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THE third kind of Obfervations to be made in every Country, we call Human, because they chiefly respect the Inhabitants of the Place; and these are also ten in Number. 1. Their Stature, Shape, Colour, and the length of their Lives; their Origin, Meat, and Drink. 2. Their Arts, and the Profits which arife from them; with the Merchandife and Wares they barter with one another. 3. Their Virtues and Vices, Learning, Capacities, and Schools. 4. Their Ceremonies at Births, Marriages, and Funerals. 5. The Language which the Inhabitants use. 6. Their Political Government. 7. Their Religion and Church Government. 8. Their Cities and famous Places. 9. Their remarkable Hiftories. 10. Their famous Men, Artificers, and the Inventions, of the Natives.

THESE are the three kinds of Occurrences to be explained in Special Geography; and tho' the laft Sort feem not so properly to belong to this Science, yet we are obliged to admit them for Cuftom fake, and the Information of the Reader.

IN Univerfal Geography (which is the Subject of this Book) the abfolute Divifion of the Earth, and the Conftitution of it's Parts, will first be examined; then the Celestial Phænomena, in general, that are to be applied to their respective Countries, in Special Geography; and lastly there will follow in the Comparative Part fuch Confiderations as occur from comparing the Phænomena of one Place with another.

The Principles of Geography.

THE Principles from which Arguments are drawn for proving Propofitions in Geography are of three forts. 1. Geometrical, Arithmetical, and Trigonometrical Propofitions. 2. Aftronomical Precepts and Theorems (tho' it may feem ftrange

we should have Recourfe to the Celestial Bodies, which are diftant from us fo many Millions of Miles, for understanding the Nature of the Earth we inhabit). 3. Experience; because the greatest Part of Geography, and chiefly the Special, is founded only upon the Experience and Obfervations of thofe who have defcribed the feveral Countries.

The Order of Geography.

THE Order we have thought moft convenient to follow in General Geograp by, is already mentioned in the Divifion and Explication of it's Properties; yet there remains a Doubt as to the Order to be obferved in explaining thefe Properties: viz, whether we fhould apply them to their relative Countries in which they are found, or refer the Countries themselves to the Properties accounted for, in general. Ariftotle, in his firft Book of Animals, moves the fame Doubt; and argues at large, whether the Properties fhould be adjusted to the general Account of Animals, or the Animals ranked under the Account of their Properties. The like Difficulty occurs in other Parts of Philofophy. However we fhall here first explain fome general Properties; and after apply them to their refpective Countries.

The Proof of Geography.

In proving Geographical Propofitions we are to obferve; that feveral Properties, and chiefly the Celestial, are confirmed by proper Demonftrations: But in Special Geography (excepting the Celestials) almost every Thing is explained without Demonstration; being either grounded on Experience and Obfervation, or on the Teftimony of

our Senfes nor can they be proved by any other Means. For Science is taken either for that Knowledge which is founded on things highly probable; or for a certain Knowledge of Things which is gained by the force of Argument, or the Testimony of Senfe; or for that Knowledge which arifes from Demonstration in a strict Senfe, fuch as is found in Geometry, Arithmetic, and other Mathematical Sciences; excepting Chronology and Geography; to both which the Name of Science, taken in the fecond Senfe, doth most properly belong.

THERE are alfo feveral Propofitions proved, or rather exposed to view, by the artificial Terrestrial Globe, or by Geographical Maps; most of which might be confirmed by a strict Demonftration; tho' omitted on Account of the Incapacity of fom. Readers. Other Propofitions cannot be fo well proved, yet are received as apparent Truths. Thus tho' we fuppofe all Places on the Globe, and in Maps, to be laid down in the fame Order as they really are on Earth; neverthelefs in thefe Matters we rather follow the Descriptions that are given by Geographical Authors. Globes and Maps, indeed, made from fuch Obfervations, ferve well enough for Illustration, and the more cafy Comprehenfion of the Thing.

The Origin of Geography.

THE Origin of Geography is not of late Date, nor was it brought into the World as it were at one Birth; neither was it invented by one Man: but it's Foundations were laid many Ages ago. It is true, indeed, the old Geographers were employed only in defcribing particular Countries, either in whole, or in part. The Romans, when they had overcome and fubdued any Province, ufed to ex

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pofe the Chorography thereof to the Spectators in their Triumphs delineated upon a Table, and flourished round with Pictures. There were also at Rome, in the Portico of Lucullus, feveral Geographical Tables exposed to public View. The Senate of Rome, about one hundred Years before the Birth of CHRIST, fent Geographers and Surveyors into the feveral parts of the Earth, that they might measure the whole; tho' they fcarce vifited a twentieth Part of it. Neco, alfo, King of Egypt, many Ages before CHRIST, commanded that the Extremities of Africa fhould be diligently fearched into ; which was performed by the Phenicians in the space of three Years. Darius commanded that the Mouths of the River Indus, and the whole Ethiopic Sea, to the eastward, fhould be diligently examined into. Alexander the Great, as Pliny tells us, in his Afiatic Expedition, carried along with him two Geographers, Diogenes and Beto, to meafure and delineate to him his Journies; from whofe Journals and Obfervations the Geographers of fucceeding Ages borrowed many Things. And tho' the Study of all other Arts was almoft abolished by the Wars, Geography and Fortification were improved thereby.

NEVERTHELESS the Geography of the Antients was very imperfect, and commonly full of falfe Relations; because they knew little or nothing of thofe Places of the Earth which are of most Confequence to be known; or at least they had no certain Experience about them. For, 1. all America was entirely unknown to them. moteft Northern Countries, 3. nent and the Country of Magellan. 4. They knew not that the World could be failed round, or that the Earth was furrounded by the Ocean, in an uninterrupted Continuity: Some indeed of the Antients I confefs were of this Opinion, but I deny they had any Certainty of it. 5. They knew not

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that the Torrid Zone was inhabited, by an almost infinite number of People. 6. They were ignorant of the true Measure of the Earth, tho' they writ a great deal on that Subject. 7. They did not think that Africa could be failed round, (b) because the South Parts thereof were unknown to them. 8. Both the Greeks and Romans wanted true Defcriptions of the Countries remote from them, and have left us a great many forged and fabulous Stories, concerning the People that live in the Borders of Afia, and thofe that inhabit the Northern parts of the Earth (c). 9. They were ignorant of the general Motion of the Sea, and the Difference of Currents in particular Places. 10. The Grecians, even Ariftotle himself, did not know the Reafon of the Ebbing and Flowing of the Sea. 11. Few of them understood the Variation of the Winds; and the

(b) It is likely the antient Egyptians had fome Knowledge of the extream Parts of Africa, as appears from what Herodotus relates, viz." That Neco, King "of Egypt, (2200 Years ago) "having furnishedcertain Pha"nicians with Ships; thefe fet"ting Sail for the Red-Sea, and "coafting along Africa, doub"led the Cape of Good Hope; "and after two Years fpent "in the Voyage entered the Streights of Gibraltar, in the "third. Herod. Lib. 4.

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(c) C. Plinii Nat Hift. Lib. 5 Chap. 8. Blemmyis traduntur capita abeffe, ore & oculis pectori affixis. The Blemmai are faid to be without Heads, having their Mouths and Eyes fixed in their Breafts. Ibid. Lib. 7. Cap.2. Arimafpi uno oculo in fronte media infignes: quibus affidue bellum effe circa metalla cum Gryphis.

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Et alibi, cauda villofa homines nafci pernicitatis eximia. The Arimafpi are famous for having only one Eye fixed in the middle of their Foreheads, between whom and the Griffons there is a continual War carried on about their Metals. In another Place there are a fort of grinning Apifh People, born with long hairy Tails, and very fwift of Foot. From which Romantic ftories of Pliny, Sir J. Mandeville took his lying Reports, of his meeting (in his Travels,) with thefe very People, and alfo fome, in the Torrid Zone, that to guard themselves against the Schorching Heat of the Sun, had one of their Feet fo large, that by lying on their backs, and holding it up against the Sun, would fcreen them against it's immoderate Heat; with other the like whimsical Relations,

Periodical,

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