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TURKEY IN ASIA.

OUNDED north, by the Black Sea and Circaffia; eaft, by Perfia; fouth, by Arabia and the Levant Sea; weft, by the Archipelago, the Hellefpont, and Propontis; length 1000 miles, breadth 800.

The air is naturally delightful, ferene, and falubrious, yet the inhabitants are frequently vifited with the plague. The foil is calculated to produce all the neceffaries, agreeables, and even luxuries of life.-The Grand Seignior is abfolute fovereign of the Turkish empire, who appoints Bafhaws or Beglerbegs to govern the feveral provinces.-Mahometanism is the established religion of the Turkish dominions.-The Turks, when young, are well made and robuft. Their eyes and hair are black The women look old at 30-Turkey in Afia contains many large provinces, particularly Syria, Judea, or Palestine, Phoenicia, &c. which are fubject to the Turks. In Palestine, or the Holy Land, and the countries adjacent, were Babylon, Damafcus, Nineveh, Tyre, Sidon, Samaria, Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerufalem the capital, which was taken, pillaged, burnt, and entirely razed to the ground by Titus, the Roman general, under Domitian, in the year 70, and is now a very inconfiderable place, and only famous for what it has been; for there Jefus Chrift preached the Chriftian religion, and was crucified by the Jews upon Mount Calvary. Ephefus is in the leffer Afia, famous for the tem ple of Diana, which Eroftratus burnt, in order to immortalize his.memory. Near Jerufalem is the lake Afphaltites, or the Dead Sea, being the place where Sodom and Gomorrah ftood. In Mefopotamia, between the Euphrates and the Tigris, is fuppofed to have been the Garden of Eden. There are now no remains of the tower of Babel, or the city of Babylon, nor is the place where they stood exactly known. Owls now dwell there, and wild beafts and dragons in their pleafant places (Ifaiah xiii. 20, c.) Nineveh too, once the capital of the Affyrian empire, is now known only by its ruins.

TH

ASIATIC ISLES.

HE Japan Islands forming an empire governed by a most defpotic king, lie about 150 miles eaft of China. The foil and production of these islands are much the fame as thofe of China. The Japanese are the groffeft idolaters, and irreconcileable to Chriftianity. They are of a yellow conrplexion, narrow eyes, short nofes, black hair. A famenefs of dress prevails through the whole empire, from the emperor to the veafant. The firit compliment offered to a stranger in their houses, is a dish of tea, and a pipe of tobacco. Obedience to parents, and refpect to fuperiors, characterize the nation. Their penal laws are very fevere, but punishment

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punishment is feldom inflicted. The inhabitants have made great progrefs in commerce and agriculture.

Formofa is a fine ifland eaft of China, abounding in all the neceffaries of life.

The Philipines, 1100 in number, lying 200 miles fouth-east of China, belonging to Spain, are fruitful in all the neceffaries of life, and beautiful to the eye. They are, however, fub ect to earthquakes, thunder, and lightning, venomous beasts, and noxious herbs, whofe poifon kills inftantaneously. They are fubject to the Spanish government. The Sultan of Mindanao is a Mahometan

Borneo, 800 miles long, and 700 broad, is thought to be the largest island in the world. It lies on the equator, and is famous for being the native country of the Ouran Outang, which, of all irrational animals, resembles a man the most.

Sumatra, west of Borneo produces fo much gold that it is thought to be the Ophir mentioned in the Scriptures.

Ceylon belongs to the Dutch, and is faid to be by nature the richest and finest island in the world. The natives call it, with fome fhew of reason, the terrestrial paradife. They are a fober inoffenfive people; but idolaters. This island is noted for the cinnamon tree.

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A FRI C A.

FRICA is fituated south of Europe, and furrounded on all fides by the fea, except a narrow neck of land about 60 miles over, called the Ifthmus of Suez, which joins it to Afia at the north end of the Red Sea. Africa is about 4300 miles in length, and 3500 in breadth and lies chiefly in the torrid zone, the equator running through the middle of it. Here once dwelt the queen of Sheba, who, on paying a vifit to the magnificent king Solomon, ftood amazed at his wifdom and the glory of his court. Here we find a race of people quite black, supposed o be defcendants of Ham.

Africa will be confidered under the 7 following divifions :

1 Egypt,

2 Barbary,

3 Zaara or the Defert,

4 Negroland,

5 Guinea,

6 Ethiopia,

7 The African Islands.

EGY P T.

Boundaries. B Suez, Weft, by Barca; north, by the Mediterranean;

OUNDED eaft, by the Red Sea and the Ifthmus of

fouth, by Nubia and Abyffinia; 600 miles in length, and 350 in breadth, including the Deferts.

Capital.] Grand Cairo, one of the most populous cities in the world, and a place of great trade and riches.

Air, Soil and Productions.] The air of Egypt is for the most part hot and unwholefome; but the foil is exceedingly fruitful, occafioned by the annual overflowing of the Nile, which leaves a fattening flime behind it. Those parts not overflowed by the Nile are uncultivated, fandy and barren. Egypt produces corn, rice, fugar, flax, linen, falt, fal ammoniac, balfam, and various forts of fruits and drugs.

Religion and Government.] Egypt is governed by a Bafhaw fent from Conftantinople, being a province of the Turkish empire. The Turks and Arabs are Mahometans. Mahometanifm is the established religion of Egypt; but there are many Chriftians called Copts, and the Jews are very numerous.

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Egypt is famous for its pyrami is, thofe ftupenduous works of folly. The Egyptians were the only people who were acquainted with the art of embalming or preferving dead bodies from putrefaction, Here is the river Nile celebrated for its fertilizing inundations, and for the fubtle vo racious crockodiles which inhabit its fhores. This was the theatre of thofe remarkable tranfactions, which makes up the beautiful and affecting hiftory of Jofeph. Here Pharoah exhibited fcenes of cruelty, tyranny, and oppreffion towards the Ifraelites, in the courfe of their 400 years bondage to the Egyptians. Here too Mofes was born, and was preferved in the little ark, among the flags on the banks of the Nile. Here, through the inftrumentality of this great man, the Egyptians were afflicted with many grievous plagues, which induced them at last to let Ifrael go. Here Mofes, with his rod, divided the Red fea, and Ifrael paffed it on dry land; which the Egyptians attempting to do, were overwhelmed by the returning of the waters. To this fcene, fuc-. ceeded the Ifraelites memorable 40 years march through the deferts of Arabia, before they reached the land of Canaan.

BARBAR Y.

ARBARY (including Bidulgerid) is bounded fouth, by Zaara ; eaft, by Egypt; north, by the Mediterranean, weft, by the Atlan tic Ocean; lenth 2300 miles, breadth 700.

Air, Soil and Productions.] The flates, under the Roman empire, were juítly denominated the garden of the world. The air is temperate and generally healthful. The foil is rich, producing plenty of corn, Fruits and pafture. But fome parts are fandy and barren, and others are overrun with woods and mountains.

Charader.] The Moors, who are the original inhabitants of Barbary, dwell ciefly in Morrocco, and are faid to be a covetous, inhospitable, treacherous people. The Arabs, who are difperfed all over this country, follow their common trade of robbing travellers.

The women of Tunis are exceffively handfome, and very delicate. They improve the beauty of their eyes, by the ufe of the powder of lead-ore, fuppofed to be the fame pigment that Jezebel made ufe of (II Kings ix. 30.) to paint her face; the words in the original fignifying that the fet off her eyes with the powder of lead-ore.

Religion and Government.] Mahometanifm, in its worft form, prevails throughout the states of Barbary. The emperor of Morocco is an arbitrary prince. Algiers is governed by a Prince, called the Dey, elected by the army. The fovereign of Tunis and Tripoli, called Beys, are not fo independent as the former. Thefe three ftates may be looked upon as republics of foldiers under the protection of the Grand Seignior, Algiers belongs to the Spaniards, and is a neft of pirates. On this coaft flood the famous city of Carthage, which was destroyed by the Romans. Among the great men Africa has produced, are Tertullian, Cyprian, Julius Africanus, Arnobius, Lactantius and St. Austin, all bishops of the church. The warriors of note are Hamilcar, Hannibal, and Afdrubal. Among the poets are, Terence and Apuleius.

ZAARA, OR THE DESERT.

IT T has Barbary north; Egypt and Nubia eaft; Negroland and Guinea fouth; and the Atlantic weft; 2500 miles long, and 500 broad. The air of this country is very hot, but wholesome to the natives. The foil is generally fandy and barren, infomuch that the caravans crofffing this country, to and from Negroland, are often reduced to great extremities, The inhabitants of this country are wild and ignorant, They have a number of petty princes, but for the moft part, have few figns of any government at all. The Mahometan religion is profeffed throughout the country.

NEGRO LAND.

THIS country lies fouth of Zaara; 2300 miles long, and 700 broad. The air is very hot, but wholesome. The foil is fertile, especially near the river Niger, which runs through the country from east to weft, and overflows at a certain time of the year like the Nile. The commodities of this country are gold, flaves, elephants-teeth, bees-wax, and fome drugs. There is a well here, whofe water is as fweet as ordinary fugar. The Negroes are an uncivilized, ignorant, crafty, robuft people. Their colour is deep black, their hair fhort, like wool, flat nofes, thick lips, and white, even teeth. The Negroes are governed by a number of abfolute princes. The inhabitants are moftly pagans and idolaters.

GUINEA lies fouth of Negroland, 1800 miles long, 600 broad. The foil is preferable to that of Negroland. The inhabitants are more cour teous and fenfible; in other refpects the difference is immaterial. The greater part of the poor Negroes in the Weft-Indies and the fouthern ftates, were brought from these two countries.

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UND

ETHIOPI A.

[NDER the general name of Ethiopia is included all the remaining part of Africa; containing an extent of 3600 miles from north to fouth, and 200 from eaft to weft. The air of this country is gene rally exceffive hot, and the foil barren, though on the banks of the rivers it is fertile, and produces rice, citrons, lemons, fugar canes, &c. The Ethiopians are an ignorant, uncivilized, fuperftitious people. Their government is abfolute, lodged in the hands of a great number of princes, the small ones are tributary to the greater. The Mahometan and Pagan religions prevail in Ethiopia.

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AFRICAN ISLAND S.

T the mouth of the Red Sea; is the island that failors now call So

crata, famous for its aloes, which are esteemed the best in the world Sailing down, fouthward, we come to the island Madagascar, or Lawrence, abounding in cattle and corn, and most of the neceffaries of life, but no fufficient merchandize to induce Europeans to fettle colonies; it has feveral petty savage kings of its own, both Arabs and Negroes, who making war on each other, fell their prisoners for flaves to the fhipping which call here, taking clothes, utenfils and other neceffaries in

return.

Near it are the four Comorra ifles, whofe petty kings are tributary to the Portugeufe; and near these lies the French ifland Bourbon; and a little higher Maurice, fo called by the Dutch, who firft touched here in 1598. it is now in the poffeffion of the French.

Quitting the eastern world and the Indies, and paffing round the Cape of Good Hope, into the wide Atlantic occan, the firft illand is the small, but pleasant St. Helena, at which place all the English Eaft-India fhips ftop to get water and fresh provifions in their way home. Near this are the Guinea islands, St, Matthew, St. Thomas and others; not far from the coaft under the Equinoctial line, belonging to the Portuguese. These were fo named by the failors, who first found them on St. Helen's, St. Thomas' and St. Mathews' feftivals.

Thence northward, are the Cepe Verd iflands, fo called from their verdure. They now belong to the Portuguese, who are furnished from thence with falt and goats fkins.

Further north are the pleasant Canaries, belonging to the Spaniards, from whence first came Canary wine, and the beautiful finging birds, called Canary birds. The ancients called them the Fortunate Ifles, and placed there the Elysian fields. They are ten or twelve in number, the chief are Teneriffe, Gomera, Ferro, and Great Canary. The fertile iflands of Madeira lie ftill higher north, and famous for the best ftomachic wine. They belong to the Portuguese

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