are in Number about 12,000. The Janizaries are esteem'd the best Soldiers in the Turkish Armies, and on them they principally depend in an Engagement; thefe amount to about 25,000 Men, who are quarter'd in and about Conftantinople: They frequently grow mutinous, and have proceeded fo far fometimes as to depofe the Sultan. Befides the Janizaries of Conftantinople, every Province of the Empire is fill'd with Foot Soldiers, who bear that Name, but these are not inroll'd with the others.

RELIGION.] The establish'd Religion of Turky in Europe is that of the Mahometan, so called from Mahomet the Author of it. They hold the Doctrine of Fate, yet allow of future Rewards and Punishments; and that God Almighty will perfonally make every Man render an Account of his Actions; and that they fhall be weighed in a Pair of Scales; and all those, whofe good Actions outweigh their evil ones, fhall go inftantly into Paradife; but on the contrary, thofe whofe evil Actions outweigh their good ones, fhall go into Hell. Their Paradife is a Place of all manner of fenfual Pleasure, which true Muffulmans, or Believers, are to partake of. But those who are doomed to the Punishments of Hell, Mahomet affures us, will be tormented with unquenchable Fire, and boiling Water; and, being burnt and reduced to Ashes, God Almighty_will create them anew, that their Torments may endure to Eternity. They admit of Circumcifion, which they reckon neceflary to Salvation. They faft, pray, and give Alms; and in these, perhaps, do not come far fhort of Chriftians in general.

CUSTOMS.] The ufual Salutation among the Turks is, a little Inclination of the Head, and clapping the Right-hand to the Breaft: But when they falute a Perfon of Distinction, they stoop fo low, as to take up the Hem of his Veft, and kifs it. They ufually fit in an open Hall upon a Sopha, which is a Bench about five Foot broad, and a Foot and an half high, covered with Carpets and Cushions to lean on. Here they spread a Piece of Leather when they eat, and set little wooden Tables about half a Foot high, fometimes, upon which they place their Provifions. They have no Beds, but the Floor, or the Sopha, which ferves them to lie upon, as well as to eat on. Their manly Exercises are fhooting at a Mark with Fire-arms, or Bows and Arrows, on Horfeback, in every Pofture almoft; and they are taught to dart a little Staff, with which they attack and purfue one another on Horfeback, and fometimes give and receive dangerous Bruises. The Roads and Caravanferas for Entertainment of Travel

lers

lers are kept in Repair in Turky, by the Contributions and Labours of private People, who look upon it to be a Work of Charity, and highly acceptable to Heaven, to provide for the Neceffities of the weary'd Traveller: Even thofe who live by their Labour, and have nothing else to contribute, will fpend Part of their Time gratis in these Employments. Marriage in Turky is of two Kinds, the one for Life, if there be no juft Cause of Divorce, and the other temporary, and upon fuch Conditions as the Parties can agree on. As to Concubinage, or their Commerce with their Female Slaves, that they breed up or purchase, and with whom no Contracts are made, these are not reckon'd among the Number of Wives. Of the first Sort of Wives, the Turks feldom take more than one, though they are allow'd four, unless upon the Account of advancing themselves by fuch Matches; for, as these Wives are all equal, it feems almost impoffible to avoid a perpetual Contention, where there are feveral of them in one House. But a Turk usually takes one of these to be Mistress of the Family; and, if their Fancy for Variety induces them to take more Females to their Bed, they purchase fome beautiful Slaves in the Market, if there be none they like among their own. Thefe Concubines are far from attempting to rival their Miftrefs, though they fhare with her in their Master's Bed; but pay her the greatest Respect, and wait upon her with uncommon Diligence. By a Sign, or a Nod, imperceptible to Strangers, every thing is tranfacted in a Family without Noife and Contradiction. But if infuperable Averfions, and intolerable Jars, fometimes happen, the Turks apply the common Remedy of a Divorce. As to the fecond Sort of Wives, thofe they contract with for a Time: This is ufually done, where a Merchant or Traveller has Occafion to refide in fome Place at a great Distance from home: In this Cafe, the Terms are agreed on before a Magiftrate, and the Woman is taken to his Bed with very little Ceremony, and difmiffed with lefs.

T

Of ENGLAND.

O give a fatisfactory Account of Britain and Ireland, would take up too much Room for the Brevity of our Defign. We have therefore chosen to be entirely filent on this Head, rather than prefent our Readers with an Account, which must have been very imperfect. We have however given a Lift of the feveral Counties of England and Wales, with their chief Towns, Square Miles, Distance and Bearing from London, and their Distance alfo from London in meafur'd Miles.

R 3

Divifion

Of TURKY in ASI A.

CLIMATE.]THE Air of Natolia is very different; being

in fome Provinces very fine; in others very grofs and peftilentious. It has been efteemed a Natolia. pleafant fruitful Country, when it was well culti

vated, and had feveral confiderable Cities in it; but great Part
of the Province lies unmanured at prefent, and the Towns in
Ruins, as in other Parts of Turky. The Produce of Natolia
chiefly confifts in Silks, Goats Hair, Twifted Cotton, Cordo-
vans of feveral Colours, Calicuts White and Blue, Wool for
Matreffes, Tapestries, Quilted Coverlets, Soap, Rhubarb,
Galls, Valleneed, Scammony, Opium, &c. The Soil is fer-
tile, abounding with Oil and Wine, and moft

Sorts of Grain and Fruits. Turcomania is much Turcomania.
encumber'd with Mountains, efpecially near the
Frontiers; but in the Mid-land Valleys the Soil is fertile and
delightful, producing Wine, Corn, and Pafture in abundance.

R 4

The

Syria proper.

Diarbeck.

Eyraca, or
Cbaldca

The Air of Syria proper is healthful and very temperate, and the Soil deep, level, and fruitful, producing Corn, Grapes, Figs, Oranges, Lemons, Dates, Medicinal Herbs, Silk, and other valuable Commodities. The Soil and Climate of Palestine were incomparably fruitful and pleasant, as we are inform'd in Holy Palestine. Writ; but at prefent it is fo ill cultivated, that, except a few Figs, Pomegranates, Palm-trees, Oranges, and fome Wines, which grow in the Valleys, there remains none of that antient Plenty. Diarbeck in general enjoys a good Temperature of Air, and the Soil allo is very rich and fruitful, capable of producing the Neceffaries of Life in abundance, if properly cultivated. The Spil of Eyraca, or Chaldea, or Babylonia, was anciently fo fertile, that according to Herodotus, it yielded 200 fold and upwards. The Blades of Wheat and Barley were four Fingers broad, as the fame Author affirms: And by Pliny it is faid of the Babylo nians, that they mowed their Corn twice, and feeded it a third time, or it would be nothing but Blades. But tho' in general the Country was extremely fruitful, delightful, and healthful, yet, in fome Places, it was cover'd with a flimy Matter, which the Overflowing of the Water, and the Nature of the Soil together, produced in abundance: This flimy Matter, it seems, they used inftead of Mortar, than which nothing could be more durable and binding. The Nature of this once generally happy Soil is ftill fuch, that, if the like Care and Diligence were used, it would produce the Neceffaries of Life in furprifing Abundance. There are numerous Herds of Cattle ftill fed in the Paftures, and thence great Plenty of Milk and Butter. The Fruitfulness and Delights of this once famous Country were fuch, that herein Divines have placed the Garden of Eden, or the Habitation of the firft Man, Adam, at his Creation. However, there is no Part of the World where the Fruits of the Earth are more fubject to be deftroyed by Locufts, than in the Territories of Bafora, or the Southern Part of this fruitful Country. Mr. Taverner relates, that, when he was at that City, there flew by twice fuch a prodigious Number of Locufts, that they appeared at a Distance like a Cloud, and darkened the Air. They pafs over Baffora generally four or five times in a Year, being driven into the Defert by the Wind; they die there, or they would deftroy all the Corn and Herbage in Chaldea. Add to this, that toward Baffora the hot Winds have terrible Effects upon the Inhabitants: For the Eaft Wind, blowing over a large Tract of parched Earth, occafions the Air to be intolerably hot, and thereupon brings

fatal