The chief trade of Damafcus confifts in cimeters, fword blades, knives, bridle bits, and all kinds of iron and feel wares, in which it is fuppofed above 20,000 of the inhabitants are employed. They likewife manufacture thofe beautiful filks, which, from this city, obtained the appellation of damasks.

Tyre and Sidon, formerly fo diftinguished by their grandeur and opulence, are almost entirely decayed: the latter, indeed, has a good harbour, and still carries on a trifling trade; but Tyre, which is now called Sur, is only inhabited by a few miferable fishermen, who live in the ruins of its primitive state.

Bagdat, the capital of Babylon, is fituated on a delightful plain, on the eaftern banks of the Tigris.

Jerufalem, formerly the capital of Judea, is now called by the Turks, Cudfembaric, and Cudfcherif; it is about three miles in circumference, and fituated rocky mountain, with very steep afcents, and at fome except to the north; the vallies From the oppreffive distance, environed With

tyranny of the,, it is now but thinly inhabited, and the rate buildings are exceedingly mean. Though common fenfe muft fuggeft, that from the number of times this city has been destroyed and rebuilt, there carnot remain the leaft veftige of thofe places where the feveral parts of our Redeemer's paffion were tranfa&ted ; yet the Greek and Armenian priests fubfift by guiding travellers and pilgrims to particular spots, which they pretend are thofe pointed out in the New Teftament. The chief of thefe, however, are faid to be enclofed in the church of the Holy Sepulchre, built by Helena, mother to Conftantine the Great. This edifice is ftill in good repair; the east end contains Mount Calvary; and in a 'chapel, the afcent to which is by 22 fteps, they hew the very hole where the crofs was fixed here is a fuperb altar, with three croffes, before which hang forty-fix lamps of great value, kept continually burning. At the weft end is the Holy Sepulchre, covered with a ftately cupola, fupported by 16 maffive columns, incrufted with marble. The centre of this dome is open at top, juft over the fepulchre; and the chapel of the fepulchre

is

392

is hewn in the folid rock, and has a small dome or lantern on the top, fupported by pillars of porphyry. The cloiter round it is divided into feveral chapels, appropriated to the different fects of Chriftians who refide there. This church is the chief fupport of the town; the whole bufinefs of the city being to accommodate pilgrims, &c. with conveniences; and the fees which they pay to the government for the liberty of going into this holy edifice, alfo yield a very confiderable Befides this church, there are fome others erected by the fame emprefs, over fuch places as were fuppofed to have been the scene of any remarkable tranfaction; as, where Chrift ate his laft fupper; where the palace of Caiaphas flood, in which our Saviour was buf. feted and mocked; the houfe of Pontius Pilate; the Field of Blood; that part of the garden on Mount Olifumite Chrift prayed in his extreme agony.

revenue.

On the Our Savicur's mount a chapel is built over the place of rock, and the crafty prieke floor of which is the folid print of one of his feet, which had to fhew therein the ained ever fince that period. Thefe impoftors do not who confine themselves to the places mentioned in the New Testa ment, they diftinguith many recorded in the Old; and, to an edifice twenty cubits fquare, and fixty high, they have given the appellation of Abfalom's Pillar. At the foutheast part of the city, upon Mount Moriah, there is an edifice, commonly called Solomon's Temple. It certainly ftands on the fpot where the ancient temple did; but that, according to the prediction of our Saviour, was fo effectually demolished by the Romans, that not one ftone remained upon another: it is uncertain by whom this mock fabric was raifed. About feven miles fouth of Jerufalem, ftands the once famous city of Bethlehem, justly celebrated for being the birth-place of our Saviour, but now reduced to an inconfiderable village. A noble temple was erected by the Emprefs Helena, over the fpot where the ftable is supposed to have stood, in which Chrift was born, and hither a prodigious number of pilgrims daily refort.

TARTARY

ARTARY, taken in its fullest extent, is bounded by the Frozen Ocean, on the North; by the Pa cific Ocean, on the Eaft; by China, India, Perfia, and the Cafpian Sea, on the South; and by Mufcovy, on the Weft.

Rivers.] The principal rivers are, the Wolga, which runs a course of 2000 miles; the Oby, which divides Afia from Europe; the Tabol, Irtis, Genefa, or Jenska; the Burrumpooter, the Lena, and the Argun, which divides the Ruffian and Chinese empires.

The northern parts are exceflively cold and barren, but the fouthern more temperate and fertile. The country abounds with unwholesome lakes and marshes, mountains and fandy deferts. Their commodities are chiefly skins of foxes, fables, ermine, lynxes and other furs; alfo, flax, musk, rhubarb and cinnamon.

1

The Tartars are chiefly Pagans, Mahometans, and Chriftians; the first are most numerous.

Mufcovite Tartary is fubject to the Emprefs of Ruffia; Chinese Tartary, to the Emperor of China; other parts of Tartary have their own Princes or Chams, and some are subject to Perfia and the Great Mogul.

The Tartars are, in general, strong made, ficut men; fome are honeft and hofpitable; others barbarous and live by plundering. The beauty of the Circaflian women is a kind of ftaple commodity in that country; for par; ents there make no fcruple of felling their daughters to recruit the feraglios of the great men of Turkey and Peria. They avoid all labour as the greatest flavery. Their only employment is tending their flocks, hunting, and managing their horfes. If they are angry with a Hh perfon,

perfon, the worft they wish him is, that he may live in one fixed place, and work like a Ruthian,

The first acknowledged fovereign of these difmal territories, was the famous Zingis, or Jenghis Khan, A. D. 1206. His defcendants poffeffed it till 1582, when the Mungls revolted to the Manchew Tartars, who reign in China. The Eluths became an independent ftate about 1400, and fo remain.

98°& 123°E.lon.

}

1,105,00

644,000

To which fhould be added Chinese Tartary

Boundaries.] In an amazing tone wall on the TT is bounded by the Chinese Tartary IT and

North; by the Pacific Ocean, which divides it from North America, on the Ealt; by the Chinese Sea, South; and by Tonquin, and the Tartarian countries and mountains of Thibet and Ruffia, on the West.

Divifions.] The great divifions of this empire, according to the authors of the Univerfal History, are into fif teen provinces (exclufive of that of Lyau-tong, which is fituated without the Great Wall, though under thefame dominion) each of which might, for their largenefs, fertility, populoufnefs, and opulence, pafs for fo many diftina kingdoms.

China, excepting to the north, is a plain country, and contains no remarkable mountains.

Rivers, Bays, &c.] The chief rivers are the Yamour, and the Argun, which are the boundary between RufJian and Chinese Tartary; the Crocceus, or Whambo, or the Yellow River; the Kiam, or the Blue River, and the Tay. Common water in China is very indif ferent

férent, and is in fome places boiled to make it fit for. ufe. The chief bays are those of Nankin and Canton.

Canals.] Thefe are fufficient to entitle the ancient Chinese to the character of being the wifeft and most industrious people in the world. The commodiousness and length of their canals are incredible. The chief of them are lined with hewn ftone on the fides, and they are fo deep that they carry large veffels, and fometimes they extend above 1000 miles in length. Thofe vessels are fitted up for all the conveniences of life; and it has been thought by fome, that, in China, the water contains as many inhabitants as the land. They are furnifhed with stone quays, and sometimes with bridges of an amazing conftruction. The navigation is flow, and the veffels fometimes drawn by men. About 10,000 boats from 200 tons and under, are kept at the public expenfe. No precautions are wanting, that could be formed by art or perfeverance, for the fafety of the paf fengers, in cafe a canal is croffed by a rapid river, or expofed to torrents from the mountains. These canals, and the variety that is seen upon the borders, render China the most delightful to the eye, of any country in the world, as well as fertile, in places that are not fo by

naturé.

Soil and Produce.] The foil is, either by nature or art, fruitful of every thing that can minifter to the neceffities, conveniences or luxuries of life. The culture of the cotton and the rice fields, from which the bulk of the inhabitants are clothed and fed, is ingenious almoft Beyond defcription. The rare trees, and aromatic productions, either ornamental or medicinal, that abound in other parts of the world, are to be found in China.

The tallow tree, is about the height of a common cher. ry tree. The fruit it produces has all the qualities of our tallow, and when manufactured with oil, ferves the natives as candles; but they fell ftrong, nor is their light clear. The tea plant, or fhrub, is planted in rows, and pruned to prevent its luxuriancy. The culture of this plant feems to be very fimple; and it is certain that fome kinds are of a much higher and more delicious flavour than others. The greatest difference is between the

Bohea