Volume 1

A universal geographical dictionary; or, grand gazetter. Of general, special, antient and modern geography: including a comprehensive view of the various countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America; more especially of the British dominions and settlements throughout the world ... / by Andrew Brice.

  • Brice, Andrew, 1690-1773.
Date:
1759
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A universal geographical dictionary; or, grand gazetter. Of general, special, antient and modern geography: including a comprehensive view of the various countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America; more especially of the British dominions and settlements throughout the world ... / by Andrew Brice. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    THE GRAND GAZETTEER; J O R, Topographic Dictionary, &c. ABA A A. Ea in the Saxon Language, and^&r in the Da¬ mp, is Water, a Flows of Water, or River. AA, a River in the French Netherlands, which, having its Spring in Picardy, flows N. E. crofs Artois, paffies by St. Omers, continues its Courfe N. to Gravelin, and falls into the Englijh Channel. A A, another River in Germany, which, rifng in the S. of Wefphalia, runs N. by Munjter, and empties itfelf into the River Ems. AACH, E. Ion. 9. lat. 47. 45. a Town of Germany, in the Circle of Swabia, fituate 20 m. N. W. of Confance, and is fubjeft to the Houfe of Auflria. AALBURG. See ALBURG. AAR, a River of Switzerland, which rifes in the Alps, runs N. by the City of Bern, and afterwards by Solcturn, and then turning N. E. falls into the River Rhine, againfl Waldjhut, a Foreft Town of Suabia. See BERN. AARAW, a Town of Switzerland, E. Ion. 8. lat. 47. 20. fituate on the River Aar, 15 m. E. of Bern, fubject to the Canton of Bern. See more at ARAW. ABA, a City of the antient Kingdom of Phocis, in Greed a Propria, whole Inhabitants were named Abantes, and was confiderable for having Alas, the Son of Lynca-us and Hy- permnefira, for its Founder, and for having alfo an Oracle of A[cllc. This was alfo the only City which was not le- vell’d with the Ground after the Grech Holy War, when all the reft were deftroyed; but whether fpared out of Refpeft to Apollo, to whom confecrated, or, as Paufanias affirms, becaufe it had no Hand in plundering the Delphic Temple, is not determined. Cirrha, on the Sea-fide of Delphi, was the Port-Town to it. ABA, a Mountain in Armenia, it being Part of Mount Taurus, (which Strabo calls Abus, and places between the Mountain Nephatcs and Nibarus, whilft Domitius Corbulc, who had been upon the Sjot, gives it the Name of Aba) from which fpring both the famous Rivers Araxes and Eu¬ phrates. It is the fame Mountain which Nutianus calls Capotes, and Eufiatbius with Dionyfus Pcriegetes ftile Aches. ABACAsNTJM, a City which flood in the N. Part of Si¬ cily, not far from Meffana, fays Cka. Stephens ; and Cluverius places it near the little City of Tripio. As for the City of Tyndaris, it was not far diftant. from Alacetnum, and the Name of it is Hill preferved in the Place at prefent called Santa Maria di Tyndaro ; tho’ Pliny, 1. ii. C. 92, tells us that a great Part of Tyndarus was fwallowed up by the Sea. Fazellus fays, -fome imagine it to be at this Time call’d Bigcnis Ager. But Herodian fays it obtain’d the Name of Carica. ABACH, E. Ion. 12. lat. 48. 50. is a fair Market- Town of Germany, in the Circle of Bavaria, fituate on the River Danube, 8 m. [5 fays Salmon] S. W. of Ratifou, and 29 N. of Landjlut; noted for feveral Pieces of Roman Antiquities, and for a good Bath, which, being artificially heated, is a Cure for Melancholy, Apoplexies, Dropfies, Scurvy, Gravel, Surfeits, (ffc. It was burnt in 1297 by its Neighbours of Ratifcn. ■ ' ABAFEDE, the Name of a Mountain in Egypt, in lat. 37; 2.-of-which Gemelli relates thus : — It was once fa¬ mous for being inhabited by a great many Magic’ans [ire. Natural and Experimental Philofophers], who afterwards began to fail under the Grecian Monarchy. -Egypt afterwards falliog under the Dominion of the Romans, they ABA called this Mountain Apud-finetn, becaufe of the Wonders and Prodigies feen on it, holding it in great Veneration. Some (fays he) will have it that Pharoah brought the Magi¬ cians from this Place to work their Wonders before Mofes. The Chriftian Faith afterwards increafing, it began to be inhabited by holy Fathers and Hermits, living in feveral Caves dug out of the Rock, which infpired Dread and De¬ votion in the Minds of fuch as faw them. ABALA, a City in the Tribe of Judah.— It was alfo the Name of a Town of the Troglodytes in Africh, near the Abalitic Gulf, not far from the Red Sea. The Troglodytes were a very favage Nation, living in Caves (according to Strabo), feeding upon Serpents, Lizards, &c. and having a Language of no articulate Sounds, but refembling the Shrieking of Eats, according to Herodotus. Some Authors affert the ftoried Pigmies to have been a Canton of the Troglodytes; and ’tis generally agreed that thefe had their Situation not far from the Ethiopic Shore of the Red Sea. ABALLABA, a City, once, in Britain, fuppos’d by Camden to have flood in Weftnoreland, and to be at this Day called the Town of Appleby. ABALUS, Pliny 37. 2. tells us, is or was an Ifie in the German Ocean, famous for its great Store of Amber, flow¬ ing from the Trees. In this Ifle, if a Perfon drowned ap¬ peared no more, the fuperflitious Inhabitants were w'ont long to perform Funeral Ceremonies to appeafe his Ghoft. ABANA, the antient Name of a River mentioned as a very celebrated one, II. Kings, v. 12. the which Name im¬ ports made of Stone, or ftony, (poflibly becaufe of its flow¬ ing among Stones or Rocks) which was faid to have rofe at the Foot of Mount Libanus, and ran by the S. and W. Sides of Damafus. But Radziville, the Palatine of Wilna, ( Pe ¬ regrin. Jerofolym. Epift. 2. p. 31.) tells us roundly of the Rivers Ah ana and Pharpar, which watered the City ©f Dam a feus when he was there, (which is about 170 Years a- go) and that they were unnavigable, but full of Fifh, and. ft reamed down to it from the Mountain Chrizoroa, (which fhould have been written Chryforrhcas) the Greek Name of the River which watered Dama.fcus, and not of any Moun¬ tain there. Thevenot, who was fo curious and minute an Obferver of every Thing in and about Damafcus, never once mentions the Rivers Abana and Pharpar; but tells of three Rivers that water Damafcus, and meet at the End of the 'I’own ; one of which he afterwards calls Banias. There is no Footftcp of the Names Abana and Pharpar amongft the bell Arabian Geographers. Abulfda tells us, that the Stream which fupplies Damafcus comes out of a Cavern on the W. Side of the City, aad immediately divides ; which is fo exaftly Dr. Maundrell's Defcription of this Water, that they very abundantly confirm each other. This laft Tra¬ veller could not fo much as find any Memory of the Names of Abana and Pharpar, and fuppofes they muft have been Branches of the River Barrad, which comes out of the Rock. And as he fo nicely agrees with Abulfeda in the Ap¬ proach of this River to Damafcus, he does the fame with Thevenot in its Departure therefrom; they both agreeing that its divided Streams meet again on the other Side of the Town. Dr. Maundrell then in this Cafe may be fafely relied on in what he fays of this remarkable Stream. So that it’a apparent that Abana was but one of the Branches of the Barrady. ABANO, E. Ion. 10. lat. 45. 30. a Town of Italy, in Numb, i, the