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fatal Diftempers on the Natives. Curdiftan or Affyria is a very pleafant and fruitful Country, diverfified with Hills and Valleys: The Hills are adorn'd with the Curdistan, fineft Oaks, and great Variety of other Timber or Allyria. and Fruit-trees. The Valleys are well water'd, and bear excellent Grain where they are cultivated; but being under the Dominion of the flothful Turk, or, which is the fame thing, being a frontier Country between Turky and Perfia, there is very little of it manur'd. However there are vaft Flocks and Herds fed in this Country, the Owners living in Tents like the Arabs. Galls and Tobacco are the principal Produce of the Soil at prefent; but, it seems, it is fit for any thing, it being very deep: There are abundance of Vineyards; however they make no Wine, but dry their Grapes.

The Soil of Mingrelia is diverfied with Hills, Mountains, Valleys, and Plains, but over run with Woods, and but here-and-there cultivated. The natural Mingrelia. Produce is but fmall for want of Tillage; and tho' there are all kinds of Fruits that are found in England, yet, growing wild, they have little Tafte, and breed Diseases. The Vine alone yields its Fruit to Perfection, tho' it be left to rear itself round the Bodies of Trees; and, did the People understand the true Art of making Wine, that of this Country would be the best in the World; for as it is, with their ordering, 'tis pleafant to the Tafte, good in the Stomach, and of a trong Body. This Country abounds with Water: Many Rivers fall down from Mount Caucafus, which render the Ground very damp. Wheat and Barley, and fome Rice, grow here, but in fmall Quantities, and is only used by the better Sort. They have Beeves and Hogs in Plenty, Wild Boars, Stags, and other Venifon, excellently good; as alfo Partridges, Quails, Pheasants, and other Wild Fowl in Plenty: They have alfo Falcons, and even Eagles and Pelicans come hither from Mount Caucafus; whence alfo they are fometimes vifited by Lions, Leopards, Tygers, Wolves, and Jaccalls. The Soil of Arabia Petrea, too much

like that of many other Parts of Arabia, chiefly ArabiaPetre', confifts of fandy Deferts, craggy Mountains, and

rolling Sands But this Country is in fome measure better cultivated in the inland Parts, and more travelled thro' on account of Trade. The Sea-coafts and Banks of Rivers indeed afford a rich Soil, producing aromatic Plants, and delicious Fruits, as Aloes, Caffia, Spikenard, Cardamum, Cinnamon, Pepper, Dates, Oranges, Lemons, &c. Frankincenfe,

Myrrh,

Myrrh, and other valuable Gums: They have great Plenty of Honey and Wax. The Air of this Country in the Summer is exceeding hot, efpecially in the inland Parts, and towards the Eaft; the Heavens being feldom or never overcaft with Clouds.

Georgia is a mountainous woody Country, which has protected it from abfolute Conqueft. The Soil is Georgia, very fertile in Grain; the Fruits are excellent, and of divers Sorts; no Place in Europe produces better Pears and Apples; nor are finer Pomegranates feen in any Part of Afia. There are alfo abundance of Cattle, Venifon, and Wild Fowl of all Sorts; alfo great Plenty of Fish. The Wine is fo rich, that the King of Perfia has always of it for his own Drinking. Silk is alfo produced, but not in that Plenty Travellers talk of. The Air of this Country is generally very pleafant, healthful, and temperate. Chufiftan, or Sufiana, enjoys fo pure an Air, that, towards the

Cbfiftan, ar Sufiana.

Eastern Parts, the Stars fhine with fuch Luftre that one Man may known another very well by their Light: There are very feldom any Hurricanes or Tempefts, and very little Thunder and Lightning; nor is it fubject to Earthquakes. The Air, in the moft Eastern Parts, is fo extremely dry in the fair Seafon, that the leaft Dew or Moisture is not found on any thing that is laid abroad all Night, or even on the Grafs; and it very feldom rains in the Winter, except towards the Southern Parts of this Province. The Province of Adirbeitzan, or Media Major,

Adirbeitzan, or Media

Major.

enjoys a pure healthfu! Air, a temperate Climate, and a moft prolific Soil. The Soil of Erivan is much encumbered with Mountains; however the Valleys are fertile and delightful, producing Erivan. Fruits, Wine, and Corn in abundance; alfo very Cyprus. good Pafturage. The Ifland of Cyprus was formerly a rich and flourishing Country, producing Wine, Oil, Corn, Sugar, Cotton, Honey, Wool, Metals, fome Silk; great Plenty of Flefh, Fifb, and Fowl: They have feveral Kinds of Earth here fit for the Painter's Ufe, particularly Red, Yellow, and Black, and many other useful Commodities: The Air of this Country is, for the most part, hot and dry, and not very healthful: But the greateft Inconvenience which Cyprus is fubject to, is thofe Swarms of Locusts which vifit them in the hot Seafon, appearing like Clouds at a little Diftance; and were they not driven into the Sea, by a North Wind, which happens about that Time, would devour all the Fruits of the Earth. The Air of the

Ifland of Rhodes is very healthful, and the Country exceeding pleasant, adorn'd with Trees and Herbage always green; and a Day scarce ever happens, it is faid, Rhodes. wherein the Sun does not shine upon them. Their

Wines are much admir'd; and the Country affords fuch Plenty of all Things befides, which can render Life agreeable, that it gave Occafion to the Fiction of Golden Showers. Indeed they do not abound in Corn, but then they are well fupplied with it from the neighbouring Continent of Natolia. The Ifland of Lango affords a pleasant Profpect

Samos.

as we approach it, being, for the most part, a fine Lango. level Country, but rifing gradually into Hills towards the Eaft; from whence there fall feveral little Rivulets into the Plain, which make the Soil extremely fruitful. The Wines of this Island are much admir'd at Rome. Here are also great Plenty of Cypress and Turpentine-trees, and many other beautiful and medicinal Plants. The Inland of Samos in general enjoys a healthful Air, except in fome few Places; and it is obferved here, as in moft other Iflands of the Levant, that they feldom have any Rain, Thunder, or tempeftuous Weather, but in Winter; whereas, in our Climate, we have most Thunder in Summer, and the heaviest Showers. This Island is encumbered with Mountains, Rocks, and Precipices; but the Plains are fruitful and pleasant. The Mountains are covered with Pine-trees; and they have a fufficient Quantity of Wines, Olives, Pomegranates, Mulberry-trees, Figs, Corn, Honey, Wax, Scammony, &c. Their Mufcadine Wine is much admir'd by Travellers, and their Silk is fine. They have confiderable Herds of Cattle, Oxen, Sheep, Goats, Deer, Wild Hogs, Hares, Partridges, and other Game, in great Plenty. The Ifland of Scio is a rocky mountainous Country, without any Rivers or Springs but what

are dried up in a hot Summer; when Turks, Scio. Jews, and Chriftians, frequently go in Proceffion,

to obtain Rain from Heaven; alfo this Ifland is fubject to Earthquakes. This Country does not produce Corn enough for the Ufe of the Inhabitants, but they have plenty of it from Natolia. Scio has great plenty of Wine: Virgil and Horace mention it as the best Wine in Greece; and Cæfar regal'd his Friends with it in his Triumphs, and Sacrifices to Jupiter and the other Gods. They have Olives in Scio; and, notwithstanding great Part of the Ifland is a barren Rock, yet, in fome Places, there are abundance of Orange, Citron, Mu!berry, Pomegrante, and Turpentine-trees; and here is the

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best Mastich in the World. Among their Fruits we must not forget their Figs, of which they make Brandy, and export great Quantities to their Neighbours. The Partridges of this Iland are much taken notice of by Travellers; every Village has a Servant who leads a great many hundred Brace of them into the Fields in a Morning; and, upon his Call, they come together again in the Evening, and return to their respective Masters.

Meteline.

The Ifland of Meteline not only produces good
Corn, but is ftill remarkable for its excellent
Wine; the Soil alfo produces very good Oil, and
Figs, and Pine-trees which produce black Pitch.

REVENUES.]
FORCES.]

RELIGION.]

CUSTOMS.]

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CLIMATE.]

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See these under the Article, Turky in
Europe.

Of ARABIA.

HE Air, in the Northern Parts of Arabia, is very hot during the Summer, the Heavens being seldom overcaft; but it is more temperate towards the Southern Parts, being qualified by refreshing Dews, which frequently fall there. In the Northern Parts are found neither Men nor Beafts, Birds or Trecs, Grafs or Paftures, and nothing to be seen but rolling Sands, or craggy Mountains; the Rivers are but few in Number, and those fhallow and small, and Rain is feldom feen there. But the Sea Coafts, and Banks of Rivers, in the Southern Parts, or Arabia Felix, afford a better Soil: There the Ground yields Aromatic Plants, and delicious Fruits, Aloes, Caffia, Spikenard, Cardamum, Cinnamon, Pepper, Dates, Oranges, Lemons, &c. Frankincense, Myrrh, and other valuable Gums.

GOVERNMENT.] The Inland Country is under the Government of abundance of petty Arabian Princes, who march from Place to Place, and encamp according as they find Water, and Pasture for their Cattle. As to the Form of Government and Laws, what I can learn of them is, that the Princes of the Kingdoms lying upon the Coafts are absolute, both in Spirituals and Temporals, and the Succeffion hereditary; that they have no other Laws than what are to be found in the Alcoran, and the Comments upon it. Princes lying near Turky are tributary to the Turk; but it is certain they receive large Gratuities from this Monarch, for [rotecting the Pilgrims that pafs thro' their Country: And the

The

Grand

Grand Seignior is always glad to have a good Understanding with them; for it is in their Power to do his Subjects a great deal of Mischief, by their Excurfions and Robberies, and very difficult to punifh them for it: For tho' the Arabians are not a Match for the Turk in open Field, yet it would destroy the best Armies to pursue them thro' their Deserts, where there are no Towns, no Provifions, and where there is scarce any Water to be met with, and the Heat infupportable to any but the Natives; and this is the true Reason, that the greatest Part of Arabia was never conquer❜d.

REVENUES.] As to the Revenues, 'tis faid, the Kings command the Purses of their Subjects as the Neceffity of Affairs requires.

CHARACTER.] The Arabians are faid to be brave, of a civil and honeft Deportment to all forts of People; but this is meant of those near Mufcat. For the Natives in general of the other Parts of Arabia are not more taken notice of for their Rambling from Place to Place, than they are for their Thieving, which is both by Sea and Land; and that not in small Parties only, but by public Authority, in a manner, with their Princes at the Head of them.

RELIGION.] The sober Part of the Arabians profess the Doctrine of Mahomet.

CUSTOMS.] There are no Roads laid out in this Country, but the Caravans travel over fandy Deserts, where

there is no manner of Track, guiding themselves Travelling. by a Compass, as at Sea, or elfe by the Stars;

for they travel chiefly in the Night, on account of the Heats. People choose to travel with the Caravans, in which are frequently two or three hundred Men, and, perhaps, a thousand Beafts of all Kinds, in order to fecure themselves from the thievifh Arabs. There are no Wheel Carriages in this Country; all their Merchandizes are loaden upon Camels or Dromedaries; both which will kneel down to take up their Burden, and will, upon Occafion, travel five or fix Days without drinking. Here are no Inns to bait at, but those who travel with the Caravans carry their Provisions and Tents with them. They alfo carry Water with them; for fometimes they do not meet with any in several Days travelling. It is an Obfervation among the Arabs, that wherever there are Trees, the Water is not far off; and when they draw near a Pool, their Camels will fmell it at a Diftance, and fet up their great Trot till they come to it.

CURIOSITIES.] At Mecca is a Turkish Mosque, so glorious, that it is reckon'd the statelieft of any in the World; to

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