.
D. M.
43-5 r t.
86-05 K-
31-co E.
'Si-ioW.
Ocean.
77-48 w.
61-55W.
02-18 E.
C7-34 E.
61-54 w.
47-00 E-
09-40 E.
106-56 E.
02-16W.
Ocean.
Ocean,
00-47 E.
01-25W.
06-30W,
21-20 £,
1.02-05 E.
29-00 E.
74-1 oW.
13-31 E-
63-23 W,
07-20 K.
01-45 W.
75-14W.
03.18W.
01-50W.
67-00 E.
151-47 w.
11-26 E.
1-31 E.
156-42 E.
72-43 E.
C3-44W.
00-25 E.
:i 4W.
55-25 £.
00-29 w.
04-40 E.
c8-2o £.
17-13 E-
04-25 E.
58-03 W.
02-40 W,
Ocean
ic-30
04-26
19-20
58-26
26-13
7 5-00 W.
67-27 W.
105-00 E,
6-06 W.
0-1 6 W.
9-38 E.
1-31 E.
31-23 E.
A NEW GJ
SOGKAfHi
CAL TAB
iLE.
&»3
Provinces,
Csuntrits.
Quarter.
Lat.
D. M,
Long.
D. M.
Picardy
France
Europe
5'^-57 N.
1-55 1^-
Bengal
Eaft India
Afia
22-34 N.
88-34 E-
Peru
South
America
I2-C1 NT.
76.53 W.
Smaland
Sweden
Europe
56-40 N.
16-26 E.
Cambvefis
Netherlands
Europe
50-toN.
3-18 E.
Argyleftiire
Scotland
Europe
5S-l^ N.
5-40 w.
Cambodia
Eaft India
Afia
13-30 N-
105-00 E.
CambiidgefKire
England
Europe
52-12 N,
0-09 E.
Maffachufetts
United States
America
42-23 N.
71-07 w.
Canary IRes
Atlantic ocean
Africa
28-1 3 N.
15-33W.
Caodia Iflands '
Mediterr. Sea
Europe
35-18 N.
25-23 E.
Ceylon
Indian ocean
Af.a
7-54 N.
79-00 E,
Nova Scotia
North
America
45-20 N.
60-50 W.
Kent
England
Europe
51-16 N.
1-5 E-
Canton
Cliina
Afia
83.07 N.
113.07 E.
Iritti Sea
Ireland
Europe
51.18N.
ii.ioW.
On this (idc the
Eaft India
Afta
7-56 N.
78-10 E,
Ganges
Galicia
Spain
Etirope
4=-5i N.
9-12W.
Eaft Florida
North
America
24-57 N.
80-30 W*
Hottentots
Caffraria
Africa
34-29 S.
J 8-28 E.
Terra del Fuegi^
South
America
55-5*5 S,
67-21 W.
Iild-nd
Algarve
Portugal
Europe
37-02 N.
8-57 w.
Negroland
Africa
14-45 N.
X7.28W.
Cardiganfhirc
Wales
Europe
52.10 N.
4-38 w.
Schonen
Sweden
Europe
56-20 N.
i5-3« E-
Cumberland
England
Europe
54-47 N.
2-35W.
Tunis
Barbary
Africa
36-30 N,
g-oo E.
Terra Firma
South
America
10-26N.
75-^' W.
Murcia
Spain
Europe
37-37 N.
1-03 W.
Calan
Siberia
Afia
5S-43N.
49-' 3 E.
Ruffia
Tartary
Alia
HclFe Caffel
Germany
Europe
5'-'9N^
9-34 E.
Languedoc
France
Europe
43-37 N.
2-1 9 E-
Atlantic
Ocean
S. America
27-35 s-
49-12W.
Between
Swed. and Den
, Europe
Atlantic Ocean.
Ulfter
Ireland
Europe
54-5» N-
7-18W.
Cayenne Ifle
South
America
4-56 N.
52-1 oW.
Languedoc
France
Europe
43-23 N.
3-47 E.
Fez
Morocco
Africa
35-04 N,
6-30 W.
Burgundy
France
Europe
46-46 N.
4-56 E.
Bengal
Eaft India
Afia
22-51 N.
88-34 E.
South Carolina
United States
America
32-35 N-
79-12 W.
Maffachufetts
United States
America
42-24 N.
70-32 W.
Ifle
Hudfon's Bay
N. America
52-03 N.
79-00 w.
Orlcannois
France
Europe
48-26 N.
1-31 E.
Normandy
France
Europe
49.38 N.
1-33 W.
Chefhiic
England
Europe
53-i5N.
3-00 W.
Terra del Fuego
South
America
55-21 N.
69-37 v\'.
Caribbean
Sea
N. America
1 7-1 5 N,
62.38W.
PatroDiS.Pctro
Italy
Europe
42-05 y.
ir-5. E.
Atlantic
Ocean
S. Amelia
55-05 s.
34-37 W.
Auvergne
France
Europe
45-46 N.
3-.0 E.
Alface
France
Europe
48-04 N.
7-27 E.
Elec. of Cologne
Germany
Europe
50-55 N.
7-10 E.
Suabia
Germany
Europe
47-37 N.
VI I'
Romania
Turkey
Europe
4.. 01 N.
28.58 E.
Zealand Iflc
Denmark
Europe
55-40 X.
12.40 E.
Morea
Turkey
Europe
37-30 N.
23-co E»
Muuflei
Irelaiicl
Jvuiopc
5'-53^'-
8.83 V/.
ff«4
A NEW GEOGRAPHICAL TABLE.
Names of Places, Provinces.
Countries,
Quarter.
Coventry
Cowes
Cracow
Cremfmunfter
Cummin
Curaffou
Cufco
DAcca
Damafciis
Dantzic
Dnx
Dctft
Delhi
Derbent
Derby
Derry
Dieppe
Dieu
Dijon
Diibengen
Dol
Dominique
Dover
Dover
Dresden
Dreux
Dublin
Dumbarton
Dumfries
Dunbar
Dundee
Dung^aiefs
J)unkirk.
Durham
EAoowe Ifle
Eafter Ifle
Eaflern Ocean
Jidenton
Edinburgh
Edyftone
Elbing
Embden
Enatum Ifle
Enebrun
Englifh Channel
Ephefus
Erramanga Ifle
Lrzerum
Ethiopian Sea
Evreux
Euftatia Town
Exeter
FAlkirk
Falmouth
Eayal Town
Feidinand Na-
ronka
Terrara
Terro (Town)
FcrroJ
Fez
3ii lore nee
ICs.
Warwickfhire
Ifle of Wight
Little Poland
Archduchy of
Auftria
Ifle
Curaffou Ifle
Peru
Bengal
Syria
Polifh Pruffia
Gafcony
Holland
Delhi
Daghillan
Derbyfhire
vnitr
Normandy
Guzerat
Burgundy
Suabia
Bretagne
Windward
Kent
Delaware
Saxony
Orleannois
Leinfler
Dumbnrtonlhire
Dumtriesfhire
Haddington
FpVfar
Kent
Flanders
Durham
Pacific
Pacific
betw.thcN.w.of
N. Carolina
Edinburghfhire
Eng. Channel
Pruffia
Wcftphalia
Pacific
Dauphine
between
Natolia
Pacific
Turcomania
Coaft of
Normandy
Carib. fea
Devonfhire
Sterling
Cornwall
Azores
Lai.
DM,
Long.
D. M.
England
Europe
52-25 N.
1-25 W,
England
Europe
50-46 N.
1-14 W.
Poland
Europe
50-10 N.
J9-55 E.
Germany
Europe
48-03 N.
14-1. E.
N.Pacific Ocean
Afia
31-40 N.
121-09 E.
Weft India
America
11-56 N.
6S-20W.
South
America
12-^5 S.
70-00 W.
Eaft India
Afia
23-30 N.
89-20 E.
Tut key
Afia
33-15 N,
37-20 E.
Poland
Europe
54-22 N.
18-38 E-
France
Europe
43-42 N.
0-58W.
Netherlands
Europe
52-06 N.
4-05 E.
Eaft India
Afia
29-00 N,
76-30 E.
Perfia
Afia
41-41 N.
50-30 E.
England
Europe
52-58 N.
1-30W.
Ireland
Europe
54-52 N.
7-40 W.
France
Europe
49-55 ^'•
0-59 E.
Eaft India
Afia
21-37 N.
69-30 E-
France
Europe
47-^9 N.
4-57 E.
Germany
Euiope
48-30 N.
10-19 E.
Fiance
Europe
48-33 N.
1-41 W,
Weft India
America
15-18 N.
6i-2zW,
England
Europe
51-07 N.
1-13 E-
United States
America
39-10 N.
75-34 W.
Germany
Europe
51-00 N.
13-36 E.
France
Europe
48-44 N.
1-16 E.
Ireland
Euiope
53-21 N.
6-81 W,
Scotland
Europe
55-44 N.
4-20 W.
Scotland
Europe
55-08 N.
3-25 w.
Scotland
Europe
55-58 N.
2-25 W.
Scotland
Europe
56-26 N.
2-48 w.
England
Europe
50-52 N.
1-04 E.
Netherlands
Europe
51-02 N.
2-27 E.
England
Euiope
54-48 N.
1-25W.
Ocean
Afia
21-24 s.
174-25W.
Ocean
America
27-06 s.
109.4. W.
N. America and
N.E. of Afi;
1 N. Pacific oceair.
United States
America
36-04 N.
77-ooV/.
Scotland
Europe
55-57 N.
3-07 w.
England
Europe
50-08 N.
4-19W.
Poland
Europe
54-15 N.
20-00 E.
Germany
Europe
53-25 N.
7-10 E.
Ocean
Afia
2D-10 S,
169-59 E.
France
Europe
44-34 N.
6-34 E.
Eng. and France
Europe
Atlantic
; Ocean.
Turkey
Afia
38-01 N.
27-30 E.
Ocean
Afia
18-46 S.
169-23 E.
Turkey
Afia
39-56 N.
42.05 E.
Guinea
Africa
Atlantic Ocean.
France
Europe
"49-01 N.
1-13 E.
W'eft India
N. America
, 17-29 N.
63-05 W.
England
Europe
50-44 N.
3-29 W.
Scotland
Europe
55-58 N.
3-48 W.
England
Europe
50-08 N.
4-57 W.
Atlantic Ocean
Europe
38-32 N.
2 8-36 W.
Brafil
S. America
3-56 s.
32-43 w.
Ferrarefe
Canaries
Galicia
Fez
Tulcany
Italy
Atlantic Ocean
Spain
Morocco
Italy
Europe
Africa
Europe
Africa
Europe
44-54 N.
27-47 N.
43-30 N.
33-30 N.
43-46 N.
11-41 E,
17-40W.
8-40 W»
6-00 W.
li'H E,
A NEW GEOGRAPHICAL TABLE,
Ifamts of Pkus* Provintes,
Rores
St. Flour
Fort St. David
France (Hie of)
Franciort on the
Main
Frawcnburg
Fuego Ifle
Fanchal
Fiirneaux Ifle
GAp
Geneva
Geno.\
Genes
St. George's Ifle
St. George's Fort
St. Georgeftown
Ghent
Gibraltar
Glafgow
Gloucefter
Goa
Coat Ifle
Gombroon
Gomera Ifle
Good Hope
ToVn
Goree
Gottenburg
Gottengen
Granville
Gratiofa
Grata
Gravelines
Greenock
Gryphifwald
Gaudaloupc
Guam
Gulf of Bothnia
— of California
•r-of Finland
■r-ofSt. Laurence
—of Mexico
•:— of Ormus
— of Perfia
— of Venice
HAerlem
Hague
Hamburg
Halifax
H.-VLIFAX
Hanover
Hartford
Haftings
Havannah
Havre de Grace
La Heefe
St. Helena (J*.
Town)
Hellefpont
CountriK,
Azores
Atlantic Ocean
Auvergne
France
Coromandel
Eaft India
Indian
Ocean
Franconia
Germany
PolWK
Pruflia
Cape Verd
Atlantic Ocean
Madeira
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
Dauphine
France
Geneva
Switzerland
Genoa
Italy
Savoy
Italy
Azores
Atlantic Ocean
Coromandel
Eaft India
Bermudas
Atlantic Ocean
Flanders
Netherlands
Andalulia
Spain
Lanerkfliire
Scotland
GloucefterQiirc
England
Malabar
Eait India
Indian
Ocean
Farfittan
Perfia
Canaries
Atlantic Ocean
Hottentot*
Caffres
Atlantic
Ocean
Gothland
Sweden
Hanover
Germany
Normandy
France
Azores
Atlantic Ocean
Stiria
Germany
Fr. Flanders
Netherlands
Renfrewfhire
Scotland
PomerAiia
Germany
Caribbean
Sea
Ladrone Ides
Eaft India
Coaft of
Sweden
between
California and
between
Coaft of
Coaft of
between
betwecQ
between
Holland
Holland
Holllein
Yorkthire
Nova Scotia
Saxony
Connefticut
SulTex
Cuba
Normandy
Dutch Flanders
South
Mexico
Sweden & Ruffia
New Scotland
Mexico
Perfia & Arabia
Perfia & Arabia
Italy & Turkey
Netherlands
Netherlands
Germany
England
North
Germany
United States
England
Ifland
France
Netherlands
Atlantic Ocean
Europe and
HernoXani
Mediterranean
and Black Sea
W. Bothnia Sweden
Quarter.
Europe
Europe
Afia
Africa
Europe
Europe
Africa
Africa
Afia
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Afia
N. America
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Alia
Afia
Afia
Africa
Africa
Africa
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
N. America
Afia
Europe
N. America
Europe
N. America
N. America
Afia
Afia
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
America
Europe
America
Europe
N. America
Europe
Europe
Africa
Afia
Lat.
D. M.
■ 39-34 ^^•
45-01 N.
12-05 ^•
20-09 ^*
49-55 N.
54-22 N,
14-56 N.
32-37 N.
17-11 S.
44-33 N-
46-12 N.
44-25 N.
44-25 N.
38-39 N.
13-04N.
32-45 N.
51-03 N,
36-05 N.
55-5^ N.
51-05 N.
15-31 N.
13-55 N.
27-30 N.
28-05 N.
33-55 S.
Long.
D. M.
30.51 W.
3-10 E.
80-55 E.
57-33 E.
8-40 E.
20-12 E.
24-23 W.
17-01 W.
143-01 W.
6-09 E.
6-05 E.
8-30 E.
8-40 E.
27-55W.
80-33 E.
63-30 W.
3.48 E.
5-17W.
4-1 oW.
2-16 W.
73-5° E.
120-07 E.
74-20 E.
17-03W.
18-28 E.
14-40N.
57-42 N.
5»-3iN.
48-50N.
39-02 N,
47-04 N.
50.59 N.
55-52 N.
54-04 N.
15-59 N.
14-ooN.
Baltic Sea
Pacific Ocean
.20W.
-43 E.
.58 E.
32 W.
53 W.
29 E,
13 E.
22W.
43 E-
54 W.
.30 E.
Baltic Sea.
Atlantic Ocean.
Atlantic Ocean.
Indian Ocean.
Indian Ocean.
Mediterranean Sea.
52.20 N. 4-10 E.
52-04 N. 4-22 E.
53-34 N- 9-55 E.
53.45 N. 1-5JW.
44-40 N. 63-1 5 W
52-32 N. 9-35 1
41-50 N. 7?-50^V.
50.52 N. 04-06 } .
23-11 N. 82-1 3 W.
49-29 N. o-io L.
51-25 N. 4.50 E,
»5-55 S. 5-44 W.
Europe 62-38 N. 17-58 E.
5.2Q
A NEW GEOGRAPHICAL TABLE.
Names of Places. Provinces.
Hereford
Hervey's I He
Hoai Nagham
La Hotjue Cape
Hood's Ifle
HoogRraten
Howe's Ifle
Huabine Ifle
Hudfoir's Bay
Hull
JAkutfkoi
Janeiro(Rio)
.JafTay
Java Head
Jeddo
Jerufalem
Immer Ifle
Indian Ocean
Ingoldftadt
Jnvernefs
Herefordfliire
South
Kian Nart
Normandy
South
Brabant
South
South
Coalt of
Yoikfliire
Siberia
Moldavia
Java Ifle
Japan Ifle
Paleftine
South
Cowntries.
England
Pacific Ocean
China
France
Pacific Ocean
Netherlands
Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Labrador
England
Ruffia
Brafil
Turkey
Eaft India
Eaft India
Turkey
Pacific Ocean
Coaft of India
Germany
Scotland
Leeward Ifles
North
Mexico
Quarter.
Lat.
Lun^*
D. M,
D. M.
Etrrope
5-h6 N.
•2-38 W.
Alia
19-17 s.
158-43 w.
Afia
30-34N.
118-54 E.
Europe
49-44N.
1-51 w.
Afia
g-'.'.6 S.
1 38-47 w.
Europe
51-24 N.
4-5^ ^^
Afia
16-46 S.
154-01 W.
Afia
16-44 s.
151-01 w.
N. America
. N. Atlan
tic Ocean.
Bavaria
Invernefsfliire
St, John's Tov/n Antigua
St. John's Town Newfoundland
St. Jofeph's California
Irifh Sea between Great Britain and Ireland, Europe
Irranamc Ifle South Pacific Ocean
Iflamabad Bengal Eaft Ind'a
Jfle of Pines South Pacific Ocean
Isfahan Irac Agem Perfia
Ifthmus of Sue?, joins Africa to Afia,
— — — of Corinth, joins the Morea to Greece,
• of Panama, joins North and South America.
• of Malacca, joins Malacca to Farther India,
Ivica Ifle Mediterr. Sea Italy
Judda Arabia ^tW^ A.rabia
Juthia Slam Eaft ludia
KAmtfchatka Siberia
Kedffere Bengal
Rc.boro'fli
Airlhire
Munfter
Jamaica
Ukraine
Lapland
Pruflia
Tenerifi"?
53-45 N.
62-Qi N.
22-54 S.
47-08 N.
6.49 S.
36-20 N.
3'-55N.
19-16 S.
48.45 N.
57-33 N.
1 7-04 N,.
47-3"' n;
Kedgere
Kelfo
Kilmarnock
Kingfaie
Kingston
Kiow
Kola
Koningfberg
T Agiina
Labor
Lancaller
Lancarter
Laodaii
Landfcroon
Laufanne
Leeds
Leiccfter
Leipfic
Leith
Leper's Ifland
Lefkard
Lcfparre
Levant Sea
Lexiwcton
Leyden
Liege
Ruffia
Eaft India
Scotland
Scotland
Ireland
Weft India
Riiflia
Ruffia
Poland
Canaries
Labor Eaft India
Lancafliire England
Pcnnfylvania United States
Alf^re France
Schonen Sweden
Canton of Vaud Switzerland
Yoikfliire England
Leicefterfiiire England
Saxony Germany
Edinburghlhire Scotland
S. Pacific Ocean
Cornwall Entrland
Guienne France
Coaft of Syria
j;en!Mrky United States
Holla.id Netherlands
Bi;hop. of Liege Netherlands
Europe
Afia
S. America
Europe
Afia
Afia
Afia
Afia
Afia
Europe
Europe
N. America
America
N.America 23-03 N.
Atlantic Ocean.
Afia 19-31 S.
Afia 2 2-^'.oN.
Afia 22-38 S.
Afia 32-25 N,
Europe,
Afi%,
Europe
Afia
Afia
Afia
Afia
Europe
Europe
Europe
America
Europe
Europe
Europe
Atlantic
Ocean
Afia
Europe
America
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
pAirope
Alia
Europe
Europe
Afia
America
Europe
Europe
0-12 W-
129-52 E.
42-38 W.
27-34 E.
106-55 E-
139-co E.
35-25 E.
169-51 E,
11-27 E.
4-Q2W.
62-04 E.
52V21 W.
1 09-37 W.
170-26 E.
91-50 E.
167-43 E.
52-55 E«
38-50 N.
J -40 E.
21-29 N.
49-27 E.
14-18N,
100-55 E.
57-ioN.
163-00 E.
21-48N.
8J-
05-40 E,
A NEW GEOGRAPHICAL TABLE.
m
Names oj Places.
Piovincef,
Countries,
■Qjuirtir,
Lai.
D. M.
Long.
D. M.
Lima
Peru
South
America
12-01 S.
76-44W.
Limerick
Munfter
Ireland
Europe
5'-35N.
08-48 W.
Liinoj^ts
Limoges
France
Europa
45-49 N.
01-20 E.
LiiKX)iu
Lincolnfliire
England
Europe
53-' 5 N.
00-27 W.
Linlidigow
Liulithgowfliire
Scotlpnd
Europe
5,5-56 E.
03-30 w.
I.ur.z
Auftria
Germany
Eur,>pe
48-16 N-
* 3-57 J'
Lilbon
Ellrcniadura
Portugal
Europe
38-42 N.
09-04 W.
Line
French Flanders
Netherlands
Europe
50-37 N.
03-09 E,
Luchfieia
StalYordfliire
England
Europe
52-43 N.
01-04W.
Lizard Point
Cornwall
England
Europe
49-57 N.
05-ioW.
LOKDON
Middlelex
England
Europe
5-3^ N.i
ft Meridian
Londonderry
Ulller
Ireland
Europe
50-00 N.
0 7-4oW»,
Loietto
Pope's Territory Italy
Europe
43-' 5 N.
14-15 E.
Louilbourgh
Cape Breton Ifle
North
Aineiica
45-53 N-
59-48 w.
Louvain
AuftrianBrabant Netlierlands
Europe
50-53 N.
04-49 ^•
Louveau
Siam
Eaft India
AUa
12.42 R
iQo-56 B,.
Lubec
Hoiaein
Germany
Europe
54-00 N.
11-40 E.
St. I.iicia Iflc
Windward Ifles Weft Indi^
N. America
13-24 N.'
• 60-46 w.
Lundcn'
GotWand
Sweden
Europe
55-4' N.
13-26 E.
Luncvilk
Lorrain
France
Europe
48-35 N.
C6-35 E.
Luxemburg
Luxemburg
Netherlands
Europe
49-37 N.
06-16 E.
L>"uns
Lyons
France
Europe
45-45 N.
0.4-54 E-
JVL Macaffar
Canton
China
AGa
22-1 2 N.
ii3-5> E.
Celebes Ifle
Eaft India
Alia
05-09 S.
119-53 E.
Madeira iunchal
Atlantic
Ocean
Africa
3-37 N.
17-oiW.
Madras
Coromandcl
Ealt India
Afia
T.-C4N.
80-33 E.
Madrid
New Caitile
Spain
Europe
40-.5N.
03.20 E.
Magdalena Iflc
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
10-25 s.
1 38-44 w.
Mahoa Port
Minorca
Mediterr. Sea
Europe
39-50 N.
03-53 e-
Majorca
Ifle
Mediterr. Sea
Europe
39-35 N.
02-34 E-
Malacca
Malacca
Eaft India
Alia-
02-,2N.
102-10 E.
MnlliKS
Brabant
Netherlands
Europe
5T-01N.
04-33 E.
Malicola (Ifie)
South
Pacilic Ocean
Afia
16-15N.
167-44 E-
St. Malocs
Bietagne
France
Europe
48-38 N.
01-53W.
Malta Hk
Mediterranean
Sea
Africa
35-54 N.
14-33 E.
Manilla
Luconla Philip.
Ifles
Mantua
. Eaft India
Afia
14-36 N.
120-58 E.
M.VNTUA
Italy
Europe
45-20 N.
10-47 E.
Margcalante
Atlantic
Ocean
S. America
15-55N.
61-C6W.
Mariet r.\
N.W. Territory
' United States
America
39-34 N-
81-40W.
Marfeilles
Provence
France
Europe
43-^ 7 N.
05-27 E.
St. Man ha
St. Martha
Terra Finrva
America
11-26N.
7 3-59 W-
St. Martin's Ifle
Carribbean Iflcs Well India
America
18-04N.
62-57 W.
Martinico Ifle
Carribbeaii Ifles Weft India
America
14-44 N.
6.-16W,
St, Ma! y-s Iflc
SciUy Iflea
Atlantic Ocean
Europe
49-57 N.
06-38 W.
St. Mary's Town
Azores
Atlantic Ocean
Europe
36-56 N.
25-04W.
Maflcclyne Iflcs
South
Pacific Ocean
Alia
16-32 s.
168-04 E,
Mauritius
Indian
Ocean
Africa
20-og S.
57-34 E,
Maurua Iflc
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
16-25 s.
152-37 E.
Mavcnce
Lower Rhine |
Germany
Europe
49-54 N.
08-25 E.
Mayo Iflc
Cape Vcrd
Atlantic Ocean
Africa
15-10 N.
-.3-00 W.
McauK
Champagne
France
Europe
48-57 N.
ca-57 E.
Mecca
Arabia FcliJt
Arabia
Afia
21-45N.
41-00 E.
Medina
Arabia Felix
Arabia
Afia
25-00 N.
39-53 E.
Mcditerr. Sea
Between
Europe and
Africa
Atlanti
ic Ocean.
Mequincz
Fez
Barbary
Africa
34-30 N.
c6-co E,
Messina
Scilly Ifland
Italy
Europe
38-aoN.
15-40 E.
Mcr,-^ui
Siam
Eaft India
Afia
1Z.12N.
98 13 E,
Mexico
Mexico
North
America
19-54 N.
1 00-00 W.
Miatca Ifie
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
17-52 S.
148.01 w.
St. Michael's
Azores
Atlantic Ocean
Europe
37-47 N-
25-37 w.
Middlcburg Ifle
South
Pacific Oceau
Afia
21-20 s.
174-29W,
MiLA.N
Milanefe
Italy
Europe
45-2fiN.
«9-3a fi*
528
A NEW GEOGRAPHICAL TABLE.
Names of Places. Proviiues. Countries,
Milford Haven
Mocha
MoDENA
Montreal
Montpelier
Muniagiie Ifk
MontioCe
Monferrat Ifle
Morocco
Moscow
Munich
Munfter
NAmur
Nancy
Nan^!;afachi
Nanking
Nantes
Naples
Narva
New Haven
New York
Nevvcaftle
Newport
Ni^e
St.NicholasMole
Nieuport
Nineveh
Ningpo
Norfolk Ifle
Norfolk
Noriton
North Cape
Northampton
Norwich
Nuremberg
Nottingham
OChotfl^oi
Ohevahoa
Ifle
Ohitahoo Ifle
Oleron
Olinde
Olmutz
Olympia
St. Omer's
Onateayo Ifle
Oporto
Oran
Orenburg
L'Orient (Port)
Orleans
Orleans (New)
Ormus
Orotava
Orflc
Ofnaburg Ifle
Oftend
Otahelte
Owhyee
Oxford Obfer-
vatory
T>Acific or O- Between
JTrientiil Ocean
Quarter,
Pembrokefhire
Wales
Europe
Arabia Felix
Arabia
Afia
Modena
Italy
Europe
Canada
North
America
Languejdoc
France
Europe
Syuth
Pacific Ocean
Afia
Forfar
Scotland
Europe
Caribbean IQes
Weft India
America
Morocco
Barbary
Africa
Mofcow
Ruflia
Europe
Bavaria
Germany
Europe
Weftphalia
Germany
Europe
Namur
Netherlands
Europe
Lorrain
France
Europe
Japan
N«Pacific Ocean
Afia
Kiangan
China
Afia
Bretagne
France
Europe
Naples
Italy
Europe
Livonia
Ruffia
Europe
Connefticut
United States
America
New York
United States
America
Northumberlanc
1 England
Europe
Rhode Ifland
United States
America
Piedmont
Italy
Europe
Hifpaniola
Weft India
America
Flanders
Netherlands
Europe
Curdiftan
Turkey
Afia
Chekiang
China
Afia
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
Virginia
United States
America
Pennfylvania
North
America
Wardhus
Lapland
Europe
Northamptonfh,
, England
Europe
Norfolk
England
Europe
Franconia
Germany
Europe
Nottinghamfli.
England
Europe
Siberia
Ruffia
Afia
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
Saintonge
France
Europe
Brafil
South
America
Moravia
Bohemia
Europe
Greece
Turkey
Europe
Flanders
Netherlands
Europe
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
Duoro
Pertugal
Europe
Algiers
Barbary
Africa
Tartary
Ruffia
Afia
Bretagne
France
Europe
Orleannois
France
Europe
Louifiana
North
America
Ormicos Ifle
Perfia
Afia
TenerifFe
Atlantic Ocean
Africa
Tartary
Ruffia
Afia
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
Flanders
Netherlands
Europe
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
Oxfordfliire
England
Europe
Lat.
D. M.
51-45 N.
13-40 N.
44-34 N-
45-35 N.
43-36 N.
17-26 S.
56-34 N.
16.47 N.
30-32 N.
55-45 N.
48-09 N.
52-00 N.
50-28 N.
48-41 N.
32-32 N.
32-00 N.
47-1 3 N.
40-50 N.
59-00 N.
41-19N.
40-40 N.
55-03 N.
4»-35N.
43-41 N.
19-49 N-
51-07 N.
36-00 N.
29-57 N.
29-01 S.
36-55 N.
40-09 N.
71-ioN.
52-15 N.
52-40 N.
49-27 N.
53-00 N,
59-20 N.
09-40 S.
09-55 s.
46-02 N.
08-13 s.
49-30 N.
37-30 N.
50-44 N.
09-58 S.
41-ioN.
36-30 N.
51-46 N.
47-45 N.
47-54 N.
29-57 N.
26-50 N,
28-23 N.
5.-12 N.
17-52 S.
51-13N.
17-29 s.
22-10 S.
51-45 N.
D. M.
05-15W*
43-50 E.
11-17 E.
73-1 iW.
03-37 E'
168-36 E.
02- 20W,
62-1 2 W.
06-ioW".
37-50 E.
11-35
07-10
04.49
06-16
12JS-51
118-30
OI-28W.
14-18 E,
27-35 E.
73-ooWi
7 4-00 W.
01-24W.
71-06W.
07-22 E.
73-24W»
02-50 E.
45-00 E.
120-23 E«
168-15 E.
01-20 W.
75-18W-
26-02 E.
00.55W.
01-25 E.
11-12 E.
01.06W,
143-17 E.
1 38-56 W.
139-01 w,
01-20 w.
35-00 W.
16-45 E.
22-00 E.
02-19 E.
J 38-46 W.
08-22 W.
00-05 E.
55-.4F
03-20 W .
01-59 E.
89-53 W.
57-00 E.
1(5-1 9 W.
58-37 E,
148-01 E,
03.00 E-
1 49-35 W.
199-eo E.
oi-ioW.
Afia and
America
A NEW GEOGRAPHICAL TABLE.
A'ames of Peaces. Provinces.
Padua
Paifley
Palermo
Pallifer's Ifles
Palma Ulc
Palmerfton's Ifle
Palmyra
Panama
Paoom Ifle
Paris (Obferv.)
Parma
Patna
Patiixfioid
Pau
St. Paul's Ifle
Pegu
Peking
Pclew I Hands
Pembroke
Pen'sacola
Penzance
Peiigueux
Perinaldi
Perth
Perth Amboy
Perfepolis
St. Peter's Fort
St. Peter's Ifle
Petersbw rg
Petropawlofkoi
PtUi ADEI.PHIA
St. Philip's Fort
Pickerfgill Ifle
Pico
Pines, Ifle of
Pifa
PlaccRtia
I'lvmnuth
Plymouth
Pulliiiofcn
Pondicherry
Ponoi
Porto Bello
Port Santlo Ifle
Port Royal
Port Royal
Portland Ifle
Portland Ifle
Portfnio. Town
Academy
Porifmouih
Potofi
Prague
Prelburg
Prefton
Prince of Wales
Fort
Providence
Pulo Candor Ifle
PuK) Timor Ifle
Pvlcllr.jrt Ifle
^^ Queen
tharlotie'i Ifles
Paduano
Renfrewfliire
Sicily Ifle
South
Canaries
South
Syria
Darien
South
Ifle of France
Parmafart
Bengal
Iceland
Beam
South
Pegu
Petchlli
North
Pembrokefliire
Weil Florida
Cornwall
Guiennc
Genoa
Perthfliire
New Jerfey
Irac Agem
Martinico
North
Ingria
Kamtfchatka
PcnnfyKania
Minorca
South
Azores
N. Caledonia
Tufcany
Newfoandl. Ifle
Dcvonlhire
Maflachufetts
Swabia
Ctiromandel
Lapland
Terra Firms
Madeira
Jamaica
Martinico
South
North
Hampfl^ire
Hamprtiire
New Hampflure
Peru
Upper
l.ancafliire
New N. Wales
Rhode Ifland
Indian Ocean
Gulf of Siani
South
Lower Canada
SoUlli
Countries.
Italy
Scotland
Italy
Pacific Ocein
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Turkey
Terra Firma
Pacific Ocean
Franee
Italy
Eaft India
N. Atlan. Ocean
France
Indian Ocean
Eaft India
China
Pacific Ocean
Wales
North
F.ngland
France
Italy
Scotland
United States
Perfia
W. India
Ailauiii. Ocean
Rufiia
Ruflia
United States
Mediterr. Sea
Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Italy
North
England
United .States
Germany
Eaft India
Ruffia
South
Atlantic Ocean
Weft India
Weft India
Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
England
England
United States
South
Bohemia
Hungary
England
North
United States
Eaft India
Eaft India
Pacific Ocean
North
Pacific Occaa
Oo
Quarter.
Lot.
D. M.
Long.
D. M.
5^9
Europe
45-22 N.
12-00 E.
Europe
55-48 N.
04-08 W.
Europe
38-30 N.
13-43 E-
Afia
15-38 S-
146-25 W.
Africa
28-36 N.
17-45W.
Afia
18 00 S.
162-52 W.
Afia
33-00 N.
39-00 E.
S. America
08-47 N.
8o.i6W.
Afia
16-30 S.
158-33 E.
Europe
48^50 N.
a-25 E.
Europe
44-45 N.
10-51 E.
Afia
25-45 N.
83-00 E.
Europe
^5-35^.
14-05 W.
Eurcpe
43-X5N-
0.04 W.
Africa
37-51 s.
77-53 E-
Afia
17-00 N.
97-90 E.
Afia
39-54 N.
116-29 E.
Afia
7-00 N.
135-00 E.
Europe
5'-45N.
.4-50W.
America
30.22 N.
,'87-2oW.
Europe
50-C8 N,
' 6-00 W.
Europe
45-11 N.
, 0.48 E.
Europe
43-53 N.
7-45 E-
Europe "
56-22 N.
3-1 2 w.
Amerijja
40-30 N.
7 4-20 w.
Afia
30.30 N.
54-00 E.
N. America 14-44 N.
61-16 w.
America
46-46 N.
56-1 2 w.
Europe
59-56 N.
30.24 E.
Afia
53-01 N.
158-40 E.
America
39-56 N.
75-09W.
Europe
39-50 N.
3-53 E.
America
54-42 S.
36-53 w.
Europe
38-2? N.
2 3-21 W.
Afia
22-38 .S.
167-43 £•
Europe
43-43 N.
10-17 E.
America
47.26 N.
55-00 W.
Europe
50-22 N.
4-1 oW.
America
41-48 N.
70-25 W.
Europe
47.48 N.
10.48 E.
Afia
11.41 N.
79-57 £-•
Europe
67-06 N.
36.28 E.
America
09-33 N-
79-45 W.
Africa
32-58 N.
i6-2oW«
America
18.00N.
76-40 w.
America
M-35N.
61-04W.
Afia
39-25 S.
178-17 E.
Europe
63.22 N,
18-49W.
Europe
50-47 N-
01-01 W.
Europe
50-48 N.
1.C1W.
America
43-05 N.
70.43 w.
America
21.00 S,
7 7-00 W,
Europe
59.04 N.
14-50 E.
Europe
48.20 N,
17-30W.
Europe
53-45 N.
a-50W,
America
58-47 N-
g.i-02W.
America
41.50 N.
71.21 W.
Afia
8-40 N.
107.25 E.
Afia
3-00 N.
104-30 E,
Afia
22.25 S.
1 75-36 w.
America
46.55 N.
69-48 w.
AlJa
10-11 S.
164-35 B,
S30
A NEW GEOGRAPHICAL TABLE.
mmcsof Pkces,
Frovmcs.
Countries.
CHiartcr,
Lut.
D. M.
Leng.
D. M.
§t. Qointin
Picardy
France
Europe
49.50 N.
3-22 E.
Quito
Peru
South
America
0-13 S.
7 7-50 W.
-p Agufa
Xv Ramhead
Dalmatia
Venice
Europe
42-45 N.
18-25 K.
Cornwall
England
Europe
50-1 8 N.
4-1 5 W.
Ratifbon
Bavaria
Germany
Europe
48-56 N.
12-05 E-
Re Ifle
Aunis
France
Europe
46-14 N.
1.29 W.
Recif
Brafll
South
America
8-10 S.
35-30 W.
Rcfolution Iflc
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
17-23 S.
14.-40W.
Rheims
Champagne
France
Europe
49-14 N.
4-07 E.
Rhodes
Rhode Ifland
Levant fea
Afia _
36-20 N.
28-co E.
Richmond
Virginia
United States
America
37-40 N.
77-50 W.
5is^ .
Livonia
Ruflia
Europe
56-55 N.
24-00 E.
Rimini
Romagna
Italy
Europe
44-03 N.
12-39 E.
Rennes
Bretagne
France
Europe
48-06 N.
1-36W.
Rochelle
Aunis
France
Europe
46-og N.
3-04W.
Kochfort
Saintongc
France
Europe
46-02 N.
C-53W.
Rock of Lifbon
Mouth of Tagus Portugal
Europe
38-45 N.
9.30 W.
River
Rodez
Guienne
France
Europe
44-21 N.
2-39 E.
Rodngues Ifle
South
Indian Ocean
Africa
10-40 N.
63-15 E.
Rome, St. Peter's
Pope's Territory Italy
Europe
4'-53N.
12-34 E.
Rotterdam
Holland
Netherlands
Europe
5,-56 N.
4-33 E.
Rotterdam Ifle
South
Pacihc Ocean
Afia
2C-16N.
1 7 4-2 5 W.
Rouen
Normandy
France
Europe
49-26 N.
1-00 W.
C Aba Ifle
O Sagan
Carib. fea
Weft India
America
17-39 ^'•
63-1 2 W.
Silefla
Germany
Europe
51-42 N.
15-27 E.
St. Auguftine
Ealt Florida
North
America
29.45 N.
81.12W.
St. Domingo
Carib. lea
Weft India
America
18-20 N.
7 0-00 W.
St. George's
Between
England and
Europe
Atlaiitic Ocean,
Channel
Ireland
St, Jago
Chili
South
America
34-00 S,
77-coV.'.
St. Juan
California
North
America
26-25 N.
11 4-09 w.
St. Salvador
Brafil
South
America
11-58 S.
38.COW.
Sakm
Man"ychufetts
United .States
America
42-35 N.
70.52 w.
Salifbury
Wiltlbire
England
Europe
51-00 N.
1-45W.
Sail Ifle
North
Atlantic Ocean
Africa
16-38 N.
2..51W.
Salonichi
Macedonia
Turkey
Europe
40-41 N.
^-3-13 E.
Salvage Ifles
, North
Atlantic Ocean
Africa
30-00 N.
15-49W.
Samana
Hifpanioja
Weft India
America
19-15 '^'•
6g-i 1 W.
Samarcand
LToec
Tartary
Afia
40-40 N.
69-00 E.
Samaria Ruins
Holy Land
Turkey
Afia
32-4C N.
38-00 E.
Sandwich Ifle
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
17-41 S.
168-38 E.
.Santa Cruz
Tenerifl"c
Atlantic Ocean
Africa
28-27 N.
16.11W.
Santa Fee
New Mexico
North
America
36-00 N.
1 04-00 W.
Savage Ifle
S(mth
Pacific Ocean
Afia
19-02 S.
169-25W.
S/VVAN a'AII
' (Jcorgla
United States
America
3>-.'i5 J^'-
80-20 W.
.Saander's Ifle
South Georgia
S.Atlantic Ocean
I S. America
58-co S.
26.53W.
Kayd, or Thebes
Upper _
J'sypt
Africa
27-00 N.
32-20 E.
Scarborough
Yorkfliire
England
Europe
54-1 8 N.
o-ioW.
.Schwezingeii
Lower Rhine
Germany
Europe
49.23 N.
8-J.5 E.
Scone
Perthfliire
.Scotland
Europe
56-24 N.
3-1*0 W.
Sea of Afoph
Little Tartary
Europe and
Afia
. Marmora
Turkey in
I'^urope and
Afia
Black fea.
Ochotfl;
Between
Sibcria.and Kamtfchatka, Afia, N. Pacific Ocean.
— — Yellow
Between Eaflcrn Tartary, China
and Corea
N. Pacific Ocean.
Sedan
Champagne
France
Europe
49-42 N.
5-02 E.
Senegal
Negroland
A.*"rica
15-53 N.
16-26W.
Seville
Andalufla
Spain
Europe
37-15 N-
6-05 W.
Sheeinefs
Kent
England
Europe
51-25 >>^
o-co E,
Shepherd's Ifles
i South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
16-58 S.
168-47 E.
Shields (South)
Durham
England
Europe
55-02 N.
1-15 E.
Shrewibury
Shrop.'hire
England
Europe
52.43 N.
2.46 W.
Si am
Siam
Ealt Indi*
Afla
14-18 N.
100.55 E.
A NEW GEOGRAPHICAL TABLE.
Names of PIj:cs. Provinces .
Sidon
tJigham^ii
Siiteron
.Smyrna
Sombavera
Soolo Ifle
Southampton
Spaw
Stafford
Stockholm
Sterling;
iHos
Holy Land
Chenfi
Dauphinc
Natolia
Carib. fca
Philip. Illes
Hamplhire
Lcige
.Staftorddiirc
Upland
Sierlinjrfhirc
Countries,
Turkey
China
France
Turkey
Weft India
Eaft India
England
Germany
tngland
Sweden
Scotland
Qjidrtcr^
Afia
Afia
Europe
Afia
N. America
Afia
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Lai.
D. M.
33-33 N-
34-16 N.
44-11 N.
38-28 N.
18-38 N.
5-57 N.
.50-55 N.
5C-30N.
5^-50 N.
59-^0 N.
36-10 N.
Straits of Babclmandel, between Africa and Afia, Red S=a.
- of Dover, between England and France, Englilh Channel.
of Gibraltar, between Europe and Africa, Mediterranean Sea.
of Malacca, between Malacca and Sumatra, Afia, Indian Ocean.
of Magellan, between Terra del Fuego, and Patagonia, South America.
of La Mairc, in Patagonia, South Amt:rica, Atlantic and Pacilic Ocean.
of Ormus, between Perfia and Arabia, Pcrlian Gulf.
of Scuida, between Sumatra and Java, Indian Ocean, Afia.
ot Waigats, between Nova Zembla and Rufiia, Afia.
Stralfund
Pomerania
Germany
Europe
54-23 N.
Strafburgh
Alface
France
Europe
48-34 N.
Straumnefs
Iceland
N..\tlant:. Ocean
Europe
65-39 N.
Suez
Suez
Egypt
Africa
29-50 N.
Sultz
Lorraiii
Frjnce
Europe
47-53 N"
Sunderland
Durham
England
Europe
54-55 ^'•
Surat
Guzurat
Eaft India
Afia
21-ioN.
Surinam
Surinam
South
America
6-00 N.
S^racule
Sicily Ifle
Italy
Europe
36-58 N.
'V'Able I Hand
A Tanjour
New Hebrides
South Pacific
Afia
15-38 S.
Tanjour
Eaft India
Afia
11-27 N.
Tanna
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
19-32 S.
Taoukaa Ifle
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
14-30 s.
Tauris
Aderbeitzan
Perfia
Afia
38-20 N.
Teflis I
Georgia
Perfia
Afia
43-30 N-
Temontengis
Soloo
Eaft India
Afia
5-57 N.
Tencriffe Peak
Canaries
Atlantic Ocean
Africa
28-12 N.
Tercera
Azores
Atlantic Ocean
Europe
38-45 ^^
Teruan
Fez
Barbary
Africa
35-40 ^'
St. Thomas's Ifle
Virgin Iflcs
Weft India
America
18.21 N,
Thorn
Regal Prufiia
Poland
Europe
52-56 N.
Timor,S.W.PoA
Eaft India
Afia
10-23 s.
TimorlandS.Po.
Eaft India
Alia
8-15 S.
Tobolfki
Siberia
Rulfia
Afia
58-12 N.
Toledo
New Caftile
Spain
Europe
39-50 N.
Tomlk
Siberia
Ruifia
Afia
56-29 N.
Tonga Tabu Ifle
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
21.09 s.
Tornea
Bothnia
Sweden
Europe
65-50 N.
Toulon
Provence
France
Europe
43-07 N-
Trapelond
Natolia
Turkey
Afu,
41-50 N.
Trent
Trent
Germany
Europe
46-05 N.
Trenton
New Jerfey
United States
America
40-15 N.
Tripoli
Tripoli
Barbary
Africa
3=-53 N.
Tripoli
Syria
Turkey
Afia
34-3= N-
Troy Ruins
Natolia
Turkey
Afia
39-30 '^^•
Tunis
Tunis
Barbary
Africa
36-47 N.
Turin
Piedmont
Italy
Europe
45-05 N,
Turtle Ifle
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
19-48 S.
Tyre
Paleftinc
Turkey
Afia
3-32 N.
Tyrnaw
TrcnUchin
Hungary
Europe
48-23 N.
T TLiatea
VJ Upfal
South
Pacific Ocean
Afia
16-45 S-
Upland
Sweden
Europe
59-51 ^f•
53*
L(f>ig.
D. M,
36-15 1^*
1 08-48 .E,
6-01 E,
27-24 £,
63-32 W»
121-20 E.
I-25W.
S-40 E.
2-00 W<
18.08 E.
3-50 W.
i3-»e E.
7-46 E.
24-24 W,
33-27 E,
7.09 W,
i-ioW.
72-27 E.
55-30 W.
15-05 B»"
167-12 E;
79.07 E.
169-46 £.
1 45-04 W,
46-30 E.
47.00 E,
120-58 E,
16-24W,
27.01 W,
5-1 8 W.
64-46 W.
19-ooW.
124.04 E.
131-59 E-
68-17 E.
3-25 E.
85.04 E.
174-41 W.
24-17 E.
6.01 E.
40-30 E.
11-02 E»
74-1 5 W.
13-12 E»
36-15 E.
26-30 E.
10-00 E.
7-45 K.
178-02W.
36-00 q^
17-38 E.
151-26 W.
»7-47 £•
53*
frames of Places.
Uraniberg
Ufliant Iflc
Utrecht
Venice
Vera Cruz
VERNON,Mount
Verona
VerfaiUes
ViENNAjObfer.
Vigo
Vintimiglia
Virgin Gorda
•\X7Akefield
VV Prince of
Wales' Fort
Wardhus
War raw
Warwick
Washington
Wat crford
Wells
Wcftman Ifles
Whitehaven
Wh-tfuntide Ifle
Williamlburg
Willis's Ides
Winchefter
W.lna
Wittenburg
Wologda
Worccfter
Worcefter
Worms
Woflak
Wurtzburg
YArmouth
York
Yorkminfter
A NEW GEOGRAPHICAL TABLE.
Provinces.
Huen Ifle
Bretagne
Holland
Venice
Mexico
Virginia
Veronefe
Ifle of France
Auftria
Galicia
Genoa
Virgin Ifles
Yorkflure
New N.Wales
Norwegian
Lapland
MaflTovia
Warwickfbire
Columb. Diftrift United States
Munfter
Somerfetfhirc
North
Cumberland
South
Virginia
South Georgia
Hampfhire
Lithuania
Upper Saxony
Wologda
Worceflerfhire
Maffachufetts
Lower Rhine
Countries,
Pmmark
France
Netherlands
Italy
North
United States
Italy
France
Germany
Spain
Italy
Weft India
F.ngland
North
Lapland
Poland
England
Quarter.
Lat.
D. M.
Franconia
Norfolk
Yorklhire
Terra del Fuego South
Greenwich Obfetv. Kent, England, Europe, 51° 28' 40" N. 0° ^
don.
Ireland
England
Atlantic Ocean
England
Pacific Ocean
United States
Atlantic Ocean
England
Poland
Germany
Ruflia
England
United States
Germany
RulTia
Germany
England
England
Europe
5.5-54 N.
Europe
48-28 N.
Europe
52-07 N.
Europe
45-26 N.
America
19-12 N.
America
38.40 N.
Europe
45-26 N,
Europe
48-48 N.
Europe
48-12 N.
Europe
42-14N.
Europe
43-53 N.
America
18-18 N.
Europe
5V4' N.
America
58-47 N.
Europe
Europe
Europe
America
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Afia
America
America
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
America
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
Europe
America
Lovg.
D. M,
12-57 E.
4-59 W.
5-00 E.
11-59 E.
97-25 W.
77-20 W.
11-23 E,
2-12 L.
16-22 E.
8-23 W.
7-42 F.
63-59 W.
1-28W.
94-01 W^
70-22 N. 31
52-1 4 N.
52-18 N.
3»-54 N.
52-12 N.
51-12 N.
63-20 N.
54-38 N.
15-44 s.
37-1 iN.
54-00 S.
51.06 N.
54-41 N.
5 1-49 N.
59-19 N.
52-09 ^^
42-23 N.
49-38 N.
61-15 N.
49-46 N.
52-45 N.
53-59 N.
55.26 N.
37" £. of St.
E.
21-05 E-
1-32 W.
77-09 w,
7-16W.
2-40 w,
20-22W.
3-36 w.
168-25 E.
76-48 w.
38-24 w.
1.I5W.
25-32 E.
12-46 E.
4IT50 E.
1-55W.
71-44 W.
8.05 E,
10-18 E.
1.48 E.
i-oiW.
70.03 W,
Paul's, Lon»
AN
533
AN IMPROVED
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE,
O F
Remarkable EVENTS, DISCOVERIES, akd INVENTIONS
Comprehending, in one view, the Analysis or Outlines of General
History, from the Creation to the prefent Time.
Bcf.Chrift.
4004 '"l~'HE crci-tion of tlie world, and of Adam niid Eve.
4003 A The biiih of Cain, the lirftwho was born of a woman.
3017 l£noch traiilldted into heaven.
2348 The old world deftroyed by a deluge whioh continued 377 days.
1247 The tower of Babel is built about this time by Noah's pofteiity ; upon which God
mivaculoufly confounds their language, and thus difperfes them into different
nations.
2234 Cclellial obfervations are begun at Babylon, the city which firft gave birth to
learning and the fciences.
2188 Mifraim, the fon of Ham, foundi the kingdom of Egypt, which lafted 1663 years,
to the conquelt of Canibyfes.
2059 Ninus, the fon of Belus, founds the kingdom of AfTyria, which lafted above locO
years.
1921 The covenant of God made with Abraham, when he leaves Haran to go into Ca-
naan, which begins the 430 years of fojourning,
1897 The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are dellioyed for their wickednefs by fire
from heaven.
1856 The kingdom of Argos in Greece begins under Inachus
1822 Memnon the Egyptian invents the letters.
1715 Prometheus firft iiriick fire from flints.
1635 Jofeph dies in Egypt, which concludes the book of Genefis, containing a period
of i'369 years.
1574 Aaron born in Egypt ; 1490, appointed by God firft high prieft of the Ifrsclites.
1571 Mofcs, brother to Am on, bom in Egypt, and adopted by Pharaoii's daughter.
15^6 Cecrops brings a colony of Saites from Egypt, into Attica, and begins the king-
dom of Athens in Greece.
1546 Scamander comes from Crete into Phrygia, and begins the kingdom of Troy.
1503 Deluge of Deucalion in Theffaly.
1493 Cadmus carried the Phoenician letters into Greece, and built the citadel of Thebes.
i49i Mofes performs a number of m.iracles in Egypt, and departs from that kingdom,
together with 60c, 000 Ifraelites, befides children, which completed the 430
ycats of fojourning.
1485 The firft (hip that appeared in Greece brought from Egypt by Danaiis, v/ho ar-
rived at Rhod'^s, and brought with him his fifty daughters.
1453 The fiift Olympic games ctlebratcd at Olynipia, in Greece.
1452 The Pentateuch, or fue firft books of Moits, are written in the land of Moab,
where he died the year following, aged 1 10 years.
1451 The Ifraelites, after lojourning in the wildernefs forty years, are led under Jothua
into the land of Canaan, where ihey fix themfelves, after havmg fubdued the
natives ; and the period of the fabbaiical year commences.
1263 Argonautic expedition.
1HJ& The rape of Helen by Paris, which, in 1193, give rife to the Trojan war, and
fiegc of Troy by the Greeks, whi.-h coniiu'jed ten yeuvs, when that city was
liken ajid buir.cd,
IC48 David
534 AN IMPROVED CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE,
»ef. Chrift.
1048 David is fole King of IfracI,
IC04 The Temple is folemnly dedicated by Solomon.
896 Elijah, the prophet, is tranflated to heaven.
894 Mcmey firft made of gold and fUver at Argos.'
869 The city of Carthage, in Africa, founded by Queen Dido.
814 The kingdom' of Macedou begins.
776 The firft Olympiad begins.
753 ■^'^•^ of the building of Rome in Italy by Romulus, firll Kinj of the Romans.
720 Samaria taken, after three years fiege, and the kingdom of Ifrael overthrown by
Salmanafer King of Affyria, who carried the ten tribes into captivity.
The firft cclipfe of the moon on record.
658 Byzantium (now Coni^antinople) built by a colony of Athenians.
604 By order of Neclio, King of Egypt, fome Phoenicians failed from the Red Sea
round Africa, and returned by the Mediterranean. '
Coo Thales of Miletus travels into Egypt, acquires the knowledge of .geometry, af-
tronomy, and philofaphy ; returns to Greece, calculates eclipfes, and gives
general notions of the univerfe, and maintains that one Supreme Intelligence reg-
elates all its motions.
Maps, globes, and figns of the Zodiac, invented by Anaximander, the fcholar of
Thales.
597 Jehoiakin, King of Judah, is carried away captive by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon,
587 The city of Jerufalem taken, after a fiege'of 18 months.
562 The firft comedy at Athens afted upon a moveable fcaffold.
559 Cyrus the firft King of Pcrfia,
538 The kingdom of iiabyloa deilroyed ; that city being taken by Cyrus, who, in 556,
ilTucd an editl for the return of the Jews.
534 Tlie firft tragedy aftea at Athens, on a waggon, by tbefpls.
526 Learning is great.'y encouraged at Athens, and a publjck library firft founded.
51 S '^'lie fecond temple at Jerufalem is finilhed under Darius.
509 'I'arquin the feventh and laft King of the Romans, is expelled, and Rome is gov-
erned by two confuls, and other republican magiftrates, until the battle of Phar-
falia, 461 years.
5C4 Sardis taken and burned by the Athenians, which gave occafion to the Pcrfian in-
vafion of Greece.
486 yElliirlus, the Greek Poet, firft gains the prize of tragedy.
481 Xerxes, King of Perfia. begins his expedition againft Greece.
458 Ezra is fent from Babylon to Jerufalem, with the captive Jews, and the vefiels of
gold and filver, &c. being feventy weeks of years, or 490 years before the cru-
cifixion of our Saviour.
454 The Romans fend to Athens for Solon's laws.
451 The decemvirs created at Rome, and tl>e laws of :he twelve tables compiled and
ratified.
443 Cenibrs created at Rome.
432 Nineteen years cycle invented by Meton.
430 The hiifory of the Old Teftament finilhes about this time,
Malachi, the laft of the prophets,
40t Retreat of 10,000 Greeks under Xenophon.
400 Socrates, the founder of moral philofophy among the Greeks, put to death by the
Athenians, who foon after repent, and ercft to his memory a ftatue of brafs,
379 BcEotiaa war commences in Greece, finilhed in 366, after the death of Epami-
noiidas, the laft of the Grecian heroes. After his death, Philip, brother to the
King of Macedon, who had been educated under him, privately fet out for that
country, feized the kingdom, and after a continual courfe of war, treachery, and
diflimulatioa, put an end to the liberty of the Greeks by the battle of Cheronea.
336 Philip King of Macedon murdered, and fucceeded by his foa Alexander the Great.
(332 Alexandria in Egypt built.
331 Alexander, King of Macedon, conquers Darius King of Perfia, and other nations
of Afia,
323 Dies at Babylon, and his empire is divided by his generals into four kingdoms, af-
ter deftroying his wives, children, brother, mother, and fiftcrs.
sgi Daiknefs at Rome at noon day.
290 Solar quadrants introduced at Rome.
285 Dionyfius, of Alexandria, began his aftronomical aera on Monday June 26, being the
firlt who found the folar year to confift exaftiy of 365 days five hours and 49
minutes,
284 Ptolemy
AN IMPROVED CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 535
Bff. Chrln.
»84 Ptolemy Pliiladelphus, King of Egypt, employs feventy two interpreters to tranflalc
the Old TeftamciU into the Greek, language, which is called the Septuagint.
269 The fiift coinage of fiivcr at Rome. i
164 The hrft Punic war begins, and continus 24 years. The chronology of the Arim-
dclian marbles compofcd.
250 Eratollhenes firft attempted to meafure the earth.
242 Conic fcitions invented by ApoUonius.
ai8 The fecond Punic war begins, ajid continues 17 years. Hannibal paffes the Atp«,
jnd defeats the Romans in fevcral battles ; but being abandoned and refufed fup*
port by his countrymen, fails in the accomplilhment of his purpofe.
130 The firft Roman army enters Afia, and from the ipoUs of Antiochiis brings the Afi-
atic luxury to Rome.
170 Eighty thoufand jews malTacred by Antioch^s Epiphanes.
168 Pcrfeus defeated by the Romans, which ends the Macedonian kingdom.
367 The firft library eretled at Rome, of books brought from Macedonia.
16-5 The government of Judea under the Maccabees begins, and continues 126 years.
J 46 Carthage and Corinth rafed to the ground by the Romans.
145 An hundred tWoufand inhabitants of Antioch malfacred in one day by the Jews.
135 The hiftory of the Apocrypha ends.
63 Catiline's confpiracy againft the liberties of his country detefted.
52 Julius Cu;far makes his firft expedition into Britain.
47 The battle of Pharfalia between Cacfar and Pompey, in which the latter is defeated.
The Alexandrian librar)', confifting of 400,000 valuable books, buint by accijsnt.
45 The war of Africa, in which Cato kills himfelf.
The lolar year introduced by Cx'far.
44 Ciefar killed in the fenate houfe, after having fought 50 pitched battles, and over-
turned the liberties of his country.
43 Brutus, one of the conlpirators againft Casfar, and chief of the republicans, being
vanquilbcd in the battle of Philippi, kills himfelf.
35 The battle of Aftium fought, in winch Mark Antony and Cleopatra arc totally de-
feated by Oilavius, nephew to Julius Casfar.
30 Alexandria taken by Oftavius, and Egypt reduced to a Roman province.
ay Oflavius, by a decree of the ienate, obtains the title of Auguftus Caefar, and an ab-
folutc exemption from the laws, and is properly the firll Roman tmperor.
8 The temple of Janus is fliut by Auguftus, as an emblem of univeilal peace ; and
JESUS CHRIST is fuppofed to have been born in Septanbcr, or on Monday,
December 25.
After Chrift.
12 Chkist difputes with the Dotlors in the temple.
29 is baptized in the wildernefs by John.
33 is crucified on Friday, April 3, at three o'clock, P. M.
His Rcfuiretlion on Lprd's day, April 5 : His Afcei^fion, Thurfday, May 14.
36 St. Paul converted,
j9 St. Matthew writes his Gofpel.
Pontius Pilate kills himfelf.
40 1 he name of Chritliar.s firft given at Antioch to tlic followers of Chrift.
43 Claudius Ca-far's expedition into Britain,
44 St. Mark writes his Gofpel.
46 Chrillianity cairied into Spain.
43 Loudon is founded bv the Romans; and in 363 furrounded with a wall, fomc part»
of which are ftill obfervable.
51 Carailacus, the Britilh King, is carried in chains to Rome;.
52 The council of the Apoftles at Jerufalcin.
55 St. Luke writes his Gofpel.
60 Cluiftianity preachc4 in Britain.
61 Boadicea, the Britilh Queen, defeats the Romans ; but is conquered foon after by
Suetonius, governor of Britain,
62 St. Paul is lent in bonds to Rome — wiites his cpiftlcs between 51 and 66.
63 The ^4ts of the Apoftles written. ,
Chtifiianiiy is fuppofed to be introduced into Britain by St, Paul, or fome of his
difciples, about this titrie.
64 Rome fet on fiie, and burned for fix days ; upon which begin, under Nero, the firft
perfccution againft the Chriftians.
67 St. Peter and St. Paul put to death.
JO Tilus
536 AN IMPROyED CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.
Aft.Chiift. '^.
•70 Titus takes Jerufalcm, ^hich is rafed to the ground, and the plough made to pafl
over it.
' 79 Herculaneum overwhelmed by an eruption of Mount Vefuvius.
85 Julius Agricola, governor of South BHtain, to prottft the civilized Britons from the
incurfions of the Caledonians, builds a line of forts between the rivers Fortk and
Clyde ; defeats the Caledonians under Galgacus on the Grampian hills ; and firll
fails ror.nd Britain.
96 St. John the Evangelift wrote his revelation — his Gofpel in 97.
121 The Caledonians reconquer from the Romans all the fouthern parts of Scotland ; up-
on which the Emperor Adrian builds a wall between NewcalUe and Carlifle ; but
this alio y)roving ineffeftual, PoUius Urbicus, the Roman general, about the year
1 44, repairs Ag: icola's forts, which he joins by a wall four yards thick, fmce call-
ed Antoninus's wall.
136 The fecond Jewilh war ends, when they were all banifhed Judea.
139 Juftin writes his firll apology for the ChriiHans.
J 40 Dublin buik.
152 The Emperor Antoninus Pius flops the perfecution againfl: the Chrillians.
21 1 The Emperor Severus, after having conquered the Scots, and pent them up by a new
wall between the Forth and Clyde (fmce called Graham's Dyke) having alto con-
quered the Pdrthians in the Eaft, and extended the Roman empire to its utmoit
bounds, dies at York.
217 The Septuagint faid to be found in a cafk. Church yards begin to be confecrated.
274 Silk firll brought from India, and the manufaftory of it introduced into Europe 551,
303 The tenth general perfecution begins under Dioclelian and Galerius,
^, 6 Conltantine the Great begins his reign.
."■cS Cardinals firft mftituted.
313 The tenth perfecution ends by an edlft of Conftantine, who favours the Chrillians,
and gives full liberty to their religion,
3!5 The firll general council at Nice, when 318 fathers attended againfl: Arius, where
was compofed the famous Nicene Creed.
328 Conftantine removes the feat of empire from Rome to Byzantium, which is thence-
forward called Conftantinople.
33t Conftantine orders all the heathen temples to be deftroyed.
363 The Emperor Julian, furnamed the Apoftate, endeavours in vain to rebuild the tem.
pie of Jerufalcm.
364 The Roman empire is divided into the eaftern (Conftantinople the capital) and weft-
em (of whicli Rome continued to be the capital ;) each being now under the gov-
ernment of different Emperors.
The Scots utterly defeated and driven out of their country by the Pi£ls and
Riminns.
Marriage in Lent forbidden,
400 Bells iavei'ted by bifhop Paulinus of Nola in Campagna-
401 The kingdom of Scotland revives under Persons II.
410 Rome taken and plundered by A.anc, King of the Goths.
412 The Vandals begm their kingdom in Spain.
i<20 The kingdom of France begins upon the lower Rhine, under Pharamond.
Saliqtte law confirmed by this monarch.
426 The Romans withdraw their troops from Britain, and never return, advifing the
Britons to arm in their own defence, and truft to their own valour.
432 Sr. Patrick hc^ati to preach in Ireland : he died 17th March, 493, aged I2Z years.
446 The Bntoiis, now left to themfelves, are greatly harralfed by the Scots and Pifts ;
upon whicl^ they once more make their complaint to the Romans, but receive no
alhUance from that quarter.
447 Attila (iurnamed the Scourge of God) with his Hims, ravages theRom^n empire,
4yi The Saracens in Spam, being hard preffed by the Spaniards, call to their afTifiance
joieph King of Morocco ; by which the Moors get poffclTion of all the Saracen
dominions in Spain.
1096 The firil ciulade to the Holy Land begun, to drive the infidels from Jerufalem.
ii07 King's fpeech firft delivered by Henry I.
1110 Edgar Athelin^, the laff of the Saxon princes, dies in England, where he had been
permitted to relide as a fubjeft.
Learning revived in Cambridge.
ixi8 The order of the Knights Templars inftituted to defend the Sepulchre at Jerufalem,
Ifid to proteft Chriftian ftrangcrs.
IT40 King Stephen grants liberty to his nobles to build caftlcs ; in confcquence of which
1 10c are ertfted in 14 years.
1 151 The canon law collefted by Gratian, a monk of Bologha.
a 163 London bridge, conlittmg of 19 fmall arches, frrft built of ftbnc.
1IB4 The Teutoric order of religious knights begins in Germany.
1 j;i Dcrmot MacMurrogh, prince of Lcinfter, being beaten and put to flight by other
princes, induces lome Englifh adventurers to land in Ireland, and aflift hira in
recovering his dominions : Dublin is befiegcd and taken by Raymond le Gvofs.
1172 Henry II, lands at Waterford, and foon after obtains from Richard E. Strongbow
(who had married the daughter of MacMurrogh, and according to compaft, fuc-
cecded to his dominions) a furrender of Dublin ; where he erefts a pavilion of
vricker work, and entertains feveral Iriih princes, who, voluntarily, fubmit to
him, ©n condition of being governed by the lame laws> civil and ecclefiaftical,
and enjoying the fame liberties and immunities, as the people bf England.
Henry II, landed in Ireland, with 400 knights and 5000 men.
1173 The fame King grants its firll charter to Dublin ; and, by divers privileges, en-
courages a colony from Briftol to fettle in it.
1174 Henry II, creates his younger fon, in years old. King or lord of Ireland, who
grants charters to the city of Dublin, and other corporations.
J J 80 Glafs windows began to be ufed in private houfes in England.
11 8z Pope Alexander III, compelled the Kings of England and Fiance to hold the ftir-
rups of his faddle when he mounted his horfe.
n86 The great o njun6lion of the fun and moon and all the planets in Libra, happened
in Sepiember.
1192 The battle of Afcalon, in Judea, in which Richard, King of England, defeats Sal-
adinc's army, con I Ring of 300,000 combatants.
Richard treacheroufly imprifoned in his way home by the Emperor of Germany.
1 194 Dieu et mon Droit, firll ufed as a motto by Richard, on a viftory over the French.
1200 Chimnies were not known in England.
Surnames now began to be ufed ; firlt among the nobility.
i2o8 London incorporated, and obtained its firft charter from King John,
J2I0 King John met in Dublin upwards of -20 Irifh princes, who fwore allegiance to
him, and there caul'ed them to eflablifh the Englilh laws and cuftoms.
Courts of judicature firft erefted in Ireland.
1215 Magna Charta is figncd by King John and the barons of England ; and the follow-
ing year it is granted to the Irifh by Henry III.
1217 The lame prince giants the city of Dublin to the citizens, in fee farm, at 200 marks
per annum.
1227 The Tartars, a ncrv race of barbarians, under Gingis Khan, emerge from the north-
ern parts of Alia, con'jwcr the greateft part of that continent, and in 22 years
deftroy upwards of 14 millions of people.
J233 The inquifition, begun in i2©4, is now trufted to the Dominicans.
The houfes of London, and other cities in England, Fiance, and Germany, fliil
thatched with ftraw,
1252 Magnifying glaffcs invented by Roger Bacon.
1253 The famous aftronomical tables are compofed by Alonr.o King of Caftile.
12^8 The Tartars take Bagdad, which puts an end l« the empire ol the Saracens,
1263 Ach»>
AN IMPROVED CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. r.<^
Aft-Chrift, ^^^'
a263 Acho, King of Norway, invades Scotland wth 160 fail, and lands 20,000 men at
the mouth ot the Clyde, but moft of them are cut to pieces by Alexander lil
who recovers the weftern illes. *
1264 The commons of England have a place in parliament,
1269 nic Hamburgh company incorporated in £ngland.
1273 The empire of the preleiu Aultrian family begins in Germany.
I alio Pulvis fulminans and gun powder invcnied by Roger Bacon.
1282 Lcwellyn, prince of Wales, defeated and killed by Edward I, who unites thiC
principality to England.
1284 Edward 11, born at Carnarvon, is the firft prince of Walfs.
1285 Alexander 111, King of Scotland dics> and that kingdom is difputed by twelvp can.
didates, who lubmit their claims to the arbitration of Edward King of England :
Which lays the foundation of a long and delolating war between the two nations,
Spctlacles invented by Alexander Spina, a Spanifh monk.
isg3 There is a regular fuccelUon of Englifh parliaments from this year, being the zad
of Edward. I.
1298 The piefent Turkilh empire begins in Blthynia under Ottoman.
Silver haftcd knives, fpoons, and cups, a great luxury. Splinter* of wood gen-
erally uled tor lights.
Wine iold by apothecaries as a cordial.
1299 Windmilli invented.
»300 About this time the mariner's compafs was invented, or improved, by John Gioia,
or Goya, a Neapolitan, The flower de luce, the arms ot the duke of Anjou,
then King of Naples, was placed by hiiti at the poiot of the needle, in compli.
mcnt to that prWice.
1307 The beginning of the Swifs cantons.
Interell of money in England at 45 per cent.
1308 The Popes remove to Avignon in J-'rance for 70 years.
1314 The baule of Bannockburu between Edward II, and Robert Bruce, in which tb*
Englilh are overthrown with prodigious flaughter, and all their boafted preten-
iions of fovereignty are utterly diflipated.
1320 Gold tirlt coined in Chrillendom.
1336 Two Brabant weavers fettle at York, which, fays Edward III, may prove of great
benefit to us and our fubjedts.
2337 The fiill comet whole courle is defcribed with iflronomical exaftnefs.
2340 Gunpowder firft fuggefted as ufeful for warlike purpoles by Swartz, a monk of
Cologne; 1346, Edward J II, had four pieces of cannon, which contributed to
gain him the battle of CrefTy.
Oil painting firfl made ufc of by John Vancck.
1344 The firft creation to titles by patent ufed by Edward III.
1349 The order of the Garter inltituted in England by Edward III.
13J2 The Turks lirll eater Europe.
1356 The battle of Poidiers, in which King John ofi France, and hi« fons, are take*
prifoners by Edward the Black Prince.
1357 Coals firft brought to London.
1358 Arms of England and France firft quartered by Edward III.
1362 The law pleadings in England changed from French to Englifh, as a favour of
Edward HI, to his people.
1386 A company of linen weavers from the Netherlands ellablifhed in London.
1388 I'hc battle of Otterburn between Hotfpur and the earl of Douglas ; on this^ 12,
founded the ballad of Chevy Chace.
Title of Baron firft given by Richard II.
1390 Coarfe cloth firft made in England at Kendal.
1391 Cards invented in France for the King's amufemcnt.
1399 Weftmlnfter Abbey rebuilt and enlarged.
Order of the Bath inftituted at the coronation of Henry IV.
1402 Bajazet defeated by Tamerlane, and the power of theTurksalmoft entirely deftroyed»
1404 Hats for men invented at Paris by a Swils.
1412 Dcnmaik united with the crown of Norway.
1415 The battle of Agincourt, gained over the French by Henry V, of England.
J41O The art of curing herrings invented by William Boekel, a Dutchman : By which
he rendered an efiential fervicc to his country.
1428 The fiege of Orleans. The celebrated Maid of Orleans appears, and gives the firfT
blow to the Englifh power ia Fidoce. Shs is. altci wards taken pnloncr, aud
bailely put to dewh,
I '^3J Laiirenliua.
54d AN IMPROVED CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE,
Xft. Cbrift.
1430 Laufentius of Haerlem invents the Art of Printing, which he praftifed with fepa^.
rate wooden types. Guttenburgh afterwards invented cut melal types, Pete^'
SchoefFer invented the mode of calling types in matrices. But the molV authentic
accounts afcribe the invention of Printing to Dr. Fauft, or Fauflus, in 1444.
J446 The Vatican library founded at Rome.
The fea broke in at Dort, and drowned loojooo people.
1453 Conftantinople taken by the Turks, which utterly overthrows the Roman empire,
1454 Otto Guerick, a German, invents the air pump.
Cape Verd Ifles firfl feen.
Duelling appointed in certain cafes in France, in order to have the judgment of God.
1460 tngravings and etchings in copper invented.
5471 Decimal arithmetic invented, and the ufe of tangents in trigonometry introduced,
by Regiomontanus.
1473 Greek language brought into France.
»483 Richard 111, King of England, and Jaft of the P'lantagenets, is defeated and killed
at the battle of Bofworth, by Henry (Tudor) VII, which puts an end to the civil
wars between the houfes of York and Lancafter.
3485 Great numbers carried oif by the fweatiiig ficknefs.
3486 Henry eltablilhes fifty yeomen of the guards, the lirii Handing army.
^489 Maps and fea charts tirll brought to England by Baith. Columbus.
3491 William Grocyn publickly teaches the Greek language at Oxford.
The Moors, hitherto a formidable enemy to the native Jipaniards, are entirely fub-
dued by Ferdinand, and become fubjetts of that prince on certain conditioas 5
but are cruelly perfecuted by the inquilitora.
3492 AMERICA difcovered by Columbus.
3494 Algebra firfi known in Europe.
3497 The Portuguele iiril fail to the Eaft Indies by the Cape of Good Hope.
South America difcoveftd by Americus Vefpufius, from whom the continent unjuftly
takes its name.
North America difcovered by Cabot.
1 500 Maximilian divides the empire of Germany into fix circles.
Brafil difcovered by Cabraj,
1503 Mines iifed in the attack and defence of places, invented.
3509 Gardening introduced into England from the Netherlands, from whence vegetables
were iuiporied hitherto. *
■75IZ Florida difcovered.
:X5I3 The'batt'ie of Flowden, in which James IV, of Scotland, is killed, with the flower
of his nobihty.
1517 Martin Luther began the Reformation.
Egypt conquered by the Tuiks.
let 8 Magellan, in the fervice of Spain, difcovers the ftraits which bear his name, makes
the firft voyage round the world, but is killed by favages in the Marianne iflandi.
Republick of Geneva founded.-
8 5^0 Henry VIII, for his writings m favour of Popery, receives the title of " Defender of
the Faith" from the Pope.
Chocolate firft brought from Mexico by the Spaniards.
J 529 The name of Proteltant takes its rife from the Reformed protefting againft the
church of Rome, at the diet of Spires in Germany.
3530 Copernicus revives the Pythagorean fyftem of aftronomy.
3 533 Currant trees brought into England from Zante.
3537 Religious houfes (^ilTolved by Henry VIII.
»i39 The lirrtEnglifh edition of the Bible authorifed, the prefenttranflationfinKhed 1611,
About this time cannon began to be ufed in Ihips.
1543 Silk flockings firft worn by the French king.
Pins firft ulcd in England ; before wliich time the ladies ufed Ikewers.
3544 Good lands -let in England at one Ihiiling per acre.
1545 The famous council ot Trent begins, and continues 18 years.
4546 Intercft of money firft eftabhftied in England by law at ten per cent.
Ann Afcue, a Proteftant, cruelly tortured by order of Henry VI il, who, to the ut-
ter difgrace of royalty, put his own hands to the rack, as not thinking the ex-
ecutioner fufficiently expert. She endured every thing with patience, and was
afterwards burnt.
3549 Lords lieutenants of counties inftituted in England.
J ,550 Cherries, pears, &c. introduced into England. '
4553 Circulation of the blood through the lungs hiftpublifbfd by Michael Servetus.
1557 Gioat5
AN IMPROVED CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 541
J 557 Groats and half groats tlie greateft filver coin in England.
J 560 Siberia was about this time difcovered, under the reign of the Czar Ivan Bafilidcs.
1563 Knives firft made in England.
The 39 articles of the EnglilK faith eftablifhed,
1565 Botany revived at Thuringe in Germany.
Potatoes fipft brought to Ireland from New^ Spain.
Henry Lord Darnly, hufband to Queen Mary of Scotland, blovm up with gunpow^.
der in the Provoft's houfc at Edinburgh, about two in the morning of Feb. ii.
1^69 Royal Exchange, of London, iirft built.
Circulation of the blood publilhed by Cifalpinus.
Mary Oueen of Scotland, driven from her kingdom by the rebellion of her fub-
jeft»7flies to Queen Elizabeth for proteftion, by whom fhe is treacheroufly im-
prifoned.
1571 Prmting in Irlfli charafters firtl inftituted.
1572 The great maflfacre of Proteftants at Paris.
J 57 3 Marby hill in Hereford removed of itfelf.
1578 Apricots and artichokes introduced into England.
1579 Tlic Dutch Ihake off the Spanifh yoke, and the republic of Holland begins.
Englifli Eaft India company incorporated — ellabhihed 1600.
Englilh Turkey company incorporated.
1580 Sir Francis Drake returns from his voyage round the world, being the firft Englllh
circumnavigator.
1581 J. Ufher, Archbilhopof Armagh, born in Dublin, drew up 104 articles of religion
for Ireland, 1615; which were cltablilhcd, 1635. — Died, 1656.
1582 Pope Gregory introduces the New Style in Italy ; the 5th Oftober being counted 15.
J 583 Tobacco tirft brought from Virginia into England.
3587 Mary Queen of Scots is beheaded by order of Elizabeth, after 18 years imprifonraent.
Duelling introduced into England.
J 588 The Spanilh Armada deftroyed by Drake and other Englifti Admirals,
Henry IV, palTes the cdift of Nantz, tolerating the Proteftants.
The manufactory of paper introduced into England at Dartford.
1589 Coaches Hrft introduced into England.
Bombs invented at Venlo.
J591 Trinity college, Dublin, founded,
J 597 Watches firft brought into England from Germany.
1600 Building with brick introduced into England by the earl of Arundel, moft of the
houfes in London being hitherto built with wood.
1602 Decimal arithmetic invented at Bruges,
j6c3 Queen Elizabeth (the laft of the Tudors) dies, and nominates James VI, of Scot-
land (and fiirft of the Stuarts) as her fucceffor ; which unites both kingdoms un-
der the name of Great Britain.
1605 The Gunpowder Plot difcovered at Weftminfter.
Kepler lays the foundation of the Newtonian iyltem of attra£lion.
1606 Oaths of allegiance Iirft adminiftered in England.
j6c8 Galileo, of Florence, firft difcovers the fatellites about the planet Jupiter by the
telefcope, then juft invented in Holland. — Quebec fettled by the French.
1610 Henry IV, is murdered at Paris by Ravilliac, a prieft.
Virginia and Newfoundland fettled by the Englifh.
Hudlbn's Bay difcovered by a Captain of that name, who is left by his men to
perilh on tliat defoiate coaft.
1611 Baronets firft created in England by James I.
1614 Napier, of Marchefton, in Scotland, invents the logarithms.
Sir Hugh Middleton brings the New River to London from Ware.
The cullom of powdering the hair took its rife from fome balud fingers at St,
German's fair, who powdered themfelves to look the more ridiculoui.
New York and New Jerfey fettled by the Dutch.
1618 New Holland difcovered by the Dutch.
1619 Dr. W. Harvey, an Englilhman, fully confirms the doftrinc of the circulation of
the blood.
1620 The broad filk manufaftory from raw filk introduced into England.
J623 New Hampfhirc fettled by an Englifh colony.
Plymouth in New England planted by a part of Mr. Robinfon's congregation.
1625 The ittand of Barbadocs, thJ firft Englifti IcLtlement ia the Weft Indies, is planted.
f6i6 The barometer iavcnccd by TorhccUi,
1627 The
542 AN IMPROVED CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.
Aft. Chrift.
1627 The thermometer invented by DrebeUius.
A colony of Swedes fettled on Delaware river, Pennfylvania.
1630 Peruvian bark, firft brought to France.
J 631 Newfpapers firft publifbed at Paris.
1632 The battle of Lutzen, in which Guftavus Adolphus, Kingof Sweden, and head of the
Proteftants in Germany, is killed.
1633 Maryland fettled by Lord Baltimore, with a colony of Roman Catholics,
J 635 Connefticut and Rhode Ifland fettled.
1638 Harvard College in Cambridge, Maffachufetts,eftablifhed,
1640 King Charles difobliges his Scottifh fubje6ls ; on which their army under General
Lefley, enters England, and takes Newcaftle, being encouraged by the malccon-
t^nts in England.
The maffacre m Ireland, when 40,000 Englifii Proteftants were killed,
1642 Civil war begins in England.
1646 Epifcopacy abolifhed in England.
Sympathetick powder made known by Sir Kcnelra Digby.
1647 Ihe firft Selenographick maps made by Hevelius.
1649 Charlesl, beheaded at Whitehall, January 30, aged 49.
1652 The firft coffee hoiife in London.
The fpeaking trumpet invented by Kirchcr, a Jefuit.
1*654 Cromwell affumci the Proteftorftiip.
1655 The Englifh, under Admiral Penn, take Jamaica from the Spaniards.
t^^& Cromwell dies, and is fiicceeded in the Proteftorfhip by his fon Richard.
1659 Transfufion of the blood firft fuggefted at Oxlord.
>66o King Charles II, is reftoied by Monk, commander of the army, after an exile of
twelve years in France and Holland.
Epifcopacy reftored in England and Scotland.
The people of Denmark being opprefTed by the Nobles, furrender their privileges,
to Fred. Ill, who becomes abfolute.
i66z The Royal Society cftablilbed in London by Charles U.
Pendulum Clocks invented by John Froroentel, a Dutchman.
Fire engines invented.
1665 The plague rages in London.
J 666 The great fire of London began, Sept. 2, and continued three days, in which were
deftroyed 13,000 houfes and 400 ftreets.
Tea firft ufed in England.
Academy of fciences eftablifhcd in France.
1667 The peace of Breda, which confirms to the Englifh the New Netherlands, now
known by the names of Pennfylvnnia, New York, and New Jerfey.
1669 South Carolina planted by an Erglilh colony under Governor Sayle.
1670 The Englifii Hudfon's Bay Company incorporated.
1671 Academy of Architefture eftabliflied in France.
1672 Lewis XIV, overruns great part of Holland, when the Dutch open their fluices,
being determined to drown their country, and retire to, theii fettlements in the
Eaft Indies.
African company eftablifhcd.
1673 St. Helena taken by the Englifh.
1675 Coffee houfes fliut up by proclamation, ns cncouragcrs of fedltion.
1676 Repeating clocks and watches invented by Barlow.
1678 The peace of Nimeguen.
The habeas corpus att paffed.
1679 Darkncfs at London, that one could not read at noon day, January 12..
1680 A great comet appeared, and continued vifible from Nov. 3, to March 9.
i68i William Penn, a Quaker, receives a charter for planting Pennfylvania.
Pennfylvania fettled.
i682 Collegeof phylicians, at Edinburgh, incorporated.
Royal academy eftablifhcd at Nifmes.
1683 India flock iold fmni 360 to 500 per cen*.
1685 Thf- duke of Monmouth, natural fon to Charles II, raifes a rebellion, but is de-
feated at the battle of Sedgemoor, and beheaded.
The edift of Nantz iafamoufly revoked by Lewis XIV, and the Proteftants cruelly
perfecuted.
3687 The palace of Verfailles, near Paris, finifhed by Lewis XIV.
j68S The Revolution in Great Britain begins, Nov. 5, King Jaracs retires to France,
December 3.
J687 King
AN IMPROVED CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 543
Art. Chrift. , , , . .
1689 King William and Qacen Mary, daughter and ion in law to James II, are proclaim-
ed February 16.
Vilcount Dundee ftands out for James in Scotland, but is killed after gaining the
battle of Killyeiankie, upon whicli ihc Highlanders difpcife.
The land tax paifes in England.
The toleration aft paifes in ditto-
1890 The battle of the Boyne, gained by William againft James, in Ireland.
i6q I The war in Ireland finilhcd, by the furrender of Limerick to William.
1692 The Englilh and Dutch fleets, commanded by Admiral Ruffel, defeated the Ficsali
fleet oft La Hoguc.
1693 Bayonets at the end of loaded mwfltets firft ufed by the French.
The duchy of Hanover made the ninth eleclorate.
Bank of England eftablilhcd by King William,
The firll public lotttry was drawn this year.
Stamp duties inftitutcd in England.
1695 Bank of Scotland eflabUrtied.
1696 The peace ot Ryfwick.
1697 Malt tax eftabhlhed.
1699 The Scots fciilcd a colony at the ifthmus of Darien, in America, and called it
Caledoitia,
1700 Charles XI J, of Sweden, begins his reign.
Yale College eftablilfied at Saybrook,Conneaicut— removed to New Haven 1716.
1701 PrufTia erecled into a kingdom.
Cottonian library fettled for public benefit.
Society for the propagation of the Gofpel in foreign parts eftabliflied.
1702 King William dies, aged 50, and is fuccceded by Queen Ann, daughter to James
II, who, with the Emperor and States General, renews the war againft Franfia
and Spain.
X704 Gibraltar taken from the Spaniards by Admiral Roofce.
The battle of Blenheim, won by the Duke of Marlborough and allies againft the-'
French.
The Court of Exchequer inftituted in England.
Pruflian blue difcovered at Berlin.
1 706 The Treaty of Union betwixt England and Scotland, figncd June 22.
1707 The firft Britilh parliament,
1708 Minorca taken from the Spaniards by General Stanhope.
The battle of Oudenarde won by Marlborough and the allies,
Sardinia erefted into a kingdom, and given to the Duke of Savoy.
1709 Peter the Great, Czar of Mufcovy, defeats Charles XII, at Pultowa, who flies to
Turkey.
1710 Queen Anne changes the Whig Miniftry for others more favourable to the intercft'
of her brother, the late Pretender.
The cathedral church of St. Paul, London, rebuilt by Sir Chriftopher Wren, in 37
years, at one million expenfe, by a duty on coals. -
The Englifh South Sea Company began.
1713 The peace of Utrecht, whereby Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Britain, and
Hudfon's Bay, in North America, were yielded to Great Britain ; Gibraltar and
Minorca, in Europe, were alfo confirmed to the faid crown by this treaty.
1714 Queen Anne dies, at the age of 50, and is fucceeded by George I.
Intereft reduced to five per cent, in England.
1715 Lewis XIV. dies, and is fucceeded by his great grandfon Lewis XV.
The rebellion in Scotland begins in September, under the Earl of Mar, in favour of
the Pretender. The adion of SherifFmuir, and the furrender of Prefton, both
in November, when the rebels difperfe.
1716 Aurora Borealis firft taken notice of in England — 1719 in New England.
The Pretender married to the Princefs Sobiefki , grand daughter to John SobleflUy
late Kinerof Poland.
Art aft pafTed for feptcnaial parliaments.
1719 The MifTilTippi fcheme at its height in France.
Lombe's filk throwing machine, containing 26,586 wheels, ereftcd at Derby; takes
up one eighth of a mile ; one water wheel moves the reft ; and in 24 hour* it
works 318,504,960 yards of organzine filk thread.
The South Sea fcheme m England begun April 7, was at its height at the end of
June, and quite funk about September 29.
1747 Kiag
544 AN IMPROVED CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.
Aft. Chrift.
1727 King George dies, in the 68lh year of his age ; and is fuccecded by his only fon<
George II.
Inoculation firft tried on criminals with fuccefs.
Ruffia, formerly a dukedom, is now eflablifhcd as an empire.
1728 North Carohna fettled about this time,
1729 Parliament fat at the Blue coat hofpital, Dublin, where an attempt was made to
obtain the {applies for 21 years ; but rejefled by a majority of One.
1731 The lirft peifon executed in Britain for forgery.
1732 Kouli Khan ulurps the Perfian throne, conquers the Mogul empire, and returns with
two hundred and thirty one millions fterling.
Several public fpu ued gentlernen begin the fettlemcnt of Georgia, one of the United
States of America.
1736 Captain Porteous, having ordered his foldlers to fire upon the populace, at the ex-
ecution of a fmuggler, is himfelf hanged by the mob at Edinburgh.
1737 The earth proved to be flatted towards the poles.
1738 Weftminfter bridge, confifting of fifteen arches, begun ; finifhed in 1750, at the ex*
penfe of 389,000!. defrayed by parliament.
1739 Letters of marque ilTued out in Britain againft Spain, July 31, and war declared
Oftober 23.
1742 The firft (hip with Irifh coals arrived at Dublin from Newry.
1 743 The battle of Dettingen won by the Englilh and allies, in favour of the Queen of
Hungary.
1744 War declared againft France.
Commodore Anfon returns from his voyage round the world.
J 745 The rebellion breaks out in Scotland, and the Pretender's army defeated by the
Duke of Cumberland, at Culloden, April 16, 1746.
1746 Britifli Linen Company ercfted.
Eleftric fhock difcovered.
Lima and Callao fwallowed up by an earthquake,
1748 The peace of Aix la Chapelle, by which a reftitution of all places taken during the
war was to be made on all fides.
Halifax, in Nova Scotia, built.
1749 The intereft, of the Britifh funds reduced to three per cent.
Britiflr herring fiftiery incorporatedi
Dublin Society incorporated by charter.
1751 Antiquarian Society at London incorporated.
1752 The new ftyle introduced into Great Britain ; the third of September being count-
ed the fourteenth.
Identity of eleftric fire and lightning difcovered by Dr. Franklin, who thereupon
invented a method of fecuring buildings from thunder ftorms.
»753 The Britiih Mufcuni erefted at Montague houfe.
Society of Arts, Manufaftures, and Commerce, inftituted in London.
1 755 Lifbon deftroyed by an earthquake.
1756 One hundred and forty fix Englifhmen are confined in the black hole at Calcutta,
in the Eaft Indies, by order of the Nabob, and 123 found dead next morning.
Marine Society eftablifhed at London.
1759 General Wolfe is killed in the battle of Quebec, which is gained by the Englilh.
1760 Black Friars bridge, confifting of nine arches, begun ; finiftied 1770, at the expenfe
of 152,8401, to be difcharged by a toll. George II dies, and is fuccecded by
George III.
1762 War declared againft Spain.
Peter III, Emperor of Rufiia, is depofed, Imprifoned, and murdered.
American philofophical fociety eftablifhed in Philadelphia,
1763 The definitive treaty of peace between Great Britain, France, Spain, and Portugal,
concluded at Paris, February 10, which confirmed to Great Britain the extenfive
provinces of Canada, Eaft and Weft Florida, and part of Louiiiana, in North
America ; alfo the Iflands of Grenada, St. Vincent, Dominica, and Tobago, ia
the Weft Indies.
1764 The parliament granted io,oocl. to Mr. Harrifon, for his difcovery of the Iongi«
tude by his time piece.
1765 George Ill's royal charter palled for incorporating the fociety of artifts.
The famous ftamp aft paffed in the Britiflx Parliament March 22, Repealed
March 18, 1766,
Grand canal adjoining the city bafon, Dublin, begun ; completed to Monafterevea
in ;796>
J 766 A great
AN IMPROVED CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 545
ots, &c.
goi King Alfred ; hiftory, philofophy.
y8o Avicenna, tlic Mahometan philofo-
pher and phylician.
1118 Anna Comnciia; Ale\iaJ,orIifeofher
father Emperor Alexius Comnenus.
X2c6 Averrocs, Coidula, the Ai-b;an phi-
lofopher.
12^ Matthew Paris, monk of St. Alban's;
hiftory of England.
1291 Roger Bacon, Somerfctftiirc; natur-
al philofophy.
1321 Dante, Florence; poetry.
1374 Petrarch, Arezzo in Italy ; poetry.
J376 Boccace, Tufcany ; the Decameron,
poems, &c.
1400 Chaucer, London; the father of Eng-
lifh poetry.
1481 Platina, Italy ; Lives of the Popes, &c.
1502 Montaigne,Perigord in France ; cffays,
J509 Philip de Comines, Flanders ; hiftori-
cal memoirs.
1517 Martin Luther, the Great Reformer, fl.
John Calvin, do. do. fl.
1530 Machiavcl, Florence; pohtics, com-
edies, &c.
1534 Ariofto, Lombardy ; Orlando Furio-
fo, and five comedies.
1535 Sir Thomas Moore, London ; hiftory,
politics, &c.
1536 Erafmus, Rotterdam ; Colloquies,
Praifc of Folly, &c.
1540 Guicciardiai, Florence ; hiftory of
Italy.
1543 Copernicus, Thorn in PrufTia ; aftroB-
omy.
J 549 Michael de Cervantes Saavedra, Alca«
la in Spain ; Don Quixote, &c.
1552 John Leland, London ; lives and an*
tiquities.
1566 Hannibal Caro, Civita Nuova ;poein»
and tranflationj.
Vida, Cremona ; art of poetry, aad
other didaftic poems.
1 568 Roger Afcham, Yorkftiire ; philology.
1578 Rev. John Knox, the Scots reformer j
hiftory of the church of Scotland.
1579 Camoens, Lifbon ; theLufiad, an epic
poem.
1582 George Buchanan, Dumbartonfhire;
hiftory ofScotland,pfalms of David,
politics, &c.
1590 Davila, ifle of Cyprus ; hiftory of the
civil wars of France.
1595 Torquato TafTo, Italy ; Jerufalem de-
livered, an epic poem, Aminta, &c.
1598 Edmund Spencer, London ; Fairy
Queen, and other poems.
1600 Rev. Richard Hooker, Exeter ; Ec
clefiaftical Polity.
1605 Ulyffes Aldrovandus, Bologna ; nat-
ural hiftory.
i6c8 Mendez, Callile ; hiftory of China, fl.
1610 Richard Knollcs, Northamptonihirc ;
hiftory of the Tuiks.
1612 Battifta Guarini, Fcrrara ; the Faith-
ful Shepherd, a paftoral poem.
161J-25 Btaumom and Fletcher; 35 dra-
matic pierps.
1616 Wni. Shakefpf are, Stratford ; [2 trag-
edies and comedies.
i622 John Napier, Maichtdon, Scotland;
kvcnt',1 of lo^aiithnu.
1623
MEN OF LEARNING and GENIUS.
Aft. Chrifl.
S5»,
AU, Chtift,
1623 William Camden, London ; hiftory
and antiquities.
Father Paul Sarpi, Venice; hiftory of
the Council of Trent, Rights of
Sovereigns andSubjefts, letters, &c.
1 624 JohnMariana,Caftile; hiftory ofSpain.
1625 John Baptift Marino, Naples ; poetry.
J 626 Lord Chancellor Bacon, London;
philofophy and literature in general.
1627 Lewis dc Congora, Cordoua; poetry
and plays.
J628 Francis de Malherbe, Normandy ;
poetry.
1630 John Kepler, Wittemberg ; allrono-
my.
1634 Lord Chief Juftice Coke, Norfolk ;
laws of England.
1635 Trajan Boccalini, Rome ; fatyrical
pieces, fl.
1638 Ben. Johnfon, Lond. dramatic pieces.
1639 Philip MafTinger, Salifbury ; 14 dra-
matic pieces.
1641 Sir Henry Spelman, Norfolk ; laws
and antiquities.
Jeremiah Horrox, Lancafhire; aftron-
omer, died at the age of 22.
1646 Lewis Veliz dc Guevai-a, Andalufia;
Comedies.
1650 Des Cartes, Touraine ; philofophy
and mathematics.
1^54 John Selden, SufTex ; antiquities and
laws.
John Lewis de Balzac, Angouleme ;
letters, &c.
j6_55 Peter Gaffendi, Provence ; aftronomy.
1656 Ar^hbidiop Ufher, Dublin ; divinity
and chronology.
1657 Dr. William Harvey, Kent 1 difcov-
ered the circulation of the blood.
1662 Pafcal, Auvergne; Thoughts upon
Religion, &:c.
1667 Abraham Cowley, London; mifcel-
laneous poetry.
1669 Sir John Denham, Dublin ; Cooper's
Hill and other poems.
1673 Moliere, Paris ; comedies,
1674 John Milton, London ; Paradife Loft,
Regained, and various other pieces
in verfe and profe.
Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, Wiltfhire ;
hiftory of the civil wars in England.
1675 James Gregory, Aberdeen ; mathe-
matics, geometry and optics.
James Rohault, Amiens ; phyfics.
J677 Rev. Dr. Ifaac Barrow, London;
natural philofophy, mathematics.
Rev. Richard Baxter, Divinity, fl.
j68o Samuel Butler, Worccfterlhire ; Hu-
dibras, a burlefque poem.
Francis, Duke of Rochefoucault,
'•' France; maxims.
Dr. Lewis Moreri, Provence; Hiftor-
ical Ditlionary.
1683 Mczeray, Lower Normandy ; A-
bi idgmcziL of the hiftory of France,
1684 Wentworth Dillon, Earl oP'-Rofcom-
mon, Ireland ; effay on tranflared
verfe, Horace's art of poetry.
Peter Corneille, Rouen ; 30 dramatic
pieces.
1685 Thomas Otwa^y, London; 10 trag-
edies and comedies, &c.
16S7 Edmund Waller, Bucks; poems.
1688 Dr. Ralph Cud worth, Somerletihirc;
Intellcaual Syftem.
1689 Dr, Thomas Sydenham, Dorfctlhlre ;
hiftory of phyfic.
Dr. Bonet, Geneva ; medicine.
1690 Nathaniel Lee, London; n tragedies.
Barclay, Edinburgh ; Apology for
the Quakers.
1691 Honourable Robert Boyle, natural and
experimental philofophy, &c.
Sir George M'Kenzie, Dundee; An-
tiquities and laws of Scotland.
1692 Giles Menage Angers ; philology,mif-
ccllanies in verfe and profe.
St. Real, Savoy ; confpiracy of the
Spaniards againft the Republic of
Venice.
1694 John Tillotfon, Archbifhop of Can-
terbury, Halifax ; s.^/\r fermons.
Antonietta de la Gaide Des Houiieres,
Paris ; poetry.
Marcellus Malpighi, Bologna; dif-
covered the circalation of the fap
in plants.
PufiFendorf, Upper Saxony ; jurifpru-
dence and hiftory.
1695 D'Heibelot, Paris; Bibliotheque ori-
entale,
Huygens, Hague ; mathematics and
aftronomy.
1696 Jolm de La Bruyere, France; charac-
ters.
Marchionefs De Sevigne, France;
letters.
1697 Sir W. Temple, London ; politics
and polite literature.
1698 W. Molyneux, Dublin ; the cafe of
Ireland ftated.
1699 John Racine, France ; tragedies.
Rev. Dr. William Bates ; Divinity.
1701 John Dryden, Northamptonftiire ;
27 tragedies and comedies, fatiric
poems, Virgil, ode on Saint Cecil-
ia's day, &c.
Thomas Creech, Dorfetfhire ; tranfla-
tions.
1703 Mafcaron,Marfeilles ; funeral orations.
1704 John Locke, Somerfetftiire ; philofo-
phy, government and theology.
Bocconi, Palermo; natural hiftory.
Bofl'uet, Dijon ; difcourfe upon Uni-
verfal Hiftory, Funeral Orations,&c.
Bourdalouc, France ; fermons.
J705 John P«.ay, Effex ; botany, natural
philofophy, and divinity.
1706 Bailet, Picardy ; Judgments of the
learned, biography, &c.
1707 ■
MEN OF LEARNING and GENIUS.
Aft.Chria. Aft. Chrift.
1707 George Farquhar, Londonderry; 8
comedies.
55^
1709
1710
geome-
funeral
1714
»7'5
I7>(}
Rev. James Saurin, Sermons, trafts. fl.
708 John Philips, Oxtordlhire ; Splendid
Shilling, and other poems.
Thomas Corueille, brother to Peter ;
tragedies.
David Gregory, Aberdeen;
try, optics.
Flechier, Avignon ; fermons
orations, &c.
Edmund Smiih, Worcefterfhire; Phe-
dra, tragedy, tranflation of Longi-
nus.
1712 Boileau, Paris ; fatircs, epiftles, art of
poetry, the Luirin, Sec.
Callini, luly ; aftronomy.
1713 Ant. Alh. Cooper, E. of Shaftfbury ;
charatlerillics.
Dr. Aichibald Pitcairn, Edinburgh,
medicine.
Gilbert Burnet, Edinburgh, Bifhop of
Salilbury ; hiftoiy, biography, &c.
TVIalcbianche, Paris ; pliilofophy.
I'lancis De Salignac De la Mothe
Feneloii, Archbilliop of Camhray,
Pcrigoid; Tclemachus, Dialogues
of ttie Dead, Dcmonftration of the
Being of God, &c.
Leibnitz, Leipfic ; philofophy, &c.
1718 Nicholas Rov\e, Dcvonfhire; 7 trage-
dies, tranflat. of Lucan's Pharfalia.
1719 Rev. John Flamftead, Deibyftiue;
mathematics and allionomy.
Jofeph Addifon, Wiltfliire ; Speda-
tor. Guardian, tragedy ot Cato, &Cj
Dr. John Keill, Edinburgh, mathe-
matics and aftronomy,
J719 Sir Samuel Garth, Yorklhire ; poetry.
J 720 Anne Dacier, France ; tranflation of
Homer, Terence, &c.
1721 Matthew Prior, London ; poems and
politics.
1723 Fleury, Paris ; hiftory.
Bayle, Foix ; hiftorical and critical
dittionary.
J 725 Rapin de Thoyras, Languedoc ; hif-
tory of England.
J 727 Sir Ifaac Newton, Lincolnfhirc ;
mathematics, geometry, aftrono-
my, &c.
1728 Father Daniel, Rouen ; hiftory of
France.
1729 Rev. Dr. Samuel Clarke, Norwich;
mathematics, divinity, &c.
Sir Richard Steele, Dublin ; four
comedies, papers in Tatler, &c,
William Congreve, StafFordlhire ;
feven dramatic pieces,
1732 John Gay, Exeter; poems, fables,
and eleven dramatic pieces.
1734 Dr. John Arbuthnot, Mcarnlhire ;
medicine, coins, politics,
'735 Vcrtot, France ; Revolutions of
Rome, Portugal, Sweden, &c,
1738 Dr. Boerhaave, Leaden ; botany, &c.
1740 Ephraim Chambers, England ; Cy-
clopaedia.
1741 Rollin, Paris; hiftory, Belles Lettres.
John Baptift RouiTeau, Paris ; odes,
epiftles, epigram:, comedies, letters,
Le Sage, Bretany ; Gil Bias, &c.
174a Dr. Edmund Halley, London; natural
pliilofophy, aftronomy, navigation.
1743 Malillon, France ; fermons.
Richard Savage, London ; tragedy, &c.
1744 Alexander Pope, London ; poems,
letters, tranflation of Homer.
1745 Reverend Dr. Jonathan Swift, Dub-
lin ; poems, politics, and letters.
1746 Colin M'Laurin, Argylelhirc ; alge-
bra, view of Newton's philofophy.
1747 Rev, Jonathan Dickinfon, Prcfidcnt,
Princeton College ; Divinity.
'1 748 James Thomfon, Roxburghlhire ;
Scafons, and other pieces, five
tragedies.
Reverend Dr. Ifaac Watts, Southamp-
ton ; logic, philofophy, pfalms, &c.
Dr. Francis Hutclicfon, Ireland ;
fyftem of moral philofophy.
1750 Rev. Dr, Conyers .Middleton, York-
(hire ; life of Cicero, &c,
Andrew Baxter, Old Aberdeen ; met-
aphyfics and natural philofophy,
1751 Lord Bolingbrokc, Surry ; philofo-
phy, metaphyiics, and politics.
1752 Reverend Dr. Doddridge; Family Ex-
pofitor, Leftures, Sermons,