A System of Modern Geography ... The astronomical part by James Ferguson ... The seventh edition, corrected, and greatly enlarged

Front matter

y A SYSTEM OF MODERN GEOGRAPHY. Printed by S. Hamilton, Weybridge. ■ A SYSTEM OF MODERN GEOGRAPHY: OR, A GEOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL, AND COMMERCIAL GRAMMAR; AND PRESENT STATE OF THE SEVERAL KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD. CONTAINING I. The Figures, Motions, and Distances of the Planets, according to the Newtonian System and the latest Observations. II. A general View of the Earth considered as a Planet; Avith several useful Geographical Definitions and Problems. III. The grand Divisions of the Globe into Land and Water, Continents and Islands. IV. The Situation and Extent of Empires, Kingdoms, States, Provinces, and Colonies. V. Their Climates, Air, Soil, Vegetable Productions, Metals, Minerals, Natural Curiosities, Seas, Rivers, Bays, Capes, Promontories, and Lakes. VI. The Birds and Beasts peculiar to each country.

TO WHICH VII. Observations on the Changes that have been any where observed upon the Face of Nature since the most early Periods of History. VIII. The History and Origin of Nations; their Forms of Government, Religion, Laws, Revenues, Taxes, Naval and Military Strength. IX. The Genius, Manners, Customs, and Habits ofthe People. X. Their Language, Learning, Arts, Sciences, Manufactures, and Commerce. XI. The chief Cities, Structures, Ruins, and artificial Curiosities. XII. The Longitude, Latitude, Bearings, and Distances of principal Places from London. ARE ADDED, I. A Geographical Index, with the Names of Places alphabetically arranged II. A Table of the Coins of all Nations, and their Value in English Money. III. A Chronological Table of Remarkable Events from the Creation to the present Time.

WILLIAM GUTHRIE, Esq. THE ASTRONOMICAL PART BY JAMES FERGUSON, F.R.S. to which have been added, THE LATE DISCOVERIES OF DR. HF^fBlp^AND OTHER EMINENT ASTRONOMERS. THE SEVENTH EDITIOn\<^RECT"£D,- AND GREATLY ENLARGED. LONDON: PRINTED FOR F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON ; AVILKIE AND ROBINSON J J. WALKER; SCATCHERD AND EETTERMAN ; J. CUTHELL J LACKINGTON, ALLEN, AND CO.; CLAW; LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN ; B. CROSBY AND CO. ; CADELL AND DAVIES ; DARTON AND CO. ; j. stockdale; j. asperne; clarke and sons; r.scholey; j. richardson ; j. Murray; j. maavman; r.baldwin; j. ebers; t. tegg; j. Johnson and co.; sheravood, neely, and jones ; j. faulder; gale and curtis; and g. robinson. 1811.

Preface

. X O a man sincerely interested in the welfare of society and of his country, it must be particularly agreeable to reflect on the rapid progress and general diffusion of learning and civility, which, Avithin the present age, have taken place in Great Britain. Whatever may be the case in some other kingdoms of Europe, avc, in this island, may boast of our superiority to those illiberal prejudices, which not only cramp the genius, but sour the temper of man, and disturb all the agreeable intercourse of ■society. Among us, learning is no longer confined Avithin the schools of the philosophers, or the courts of the great ; but, like all the greatest advantages which Heaven has bestOAved on mankind, it is become as universal as it is useful. This general diffusion of knowledge is one effect of that happy constitution of government, Avhich, towards the close of the last century, was confirmed to us, and which constitutes the peculiar glory of this nation.

In other countries, the great body of the people possess little Avealth, have little power, and consequently meet with little respect; in Great Britain, the people are opulent, have great influence, and claim, of course, a proper share of attention. To their improvement, therefore, men of letters have lately directed their studies ; as the great body of the people, no less than the dignified, the learned, or the wealthy few, have an acknowledged title to be amused and instructed. Books have been divested of the terms of the schools; reduced from that size which suited only the purses of the rich, and the avocations of the studious ; and adapted to persons of more ordinary fortunes, whose attachment to other pursuits admitted of little leisure for those of knowledge. It is to books of this kind, more than to the works of our Bacons, our Lockes, and our Newtons, that the generality of our countrymen OAve that superior improvement, which distinguishes them from the lower ranks of men in all other countries.

To promote and advance this improvement, is the principal design of our present undertaking. No subject appears more interesting than that which Ave have chosen, and none seems capable of being treated in a manner that may render it more generally useful. The knowledge of the world, and of its inhabitants, though not the sublimest pursuit of mankind, is that which most nearly interests them, and to Avhich their abilities are best adapted. And books of Geography, which describe the situation, extent, soil, and productions of kingdoms; the genius, manners, religion, government, commerce, sciences, and arts of all the inhabitants upon the earth; promise the best assistance for attaining this knoAvledge. b

PREFACE.

. VIII The Compendium of Geography, noAv offered to the public, differs in many par ticulars from other books on that subject. Besides exhibiting an easy, distinct, and systematic account of the theory and practice of what may be called Natural Geography, the Author has attempted to render the following performance an in structive, though compendious, detail of the general history of the world. The character of nations depends on a combination of many circumstances, Avhich re ciprocally affect each other. There is a nearer connexion betAveen the learning, the commerce, the government, &c. of a state, than most people seem to apprehend. In a work of this kind, Avhich pretends to include moral or political, as Avell as natural geography, no one of those objects should pass unnoticed. The omission of any one of them Avould, in reality, deprive us of a branch of knowledge, not only interesting in itself, but absolutely necessary for enabling us to form an adequate and compre hensive notion of the subject in general.

We have thought it necessary, therefore, to add a new article to this work, Avhich comprehends the history and present state of learning in the several countries avc describe, Avith the characters of such persons as have been most eminent in the various departments of letters and philosophy. This subject will, on a little reflection, appear altogether requisite, when we consider the poAverful influence of learning upon the manners, government, and general character of nations. These objects, indeed, till of late, seldom found a place in geographical performances; and, even when occasionally introduced, are by no means handled in an entertaining or instructive manner. Neither is this to be altogether imputed to the fault of. geographical Avriters. The greater part of travellers, acting solely under the influence of avarice, the passion Avhich first induced them to quit their native land, were at little pains, and Avere indeed ill qualified, to collect such materials as are proper for gratifying curiosity, or affording instruction.

The geographer, then, who could only employ the materials put into his hands, was not enabled to give us any important information. In the course of the present century, however, men have begun to travel from different motives. A thirst for knowledge, as well as for gold, has led many into distant lands. These they have explored with a philosophic at tention ; and by laying open the internal springs of action, by which the inhabitants of different regions are actuated, exhibit to us a natural and striking picture of human manners, under the various stages of barbarity and refinement. Without manifest impropriety, we could not but avail ourselves of their labours, by means of which, we have been enabled to give a more copious and a more perfect detail of what is called Political Geography, than has hitherto appeared.

In considering the present state of nations, few circumstances are of more import ance than their mutual intercourse. This is chiefly brought about by commerce, the prime mover in the economy of modern states, and of .Ahich, therefore, we have never lost sight in the present undertaking. We are sensible, that a reader could not examine the present state of nations with much entertainment or instruction, unless he AAas also made acquainted with their ancient situation, and with the various revolutions and events, by the operation of

PREFACE.

. IX which they have assumed their present form and appearance. This constitutes the Historical part of our Work ; a department which we have endeavoured to execute in a manner entirely neAv. Instead of fatiguing the reader Avith a dry detail of neAvs paper occurrences — occurrences no way connected with one another, or with the general plan of the whole — we have mentioned only such facts as are interesting, either in themselves or from their relation to objects of importance. Instead of a meagre index of incoherent incidents, we have draAvn up a regular and connected epitome of the history of each country — such an epitome as may be read, we hope, with pleasure and advantage, and which may be considered as a proper introduction to more copious accounts. Having, through the whole of the work, mentioned the ancient names of countries, and, in treating of their particular history, sometimes carried our researches beyond the limits of modern times, we have thought it necessary, for the satisfaction of such readers as are unacquainted \v ith classical learning, to begin our Historical Intro duction Avidi the remote ages of antiquity.

By inserting an account of the ancient world in a book of geography, Ave afford an opportunity to the reader, of comparing together not only the manners, government, and arts of different nations, as they now appear, but as they subsisted in ancient ages; which, exhibiting a general map, as it were, of the history of mankind, renders our Avork more complete than any geographical treatise extant. In the execution of our design, we have all along endeavoured to observe order and perspicuity. Elegance we have sacrificed to brevity ; happy to catch the leading features which distinguish the characters of nations, and by a few strokes to hit off, though not completely to finish, the picture of mankind in ancient and modern times. What has enabled us to comprise so many subjects Avithin the narrow bounds of this work, is the omission of many immaterial circumstances, Avhich are recorded in other performances of the same kind, and of all those fabulous accounts or descrip tions, Avhich, to the disgrace of the human understanding, swell the works of geographers ; though the falsity of them, both from their OAvn nature and the concurring testimony of the most enlightened and best-informed travellers and historians, be long since detected.

As to particular parts of the work, Ave have treated them more or less diffusely, in proportion to their importance to us as men, and as subjects of Great Britain. Our own country, in both respects, deserved the greatest share of our attention. Great Britain, though she cannot boast of a more luxuriant soil, or happier climate, than many other countries, has advantages of another and superior kind, which have made her the delight and envy of the world : these are the equity of her lavvs, the free dom of her political constitution, and the moderation of her religious system. With regard to the British empire, Ave have therefore been singularly copious. Next to Great Britain, we have examined most extensively the other states of Europe ; and always in proportion as they present us with the largest field for useful

PREFACE.

. X reflection. By comparing together our accounts of the European nations, an important system of practical knoAvledge is inculcated ; and a thousand arguments will appear in favour of a free government, religious toleration, and an extended, unrestrained commerce. Europe having occupied so large a part of our volume, Asia next claims our at tention ; AAhich, though in some respects the most famous quarter of the world, offers, Avhen compared to Europe, extremely little for our entertainment or instruction. In Asia, a strong attachment to ancient customs, and the weight of tyrannical power, bear doAvn the active genius of the inhabitants, and prevent that variety in manners and character, Avhich distinguishes the European nations. In Africa, the human mind seems degraded beloAv its natural state.

To dwell long upon the manners of this country, a country immersed in rudeness and barbarity, besides that it could afford little instruction, would be disgusting to every lover of mankind. Add to this, that the inhabitants of Africa, deprived of all arts and sci ences, Avithout Avhich the human mind remains torpid and inactive, discover no great variety in manners or character. A gloomy sameness almost every where prevails ; and the trifling distinctions which are discovered among them, seem rather to arise from an excess of brutality on the one hand, than from any perceptible approaches towards refinement on the other. But though these quarters of the globe are treated less extensively than Europe, there is no district of them, hoAvever barren or savage, entirely omitted. America, Avhether considered as an immense continent inhabited by an endless variety of different people, or as a country intimately connected Avith Europe by the ties of commerce and government, deserves very particular attention.

The bold dis* covery and barbarous conquest of this New World, and the manners and prejudices of the original inhabitants, are objects, which, together with the description of the country, deservedly occupy no small share of this performance. In treating such a variety of subjects, some less obvious particulars, no doubt, must escape our notice. But if our general plan be good, and the outlines and chief figures sketched Avith truth and judgement, the candour of the learned, Ave hope, Avill excuse imperfections Avhich are unavoidable in a Avork of this extensive kind. We cannot, without exceeding the bounds of a Preface, insist upon the other parts of our plan. The science of natural geography, for want of proper encouragement from those Avho are alone capable of giving it, still remains in an imperfect state; and the exact divisions and extent of countries, for Avant of geometrical surveys, are far from being Avell ascertained.

This consideration has induced us to adopt the most unexceptionable of Templeman's Tables ; aa hich, if they give not an account strictly accurate, afford at least a general idea of this subject : Avhich is all indeed that Ave can attain, until the geographical science arrives at a greater perfection. CONTENTS.

Introduction

.

Part I

Of Astronomical Geography. SOLAR System Page 1 Table of the Diameters, Periods, &c. of the sereral Planets in the Solar System 3 Comets 4- Fixed Stars 5, 6 Constellations 7 Copernican and other Systems 7 Doctrine of the Sphere 8 Globe 10 Problems performed by the Globe 16 Method of finding the Latitudes and Longitudes of Places from Celestial Observations 21 Geographical Observations 2.5 Natural Divisions of the Earth 2rj Winds and Tides 31,32 Maps and Cardinal Points 34,35 Length of'Miles in different Countries 34, 35

Part II

Of tho Origin of Nations* Laws, Government, and Commerce, 36 PART HI. Of the Origin and Progress of Religion, 59; EUROPE. Public Revenue of the principal States in Europe 62 Land and Naval Forces ot the European States 63 Grand Divisions of Europe, its Situation and Boundaries 64 Denmark 65 East and West Greenland 66 Iceland 67 Norway 71 Denmark Proper ...1 77 Lapland 94 Sweden 99 Muscovy, or the Russian Empire 119 Scotland, and the Hebrides, Orkneys, &c. ... 151 England 189 Wales 384 lsleof Man 38J Isle of Wight 391 Jersey, Guernsey, &c 391,392,393 Ireland *. 394 France 416 United Netherlands, or Holland 478 Austrian and French Netherlands 488 Germany , 500 Prussia..... 533 Bohemia 540 Hungary 545 Transylvania, Selavonia, Croatia, and Hungarian D.ilmatia 547 Poland and Lithuania 549 Switzerland 571 Spain 587 Portugal 618 Italy 628 Turkey in Europe, the ancient Greece 662 Turkish islands in the Levant, being part of ancient Greece 668 *#* Other European Islands are described with the Countries to which they respectively belong.

ASIA. Its Situation, Boundaries, grand Divisions, and History 671 Of Turkey in Asia 674 Tartary in Asia 694 China 702 India in general 715 India withinthe Ganges, or Hindustan 7'Ift India beyond the Ganges 760 Persia ..". 764 Arabia : 776 Indian and Oriental Isles belonging to Asia ... 783! AFRICA. Its Situation, Boundaries,, grand Divisions, and History 790 Of Egypt 795 The States of Barbary 80.5 Abyssinia 812 Fezzan, Bornou, and Cashna 821 Sierra Leone and Bulam 823 Country of the Hottentots 824 Calli-aria 830 Africa from the Tropic of Cancer to the Cape of Good Hope 834 African Islands 83C AMERICA. Its Discovery and History 843 Original Inhabitants 853 Situation, Boundaries, and grand Divisions ... 862 p TNew Britain and other Countries towards < \ theNorthPole 869 -c ./Canada 872 !-5 J Nova Scotia 880 PA {_New Brunswick 880 United States of America...

CONTENTS. f New England 887 « New York 896 *C New Jersey 900 I Pennsylvania) < Delaware j •3 Maryland 906 ■ -i Virginia 909 •g North and South Carolina, with Georgia 915 Æ New States formed in North America ... 923 "g Vermont 923 ■g Territory North-west of the Ohio 926 >5 Kentucky 927 South of the Ohio 929 Louisiana 931 General Description of the West Indies 934 Jamaica, and other islands in the West Indies 948, &seq. Spanish America 969 j; s East and West Florida ~| f 969 E I New Mexico, including | < -\ California [►North Amer.<( 971 g j Old Mexico, or New <£• I Spain J I 972 . fTerra Finn* } C 977 jj Peru f c ,.-. } 9SI | J Chili >SonthAmer.-J „„,. £ "> Paraguay, or La Plata ) (. 988 g_ Cuba, and Hispaniola, and other Islands «» L in America 992 Portuguese America, Brasil 997 French America, Cayenne 1002 Martinico, Guadeloupe, and other French Islands in the West Indies 1003 Dutch America, Surinam 1004 St. Eustatia, and other Dutch Islands in the West Indies 1007 St. Thomas, and other Danish Islands in ditto 1009 New Discoveries 1009 Terra Incognita 1028, 1029 A new Geographical Table, alphabetically arranged 1031 A Table of the Coins of all Nations, and their value in English Money 1047 A Chronological Table of remarkable Events, &c 1062 Directions for placing the Maps.

The World Page 1 The Sphere 8 Europe 61 Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland 65 Russia 119 Scotland 151 England 189 Ireland 394 France 416 Seven United Provinces 478 Austrian and French Netherlands 488 Germany 500 Poland 549 Switzerland 571 Spain and Portugal 587 Italy 628 Turkey in Europe, and Hungary 662 Asia .'. 671 China 702 Hindustan 716 Africa 790 British America 862 United American States 884 West Indies 934 South America 969 Chart of the World, containing New Discoveries, &c

INTRODUCTION.

.

PART I. OF ASTRONOMICAL GEOGRAPHY.

Section I. Of The Planets, The Comets, The Fixed Stars, And The

DIFFERENT SYSTEMS OF THE UNIVERSE. IHE science of Geography cannot be understood without considering the earth as a planet, or as a body moving round another at a considerable distance from it. The science AA'hich treats of the planets, and other heavenly bodies, is called Astronomy : hence the necessity of beginning this work with an account ofthe heavenly bodies. Of these, the most conspicuous is the sun, the fountain of light and heat to the placets that move round it ; and Avhich, together Avith the sun, compose Avhat is called the Solar System. The path in which the planets move round the sun, is called their Orbit; of these, six have long been knoAvn to astronomers. Their names, according to their nearness to the centre, or middle point of the sun, are Mercury, Venus, the Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

The first two, because they move within the orbit of the earth (being nearer the sun) are called inferior planets, or, perhaps more properly, interior or inner planets ; the last three, moving without the orbit of the earth, are called superior, or, perhaps more properly, exterior or outer planets. Three more have been discovered by the help of modern instruments; but they are too distant, or too small, to be objects of. importance to the eye, or in such a sketch as it is noAv our business to present. If Ave can form a notion of the manner in Avhich any one of these planets, suppose the earth, moves round the sun, avc can easily conceive the manner in Avhich all the rest perform that revolution. We shall only therefore particularly consider the motion of the earth, leaving that of the others to be collected from a table, which Ave shall deliver, with such explanations as may render it intelligible to the meanest capacity.

The earth Avas long considered as one extensive plane, of no remarkable thickness, and the regions below it Avere supposed to be the habitations of spirits. The heavens, in which the sun, moon, and stars appeared to move daily from east to west, were conceived to be at no great distance from it, and to be designed only for the use or ornament of our earth : several reasons, however, occurred, Avhich rendered this opinion improbable ; and Ave have now a sufficient proof of the figure of the earth, from the voyages of many navigators Avho have sailed round it, particularly from that of Magellan's ship, aa hich Avas the first that circumnavigated the globe, sailing east from a port in Europe in 1519, and "returning to the same, after a voyage of • 1 124 days, Avithout apparently altering his direction, any more than a fly Avould appear to do in moving round a ball of wax.

The conception is now, after the courses of so many circumnavigators, familiar to the most uninstructed minds ; and Ave are exempted from the necessity of any farther illustrations on the subject. .'. B

INTRODUCTION.

. 2 The roundness of the earth being established, a Avay Avas naturally opened for the discovery of its motion ; for, while it Avas considered as a plane, mankind had an ob scure notion of its being supported, like a scaffolding, on pillars, though they could not conceive Avhat supported these. But the figure of a globe is much better adapted to motion. This is confirmed by considering, "that, if the earth did not move round the sun, not only the sun, but all the stars and planets, must move round the earth. Now, as philosophers, by reckonings founded on the surest observations, have been able to judge pretty nearly of the distances of the heavenly bodies from the earth, and from each other, just as every one that knoAvs the first elements of mathematics can measure the height of a steeple or any object placed on it, — it appeared that if Ave conceived the heavenly bodies to move round the earth, Ave must sup pose them endowed with a motion or velocity so immense as to exceed all con ception; Avhereas all the appearances in nature may be as Avell explained by imagin ing the earth to move round the sun in the space of a year, and to turn on its oavu axis once in the twenty-four hours.

To form a conception of these tAvo motions of the earth, Ave may imagine a ball moving on a boAvling-green : the ball proceeds fonvards upon the green, not by sliding along like a plane upon Avood, or a slate upon ice, but by turning round its own axis, Avhich is an imaginary line draAvn through the centre of the ball, and ending on its surface in tAvo points called its poles. Conceiving the matter then in this Avay ; and that the earth, in the space of 24 hours, moves from Avest to east, the inhabitants on the surface, like men on the deck of a ship, Avho are insensible of their own motion, and think that the banks move from them in a contrary di rection, will conceive that the sun and stars move from east to west in the same time, in which they, Avith the earth, move from west to east. This diurnal motion of the earth being once clearly conceived, will aid us in forming a notion of its annual motion round the sun ; for as that luminary seems to have a daily motion round our earth, Avhich is really occasioned by the daily motion of the earth round its axis, so, in the course of a year, he seems to have an annual motion in the heavens, aud to rise and set in different points of them, which is really occasioned by the an nual motion of the earth in its orbit or path round the sun, Avhich it completes in a vyear.

Now as to the first of these motions Ave owe the difference of day and night, so to the second Ave are indebted for the difference in the length of the days and nights, and in the seasons of the year. The planets.] Thus much being premised with regard to the motion of the earth, Avhich the smallest reflection may lead us to apply to the other planets, w;e must observe, before exhibiting our table, that, beside the planets already men tioned, Avhich move round the sun, there are eighteen other bodies which move round four of these, in the same manner as they do round the sun ; and of these our earth has one, called the moon; Jupiter has four, Saturn has seven (two of the.se having been lately discovered by Dr. Herschel*), and is also encompassed with a broad rings. Of the three newly discovered planets, one Avas discovered * See the Ixxxth vol. of the Philosophical Transactions. f The space between the ring and she globe of Saturn is supposed to be rather more than the breadth of the ring, and the greatest diameter of the ring to be in proportion to that of the globe as 7 to 3.

It puts en different appearances to us, sometimes being seen quite open, at others only :is a line upon the equator. It is probable that it will at times cast a shadow over vast regions of Saturn's body. There is a paper by Dr. Herschel in the Philosophical Transactions for 1790 (vol. Ixxx.), on the subject of Saturn, its ring and satellites, in which he hints his suspicion that the rinp of that planet is composed of two rings, nearly, it not perfectly, in the same plane, and concentric to one another, and separated by a very narrow space, which appeared to him like a black zone, or list, on the surface of the ring. He suspended, however, his opinion, till the planet, in its orbit, should give us a sight of the other edge of the ring, on which if the same appearance should be seen*, it Avould amount to a pretty clear demonstration that what he saw Avas a separation of the ring. — Since the publication of that paper, the southern side of Saturn's ring has become visible to us;

INTRODUCTION.

. 3 by Dr. Herschel, and was by him called the Georgium Sidus; another by Piazzi of Palermo, and the third by Olbers of Hamburgh. The Georgium Sidus has six moons. These satellites are called moons, from their agreeing with our moon, which was first attended to : and sometimes they are called secondary planets, because they seem to be attendants ofthe Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Georgium Sidus, about which they move, and which are called primary. There are but tAvo observations more, necessary for understanding the folloAving table. We have already said that the annual motion of the earth occasioned the diversity of seasons. But this Avould not happen, Avere the axis of the earth exactly parallel to the axis of its orbit; because then the same parts of the earth Avould be turned towards the sun in every diurnal revolution ; which Avould deprive mankind of the grateful vicissitudes of the seasons.

The axis of the earth, therefore, is inclined to the plane of the earth's orbit, which Ave may conceive by supposing a spindle put through a ball, with one end of it touching the ground ; if Ave move the ball directly fonvards, while one end ofthe spindle continues to touch the ground, and the other points toAvards some quarter of the heavens, avc may form a notion of the inclination of the earth's axis to its orbit, from the inclination of the spindle to the ground. The same observation applies to some of the other planets, as may be seen from the table. It noAv remains, to consider what is meant by the mean distances of the planets from the sun. In order to understand this, we must learn that the path Avhich a planet describes, were it to be marked out, would not be quite round or circular, but in the shape of a figure called an ellipsis, AA'hich, though resembling a circle, is longer than broad.

Hence the same planet is not ahvays at the same distance from the sun, and the mean distance of it is that Avhich is exactly betwixt its greatest and least distance. Here follows the table. A TABLE OF THE DIAMETERS, PERIODS, &C. OF THE SEVERAL PLANETS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM. and the doctor tells us he has had several excellent opportunities of viewing that side of the ring to the greatest advantage, and has always seen the same black list, at the same distance from the edge of the ring, and of the same breadth, as nearly as he can judge, that it appeared to be on the northem side. He therefore thinks himself now au thorised to say, that the planet Saturn has two con centric rings, of unequal dimensions and breadth, situated in one plane, and at a considerable dis tance from each other. Philosophical Transactions for 1792, Part I. B2 Names ofthe planets.

Diameters in English Miles. Mean distances from the sun as determined from observations of the transit of Venus in 1761. Annual periods round the Diurnal rotation on its axis. Hourly motion in its orbit. Hourly motion of its equator. Inclination ol axis to orbit. sun. Sun Mercury Venus Earth Moon Mars , Jupiter Saturn Georgium Sidus Piazzi Olbers 890,000 3,000 9,330 7,979 2,180 5,400 94,000 78,000 36,841,468 68,891,486 95,173,000 ditto 145,014,148 494,990,976 907,956,130 y. d. h. 0 87 23 O 224 17 1 0 0 10 0 1 321 17 11 314 18 29 167 6 d. h. m. 25 6 0 unknown. 24 8 0 10 0 29 12 44 0 24 40 0 9 56 unknown. 109,699 80,295 68,243 22,290 55,287 29,083 22,101 3,818 unknown 43 1,042 91 556 25,920 unknown. 8° 0' 0' unknown. 75° 0' 0" 23° 29' 0" 2° 10' O" 0° O' 0" 0° 0' O" unknown. 34,217 1,815,912,260 83 121 0 unknown. unknown. unknown. 0" 43' 35" 160 120 250,000,000 270,000,000 4 222 0 Th lough th chel, ye: ie Geori t there e *ium Sidus v ir-as not 3ns for s mown pposin s a pla; it had t net till the time of Dr. ieen seen before, but had lers re many reasi