works of ancient artifts: the burning mountains also conftitute one of their greatest natural curiofities. The Italian language is derived from the Latin; with an intermixture of words from the Goths, and other barbarous nations; but every separate ftate has a different dialect.

To defcribe the form of government of each state, would be to enter into too minute a detail, as they are different in every state.

TURKEY extends into both Europe and Afia.

European Turkey extends from 17 to 40 degrees eaft longitude, and between 37 and 49 degrees north latitude. It is bounded on the north by Ruffia, Poland, and Sclavonia; on the eaft by the Black Sea, the Hellefpont, and the Archipelago; on the fouth by the Mediterranean; and on the weft by the Mediterranean, and Venetian and Austrian territories.

Turkey in Europe contains fome of the most genial climates in the world; and is divided into the following provinces: Crim and Little Tartary, Budzaic Tartary, Bessarabia, Moldavia, Wallachia, Bulgaria, Servia, Bofnia, Romania, Macedonia, Janna, Livadia, Epirus, Albania, Dalmatia, Ragufa, Corinth, Argos, Sparta, Olympia, Arcadia, Elis.

The foil of Turkey is extremely fruitful, where the leaft industry has been employed: and all the fruits common to all the warm climates are produced here in great perfection; and many valuable drugs are natives of this country.

The commerce and manufactures of Turkey are chiefly filks, drugs, dying ftuffs, in their natural ftate; with cottons, carpets, leather, velvets, foap, &c.; but though the Turks are fituated in the most advantageous part of both Europe and Afia for traffic. yet they fhamefully neglect it.

The religion which the Turks univerfally profefs, is Ma hometifm; but they are divided into as many fects as the profeffors of Chriftianity. The high priest, or Mufti, is an

officer

officer of such honour, that whenever he comes into court, the Grand Seignior rifes from his feat and meets him. Moft other religions are tolerated here by paying an annual tax.

The government of Turkey is that of an abfolute monarchy; and in this empire there is no hereditary fucceffion by law to any property; yet the rights of individuals are rendered fecure by being annexed to the church, by which means even Jews and Chriftians may fecure their property in lands to the latest pofterity. The revenue of Turkey amounts to upwards of twenty-five millions per annum, but does not produce four millions to the emperor's treafury; the rest being expended in collecting, &c. The forces of the Turkish empire are of two forts; the one has certain lands for their maintenance, and the other is paid out of the treasury. The former amount to 268,000 troopers; the latter, called the horfe-guards, are about 12,000; and the janizaries, or footguards, 25,000; befides 100,000 foot foldiers in different parts of the empire.

SECT. VII.

OF ASIA.

ASIA forms the most remarkable quarter of the globe in ancient hiftory. It was here that the first man was created— here the patriarch Noah was preferved during the flood-and from this quarter the world was repeopled a fecond time. In Afia lived all the patriarchs recorded in Scripture

and

and this was the scene of all the tranfactions recorded in Holy Writ-and, finally, it was here Jefus Chrift appeared, and wrought the falvation of mankind-and from hence the Christian religion was propagated.

This quarter of the globe enjoys the most serene air and fruitful foil of all the quarters, and produces the most delicious fruits, odoriferous fhrubs, fpices, and valuable drugs, gums, &c.

Idolatry and Mahometism are almost universal in this quarter of the globe, except in a few European fettlements. The languages in use in this quarter are chiefly the Arabic, Perfian, Malayan, Chinese, Japanese, Tartarian, Ruffian, and Turkish.

Afia is bounded on the weft by the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, the Archipelago, the Black Sea, and Europe; on the north by the Frozen Ocean; on the east and fouth by the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is fituated between the equator and the frigid zone, and between 25 and 180 degrees of east longitude; it is about 4800 miles in length, and 4300 in breadth, and contains the following countries.

TURKEY in Afia, being the other part of the Turkish empire, is about 1000 miles in length from east to west, and Soo in breadth from the northern parts to the deserts of Arabia. It is bounded on the north by the Black Sea and Circaffia; on the east by Perfia; on the south by Arabia and the Levant fea; and on the weft by the Archipelago and the Hellefpont.

This part of Turkey was the principal fcene of all the tranfactions recorded in ancient writ, facred and profane.

TARTARY is an extensive country taken in its full extent, and stretches from Mufcovy on the weft, to the Pacific Ocean on the eaft; and from the nations of China, India, Perfia, and Turkey, on the fouth, to the impenetrable regions of the north. It extends from the thirtieth degree of north latitude to the frozen regions of the north pole; and from 50 to 190 degrees eaft longitude; and contains Ruffian, Chinefe, Mo

gulean,

કા

gulean, and Independent Tartary, which are its four grand di vifions, 4000 miles in length, and 2400 in breadth.

Through fuch an extenfive tract of country the foil and clit nate muft neceffarily partake of a great variety.

fheir manuers, language, &c. muft alfo be as various. CHINA lies on the eastern borders of the continent of Afia, and is divided from Chinese Tartary on the north, by a prodigious wall, and, in fome places, by inacceffible mountains; on the east it is bounded by the Yellow Sea and Pacific Ocean, which feparates it from America; on the fouth by the Chinefe fea, and the kingdom of Tonquin; and on the weft by Tibet. It extends from 21 to 44 degrees north latitude, and from 94 to 133 degrees east longitude.

In fuch an extenfive country there must no doubt be a variety of climates. The fouthern parts are very hot, and have violent rains, while the northern parts are very cold, and their rivers frozen for fome months during the winter; but the middle parts are temperate and pleafant. The foil alfo partakes of a great variety, though there is no part of this extenfive country but is fruitful, either from nature or art; for fuch is the industry of the Chinese, that they fuffer very little, if any land, to lie uncultivated.

The Chinese have a confiderable trade with every European nation, and with North America, exporting filks, cotton, gold and filver ftuffs, painted gauzes, teas, china-ware, paper, and Indian ink, for which they receive ready money; defpifing the manufactures of every other country but their

own.

There are a great number of natural and artificial curiofities in China. Among the latter are reckoned the famous wall which divides China from Tartary, extending over mountains and vallies, of 1500 miles in length, and from 20 to 25 feet in height, and broad enough for fix horsemen to travel abreaft. It has flood near 1800 years, and is now almost entire. 2. Their canals are works of great magnitude, infinitely

infinitely exceeding thofe in Europe. 3. The bridge over the river Saffrany, which confifts of a fingle arch, whofe fpan is 400 cubits, and its height 500. 4. The Cientao, or road of pillars, which is a road broad enough for four horses to travel abreaft, and near four miles in length, defended by an iron railing; and unites the fummits of feveral mountains, in order to avoid the winding of the roads. It refts upon ftrong stone pillars for the most part. 5. The bridge of chains, which is a bridge built upon a number of strong iron chains, and hangs over a very deep valley, in the neighbourhood of King-Tung. 6. The triumphal arches of China, of which there are above 1100; 200 of them are very magnificent; they were erected in memory of their great princes, legisla tors, &c. 7. The tower of Nan-King, called the Porcelain Tower, being wholly covered with the most beautiful china; upwards of three hundred feet in height, nine stories high; each story decreasing gradually to the top. The whole forms the most correct and grand piece of architecture to be met with in the East.

Among the natural curiofities may be reckoned their waterfalls and volcanoes.

Their religion is that of Paganifm; the deities are men that have been eminent in arts and sciences. They also worship inanimate beings, as mountains, woods, and rivers; but they acknowledge only one Supreme Being.

INDIA, OF HINDOSTAN, is an extenfive country taken in its full extent. Bounded on the north by Tibet and Usbeck Tartary; on the fouth by the Indian Ocean; on the east by China and the Pacific; and on the weft by Perfia and the Indian Ocean. It extends from 1 degree to 40 degrees north latitude, and from 66 to 109 degrees eaft longitude; and is principally divided into three parts:-1. The peninfula of India beyond the Ganges, on the eaft; 2. the main land, or empire of the Great Mogul, on the north; 3. the peninsula within the Ganges, or on this fide of it, on the west. A great part of the fea-coaft of India, as well as confiderable