Part of Canada, Efkimaux, and New Mexico; Patagonia, and Terra del Fuego; part of Amazonia, and Paria or Caribbiana, page 6c1. References to the map of the country betwixt the Forth and the Clyde, p. 333 X! A The place where it is propofed to carry the river Enrick into the Carron. B The place where it is proposed to carry the upper part of the burn of Gonakin into the Carron. C The place where it is propofed to make the burn from the Spout of Ballagin, which falls into the Blain, to fall into the Glazert. References to the plan of the intended canal between the Forth and the Clyde, p. 333. A A narrow gripe between two rifing grounds. B From Carron-fhore to B, a gentle rife of about 44 feet. C The ground rifes to an extra height of about 7 feet, the bafe thereof being a bout 400 yards. DA haugh or hollow, 18 feet deep in the middle, and about 70 yards broad at top. EM At É and M the high lands contract the valley fo narrow, that a dam or bank in each place, about 110 yards long, and 6 feet high, would, if required for a refervoir, lay the whole space between, that is, the whole of Dolater bog, under water, which comprehends at least 150 acres. FL fhew the places of the two locks at the extremities of the canal of partition, to be ferved with water by the burn of Auchinclough, and a trench to bring in the burn of Kilfyth, and alfo Redburn, if occafion requires. GH fhew the fituation where, if need be, two banks may be formed; which, together with the banks of the canal fouth, and the high ground north, will inclofe a space for a refervoir above the furface of the ground, containing 20 acres Scotch measure; which, at 4 feet deep, will ferve the canal 25 days, independent of any other fupply. This refervoir may be of any extent required, even to the extent of the whole bog, as already remarked. IK Between I and K the water at prefent has no apparent motion. NAt N is proposed a dam to throw the Kelvin's water into the canal N O. P At P a dam propofed to be built, to throw the water into the canal leading down the valley. QAt Qan aqueduct-bridge for croffing the Allander. R At R the ground rifes 33 feet above the level of the Kelvin's furface, at Calder bridge P, which is to be passed by a vault 200 yards in length, into St German's Loch. QSTV fhews another practicable paffage for the canal. At T the ground rifes 32 feet above the level of the Kelvin's furface at Calder bridge P; but as the ground rifes from the Allander to T, it would require vaulting three quarters of a mile. ▼fhews the place where the two passages unite. Wis a rifing ground to be cut through. DIRECTIONS to the BINDER for placing the I. MAPS. li. TFKing and Dage 7. Dr. HE King and Queen, to front the title. III. The Artificial Sphere, p. 8. V. Spain and Portugal, p. 31. VI. France, p. 60. VII. Italy, p. 78. Map of Holy Land 43. VIII. The Seven United Provinces, with the Auftrian, French, and Dutch Netherlands, p. 116. IX. Germany, P. 132. -X. Hungary, with Turkey in Europe, p. 159. XI. Poland, Lithuania, and Pruffia, p. 167. XII. Ruffia, or Mufcovy in Europe, p. 176. XIII. Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland, p. 189. XIV. England and Wales, p. 209. XV. Scotland, p. 329. XVI. A map of the country betwixt the Forth and the Clyde, p. 333. XVII. Mr Smeaton's plan of the intended Canal betwixt the Forth and Clyde, p. 333. XVIII. Ireland, p. 347. XIX. Afia, p. 394. XX. Turkey in Afia, p. 395. XXI. The Ruins of Palmyra, p. 398. XXII. The ancient city of Jerufalem, p. 398. XXIII. The Eaft Indies, p. 417. XXIV. China, p. 433. XXV. Africa, p. 457. XXVI. Egypt, p. 458... XXVII. The Pyramids of Egypt, p. 463. XXVIII. North America, p. 505. XXIX. South America, p. 519. XXX. The West Indies, p. 541. XXXI. New England, New York, New Jersey, and Penfylvania, P. 554. XXXII. Virginia, and Maryland, p. 569. XXXIII The island of Jamaica, p. 583. N. B. The binder is defired to beat the book before he places the maps. See the explanation, or references to the map of the country between the Forth and the Clyde, and to the plan of the intended canal, on the page preceding this one. INTRODUCTION. A Defcription of the Figure and Motion of the Earth. B Efore I begin the elementary part of Geography, it feems neceffary to fay fomething concerning the figure and motion of the earth, Anaximander, who lived about the 58th Olympiad, imagined the earth to be cylindrical: Leucippus held it to be in the form of a drum: but the chief opinion was, that it was a vaft extended plane, and that the horizon was the utmost limits of the earth, and the ocean the bounds of the horizon, and that all beneath the ocean was Hades. Of the fame opinion were many of the ancient poets and philofophers; and also fome of the Christian fathers, it is faid, went fo far out of their province, as to pronounce it heretical for any perfon to declare there was fuch a thing as the Antipodes. By which it is plain, they thought that the earth was not spherical. This was the general opinion, as to the figure of the earth, in the infancy of Aftronomy; but when by the industry of fucceeding ages, it was brought to a tolerable degree of perfection; and when they began to obferve, that the moon was frequently feen eclipsed by the fhadow of the earth, and that fuch fhadows always appeared circular which way foever it was projected; they could no longer doubt of the earth's being spherical: For, fince the happy finding of the mariner's compafs, the argument of the fphericity of the earth is become irrefragable to all forts of people. This is evident from the circular appearance of the fea itself, as well as from the great number of voyages that have been made round it from east to west, first by Magellan's thip, in the year 1519, 1520, and 1521, in 1124 days; by Sir Francis Drake, in the years 1577, 1578, 1579, and 1580, in 1056 days; and, laftly, by Commodore (late Lord) Anfon, who, on the 15th of June, 1744, finifhed his long voyage of near four years. After the learned world were convinced of the fpherical figure of the earth, they industriously fet themselves to meafure the quantity of a degree; among others, our countryman Norwood, by an accurate menfuration of the distance between London and York, found the quantity of a degree to be about 69 English miles. When philofophy and mathematics had arrived at a fill higher degree of perfection, there feemed to be very fufficient reafon to the philofophers of the laft age, to confider the earth as not truly fpherical. Among 8 'A Defcription of the Figure and Motion of the Earth. Among these Sir Ifaac Newton and Caffini led the van. They both imagined that the earth was a spheroid: but differed in this; Sir Ifaac Newton endeavoured to prove it an oblate fpheroid, and Caffini strongly contended, that it was a prolate fpheroid. Sir Ifaac affirmed, that the poles were flatted, like an orange, and that the axis of the earth was fhorter than the equatorial diameter in the proportion of 688 to 692. Caffini thought quite the contrary, and that the equatorial diameter was fhorter than the axis of the earth. Each opinion was ftrongly efpoufed, and warmly defended; each party, by turns, claiming the victory. At laft it was put to the only just decifion, that of an actual menfuration of a degree of the meridian; which was done at the expence, and by the direction of the King of France; who, in the year 1736, fent a company of very able mathematicians, in order to measure a degree of the meridian at the polar circle in Lapland; who, after a long and tedious journey, made a very accurate and fatisfactory menfuration, which has been published fome time fince by Monfieur Maupertuis, in his book of the figure of the earth. The refult of this undertaking turned out molt exactly in favour of Sir Ifaac's opinion. Caffini has retracted what he had advanced, and the Newtonian philofaphy ftands confirmed beyond contradiction. Another party of mathematicians, compofed of French and Spaniards, was fent to the equator, in order to measure a degree of the meridian in thofe parts, fo that a comparison might be made between that and polar degrees. But though they were out between nine and ten years, and their menfuration was attended with tolerable fuccefs; yet, near the time of parting, fome unhappy differences arifing between the gentlemen of the two nations, they have fo much difagreed in the accounts that have been published of their expedition, that they are not in the least to be depended on. Though it appears from hence, that the earth is not truly fpherical, yet the difference from that figure is fo very fmall, as to make no fenfible error in performing common problems on the globe, as though it was really fo. As to the motion of the earth, though it was denied in the very early ages of the world, yet as fcon as aftronomical knowledg began to be studied, the motion of the earth was afferted, and received fuch force of demonftration from the writings of Copernicus, as in a great meafure to put it out of doubt, by fhewing its great ufe and advantage in aftronomy; and which appeared fo very reafonable, that all the philofophers and aftronomers of his time, who durit think differently from the croud, and were not afraid of ecclefiaftica! cenfure, were on his fide. The aftronomers of the laft and prefent age have produced fuch variety of ftrong and forcible arguments in favour of it, as muft effectually gain the affent of every fa'r and impartial inquirer. Among many reafons for the motion of the earth, I hall produce two or three; is. If the earth does not move round the fun, the fun muft move with the moon round the earth. Now, as the dillance of the fun to that of the moon, being as 10,000 to 46, and the moon's period being lefs than 23 days, the fun's period would be found no less than 242 years; whereas |