pnugues/EB7 huggingface dataset:
MEDUSA, in fabulous history, one of the three Gorgons, and daughter of Phoreys and Ceto. She was the only one of the Gorgons who was suby eet to mortality; and she was celebrated for her personal charms and the beauty of her locks. Neptune became enamoured of her, and obtained her favours in the temple of Minerva. But this violation of the sanctity of the edifice provoked Minerva, and she changed the beautiful locks of Medusa, which had inspired Neptune’s love, into serpents, the sight of which turned the beholders into stone s; Perseus, however, armed with Mercury’s axe,with which he killed Argus, cut off' Medusa’s head, from the blood of which sprang Pegasus and Chrysaor, together with the innumerable serpents that infest Africa. The conqueror placed Medusa’s head on the aegis of Minerva, which he had used in his expedition; and the head still retained the same petrifying powers as before.
MEDWAY, a river of England, which rises in the Weald of Sussex, and entering Kentnear Ashurst, runs by Tunbridge, and thence continues its course towards Maidstone. It is navigable for large ships to Rochester bridge, and thence for vessels and barges to Maidstone, the tide flowing up to that town. The distance between the mouth of this river, where the fort at Sheerness is erected, and Rochester bridge, is between sixteen and eighteen miles. In this part of the river the channel is so deep, the banks so soft, and the reaches so short, that it is one of the best and safest harbours in the world; and ships of eighty guns ride afloat at low water, within musket-shot of Rochester bridge. Nor is there a single instance upon record, that any of the royal navy ever suffered here by storms, except in the dreadful tempest which happened in November 1703, when the Royal Catherine was sunk and lost.
MEDYN, a circle of the Russian province Kaluga, extending from N. lat. 54. 28. to 55. 19-, and from E. long. 34. 42. to 35. 46., being 1328 square miles, with a population of 76,800 persons. The capital is a town of the same name, 583 miles from Petersburg; it is situated on the river Medynka, and has 195 houses, with 1250 inhabitants. A baítle was fought near it, on the 14th of October 1812, when the French were defeated. Lat. 55. 4. Long. 37. 45. E.
MEEGHEOUNG-YAY, a town of the Birman empire, and province of Ava. It is situated on the bank of the Irrawaddy river, and it carries on a considerable traffic in grain and oil. It stands in the midst of a fertile and well cultivated country. Long. 94. 50. E. Lat. 19∙ 53. N.
MEERAT, a town of Hindustan, in the province of Ajmeer, district of Zundpoor, thirty-six miles west from the city of Ajmeer. Long. 74. 14. E. Lat. 26. 35. N.
MEERCASSERAI, asmall town of Bengal, and district of Chittagong, thirty-five miles N. by W. from the town of Islamabad. Long. 90. 30. E. Lat. 22.48. N.
MEERJAOW, a town of Hindustan, in the province of Caseara, which stands upon an inlet of the sea, and is supposed by Dr. Robertson to have been the Musiris of the ancients. It was nearly destroyed by Hyder Ali, when he invaded the province in 1773. The forests in the neighbourhood abound with teak timber; they also produce black pepper spontaneously, and eassia and wild nutmegs are common. It is eighty miles SSE. from Goa. Long. 74. 36. E. Lat. 14. 27. N.
MEGALE Polis, or Megalopolis, in Ancient Geography, a town of Areadia, built under the auspices of Epaminondas, after the battle of Leuetra, many inconsiderable towns being joined together in one great city, the better to withstand the Spartans. According to Strabo it was the greatest city of Areadia.
MEGALESIA, and Megalenses Ludi, feasts and games celebrated by the Romans in honour of Cybele or Rhea, the mother of the gods, on the 12th of April, and famous for great rejoicings and diversions of various sorts. The Galli carried the image of the goddess along the city, with the sound of drums and other music, in imitation of the noise which [7:14:533]they made to prevent Saturn from hearing the cries of his infant son Jupiter, when he was disposed to devour him.
MEGARA, in Ancient Geography, a noble city, the capital of the territory of Megaris, which for many years carried on war with the Corinthians and Athenians. It had for some time a school of philosophers, called the Megarici, who were successors of Euclid the Socratic, a native of Mcgara. Their dialect was the Doric. Megara was situated at a distance from the sea, and about midway between Athens and Corinth. Its port was called Nisaea, from Nisus, son of Pandion the second, who obtained Megaris as his portion, when the kingdom of Athens was divided into four lots by his father. He founded the town, which was eighteen stadia or two miles and a quarter from the city, but united with it, as the Piraeus was with Athens, by means of long walls.
MEGARIS, in Ancient Geography, the country of the Megarians, is described as a rugged region, like Attica; the mountain called Oneian or Asinine, now Macriplayi or the löng mountain, extending through it towards Boeotia and Mount Cithaeron. It belonged to Ionia or Attica, until it was taken by the Peloponnesians in the reign of Codrus, when a colony of Dorians settled in it. This territory had Attica to the east, Boeotia to the north and west, and the isthmus of Corinth to the south.
MEGASTHENES, a Greek historian, who flourished in the age of Seleucus Nicanor, about 300 years before Christ. He wrote concerning the oriental nations, particularly the Indians, and his history is often quoted by the ancients; but what now passes as his composition is spurious.
MEGIDDO, in Ancient Geography, a town of Galilee, enumerated amongst the cities of Manassch, in the tribe of Issachar or Asser, on the western side of Jordan, and famous for the defeat of Ahaziah and Josiah, who perished there. (2 Kings xxiii. 29∙)
MEGNA. This river is formed by the numerous streams which issue from the mountains that form the northern boundary of Bengal, of which the principal is the Brahmaputra, which joins it about lat. 24. 10., after which its size is greatly increased, and it assumes the name of the Megna. Below the city of Dacca it is joined by the Issamuthy, bringing the collected waters of the Dullasery, Boorigmega, Luckia, and many other smaller rivers, forming an expanse of water resembling an inland sea. From hence it approaches the sea by a SSE. course, when its volume is augmented by the Ganges·, and the whole collected stream is rolled into the bay of Bengal. The muddy tide leaves a great quantity of sediment, which forms many islands, amongst which are Dukkinshabazpoor, thirty miles long and twelve broad, Hatha, Sundeep, and Bamony. Between these islands the tide rushes with great impetuosity, forming in spring tides what is called the Bore, which in a few minutes rises twelve feet in height. The sand-banks run nearly thirty miles into the sea, and will probably be one day habitable islands, like Sangor.
MEGO, or Puι>o Mego isle, a small and uninhabited island, situated off the western coast of Sumatra. Like all the other low islands which lie off the western coast of Sumatra, it is so thickly skirted near the sea-beach with cocoa nut trees that their branches touch each other. Long. 101. S.E. Lat. 4. S.
MEHINDRY, a river of Hindustan, in the province of Gujerat, having a winding course of 190 miles. After passing the city of Ahmedabad, it falls into the Gulf of Cambay.
MEHWAS. a district ofHindustan, in the province of Gujerat, situated on the south-east bank of the Puddur river. It literally signifies the residence of thieves, which character attaches to the inhabitants, who live by plundering their neighbours. Every man who in this turbulent region can muster twenty horsemen, considers himself as an independent chief, and sets out on a marauding expedition.
MEINUNGEN, a city of Germany, the capital of the dominions of the Duke of Saxe-Meinungen. It stands on the river Werra, 830 feet above the level of the sea. It is a well built city, surrounded with walls and ditches, and having broad streets well paved. The principal building is the magnificent palace of the sovereign, whose front is 500 feet in length, exclusive of two wings, and has a good library and several valuable collections of minerals, coins, pictures, and natural history. It contains about 4200 inhabitants, who carry on some small manufactures, but subsist chiefly on the court and public offices.’ Lat. 50.33.53. N. Long. 10.19. LE.
MEISENHEIM, a city of the landgravate of Hesse-Homburg, in Germany, the capital of the barony of that name, and containing 1227 inhabitants. The city is situated on the river Elan, is walled, and is the seat of the courts of law of the small state. It contains 420 houses and 1850 inhabitants, employed in making glass and iron, and in working a mine of quicksilver near to the town.
MEISSEN, one of the circles into which the kingdom of Saxony is divided, being formed out of the ancient margravate of that name. It extends over 1610 square miles, comprehends thirty-nine cities and towns, 1156 villages, and 309,460 inhabitants. It is divided into twelve bailiwicks, one of which bears the same name. It is a productive territory, but suffered much during the late war, from the effects of which it has scarcely yet recovered. The city of Meissen, which is the capital of the circle, is situated on the river Elbe, over which is a bridge in a picturesque situation, rendered more so from the Albertsburg, the ancient palace of the Saxon house, but now used for the manufacture of the celebrated china which has been commonly called Dresden. This fabric employs about 500 workmen, but is said to be attended with an annual loss to the king, who is the proprietor. Meissen contains in the town and suburbs 556 houses, with 4270 inhabitants, some of whom are employed in making linen and woollen goods, and in tanneries.
MEKRAN, a large maritime .province of Persia, (the ancient Gedronia) which extends along the Indian ocean from Cape Jask to the borders of Scind, which bounds it on the east; on the west and north-west it is bounded by Kerman; and on the north by Seistan and Arakaje. It is a country which has been but little travelled by Europeans; but from the account of Captain Grant, who traversed the western part of this province in 1809, from Guattur to Cape Jask, it appears that the middle parts are entirely mountainous, diversified with valleys and plains, none of which is exceedingly fertile, whilst others are arid. The mountains run parallel with the coast, seldom at a greater distance than eight or ten miles excepting at Cape Jask and Chobar, where they approach almost the edge of the sea. The greatest elevation of this chain is at Surku, where the streams that rise on the south side flow towards the Indian ocean, and these which have their source on the south side to the Persian Gulf. Between the sea and the hills there is a level plain, seldom more than eight or ten miles in breadth, where is produced abundance of pasturage, and where Captain Grant observed numerous flocks of sheep and camels, often in droves of two or three hundred, and only once in his journey experienced a scarcity of water. The produce of the province consists of rice, dates, wheat, barley, jour ceand cotton. They have two harvests; that of dry grain is in the end of March, and that of rice in September. Oxen are used in agriculture; and the horses are more remarkable for their hardiness and beauty. The towns and villages, most of which are surrounded with a few palm trees, consist of moveable mud huts, defended by a mud fort. The population of Mekran consists of many different tribes and independent chiefs; of these the Balooches are the most numerous. They are a middle-sized race of men, spare, muscular, and active; some live in towns, others in tents of black hair, migrating with their flocks from place to place. The women, unlike those in most Mussulman countries, are allowed to appear freely in public. The whole force in the country may amount to 25,000 men.
MELA, Pomponius, the earliest Roman geographer, whose work has been preserved, lived, most probably in the reign of Claudius, A. d. 43, though we have no precise information respecting him. The passage which seems to place him in the time of Claudius, is that (iii. 6.) where he speaks of a mighty emperor who is going to celebrate a triumph on account of the conquest of Britain, and this conquest we know took place A. d. 42. Julius Caesar only reconnoitered the coast and could not be said to have subdued the island. Mela (ii. 6.) names the place of his birth, but the different manuscripts give various readings. It was certainly in Spain but whether it was Tingentera or Cingentera, and in what part of the country it was situated, we do not know. His name is also written Mella in many of the ancient manuscripts. The family too from which he was descended is equally a subject of dispute. Some imagine that he was descended from the family of Annaeus, and suppose either that he was the son of Marcus Annaeus Seneca, the orator, or that he was his grandson by L. Annaeus Seneca, the celebrated philosopher. The former opinion is grounded principally on the fact that Seneca the orator has dedicated the first and the fifth of his ten books to his three sons, Μ. A. Novatus, L. A. Seneca, and L. A. Mela. The chief objections arise from our never finding Annaeus preceding the name of Mela. The work of Mela on geography is entitled De situ Orbis, in three books, and has come down to us in the same state as Mela wrote it, with the exception of the numerous blunders of the transcribers. He has derived most of his information from Greek geographers, adopting, more particularly, the system of Eratosthenes. After a few introductory remarks on the globe in general, the author in his first book gives a description of Mauritania on the western coast of Africa, then Numidia, Africa Proper, Egypt, Arabia, Syria, Cilicia, Pamphylia, Lycia, Caria, Ionia, Aeolis, Bithynia, Paphlagonia, and the other districts along the coast of the Euxine. In his second he describes the countries on the banks of the Tanais, (Don), the Scythians, Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, Hellas, Peloponnesus, Epirus, Illyria, Gaul, Spain, and terminates his description where he began. In the third he describes the north-western coast of Spain, Germany, Sarmatia, the countries on the Caspian sea, Carmania, Persia, Arabia; then he passes into Africa, where he gives some account of western Ethiopia, and terminates his description at Cape Ampelusia, in Mauritania. The style of Mela is concise and spirited, though somewhat affected. The best editions are those of Gronovius, 1696, and of Tzschucke, Leipzig, 1806. (See Tzschucke Diss, de Pomponio Mela.)
MELAH, a town of Hindustan, in the Rajpoot territories, and province of Ajmeer, forty-eight miles SSE. from Zand-poor. Long. 73. 33. E. Lat. 25. 49. N.
MELAMPUS, in fabulous history, a celebrated soothsayer and physician of Argos, the son of Amythaeon and Idomenea or Dorippe, who lived at Pylos in Peloponnessus. His servants once killed two large serpents which they found at the bottom of a large oak; and Melampus paid so much regard to their remains, that he raised a pile, upon which he burned them. He also took particular care of their young ones, and fed them with milk. Some time after this the young serpents crept to Melampus as he slept on the grass near the oak, and, as if sensible of the favours of their benefactor, they wantonly played around him, softly licking his ears. This awoke Melampus, who was astonished at the sudden change which his senses had undergone, finding himself acquainted with the chirping of the birds, and with all their rude notes, as they flew around him. Taking advantage of this supernatural gift, he made himself perfect in the knowledge of futurity, and Apollo also instructed him in the art of medicine. He had soon afterwards the happiness of curing the daughters of Proetus, by giving them hellebore, which from that circumstance has been called me-lampodium; and as a reward for his skill, he received the eldest of these princesses in marriage. The tyranny of his uncle Neleus, king of Pylos, obliged him to leave his native country; and Proetus, to shew himself more sensible of his services, gave him part of his kingdom. About this time the personal charms of Pero, the daughter of Neleus, had [7:14:537]gained many admirers; but the father promised his daughter to him only who should bring into his hands the oxen of Iphiclus. This condition displeased many; but Bias, who was also one of her admirers, engaged his brother Melampus to steal the oxen and deliver them to him. Melampus was caught in the attempt, imprisoned, and nothing but his services as a soothsayer and physician to Iphiclus could have saved him from death. All this pleaded in the favour of Melampus; but when he had taught the childless Iphiclus how to become a father, he not only obtained his liberty, but also the oxen, and, besides, he compelled Neleus to give Pero in marriage to Bias. A severe distemper, which had rendered the women of Argos insane, was totally removed by Melampus; and Anaxagoras, who then sat on the throne, rewarded his merit by giving him part of his kingdom, where he established himself, and where his posterity reigned during six successive generations. He received divine honours after death, and temples were erected to his memory.
MELANIPPIDES, in fabulous history, a Greek poet who flourished about 520 years before Christ. His grandson, of the same name, flourished about sixty years thereafter at the court of Perdiccas of Macedonia. Some fragments of their poetry are still extant.
MELAPO, a town of Anatolia, the ancient Mylasa, formerly adorned with magnificent temples. It is still a large town, situated in a fertile plain, but the houses are mean. It is eighty miles south of Smyrna.
MELCHITES, in church history, the name given to the Syriac, Egyptian, and other Christians of the Levant. The Melchites, excepting some few points of little or no importance, which relate only to ceremonies and ecclesiastical discipline, are in every respect professed members of the Greek church; but they are governed by a particular patriarch, who resides at Damascus, and assumes the title of Patriarch of Antioch. They celebrate mass in the Arabian language. The religious amongst the Melchites follow the rule of St. Basil, which is common to all the Greek monks. They have four fine convents distant about a day’s journey from Damascus, and never quit the cloister.
MELCOMB-REGIS, atown of Dorsetshire, in the hundred of Culliford-tree, 127 miles from London. It is situated on the right bank of the river Wey, which divides it from Weymouth, both which towns are connected together by the bridge. The two towns have one corporation of mayor and aldermen between them, and formerly chose four members to parliament, each person entitled to the franchise having four votes. By the new law, an alteration has been made, and the towns united chuse two members only. The whole are commonly called Weymouth, though Melcomb is the larger place of the two, and that in which are the market, town hall, and custom house, and wherein are the best houses for the accommodation of the visitors who resort to it for the purpose of sea-bathing, for which the shore is peculiarly adapted. The market is held on Tuesday. The population was in 1801, 2350; in 1811,2985; in 1821, 4252; and in 1831, 5126.
MELETIANS, in ecclesiastical history, the name of a considerable party who adhered to the cause of Meletius, bishop of Lycopolis, in Upper Egypt, after he had been deposed, about the year 306, by Peter bishop of Alexandria, on the charge of having sacrificed to the gods, and been guilty of other heinous crimes; though Epiphanius represents as his only failing an excessive severity against the lapsed. This which was at first a personal difference between Meletius and Peter, became a religious controversy; and the Meletian party subsisted in the fifth century, but was condemned by the first council of Nice.
MELFI, a city of the province Basilicata in the kingdom of Naples, being the seat of a Bishop, to whose see Napolla is united. It is situated on the river Antroluco, near its junction with the Ofanto, and contains, besides a cathedral, fourteen churches, eight monasteries, and 7400 inhabitants.
MELFORD-LONG, a town of the county of Suffolk, fifty-seven miles from London. It is situated on the river Stour, and consists of one street about a mile in length. The church is a beautiful gothic building. The country round is pleasant, and ornamented with several gentlemen’s seats. The population in 1801 amounted to 2204; in 1811 to 2068; in 1821 to 2288; and in 1831 to 2514.
MELIBOEA, in Ancient Geography, an island of Syria, at the mouth of the Orontes, which before it falls into the sea, forms a spreading lake round it. This island was famous for its purple dye. It was believed to be a Thessalian colony; and hence Lucretius’s epithet of Thessalicus.
MELICERTA, Meli certes, or Melicertus, in fabulous history, a son of Athamas and Ino. He was saved by his mother from the fury of his father, who prepared to dash him against a wall as he had done his brother Learchus. The mother was so terrified that she threw herself into the sea with Melicerta in her arms; but Neptune took compassion on the misfortunes of Ino and her son, and changed them both into sea deities. Ino was called Leucothoe or Matuta ; and Melicerta was known amongst the Greeks by the name of Palaemon, and amongst the Latins by that of Portum-nus. Some suppose that the Isthmian games were instituted in honour of Melicerta/
MELINDA, a kingdom on the east coast of Africa, situated, according to some, between the third and fourth degree of south latitude; though there is great disagreement amongst geographers as to its extent. It is allowed by all, however, that the coasts are very dangerous; being full of rocks and shelves, and the sea at some seasons very liable to tempests. The kingdom of Melinda is for the most part rich and fertile; producing almost all the necessaries of life except wheat and rice, both which are brought thither from Cambaya and other parts; and those who cannot purchase them make use of potatoes in their stead, which are here fine, large, and plentiful. They likewise abound with great variety of fruit trees, roots, plants, and other esculents, and with melons of exquisite flavour. They have also great plenty of venison, game, oxen, sheep, hens, geese, and other poultry, and one breed of sheep, whose tails weigh between thirty and forty pounds. The capital city is also called Melinda.
MELINUM, in Natural History, the name of an earth famous in the earliest ages of painting, being the only white the great painters of antiquity used; and, according to Pliny’s account, one of the three colours with which alone they performed all their works. From the description given of this earth it seems to have been aluminous, tolerably pure, and in a state of minute division.
MELISSA, in fabulous history, a daughter of Melissus king of Crete, who with her sister Amalthoea fed Jupiter with the milk of goats. She first found out the means of collecting honey, and hence it has been fabled that she was changed into a bee, as her name is the Greek word for that insect.