A New Description of Merryland  

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A New Description of Merryland. Containing a Topographical, Geographical and Natural History of that Country (1740) is a novella by Thomas Stretzer. It describes a 'fruitful and delicious country," but actually depicted the female body as a landscape that men explore, till, and plow. For example, he writes: "Her valleys are like Eden, her hills like Lebanon, she is a paradise of pleasure and a garden of delight." Sometimes, the metaphor of female form = landscape changes, but the objectification of the female body remains intact; only the image is changed, as when, for example, in another passage, the novel's narrator, Roger Pheuquewell, describes the uterus ("Utrs," as the author simply contracts vowels without graphical indication) as resembling "one of our common pint bottles, with the neck downwards." It is remarkable, he says, for expanding infinitely, the more it is filled, and contracting when there is no crop to hold.

The book was published by Edmund Curll and is dedicated to George Cheyne, who, at that time, would not be known for vegetarianism, but, rather, alleged deism. Merryland combines the traditional language of Song of Songs, the microcosm of classical education, and, most pointedly, the tropes of Book II of Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. In Book II, Gulliver reports that he was used in ways that a gentleman should not endure by the giant girls who undress in his presence. The erotic possibilities were dismissed in Swift's account, but Curll, who was an enemy of Swift's, would have quickly seen the pornographic possibilities, especially as he had already produced a "Key" to Gulliver and had attempted to siphon off Swift's sales. Curll's practice was to hire impoverished authors for commissioned works on pornography, and his stable of hired authors was substantial.

Modern editions

• Stretzer, Thomas. "Robin Hood House," ed. (1932). Merryland. New York: Kessinger Publishing, 2003.
• Merryland. In v.3 of Eighteenth-Century British Erotica, edited by Alexander Pettit and Patrick Spedding. London: Pickering and Chatto, 2002.

Full text

А NEW DESCRIPTION OF MERRYLAND. Containing, A TOPOGRAPHICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, A N D NATURAL HISTORY of That COUNTRY. Define ( quapropter ] Novitate exterritus ipfa Expuere ex Animo Rationem ; fed magis acri Judicio, perpende, &, fi tibi vera videtur, Dede Manus; aut, fi falfa eft, accingere contra. LUCRET.Lib. 2 . Fly no Opinion, Friend, becauſe ' tis New ; But ſtrictly ſearch , and after careful View, Reject if Falſe, embrace it, if ' tis True. CREECH's Tranfiat. THE EIGHT EDITION. With a Curious Plan of the Harbour and adjacent Country, with aa View of aa remarkable Promontary. B A T H: Printed and ſold by J. LEAKE there ; and by E. Curli, at Pope's Head in Roſe- ſtreet, Covent-Garden, [ Price i s. 6 d. ] аяраа / аа 3 BIBLIOTHECA REGIA MONACENSIS. ОТЕ h , sert T ΤΟta GEORGE CHEYNE,, M. D. C. R. Ed. S. & S. R. S. SIR, I T is my Misfortune not to have the Honour of a perſonal Ac quaintance with any Great MAN Man, to whom , with a tolerable Grace, I could apply the uſual Panegyric, which Cuſtom has made fo neceſſary an Ingredient in DEDICATIONS: But turning my Thoughts to thoſe, with whoſe learned Works, and La bours for the Public Good, I am bet ter acquainted, than with their Perlons, You, Sir, immediately occurred as the propereſt Patron for the following Work. gou A Lo Whether DEDICATION. Whether I conſider you as an emi nent Phyſician, as aa Member of that learned Society, of which you are alſo one of the Greateſt Ornaments, or as a Philoſopher, endowed with an in finite Fund of Knowledge in Natural and Experimental Philoſophy; what ever Light I view you in , your Ac compliſhments are ſo reſplendent, fo univerſally known, and admired, that no Luſtre can be added to them by the greateſt Encomiums: Their in trinſic Excellence takes away all pof fibility of Flattery, and í bluſh as much at my Incapacity of giving you your juft Due, as you would at af cribing more than they deſerved, to others.o dguod bri slarlwin Theſe Confiderations make this Work LOKC your peculiar Property, and are very urgent Inducements for Addreſſing it to You, eſpecially, as I have thereby the Advantage of exempting myſelf from I D E DICATIO N. at so 28 2 al ľ C fo reſt of your ar by from that Hardſhip which attends moſt Dedicators, of inventing the Virtues they celebrate. To do Juſtice to your great Abi lities, bothas a Phyſician and Philoſo pher, to deſcribe your amiable genteel Addreſs, and polite Behaviour , your generous Contempt of Money, and Abhorrence of Adulation , with the " Chriſtian Virtues, " which are not only univerſally ad “ mired, but felt ,” would be a Talk too difficult for any ſentient or intelligent Being, incumbered with the Adamical Cruft of Clay, and can never be ex ecuted with Infallibility, Illability, and Impeccability, but by thoſe who, after a progreſſive Purification, are developed and mundified of that Plaiſier or Vem hicle of a demſer and coarſer Ele ment, ſuperinduced over the primitive etherial Body, by which the Spirits are infinitely condenſed, concentered and incraſſated. Your . 1 of g DU f 10 ul DEDICATI O N. Your learned Works, Sir , deriving from their Author a Ray, Efirex, or infiniteſimal Emanation , are above the Reach of Critics, and by ſending this into the World under your Patronage, I hope the extreme Tenderneſs and De licacy of its lumbaginous State will be protected from the noxious and deleteri ous Qualities of thoſe envious Wret ches, " the Powers of whoſe Souls « are funk, concentered, impriſoned, « and contracted to a Punctum Sali ens, by their unformed Tabernacle or Organicle Vehicle, and cannot « exert their intellectual Functions. Theſe Critics “ have, by wrong or “ no Culture, ſunted the Organs of « their Faculties, and by a perpetual Mal- Regimen diſtorted them ; and << like our Planet, have ſo many « untoward and oblique Symptoms of a deſigned Deteriority, that they are not fit to Commerciat with our & Bodies: Like the Scuttle- Fiſh, they CC לל CC CC ( « ſpout DEDICATION. « ſpout out their own black Liquor " on the pellucid Element.” In re turn for theſe bad Qualities, I wiſh them no other Exacerbation , or any thing more deleterious, than a ſtrict Confinement to an abſtemious vegeta ble Regiment, and an aqueous Beverage. I ſhall not make any farther Intru fion on your precious Time, or divert it longer from your Philoſophical Stu dies, but fubmit the following Work to your Peruſal at a leiſure Hour,. As you are now paſt the Meridian, and the “ hyperbolic Curve of Life is at the Point of returning down « s wards again ,” it is not to be expect ed, you can enjoy the Pleaſure of making any more Journiesto MERRY LAND ; but “ ſince all ſentient and in 6c telligent Beings are made for Happi neſs, and will by mere Inſtinct ſeek < it fome-how or ſome-where, I hope the Fy following Chapters will fupply you 66 with 60 DEDICATION. > 60 " with ſome ſuitable Entertainment « and Amuſement, with which your « leiſure Hours may be agreeably di « verted , while you continue in this lapſed, expiatoryand progreſſive State, till you gradually put off this Adamical Tabernacle, and ſlide into another, ac cording to the general Laws of Purif cation, till at laſtyou arrive at that fixed and permanent State deſigned for you in the univerſal Syſtem of Intelligences. MO I beg leave to affure you, that I have the moft « vehement Willings, Long ings, Volitions, and Velleities,” to ap prove myſelf, Sul SIR, Your great Admirer, GE 1:20. moſt humble and moſt obedient Servant, The EDITOR Bath, 20 OEM. 174.0. [ ' ix ) THE EDITOR TO THE R E A DEE R. I T is become an Obſervation , trite enough, that when any Work, like This, which is new and curious, makes its Appearance in the World, al moſt every one is deſirous to have ſome Account of the Author. To ſatisfy therefore in ſome Meaſure this common Curiofity, I ſhall ac quaint my Reader with all that II have been able to learn concerning the Wri ter of the following Sheets. B His [ x ] His Name I find to be Roger Pucu Quewell, withthe Addition of Esq; deſcended from an ancient Family in Ireland, remarkable for their being Red -Headed, of great Note, and of long ſtanding in that. Country. He was the youngeſt Brother of nine, and conſequently could have no great Patrimony to begin the World withal, and therefore in the Year 1717, he came to London to ſeek his Fortune, as ſeveral of his Relations had ſucceſs fully done before him ; he was then in the full Vigour of Youth, bleſs'd with great Abilities, a good Addreſs, a moſt advantageous Stature, and well proportioned graceful Shape, and o therwiſe well qualified . All theſe Advantages foon recommended him to the moſt inward Favour of a rich Widow , whom he in a ſhort Time married, and during her Life was genteelly maintained by her Jointure. He made frequent Journies to Merry LAND in her Life time; but after her death Ixi ] death , he took a Fancy to be almoſt continually going and coming, and ſpent ſoO much in theſe Journies, that he was reduced to very low Circum wa ſtances, and retired at laſt to Boulogne in France, where he died the 19thof April 1738, N. S. and at his death the followingSheets were found among his other Papers blow Am He was lodged at a Hotelere in that Town, the Maſter of which had a hear Acquaintance with a Capuchin Fryar, whom he called to his Affiſt ance in examining the Papers of the deceaſed. To be short, the Fryarupon looking ſome timeinto the Manuſcript, cried out to the Hotelere, or Land lord, 6 Here is a Curioſity, I believe, " that will pay, not only whatisow ing to you for Bed and Board, but 156 will, over and above that, put Money “ in your Pocket ; ” and fo he volun tarily offered to tranflate it into French for his Benefit. on Accord 66 B 2 [ xii ] Accordingly this was done, but the Capuchin not being a ſufficient Maſter of the Engliſh Tongue to do Juſtice to the Author, the Book was publiſhed with ſo many Errors and Miſtakes, that the Writer himſelf, had he been alive, could not have known it for his own. It's firſt step into the World (thus deformed) was no longer after the Author's Death than the Middle of June following, and notwithſtanding all its Blemiſhes, it met with ſo good a Reception in France, that it is now fome Months ſince it went through the fixth Edition at Paris. Soon after the firſt Publication, our Author was ſo well reliſhed in Madrid, that a Spaniſh Tranſlation was publiſh ed there by Don Juan Compoſtella il Tarragona,dedicated to the Archbiſhop of Saragoſſa, but this Verfion was not leſs faulty than that of the Fryar. boooo to An [ xiii ] An Italian has done the Author more Juſtice, for which Reaſon it was thought he had , by ſome means or other, procured an Engliſh Copy : This was publiſhed at Rome, in March 1739, and altho' the Tranſlator is not certainly known, it is ſuppoſed to be the Work of an eminent Cardinal, whoſe Name I am not at Liberty to mention . bold Nor was it long after, that a neat Edition was publiſhed at Dantzick, in the Poliſh Language, by one Ven ſkorſky Wiſmiawiſky, and another much about the fame Time in Daniſh, printed at Copenhagen, by Gaſpar Gluckſtat; not to mention the Dutch and German Editions, which would be too tedious to enumerate in this Place. oud It may perhaps be allowed, that there is not a great deal to be ſaid in Commen . [ xiv ) Commendation of our Author's Dic tion ; but then it may be anſwered , that a Work of fo grave and ſerious a Nature, could not well admit of thoſe Flowers and Ornaments, which em belliſh Subjects of Wit and Humour. However, it is more than probable, he would have corrected the Style, as the laft Hand to the Work, before he put it to the Preſs , had not Death pre vented him . Notwithſtanding any accidental Dif advantages that have attended this Work, it has, like the Palm , flou tiſhed in Spite of all Opprefſion : And it is evident, that thefurpriſing ly good Reception it has met with, in ſo many different and fo far diſtant Countries, could not have happened, but from the Truth and Novelty of the Subject. It would therefore be very difficult to account for any thing ſo extraordinary, as that fo valuable a Piece ſhould never have ſpoke its own Language - 119 TIO [ XyXv ] Language (if I may be allowed the Expreſſion ) till his Time; eſpecially when we conſider how many of our Countrymen have been travelling a broad in the Time of which we are ſpeaking, how much Diligence is dai ly made uſe of to procure any thing that is new , in all'Parts of Europe; and laſtly, that we have ſo many Tran ſlators (of the French in particular) that hardly any thing, new or old, can eſcape their Labour. I am unwil ling to attribute this long Neglect in England of fo valuable an Author, to any greater Depravity in our Taſte, or leſs Reliſh for uſeful Learning than our Neighbours; tho I am much afraid, our Fondneſs for Fairy - Tales, fabulous Stories, monſtrous Fictions and Romances, has of late Years too much increaſed , and makes us take the leſs Delight in ſtudying ſuch grave and ſerious Books, as this now before Us, I ſhall [ xvi ] I ſhall detain the Reader no long er, but only to affure him that I have taken all poſſible Care to make this Edition correct, having luckily had an Opportunity of ſeeing the original Manuſcript with which this was care fully collated. Upon the whole, I think, I may reaſonably hope to ſee this valuable Work at laſt kindly received in Eng land, and go thro' as many Editions here as it has done in France, and is likely to do in almoſt all the Coun tries in Europe. PREFACE God would [ xvii 2 THE PREFACE V diorib BY THE AUU T H O R. FAvoured by indulgentProvidence with twenty Years Experience, and frequent Opportunities of acquainting myſelf with the Situation and Circum ſances of MerryLAND, I have at length finiſhed my Inquiries into The Preſent State of that Country, and diſpoſed the Materials I have colleated, in ſuch a Manner as, I preſume, will give every one who deſires to be informed, a toler able Idea of the Country I have de ſcribed с It [ xviii ] It muſt be confeſſed however, there ſtill remains fome Part of this delight ful Country undiſcovered, and that there are many Laws, Cuftoms, and Curioſities, of which we have hitherto a very imperfect Knowledge. Of theſe I have choſen to ſay little or nothing, rather than amuſe Mankind with the uncertain Gueſſes and fabulous Rela tions of idle Travellers, who obſerving the Weakneſs of the Generality of Readers, and their Guft for every Thing that carries an Air of Novelty and Wonder, entertain them princi pally with Whimſies of their own Brains Since the World is no longer to be amuſed with the fabulous Relations of Travellers and Hiſtorians, any more than with the Dreams of Superſtition and Enthuſiaſm ; an Attempt to di ſtinguiſh Truth from Fiction, and ta diſcover the Certainty of thoſe Accounts wa [ xix ] iwe have received of MERRYLAND, it is preſumed, will not be unacceptable to this diſcerning Age. Relations mon ſtrous and unnatural may pleaſe the Weak and Indolent, but Truth and Na ture only can fatisfy the Wiſe : My Deſign therefore is to examine what others have publiſhed of this wonder ful and delicious Country, to compare them one with another, and with my own Obſervations, in order to lift out the Truth. And having ſearched narrow ly into the State of this Country myſelf and been converſant with many People, whoſe Inclinations led them to make In quiries, and whole good Luck gave them frequent Opportunities ofſatisfying their Curioſities; I ſay, having made it may Buſineſs to inform myſelf from all the intelligent Travellers I have met with, and added their Remarks to my own , I hope I ſhall not be deemed altogether unqualifiedfor ſuch an Undertaking. S C 2 I need [ XX1 I need not ſay how uſeful and necef ſary a Work of this Nature will be to the World . I fall only obſerve,, that no-body has ever attempted it be fore in this Method ; and it is ſome that ſurpriſing, that all the modern Geographers, ſuch as Cluverius, Or telius, Cellarius, & * c. ſhould be en tirely ſilent about ſo remarkable a Country, which was diſcovered many Ages ago, and was well known to the Ancients ; as appears by Beroſus a Chaldean, who wrote the Hiſtory of Babylon in the Time of Antiochus So ter : and Herodotus, the moſt an cient Writer among the Greeks (whoſe Works have reached us ) Speaks of this Country, as a Place well known in thoſe Days. It is as certain too, that the old Academics, Peripatetics, and Stoics, were tolerably well acquaint ed with this Country, as appears by fome of their own Works, as well as by the Teſtimony of other Authors; and the great [ xxi ] 1 great Metrodous, who was a Scholar of Epicurus, was frequently there. Our Engliſh Geographers take no No tice of it ; Mr. Moll in his Atlas has entirely omitted it, and the learned Mr. Gordon makes no mention of it, neither has Mr. Salmon Jaid a Word of it in his Modern Hiſtory, or Pre ſent State of all Nations; Nor bave Mr. Cuſthee, or Mr. Senex, given it à Place in their Globes. 1 1 I cannot imagine theſe Gentlemen ſo ignorant as to be entirely unac quainted, that there is ſuch a Coun try ; but as it is not my Buſineſs to ac ; count for their Omiſſions, I ſhall ſay no more of them , but that their Silence bas rendered this work of mine the more neceſſary. How well I have ex ečuted it, or how far it is ſtill defici ent, muft be ſubmitted to the candid and impartial Reader. I ſhall not be at all ſurpriſed, if ſome cenforious People [ xxii ] People blame me for my bold Attempt, and others find fault with the Perfor mance ; this is what I expect, and am prepared for by that Diffich of Mim nermus, Oblectes Animum ; plebs eft morofa legendo, Ille benè de te dicet, at ille malè. I ſhall conclude this Preface with wiſhing the Reader may find all the Pleaſure and Satisfa &tion he can de fire in peruſing this ſhort Work. If it affords bim no Improvement, I may venture to promiſe it will at leaſt give him fome Entertainment. But left any thing I might ſay here, ſhould be ſuſpected of Partiality, I fall decline adding any thing more of myſelf, but lay before my Reader, the following Opinion of that truly learned and Right Reverend Prelate the Biſhop of London, whoſays, 6 Of [ xxiii ] CC « Of all the Studies to which Men « are drawn, either by Inclinatoin or 6c Intereſt, perhaps no one can pre • tend to fuch an agreeable Pleaſure, as the DESCRIPTION OF COUNTRIES. By a Variety of Proſpects, they feed us conſtantly with freſh Satisfacti “ ons ; and the Objects they prefent “ are fo chained together that a curious " Reader has much ado to break off. “ This is the Advantage of that Sub ject in general.” But when we come to Affairs that Nearly concern us, the Reliſh is ſtill heightened in Proportion to every. One’s Love for the Country treated of. TIL

( C XI 10 . 0 estad M THE omo S THE SIGISH OIL CONTENTS. boot vad boclorito Page Cuar.1.Fanidewhence it is ſo called. 25 I. F the Name of MERRYLAND, II . Of the Situation of MERRYLAND. 27 "HI. Ofthe Air , Soil,Rivers, Canals, & c . 31 IV . Of the vaſt Extent of MERRYLAND, itsDiviſions and principal Places of Note. 38 V. Of the ancient and modern Inhabitants, their Manners, Cuſtoms, & c . 42 VI. Of the Product and Commodities, ſuch as Fiſh , Fowls, Beaſts, Plants, & c . 47 VII. Of the Rarities, Curioſities, &c . 51 VIII. Of the Government of MERRYLAND, 56 IX. Of the Religion. 60 X. Of the Language. XI. Of the ſeveral Tenures , &c . 63 XII. Of the Harbours, Bays, Creeks, Sands, Rocks, and other dangerous Places, with the Settings andFlowings of the Tides and Currents; aud ſafe Direction for Strangers ſteering into MERRYLAND: 68 62 HT A NE W ort ow A NEW DESCRIPTION OF MERRYLAND. nge ol TDI 23 CHAP. I. 27 31 D 38 4.2 ich 47 Boa astanas 51 T 56 Of the NAME of MERRYLAND, ob and whence it is fo called . onbomo de THENames of moſt Countries have A been much altered from thoſe they 90 were formerly known by ; and even at this Day, different Nations, nay, People of the ſame Country, give different Names to thefame Place. MERRYLAND, like other Countries , has been known under great Variety of Names, and perhaps now has as various Appellations as any Part of the Creati on : It is not my Purpoſe to trouble the Rea der with a long Recital of them, nor to dif pute which is the moſt proper ; let it ſuffice in theſe Pages to call it MERRYLAND, ſo named ( as the learned Antiquarians inform us) Unguentis inungo, alluding to the unétuous D Nature 60 64 63 ds be زی 68 W [ 26 ] Nature of the Soil , or perhaps to the Practice of fome People in that Country, of whom the Hiſtorians ſay, In Lætitiâ Unguentis utebantur, erantque, from the tranſporting Delight that it gives . By the French it is called Terre-Gail larde. Either of theſe Derivations ſeem to me very plauſible, and have very ſignificant Refe rence to the wonderful Delight People enjoy in MERRYLAND, as will be more fully rela ted in the ſucceeding Chapters : However, far be it from me to preſume abſolutely to fix this Derivation as infallible ; it being a Matter of great Conſequence to the learned World , I fhall with all Humility ſubmit it to the more judicious Determination of the learned and uſe ful SOCIETY of ANTIQUARIANS: In the mean-while I am pretty much confirmed in the Juſtneſs of this Etymology by the High German and Dutch Names of MERRYLAND, the firſt calling it Frolich - landt, and the other Vrolick -landt, both which agree in the ſame Signification, and in my humble Opinion clear up the Matter almoſt beyond Diſpute. SO Como etaodbolla CHAP [ 27 ] CH A P. II. 1 of the Situation of MERRY LAND. e M os ; V T er 1 De ne he ERRYLAND a Part of that vaft Continent called by the Dutch Geo graphers, the Vroiſlandtſcap ; it is ſituate in a low Part of the Continent, bounded on the upper Side, or to the Northwards, by the lit tle Mountain called MNSVNRS, on the Eaſt and Weſt by COXASIN and COXADEXT, and on the South or lower Part it lies open to the TERRA - FIRMA. There is ſomething very remarkable and ſurpriſing as to the Longitude and Latitude of this Country, neither of which could ever yet be fixed to any certain Degree; and it is pret ty evident, however ſtrange it may ſeem , that there are as great Variations both of the Lati tude and Longitude in MERRYLAND, as of the Mariner's Compaſs in other Parts of the World : To confirm this, I beg leave to af fure the Reader of a Matter of fact, which , if he be an entire Stranger to MERRY LAND, he will perhaps ſcarce have Faith to believe ; but they who have any tolerable Experience and Knowledge of the Country, will be fo far from diſcrediting, that I do not doubt but they he er de a D 2 [ 28 ] they will be ready to confirm it by their own Obſervation . * Know then , courteous Reader, ſoon after my firſt Entrance into this wonderful and de lightful Country (having as prying a Curioſity as moſt Men) I endeavoured to get the beſt Inſight that was poſſible in every Thing rela ting to the State ofMERRYLAND, obſerving with diligent Attention every Thing the Coun try afforded that was remarkable either in Art or Nature, all which I intend to communi cate to the Publick in the following Sheets . Among otherthings I made very accurate Ob fervations both of the Latitude and Longitude, and may venture to ſay, there could be no confiderable Miſtake in myObſervations, as they were made with a proper Inſtrument of a large Radius, and in perfect good Order; nay, I have been aſſured , when I was in MERRY LAND, that my Inſtrument was inferior to none: But ſome Years after, happening to be there again , and repeating the Experiment, I found both Latitude and Longitude increaſed many Degrees, tho' I tried in the fame Spot, and with the ſame Inſtrument as before . It may perhaps, be ſuſpected, that my Inſtrument

• But now attend ; I'll teach thee ſomething new ,

' Tis ftrange, but yet ' tis Reaſon, and 'tis true : Ev'n what we now with greateft Eaſe receive, Seem'd ſtrange at firſt, and wecould ſcarce believe : And what we wonder at, as Years increaſe, Will ſeem more plain, and all our Wonder ceaſe . CREECH's Lucret. B. II. might [ 29 ] 7 er e A 13 might have ſuffered ſince the firſt Experiment was made, (as it is well known the beſt are liable to Damage by Time and frequent Uſe) but that was not the Caſe ; for tho' mine had, I muſt confefs, been often uſed , yet it was with ſuch prudent Care and Caution, that it was in as great Perfection as ever ; and even at this Day I could venture to recommend it as a tolerable good one, tho' I have had it above theſe 30 Years, and uſed it pretty freely, and with great Satisfaction to myſelf and others, That the Latitude and Longitude then were evidently and confiderably increaſed, is Matter ofFact beyond Diſpute ; but how to account for ſo wonderful a Phænomenon I muſt leave to others , and ſhould think it well worthy the Conſideration of that curious and learned Body, the Royal Society : Felix, qui potuit rerum cognofcere Cauſas. 세 11 IS b th 10 as VIRGIL. Y 10 be h it That they may have all the Hints and In formation towards it, which my Experience can afford , I muſt acquaint them, that this ſurpriſing increaſe of Latitude and Longitude in MERRYLAND, ſeldom fails to happen, after having a fruitful Seaſon in that Country ( as had been the Čafe when my Experiment was laſt made) fo much does it increaſe, that after a few Years one would ſcarce believe he was in the fame Part of the World ; nor is its Fraitfulneſs the only Cauſe of this Variation; frequent [ 30 ] frequent tilling the Soil, tho' it ſhould prove utterly barren , or no Seed be fown in it, is ob ferved in ſome Meaſure to produce the ſame Effect . This extraordinary Alteration of the Lati tude is not at all agreeable, but the greater Degree it extends to, the leſs delightful is the Country to its Inhabitants : On which Confi deration fome Projectors have been induced to try ſeveral Methods ( and as they pretend with Succeſs) for reducing the Latitude, when too much augmented, and by that means re . ftore MERRYLAND, at leaſt in Appearance, to its primitive State ; but they muſt be igno rant People indeed, who can be impoſed on by ſuch Practices ; yet ſuch it ſeems there have been, but they are juſtly laughed at for their Credulity, and by no-body more, than by the very Perſons who ſo eaſily deceived them. I need ſay no more of the Situation of this Country, but after the Example of that excel lent Geographer Mr. Patrick Gordon ( who in his Geographical Grammar tells us what Place is the Antipodes, or oppoſite Part of the Globe to the ſeveral Countries he treats of ( I ſhall conclude this Chapter by informing the curi ous Reader, that the Antipodes toMERRY LAND is by fome ſaid to be that prominent Part of the Continent called Pox, known in High- Dutch by the Nameof der Arſz -back; o thers affirm the Antipodes to be in the very uttermoſt [ 31 ] uttermoſt Point of the Promontory CPT, but as it is not my Intention to concern myſelf in theſe Diſputes, but ſtick as cloſe as may be to my Subject, I ſhall leave the Affair of the Antipodes to thoſe who have a Taſte that Way; only ſhall obſerve, there are ſome People who very prepoſterouſly ( as I think ) give the Pre ference to the Pox ; the Italian Geographers are pretty much inclined that Way ; fome of the Dutch have likewiſe come into it, and of late Years a few in Great Britain have appear ed not altogether averſe to it. CH A P. III. 3 Of the Air, Soil, Rivers, CANALS, &c. HE AIR in MERRYLAND is very dif TIferent, being in fome Provinces perfect ly pure and healthy ; in others emtreamly groſs and peſtilential; for the moſt part it may be ſaid to be like the Air in Holland, " generally " thick and moiſt, by reaſon of the frequent Fogs which ariſe from its Lakes and Canals ," yet it is moſtly very pleaſant and agreeable to the Inhabitants, tho it cannot always be ſaid to be wholeſome. In the moſt healthful Pro vinces it agrees well with young and vigorous Conſtitutions ; but for old Men, or thoſe who are Conſumptive, this Country is at beſt eſteemed very pernicious, eſpecially if they enjoy CC [ 32 ] a enjoy it too much, which manyare tempted to, by the bewitching Pleaſantneſs of the Place, of which we may fay with Solomon , " How fair and how pleaſant art Thou, o « Love, for Delights !”. The Climate is generally warm, and ſome times ſo very hot, that Strangers inconfiderate ly coming into it, have ſuffered exceedingly ; many have loſt their Lives by it, ſome break out into Sores and Ulcers difficult to be cured; and others, if they eſcape with their Lives, have loft a Member . It is certain there can be no Diſtemper more to be dreaded than this , occafioned by the Heat of the Climate in MERRYLAND ; the Curious may ticularly deſcribed , with all its hideous Symp toms, by our Countryman Bartholomew Glan ville (who flouriſhed about the Year 1360 ) in his Book De Proprietatibus Rerum, tranſlated by John Trevifa , Vicar of Barkeley, in 1398 . But notwithſtanding this inconvenience is fo well known, fo bewitchingly tempting is the Country, that People will too frequently ruſh into it without Caution, or Confideration of their Danger ; even thoſe who know the ill Conſequence, from dear -bought Experience, are not always deterred from precipitantly re peating the ſame Folly ; nay, fo remarkable is this Raſhneſs in the InhabitantsofMERRYLAND that it is become a common Proverb to ſay they have no Forecaſt. But this dangerous Heat of the Climate, with all its dreadful Conco fee it par Flooct200h mitants, [ 33 ] ad C 0 er EM di es be US a mitants, is not ſo very terrible, but it may be guarded againſt by taking proper Precautions, and People might venture intoit without much Hazard, even at the worſt Seaſons, and in the moſt unhealthy Provinces ; they need no more to avoid the Danger, but be careful always to wear proper Clothing, of which they have a Sort that is very commodious, and peculiarly adapted to this Country; it is made of an ex traordinary fine thin Subſtance, and contrived ſo as to be all of one Piece, and without a Seam, only about the Bottom it is generally bound round with a ſcarlet Ribbon for Orna ment. This Clothing has been found ſo uſeful, that a modern Bard thought fit to write a Poem in its Commendation, and has moſt elegantly celebrated its Praiſes in Blank Verſe. Sometimes the Climate is as much on the other Extreme, cold , to a great Degree ; but this rarely happens, nor has it any bad Effect on the Inhabitants, otherwiſe than by being diſagreeable and uncomfortable to live in. In general the Country is warm enough, and foexceedingly delightful, that every Man at firſt coming into it is tranſported with Pleaſure; the very Sight of MERRYLAND, or any near Approach to it, puts one in ſtrange Raptures, and even in dreaming of it, People have enjoyed a moſt pleaſing kind of Deliri um : In ſhort, it is the lovelieſt and ſweeteſt Region of the World, and is thus painted by thePoet. E Quas po ed fo he 1 وا e v 0 19 [ 34 ] Quas neq ; concutiunt Venti, neq; Nubile Nimbis Aſpergunt, neq ; Nix acri concreta Pruinâ Cana cadens violat,femperq; innubilus Æther Contigit & latè diffuſo Lumine ridet. * However, I muſt own, the Poet ſeems to have been a little too bold and hyperbolical in this Deſcription ; and fond as I am of the Country, I am not ſo partial as to think this poetic Flight ſtrictly juſtifiable, notwithſtand ing all the learned Commentators have wrote to reconcile it to Truth : Creſcit in immenfumfacunda Licentia Vatum .-- The Country lying very low (as Mr. Gordon fays of Holland ) its Soil is naturally very wet and fenny, the Parts that are beſt inhabited are generally the moiſteſt; and Naturaliſts tell us, this Moiſture contributes much to its Fruitfulneſs ; where it is dry, it ſeldom proves fruitful, nor agreeable to the Tiller : The Parts which have never been broke up, nor had Spade or Plough in them , are moſt ef teemed ; and ſo fond are People of having the firſt Tilling of a freſh Spot, that I have known

• Which , Winds not ruffle, nor the humid Train Of gathering Clouds e’er deluge o'er with Rain ;

Nor fleecy Snow, nor Froſts deform the Soil, Or fruſtrate, or ſuſpend the Lab'rour's Toil; Perpetual Spring ſmiles on the fertile Ground, And genial Suns diffuſe their Influence round . + Poets claim Licence that will know no Bounds. fome [ 35 ] abs er a sto ical the 20 W. ſome Hundreds of Pounds given to obtain that Pleaſure. MERRYLAND is well water'd by a River, which takes its Riſe from a large Reſervoir or Lake in the Neighbourhood called Vsca, and diſcharges itſelf with a moſt impetuous Cur rent and fearful Cataract towards the Terra Firma near the Entry of the Great Gulph ; of this River I ſhall treat more particularly in another Chapter. There is a ſpacious CANAL runs through the midſt of this Country, from one End al moſt to the other ; it is ſo deep that Authors affirm it has no Bottom I have often founded it in many Parts, and tho' I don't doubt but it has a Bottom, I muſt own I never could reach it ; perhaps, had my Sounding-line been a few Fathoms longer, it might have reached the Bottom . We are told of Solomen's Wells or Cifterns at a Place the Turks call Roſelayne, which, like this Canal, are reputed to be unfathoma ble ; and the current Tradition is , that they are filled from a ſubterraneous River, which that wiſe King, by his great Sagacity , knew to run under -ground in that Place. Vide De Bruyn, Voyag, au Levant. Whether this might not as properly be called Solomon's Canal, i leave to the Reader's Judgment; it is certain, that wiſe King was no Stranger to this Coun try, but ſpent a great deal in Improvements he made in ſeveralProvinces of it. E 2 All lter OVE TH at el the w [ 36 ] All the ſuperfluous Moiſture of the Coun try is drained off through this Canal, and it is likewiſe the Conveyance of all Proviſions to the upper Part of MERRYLAND; all the Seed fowed in that Country is conveyed this Way to the Great Storehouſe at the upperEnd of it; and in ſhort, there is no Commodity imported intoMERRYLAND, but bythis Road; ſo that you may eaſily conceive it to be a Place of great Traffick. We may ſay of this Canal, as the learned Doctor Cheyne ſays of the alimentary Tube, “ that it is, as it were, a « Common - Sewer, which may be fouled or « cleaned in various Manners, and with great Facility; it is wide, open, and reaſonably ſtrong. The Country is generally fertile enough, where duly manured; and ſome Parts are lo exceeding fruitful as to bear two or three Crops at a Time; a Dutch Traveller tells us, there was once known to be as many Crops as Days in the Year;but this I look upon as apocryphal . Other Provinces are ſo utterly barren , that tho' a Man ſhould leave no Stone unturned but labour and toil for ever, no Seed will take Root in them; yet fo whimſi cal are many of the Inhabitants, that they would chuſe one of theſe barren Spots, rather than the more fertile ones ; and indeed there is fome Reaſon for it, People having found by Experience ſeveral great Inconveniencies by too fruitful a Crop. ' Tis a lamentable Thing [ 37 ] a " 11 15 Thing for a Man to have a large Crop, when his Circumſtances can't afford Houſes to keep it in , or Thatch to cover it ; to let it periſh would be infamous, and what can a poorMan do ? For he can't diſpoſe of it immediately, it muſt be kept ſeveral Years at great Expence to him , before it is fit for the Market, or ca pable of making the leaſt Return for his La bour and Expence. Theſe are melancholy Circumſtances for the poor Farmers ; 70 15 ty de of a or ar hey 10 ee Quæque ipſe miſerrima vidi, Et Quorum pars magna fui. * This Peculiarity has put ſome people on in ventingMeans to prevent the Seed taking Root, or to deſtroy it before it comes to Maturity ; but ſuch Practices are only uſed by Stealth , and not openly approved of; it is looked on as a bad Practice, and we are told it was for merly puniſhed with Death . It ſounds odd, but it is no leſs true than ſtrange, that many have been ruined and forced to run away, by the Greatneſs of their Crop ; and on the other hand, many are in a manner miſerable and never ſatisfied, becauſe their Spots prove barren.--- Strange Contra diction in People's Tempers! that what would be one Man's Delight, ſhould be another Man's Torment ! $ 1 3 -Which I, alas! have ſeen , And deeply felt. We [ 38 ] We are told by Kercher of a Mountain at Chekian, whoſe Soil is of that Quality, that it tames Tygers, &c. This Mountain, I preſume, muſt be of the fame Kind of Soil as MERRY LAND, which in fome Degree has the Power of taming the wildeſt Creatures; nay, it will firſt make them in a manner mad, and tame them afterwards. I ſhall conclude this Chapter on the Soil of MERRYLAND, by ſaying, is her Vallies are « like Eden, her Hills like Lebanon, her Springs as Piſgah, and her Riversas Jor “ dan ; that ſhe is a Paradiſe of Pleaſure, e and Garden of Delight. << CH A P. IV. Of the vaſt Extent of MERRYLAND, its Diviſions and principal Places of Note. TIHE Arabian Geographical Lexicogra pher cited by Schultens in his Geogra phical Commentary at the End of his Edition of Soltan Salab'addin's Life, very juſtly ob ſerves, that the exact Limits of this vaſt Country arc entirely unknown, the greateſt Traveller having never been able to diſcover its utmoſt Bounds; and whoever attempts fuch [ 39 ] ſuch a Diſcovery, may properly enough be ſaid to grope in the Dark. Beſides thoſe Parts which are well known, and have been deſcribed by Travellers, there are others of which we know but little, tho' ſome Authors have pretended to be very ex act and particular in their Deſcriptions of them, for which they have no better Autho rity than their own Fancy and Invention ; and there are other parts of this Country ſtill un known to us. It would ſwell this Work too much, and be of little Uſe to the Reader, to take notice of every Particular ; I ſhall there fore content myſelf with mentioning fuch Parts as are of moft Note, which are theſe : ift, At the End of the great Canal toward the Terra Firma, are two Forts called LBA, between which every one muſt neceſſarily paſs, that goes up the Country, there being no other Road. The Fortifications are not very ſtrong, tho' they have Curtains, Horn works, and Ramparts ; they have indeed ſome times defended the Paſs a pretty while, but were ſeldom or never known to hold out long againſt a cloſe and vigorous Attack. 2d, Near theſe Forts is the Metropolis call ed Cltrs; it is a pleaſant Place, much de lighted in by the Queens of MERRYLAND, and is their chief Palace, or rather Pleaſure Seat; it was at firſt but ſmall, but the Pleaſure ſome of the Queens have found in it, has occaſion'd their extending its Bounds confiderably. 3d, A [ 40 ] 3d, A little farther up the Country are two other Fortreſſes, called NMPH, ſeated near the Banks of the great River. Theſe have ſometimes made a ſtout Reſiſtance, againſt ſtrong Attacks and ſkilful Engineers , and haveendured a great deal of Hardſhip in the Affault, ſo that Inſtances might be given of the moſt vigorous Affailants being repulſed with great Loſs and Confuſion. On the other hand, they have often been known to give way upon the firſt flight Attack, and admit the Affailants without any Oppoſition. 4th, At the upper End of the great Canal, mentioned in the former Chapter, is the great Treaſury or Store - houſe called UTRs, of which Plautus gives this Deſcription, Item eſſe reor Mare ut eſt; quod das devorat,nunquam abundat, Des quantum vis .-- * This Store- bouſe is of a very particular Structure; in Shape it ſomewhat reſembles one of our common Pint-Bottles, with the Neck downwards. It is fo admirably well contrived , that its Dimenſions are always Semblance meet Of the wide Ocean, which ingulfs whate'er Within its Circuits falls ; in its Abyſs Abſorbing Great, or Little, as it chances : Gorge it to the Brim , ftrait it All devours ! And craves for more. adapted [ 41 ] WO ear we alt nd the of Ved her adapted to its Contents; for as the Store con tain'd in it increaſes, ſo the Bounds are ex tended in Proportion ; and when it is quite empty, or but little in it, it contracts or di miniſhes proportionably, and that without any Art or Affiſtance. 5th, Another Part of this Country, often mentioned by Authors, is HMN, about which there have been great Controverſies and Diſputes among the Learned fome denying there ever was ſuch a Place, others poſitively affirming to have ſeen it : For my part, after the niceſt Inquiry I could make, I never could diſcover any thing ſatisfactory about it ; and moſt Travellers now agree, that if it ever did exiſt, it is utterly defaced by Time or Accident, ſo that in theſe latter Ages, no Footſtep of it is to be found ; agreeable to that ſaying of the Poet, ive mit alg at of to Etiam ipſa periere Ruine . * 1 S 6th , Here I muſt not omit to mention a famous pleaſant Mount called MNSVNRS , which overlooks the whole Country; and, laſtly, round the Borders of MERRYLAND IS a ſpacious Foreſt, which ( as Mr. Chamberlayne ſays of the Foreſts in England ) “ ſeems to " ' have been preſerved for the Pleaſure of Va “ riety, and Diverfion of Hunting.' No Mark of ſuch a Thing now feen . F Theſe [ 42 ] a Theſe are the principal Places obſerved by Travellers ; and to give a more compleat Geographical Deſcription of this Country, I intended to have added a Map of it , but re collecting it would conſiderably enhance the Price of the Book, I chofe rather to refer the curious Reader to a Map of MERRYLAND, curiouſly engraven on Copper- plate, and pub liſhed ſome Years ago by the Learned Mr. Moriceau , who was a great Traveller in that Country , and ſurveyed it with tolerable Exact neſs. There the Reader may ſee all the noted Places and Diviſions laid down exactly as they are fituated ; and here I muſt in Juſtice to the Learned Sir R. M. acknowledge, that his late contrived Model or Machine is a very in genious Invention , which gives a better idea of MERRYLAND than can poſſibly be done by the beſt Maps, or any written Deſcription. CH A P. V. Of the Antient and Modern Inhabitants, their . Manners, Cuſtoms, &c. is to M have been inhabitedfoon after the Fali, and Adam was the firft Adventurer who plant ed a Colony in this fruitful and delicious Coun try . After him the Patriachs were induſtri ous Tillers of the Soil. David and Solomon a were [ 43 ] By a 1 he ne Di br atpal ed a ey t0 his were often there, and many modern Kings and Princes have honour'd this Country with their Royal Preſence and Protection . King Charles II . in particular was in cloſe Alliance with it, and it flouriſhed exceedingly in his Days. Nor has it been flighted by his Royal Succeffors, fome of whom have taken great Delight in it, and their Counſels have ſome times been influenced by the Situation of Affairs in MERRYLAND. We have had Mi. nifiers, who preferred its Welfare to that of their own Country, and Biſhops who would not be diſpleaſed to have a ſmall Biſboprick in MERRYLAND. At preſent, the Inhabitants of this Country are very numerous, and com poſed of People of all Degrees, all Religions, and of all Nations . As to the Manners of the Inhabitants, tho' they are ſometimes very low and deſpicable, being ſoon difpirited and dejected by violent Exerciſe ; yet, when in good Spirit, they are very ſtrong and vigorous, and when bent upon their Pleaſure, are very bold and daring They are much addicted to Pleaſure and Di. verfion in private, notwithſtanding they affect great Gravity and Reſtraint in public. They are vafhly tickliſh, and ſo fond of it, that when they can get no-body to pleaſe them way, they will tickle themſelves. They are naturally given to love Freedom and Li berty, prone to Change and Variety, much given to Diffembling and Flattery, and greatly nitong addicted of by S 50 that I. F 2 [ 44 ] addicted to Venery ; they have little Eſteem of Frugality or Oeconomy, but Jpend all they can ,and glory who ſpends moſt. They pride themſelves much in their ſtiff and ſtately Car riage, and cannot have a greater Compliment paid them , than by comparing them to the Behemoth, of whom it is ſaid in yob, that his Strength is in his Loins, and he moveth his Tail like a Cedar. Homer gives a beautiful Deſcription of their Boldneſs and Bravery in an Engagement, and with what Intrepidity they make an Attack ; which Mr. Pope has tranſlated thus Hefoams, be glares, be bounds againſt them all ; And if he falls, bis Courage makes him fall. One remarkable Cuſtom of the Natives is, that the Moment they come into the World, they leave the particular Spot they were born in , and never after return to it, but wander about till they are 14 and 15 Years old , at which Agethey generally look out for ſome other Spot of MERRYLAND, and take Poffeffion of it the firſt Opportunity; but to enter again in that Part they were born in , is looked on as an infamous Crime, and ſeverely puniſhable by Law ; yet ſome have been hardy enough to do it. There are ſome whimſical Ceremonies com monly obſerved by People when they take Poſſeſſion of any Part of this Country, ſuch as proſtrating [ 45 ] of ey de 7 m he his proſtrating themſelves on their Faces, and mut terring many Ejaculations in praiſe of the Spot they have choſen ; then laying their Hand on it by way of taking Seifn ; then he ſticks his Plough in it , and falls to labouring the Soil with all his Might , the Labourer being gene rally on his Knees: Some indeed work ſtand ing; but the other way is the moſt common . Another thing very remarkable is, the Cuf tom obſerved commonly at all Merry-mak ings among the Men when over a Bottle ; in ſtead of toaſting their Miſtreſſes, they begin with drinking a Health to MERRYLAND; and it is a known Rule, that this muſt be always drank in a Bumper. If any one refuſes, he is looked on as a ſneaking Fellow . To keep them in mind of this Duty, I have ſeen the following Verſes inſcribed on their Cups and Glaſſes under the Word MERRYLAND : er ad chi a ali IS old 27 der Hic quicunque legis nomen Amabile Pleno lætoque Cyatho falutem libes, Sic tibi res amatoriæ proſpere cedant, Tua fic coronet vota Cupido.* er of 111 as le

• Whoever takes this Glafs in Hand,

And reads thereon dear MERRYLAND, Fill it ſparkling to the Top, Toaſt the Health , and tope it up; So may all thy Vows be heard, When at Venus' Shrine preferr’d ; So may thy Fair One gentle prove, And Cupid ever crown thy Love. As 1 [ 46 ] As to the Genius of the Inhabitants it may be obſerved, the Liberal Arts are here in the greateft repute; here Experimental Philoſophy has been improved to a wonder; Phyſic and Surgery have flouriſhed exceedingly ; and no Country is better ſtock’d with Divines. And for Merchandizing, the great Wealth ariſing from Trade in ſome Provinces is a plain Proof and Demonſtration that Traffick is carried on in MERRYLAND with great Succeſs..do Here I muſt not omit taking notice, that this Country has produced and inſpired great Numbers of excellent Poets, and in return , they have in many of their Works expreſſed their great Regard for the Country, and cele brated its Praiſes with the utmoſt Gratitude and Affection . One of them fays, ni mort bols, nobodysaiwollo Hic ætatis noftræ primordia novit, iis ben Annos fælices, lætitiæque dies: Hic locus ingenuus pueriles imbuit annos Artibus, & noftræ laudis origo fuit. * Hid * Here my firſt Breath with happy Stars was drawn ; Here my glad Years and all my Joys began : In gradual Knowledge, here my Mind increaſts Here the firſt Sparks of Glory fir'd my Breaſt. ob nooit aba A todos quisi sobre dis 7 Busto o vo OaTvilo ovou CHAP UV ( 47 ) y e borilab fome ATT Vinidi --- TEL zlost 10 CH A P. VI. too late od str Of the Product and Commodities, ſuch 10 as Fiſh, Fowls, Beaſts, Plants, & c. nd 18 of a al at ng ed e le THO'this Country is ſo plentifully water TIed, by fo fine a River and Canal, it is but indifferently ſtored with Fiſh ; yet when a Stranger comes to MERRYLANDhewould ima gine by the Smell of the Air, that the Country abounded with Ling or Red -Herrings; as we are told the River Tyffa in Hungary ſmells of Fiſh ; ſo ſtrong is this Smell ſometimes, that it is very offenſive; but here are no ſuch Fith to be ſeen . Cod indeed are often found about the lower end of the great Canal, and Crabs in plenty on its Banks. I never heard of any other Fiſh in MERRYLAND, except Muſcles, Gudgeons in abundance, ſome Dabs, and a few Maids; theſe laſt are rarely met with , and it is the Difficulty of catching them, I ſuppoſe, makes them much valued by Perſons of nice Taſte. I have indeed heard of a Mackarel being found here by Mr. R. a Surgeon of Plymcerth ; but this was purely accidental, it being only one fingle Mackarel, brought to MERRYLAND by a young Woman merely for the fake of trying an Experiment. However, this Scarcity of Fiſh is the leſs to be lamented, a 29 [ 48 ] as in this Country a Fleſh Diet is moſt delighted in, and with that they are pretty well fupplied . For Fowls, here are Cocks, Wagtails, Buz zards, Widgeons and Gulls, beſides Tomtits, which being ſmall inſignificant Creatures are of no Eſteem , and Capons, which are like wiſe held in great Diſrepute. Of Beaſts , here are plenty of Aſſes, ſome Bears, Dromedaries and Mules, and many ſly old Foxes. I have heard likewiſe of Baboons, Monkeys, and Spaniels; but as it is unnatural to find them here, I believe it is likewiſe more uncommon than is reported, I know it has been ſtrongly inſiſted on by ſeveral learned Men ( ſome of them great Travellers in Mer RYLAND) that Rabbets have been bred in that Country, and they expected great Profits from a Warren they pretended to have lately diſco vered ; but, after a great Noiſe made about it, All came to nothing. As for the Commodities of the mineral and vegetable Kind, here are a few of each which I ſhall take notice of, as far as my Obſervation and Memory ſerve me. Of the mineral Kind, the Blue or Roman Vitriol ( which is of great Uſe to eat away proud Fleſh ) is often found on the Borders of this Country; and it is obſerved the Provinces, where this is found, are generally unwholeſome. There have been Inſtances of Gold and Silver diſcovered here, nor is the Country deſtitute of precious Stones, here being a Kind [ 49 ] ed 3 15, TE e ne al re vas ed RR at Kind very much eſteemed, tho' very com mon to be met with on the Surface; fo fond are they of them, that a Man would be look'd on with Contempt in MERRYLAND, if he had not at leaſt two of them, which they always carry about them in a Purſe ; they contribute very much to the Fruitfulneſs of the Soil . Of the vegetable Kind , here is Rue in great Plenty ; Carrots are no Strangers to this Soil, but are much uſed here is ſomeTrue - love and Sweet -Marjoram , I and the Planto callid Maiden - hair ; but the laſt is very ſcarce. Here is no Scarcity of ſeveral Kinds of Sim ples , ofwhich they make great Profit.no son There is a Plant of the ſubmarine Kind, which delights much in this Soil ; the End of it reſembles the red Coral, and partakes much of its Virtue ; it is highly efteemed in MER RYLAND, and is undoubtedly a great Sweet ener; it being frequently applied very fuc ceſsfully tocure ſharp andfour Humours. This Plant yields a whitiſh viſcid Juice, which, when taken inwardly , has a bad Effect on fome People, cauſing a large Tumour in the Umbilical Regions, which is not got rid of again without great Pain . But there are many on whom it never has that. Effect, let them take ever ſo great a Quantity of it. It is generally reckoned an excellent Coſmetic, “ giving a moſt inexpreffible reſplendent Brightneſs to the whole Countenance , and caufes ſparkling Life, Spirit, and juvenile 66 Bloom W o ur / 5 이 60 [ 50 ] • Bloom to reign in every Feature .” It may properly enough be called the Coral-plant, as it reſembles it in ſeveral Particulars. Mr. Boyle affirms of the Nature and Generation of Coral, that whilft it grows, it is often ſoft and fucculent, and propagates its Species. And Kircher was informed by the Divers, that the Coral wouldſometimeslet fall ia fper matic Juice, whichlightingon a proper Body produced another Coral. The ſame may be faid of the Plant above mentioned . 5 Another ſubmarine Plant is ſaid to be found in MERRYLAND, Iof the Sponge- kind, the Nameof which I have forgot. They uſe it not only as a Cleanſer, but alſo as an Antidote againſt the bad Effects of the Juice above mentioned . : Le ein Here are Flowers in great Plenty, but not much to be commended , either for Fragancy or Beauty. They are not variegated, nor is there any great Diverſity of Colours ; Red and White are moſt common . Some Natura liſts have imagined theſe Flowers to be of a poiſonous Quality.şıbut that Notion is now fufficiently exploded, and it is obſerved, if they happen not to ſpring in their due Sea fon, the Country generally proves unhealthy and barren.eu a 19von i cadw cofa si As for Manufa &tures, I never heard ofany in MERRYLAND worth mentioning, except thofes for Pins and Needles, which are made in great Plenty in ſome of the moſt trading slinovo bas stida siiI gai Provinces, miopia και bet ( 51 ) Provinces, and are famous for their exquiſite Sharpneſs 5 09 e he a te VC at CH A P. VII. od Of the Rarities, Curioſities, & Cobus c. THIHE great River mentioned in the 3d Chapter is very remarkable ; the Wa ter is warm and brackiſh, and does not run in a conſtant Stream like other Rivers, but the Current ſtops every Day for Hours together ; and without obſerving any regular Period, it all ona ſuddenfalls a running again with great Rapidity. This River ( like the River Ness in Scotland, and the Lake of DRONTHEIM in Norway) never freezes in the hardeſt Froſts, but always retains its natural Heat ; and has another remarkable Quality , like that of the River Adonis near Byblus in Phænicia, which at certain Seaſons appears bloody, as we are told in Maundrel's Journey from Aleppo ta Jeruſalem . » The CANAL, before taken Notice of in the 3d Chapter, deſerves to be ranked among the Curioſities of this Country, not only for its wonderful Depth, which is ſaid to be unfa thomable ; but for another extraordinary Qua lity, no leſs furpriſing ; for as it is reported of fome Lakes in China , that the throwing any Thing into them cauſes a Storm , fo on the G 2 contrary 2 ricola N f 3 [. 52 ) a contrary many violent Stormshave been ap peafed , if not entirely laid, by throwing into this Canal a handſome Sprig of the Coral-plant mentioned in the 6th Chapter. This famous Canal anſwers the Deſcription given in the Atlas, of a Lake near Le Besse in Brittany, which is ſo deep, it never could be founded ; and in a hollow Place near it, a Noife is heard like Thunder. Among the Rarities may likewiſe juſtly be reckoned that wonderful Mountain on the Confines of MERRYLAND, which at tome Seaſons begins to extend its Dimenſions both in Height and Bigneſs, and increaſes its Bulk ſo confiderably, that it is eſteem'd one of the moſt admirable Works of Nature ; after it has continued ſwelling thus gradually for ſome Months, it will fall again all at once, and be reduced to its former Compaſs. This Swelling is generally the Fore -runner of a dear Year; and therefore ſome of the poorer Sort, who are not bound to their Farms by Leaſe, take the Alarm at this ominous Swelling, and fly the Country, as ſoon as they perceive it . ble There are two other pleaſant little Moun tains called BBY, which tho' at fome Diſtance from MERRYLAND, have great Affinity with that Country, and are properly reckoned as an Appendage to it . Theſe little Mountains are exactly alike, and not far from each other, having a pleaſant Valley between them ; on the Top of each is a fine Fountain, that yields mochod , selusomall oni a very Jaoo a [ 53 ] 5 e he 78 10 ch Ik 18 a very wholeſome Liquor much eſteemed , ef. pecially by the younger Sort of People. Theſe Fountains are often quite dry ; but it is ob ſerved, they feldom fail to run plentifully after the Swelling of the other Mountain before mentioned , and they have in ſome Degree the fame Faculty of riſing and falling ; ſo that it is not withoutgood Reaſon, Philoſophershave imagined there is a ſecret Communication be tween theſe Places. But of all the Curioſities, nothing deſerves our Notice ſo much as a ſmall Animal, fome what of the ſerpentine Kind, known by the Name of PNTL ; it is often found plunging about in the great Canal, which is the Place it moſtly delights in ; ſo wonderful is this Creature, that it well deferves a particular Deſcription in this place, and tho' it be but fmail, I may ſay of it, as is ſaid of the Levia than, “ I will not conceal his Parts, nor his “ Power, nor his comely Proportion ; he " maketh the Deep to boil like a Pot ; he is Kingover all the Children of Pride. ” This Animal has neither Legs or Feet, but, by the vaſt Strength of its Muſcles, has a Power of erecting itſelf, ſo as to ſtand almoſt up right. That learned Phyſician and Philoſopher Dr. Cheyne ſeems to have had this in his View, when he ſaid, “ The animal Body is nothing but a Compages or Contexture of " Pipes; an hydraulick Machine, filled with a Liquor of ſuch a Nature as was tranſ * fuſed into it by its Parents, or is changed 66 into 70 he 0 l 1 [ 54 ] و 66 e into by the Nature of the Food it is nou « riſhed with, and is ever afterwards good, es bad, or indifferent, as theſe two Sources cs have ſent it forth . ” They are only of the Tale-kind , and yet propagate their Species very plentifully. Thismay ſeem very ſtrange, at firft ſight, to thoſe who have not thrown off the material INCRUSTATION, that entangles andfetters the full Exerciſe and Penetration of their natural Powers, which are tied down, ſopited, and fettered, by the Manner of our ORIGINATION ; but any one, who will con fult the learned Author before -mentioned , will find he very logically proves, that in all Animals " originally, there muſt have been no Difference of Sexes, BECAUSE at laſt « in their reſtored State there will be none. « And that it is highly probable, the Female « was but a fecundary Intention, or a Buttreſs « to a falling Edifice.onto oni They are of different Sizes, from fix to feven or eight Inches in Height, when full grown, and from four to fix in Circumference; there are ſome indeed of much larger Dimen fions, but very rarely to be met with ; and there are others much leſs, but they are of little or no Value ; thofe of a middling Size are obſerved to be more lively and vigorous than the larger Sort, who like the Grenadiers in a Regiment, are not able to make ſo long and frequent Marches as the Batallion Men , the latter being for the moſt part better ſet and nimblergoas being furniſhed with a greater plenty [ 55 ] 1 plenty of Spirits. One thing is very remark able of theſe Animals, that either sleeping or waking, when they lie down, they imme diately contract themſelves to one third of their Length and Bigneſs, and grow foiflagged and limber, one would ſcarce think they had ever been enabled to ſtand ; but when they are rouſed up and in full Vigour, they are very ſtately, and much admired for their portly Mien . Here I muſt beg leave to refer once more to the above quoted Author, who tells us, " This fpiritual animal Body, at firſt $ * divinely organized, may be rolled up, folded together, and contracted in this State of its “ Duration, into an infinitely ſmall Punctum “ Saliens, into a Miniature of Miniature in infinitum , and proceeding in a diverging € Series, and progreſſive Gradation, that in « due time it may be fit to be nouriſhed and increaſed by the Juices of the proper Fe « male.” In Purſuit of their Prey, no Crea ture can be more keen , and they ruſh on it with great Eagerneſs. Their Skin is of a fwar thy Complexion, and hangs fo loofe about their Shoulders, that it frequently ſerves as a Hood to draw up quite over its Head and Face, or rather the Head ſhrinksinto the Skin as a Snail pulls in his Horns and Head into his Shell . The Face of this Creature is of a reddiſh Complexion, and moſt delicately foft to the Touch ; they are flat noſed, and have no Eyes, but find their way by Inſtinct : They have no Bones, but are all Muſcles and Fleſh , a ( 56 ) yrio VIII. sje Fleſh , which properly prepared and taken inwardly, is very refreſhing and nouriſhing. It is reckoned a Specifick for the G :een -fick neſs, and many other feminine Diſorders ; " andis a Medicine to wonderfully pleaſant, " and eaſy in its Operation, that theniceft “ Palate or weakeſt Conſtitution may take « it with Delight, and fo innocent, that it is « adminiſtered to Women with Child with great Safety, od fun I to crv only 200 basoup bodoup srods srodro110191061 50ng

on 151iniai ait tsooni foliato Ofthe Government'of MERRYLAND. ong0010 THE Government of this Country is 1 Monarchial, and abſolute in the high eſt Degree. As the French have theirSalique Law, by which all Females are excluded from the Throne, fo on the contrary, MERRYLAND maybe faid to be entirely under FemaleGo vernment, there being an abſolute Queen over each particular Province, whoſe Power is un limited ; no Tyrants having ever required a more ſervile and blind Submiſſion than the Queens of MERRYLAND. Herodianus, Lib . 4. Cap. 3. ſays, “ . They treated their Sub “ jects as the meaneſt of Slaves, and ſcarce as Men , while they put themſelves on a « Level with the immortal Gods. There are numberlefs Inſtances of the vaſt Power of TH 6 ور [ 57 ] of theſe Queens, the Conqueſts they have made, and the many cunning and crafty Me thods they have uſed to obtain their Ends; but as I do not pretend to write their Hiſtory, I muſt not here enlarge on that Subject. Few of theſe Queens but have ſome Favourite or prime Miniſter, and when they are well ſatiſ fied with his Abilities and Behaviour, ' they will ſuffer themſelves to be governed in a great meaſure by his Advice; but alas!there are fome, who, tho' they have abundance of able Miniſters, will never be ruled by any of them, are always varying and changing, furning out their greateſt Favourites, for no other Reaſon in the World, but to fhew their Power, and gratify their inconſtant Tempers ; admitting a newFavourite every Day, as if Variety was their greateſt Delight. Such are the Caprices of theſe Queens, and ſo uncer tain the Proſperity of their ablef Miniſters. Beſides their Capriciouſneſs, many of them are alſo juſtly accuſed for their greedy and inſatiable Tempers, forcing their Subjects to labour, drudge and toil without ceaſing, to fatisfy their voracious Appetites. Some few able -bodied Men have indeed made ſhift to do their work, and theſe, it muſt be owned, meet with good Encouragement ; tho' they are kept to hard Labour, they get a comfort able Subfiftance as their Reward. I have known ſome of them well- cloathed and fed, H and [ 58 ] and in a very thriving Way; but it is not every one isqualified by Nature to go through ſo much Fatigue. Some of theſe Queens have deſerved the worſt of Characters, and are recorded for their Infamy in the Works of the Greek and Roman Satyriſts . But our British Juvenal, in an excellent Latin Satyr, lately publiſhed, has given us ſo lively a Picture of one of them, that I cannot forbear tranſcribing four Lines, which excell all I have ever met with, either in the Ancients or Moderns. Saga þetit Juvenes, petit innuptaſque Pu elias; Vel Tauram peteret, Veneris quoque mille Figuras, Mille modos meditans, Ætas in Crimina Vires, Datque Animos : creſcunt anni, creſcitque Libido. * SCAMMUM. As to the MILITARY GOVERNMENT in this Country, I cannot pretend to ſay much, as I am not acquainted with their ſeveral Rules ; but I have obſerved in general, that

• The Which feduces Youth and Virgins pure,

And would a Bull could ſhe the Weight endure ; She tries all Poſtures Luſt has e'er contriv'd , And of her own adds many more beſide ; Her Crimes, by Age, have Strengthand Courage found, And as her Years increaſe, her Luft abounds. 10 Soldiers [ 59 ] C ad 1 do 2 CS er 1 le Soldiers are well eſteemed and encouraged, and there are no Complaints againſt Red Coats in MERRYLAND, however they may be diſapproved of in other countries . Their Naval Forces are likewiſe very conſiderable, and of great Service to the Country, being a Set of lufty Fellows, always willing to work when aſhore, and never backward in Spending their all, for the Service of the par ticular Queen under whoſe Juriſdiction they live . It would no doubt be very acceptable to the Reader, if after the Civil and Military, I could give him any particular Account of the Ecclefiaftical Government of this Country; and it is with the greateſt Concern that I am not able to gratify his Curioſity ; for the Clergy endeavour to keep it a Secret as much as poſſibly among themſelves, being a Myſtery they think improper to be divulged among the Laity ; and tho' I could mention ſome Particulars on this Subject, which have ac cidentally come to my Knowledge, I muſt deſire to be excuſed being very unwilling to give Offence to a Body of Men, for whom I have the greateſt Veneration, and to ſome of whom I have been particularly obliged for their kind Aſſiſtance and Recommendation , which contributed much to the Pleaſure I have enjoyed in MerryLAND. I ſhall there fore ſay no more of the Eccleſiaſtical Go vernment, but only obſerve in general ( and H 2 I hope 1 [ 60 ] fio I hope without Offence) that there are many Biſhopricks in this Country, the exact Num berI cannotpretend to gueſs at , nor how far their ſeveral Juriſdictions reach.-----Of the inferior Clergyhere are ſuch abundance, that they may, on a modeſt Computation , be reckoned to enjoy more than the Tytbe of all MERRYLAND. But non bilasiv2 910 GORDON SOMODIDO CH A P. IX . olli ot old sios on bror Of the Religion in MERRYLAND. UOD 160 cm C Hriſtianity was firſt planted here, in all probability, in the earlieſt Ages of the Church , at preſent no Country can boaſt of more Religions, andyet no Part of Chriſten dom may be truely ſaid to be leſs religious than this. Here we may ſee all Sects and Parties ( all Religions. being embraced ) and yet that which the Apoſtle calls the pure and undefiled Religion before God and the Father , is as little, if not leſs thought on here, than in any Chriſtian Country, whatſoever. 13 IMAGE WORSHIP ( to the Shame of the Country be it ſpoken ) is a Vice they are not entirely free of : for it is well known, too many ofthe Queens of MERRYLANDhave a par ticular Veneration for à certain Image, made in Reſemblance ofthe Coral-plant mentionedin the sqod SH OV Idio [ 61 ] TO SIJOICOO DOS the 6th Chapter ; to this they often pay their Devotions ,with the greateſt Privacy ; the Ceremony conſiſts of various Emotions and Agitations of the Body, and Manual Perfor mances, which my Abhorrence of the idola . trous Cuſtom forbids meto deſcribe more parti cularly : 'Tis much better my Readers ſhould be kept in Ignorance ofſuch ſhamefulActions, which all Men muſt deteſt, than by any far ther Deſcription be informed how to practiſe them . Here are Popiſh Miſſionaries in great Plenty, and by that Meansthe Roman Catholick Re ligion is pretty much propagated, the being very laborious and indefatigable ; Quakers, Preſbyterians, Independants, and of late the Methodiſts, have been great Labourers in theſe Parts, though not ſo profeſſedly and openly perhaps as ſome others. It is to be lamented that fo many Sects are tolerated, eſpecially conſidering the dangerous Heats and Flames that are kindled in the Country by the intem perate Zeal of ſo many different Sects. --- In ſhort, there is no Sect whatever, but has found Footing in MERRYLAND ; and it is hard to ſay, which of them all is the moſt ef tabliſhed . One Thing is pretty remarkable, in which they all agree with that excellent Litany of our Church, all of them joining in that Prayer, to frengthen ſuch as do ſtand ,to comfort and belp the weak, and raiſe up thoſe ibaaldsom nabi dolomid on strobur D CH A P. that fall [ 62 ] 00 5 06 B Tot yaa noido ver side of ol Pos bns anci1o CHC H A P. X.og ynom -10ti leta enoilo bad Of the Language. Duq orom THE fame may be ſaid of the Language , ſays of the Japaneſe Tongue ; " It is very polite and copious, abounding with many fynonymous Words, which are commonly « uſedaccording to the Nature of the Sub ject, as alſo the Quality, Age, and Sex, « both of the Speaker, and the Perſon to « whom the Diſcourſe is directed ." There is ſomewhat very ſweet and emphatick in the Language, and at the ſame Time it may be ſaid , they have the leaſt need of it of any People, forthey have the Art of communica ting their Sentiments very plainly by their Eyes and Actions, ſo that mute Perſons can (if I may be allowed the Expreſſion) ſpeak I intelligibly by their Eyes ; and this Kind is often uſed with better Succeſs than the fineſt Speeches. To confirm this I beg leave to refer the cu rious Reader to the following Quotation from a learned Author, who ſays, « Mirantur Oculi, adamant, concupiſcunt, Amoris, Iræ, Furoris, Miſericordiæ , Ultionis Indices « funt; in Audacia profiliunt, in Reverentia fubfident, in Amore blandiuntur, in Dio " efferantur, gaudente animo hilaresſubſident, " in DINO [ 63 ] - « in Cogitatione ac Cura quieſcunt, quafi cum Mente fimul intenti, & c. * LAUR. Lib . de Sens. Org: 11. Cap: 3 . They have likewiſe fomeparticular Motions of the Tongue, which very emphatically expreſs theirMeaning, without uttering any articulate Sound, and is frequently more fuc ceſsful than the fineſt Flowers of Elocution.co It is much to be lamented, that no -body has given us a Grammar of the MERRYLAND Language; it would be very uſeful to the World, and I do not deſpair of prevailing on the Modeſty of a learnedOrator to undertake it, who has already obliged the World with half a Score other Grammars, and is univer ſally allowed to be as well qualified for com piling this, as he was for thoſe. enob a C HÀ P. XI. In oron zot uneid Of the ſeveral Tenures, & c. THWHERE are perhaps as many Kinds or Tenures in MERRYLAND as in any Country whatever, and it would be as diffi cult as it is needleſs to enumerate them all :

• The Eyes may properly be termed the Index of the Soal, inaſmuch as they diſcover her various Paſſions of Admiration, Fondneſs,, Deſire, Love, Anger, Fury,

Pity, and Revenge ; when daring, theydart forth ; when obſequious Some [ 64 1 -- Some holding by Tail-Special, fome by Tail-general, ſome by Knights-ſervice, fome in Fee-fimple, others only during Pleaſure, and others. by Leafe for Life. This laſt is pretty common, and tho' not perhaps the bell Te nure, is the moſt encouraged by Law , and therefore ſhall firſt be treated of. The Cir cumſtances attending it is a very ſingular, and worth Obſervation . When a Man reſolves to take a Spot in MERRYLAND by this Tenure, he makes the beft Agreement he can with the Proprietor of the Farm , and the Terms being concluded on, publick Notice is given , that he deſigns fpeedi ly to enter into Poffeffion, that any Perſon, who hasjuſt Objection to it, may forbid it be fore it is too late. You muſt know , there are ſeveral lawful Objections, ſuch as the Farm being engaged before to another, or the Man having already another Farm on his Hands ( for none are allowed to hold two at a Time by this Tenure) his being any Ways pre -in gaged, or having any Incapacity to manure his Farm , & c. If no Objection be made, ( to avoid which, they fometimes purchaſe a Li cenfe, which difpenfes with the Ceremony of giving publick Notice ) then the Leaſe for Life is executed in this Manner : The Officer, 10obfequious, they ſubmiſſively recline ; when enamour'd they footli ; when at Liberty, they roam ; plainly demonſtrating when the Mind is exhilarated, and when overwhelmed with AnxietyandCare, & c. whoſe mod [ 65 ] a whoſe Buſineſs it is ( and of which there is one in each Pariſh ) reads a ſhort Panegyrick, on Farming, ſetting forth its original Inſti tution and Uſe, the great Importance and Ho nour of that State, with proper Precautions not to take it in hand unadviſedly , lightly or wantonly, and requires the Man ( as he ſhall anſwer at the dreadful Day of Judgment) to confeſs freely, if he knows any lawful Impe diment, why he ſhould not proceed in taking his Leaſe. Thenthe Man makes a folemn Promiſe, that he will take the Farm accord ing to Law , that he will keep it whether it prove good or bad, and forfaking all others keep only unto that for Life; the Officer then gives his Bleſſing to the Undertaking, prays for the Succeſs, and then fings a Song, ſetting forth the Happineſs of Farming, and great Promiſes of Fruitfulneſs. The Ceremony be ing ended, the Man takes Poffeffion of his Lot, and commonly begins to till it before he ſleeps ; and whatever Seaſon of the Year it be, he generally continues tilling and la bouring hard for the firſt few Days , till he is tired , and forced to take ſome Reſpite. Theſelong Leaſes have been the Ruin ofma ny a ſubſtantial Farmer, for People are too apt to engage in a hurry, without due Conſiderati onof the Conſequence, or competent Know ledge ofthe Goodneſs of the Farm , which fre quently proves to be aſtubborn Soil, and makes the poor Farmer foon repent his Bargain ; I but a [ 66 ]) but there is no Remedy, the Man is bound, and muſt drudge on for Life.--- This Inconve nience has deterred many from ever taking Leaſes; and others, who haverafhlybeen bound to a hard Bargain, when they find there is no Remedy, have been ſo diſcouraged, that they become ill Huſbands, growing quite indolent and negligent of their Farm ; and tho' they cannot throw up their Leaſes, they will let their Farms lie fallow , and clandeſtinely take another that is more agreeable to them. There are many People who never will ven ture to take a Farm by the Tenure before -men tioned, but chuſe rather to hold as Tenants at Will or during Pleaſure, and tho' they pay a dear Rate, they have this Advantage, that whenever they do not like their Farm, they can immediately quit it and take another ; there is little Danger of one of theſe Farms lying long unoccupied, for if one Man leave it To day, another takes it To-morrow . Thoſe who hold by Knights- Service in the Courteſy of MERRYLAND, thrive generally very well, and reap good Profit by their La bour, eſpecially if they be able Pains taking Men ; let the Soil be ever ſo long worn, and out of Heart, yet they will make ſomething of it. There is a great deal ofGround in MERRY LAND, which lies Common , and this is ſo bad, that let a Man fow ever ſo much Seed in it, it feldom produces any thing better than Bri a a ars [ 67 ] ars and Thorns .. -This Ground is not worth incloſing; tho' ſome People have been Fools enoughto attempt it . There is one Inconveniency attends moſt of the Farms in MERRYLAND, for it is a difficult Matter to fence or incloſe them ſo ſecurely, but the Neighbours, who arevery apt to watch all Opportunities, may eaſily break into them ; and it is ſurpriſing, where there is ſo much Common, and a great deal of good Pal ture tobe got at eaſy Rates, that people ſhould be fo fond of breaking into their Neighbours Incloſures, where if they are catched, and proſecuted, they run a Rifque of paying very ſeverely, the Law being very ſtrict in theſe Caſes ; and Juries are fo apt to give the Plantiff immoderate great Damages, that I have known a Man caſt in ſeveral thouſand Pounds Damages, for a ſmall Treſpaſs on a Farm, which was little better than Common , and which the Owner would gladly have ſold the Fee Simple of for a hundreth Part of the Money I 2 CHAP han i stort [ 68 ] wton a OHINH CHA P. XII. Of the Harbours, Bays, Creeks, Sands, Rocks, and other dangerous Places ; with the Settings and Flowings of the Tides and Currents ; alſo Di rections for Strangers ſteering Safe into MERRYLAND. AsTO10 recite all the Bays, Creeks, & c . would be an endleſs. Piece of Work ; and it is as impoflible to point out all the Rocks, «which People have ſplit on , when bound for MERRYL AND : But I ſhall here give the Reader the beſt Directions I can to pilot him ſafe to this charming Country, by deſcribing the Two Courſes that are moſt commonly ſteered, and leave it toevery one to chufe which ſuits beſt with his Inclination or Convenience. They who go by the upper Courſe, make firſt for that part of the Continent called LPs , where they generally bring to, and ſalute the Fort ; and ſometimes it is required that they pay the Cuſtoms and Duties here, before they are allowed to proceed further ; but this is not always demanded . Then if you find the Wind favourable, ſteer along Shore to the Bby -Mountains, where there is good Riding : and [ 69 ] much Damage. and if you meet with no Storm , but find it calm and quiet, you may thence fafely ven ture to run on with the Tide, and puſh in boldly for the Harbour : But if you find rough and tempeſtuous Weather, as ſome times happens at touching at Bby, and the Tide ſtrong againſt you, it is beſt to lie -by, till the Storm is appeaſed, and a fairer Pro ſpect offers of a proſperous Voyage ; nor ſhould you be diſcouraged by every little Squall which you may meet with at this Place, for generally theſe Squalls, tho' they ſeem violent at firſt, ſoon blow over without Some People prefer the lower Courſe, which is, at once to run in boldly up the Straits of Tibia, with the Coxadext bearing cloſe on the Larboard -Bow, and fo run a -head, directly as the Current carries you, into the Har bour ; and indeed when the Trade-winds ſet in , this Courſe cannot fail. In either of thefe Courſes, it is beſt to be provided with a good Foreſtaf; kept in ſuch Order, as to be always ready for Uſe at a Moment's Warning. I have known ſome People, for want of this Inſtrument being in Readineſs, make a very unſucceſsful Voyage, and beenput back again, to their great Dif appointment, when they were juſt at the Entry of the Harbour. It is alſo proper to maké frequent Obſervations and Soundings : but, as Mr. Collin fays in his Coaſting Pilot, " the [ 70 ] IS CC CC 9 0leo the Thing principally to be obſerved, " the Setting of the Tide, which often alters " the Courſe, to the Diſappointment of the « Mariner ; for when you fail cloſe upon a « Wind, if the Tidetakes you on the Wea ther- bough, you will fall too much to Lee ward of your Expectation, and if on the Lee-bough, it carries you too much to « Windward ." The ſame Author very juſtly obſerves, " There is generally fo great an Indraught of the Tide, that in little Wind, or a Calm , you will be drawn in, to Ad “ miration .” woldod 100 Tho' the Tide is generally very favourable, and ſets in to the Harbour, it is to be noted , that at the Time of Spring Tides, which only flow for four or five Days, once in a Month , the Current then runs ſtrong out, and it is beſt to lie-by till the Spring is over, tho' ſome People make no Scrupleofgoing in when the Spring- Tides are at the Heighth . There are People, who, inſtead of ſteering either of theſe Courſes, incline ſometimes to go about by the Windward - Paſſage, but this I do not ſo well approve ; in ſome Circum ſtances indeed it may be convenient, but I believe it is commonly done more for the ſake of Variety than Conveniency. Different Pilots have given us Variety of Directions, and ſhewed many ways of ſteer ing ſafely to MERRYLAND ; among others, that ingenious Pilot M. Aratine has publiſhed ſeveral no thfo de bestbel [ 71 ) 8 a ſeveral Charts, with the different Bearings, &c. to which I refer the curious Reader, ra ther than fwell this Chapter any more ; and indeed I do not ſee any great Neceffity for many Directions, the Voyage not being ſo difficult, but what a blind Man may almoſt find his Way thither, by one Courſe or ano ther ; or ſhould any one be at a loſs, when he comes to the Coaſt of MERRYLAND, it's ten to one but he will find a Pilot to help him into Harbour, they being ready enough to oblige Strangersin that Way, as I myſelf found in my firſt Voyage, when I was very young and not expert in theſe Matters. It is remarkable, that when our Mariners come near the Coaſt in other parts of the World , they wiſh for light Nights, that they may fee the Shore, & c. but in the Voyages to MER RYLAND, they meet with no Inconvenience from the Dark, but find it generally favours them, and helpsinto Harbour with leſs Trou ble than broadDay- light. After you have fairly entered the Mouth of the Harbour, go up as far as you can, and come to an Anchor, veering out as much Cable as poffible ; the more you veer, the better you will ride. The chief Thing is, to beware of anchoring in foul Ground ; for here is ſome much gruffer than others, and a great deal fo very bad, that it will ſoon ſpoil the beſt of Cables; the ſandy or grey Ground are not good to anchor in, the brown is beſt, in my [ 72 ] my Opinion : Butas People cannot always have their Choice, they muſt be contented with ſuch as they can get. Now , having brought my Reader to An chor in this pleaſant Harbour, I conclude with wiſhing him all the Delight MerryLAND can afford : I have endeavoured to conduct him fafe, and give him a full View of this delicious Country, without the Danger of Waves, Tempels, or Shipwreck ; and if he reaps either Pleaſure or Profit from my La bour, I ſhall think the Pains I have taken to compile this ſhort Treatiſe, very well re, warded . bo STO SMOrost told to F I N I S. orio je o gold arbor o boo 5 10 somm 10 Je to hol 120 2 =EII 33 III 4. = III 5 = III 631 130 1140NIE 1 III E2 -2 -1 III = 3 III = 4 III = 5 III E 6 III = 1 III = 2 III = 3 20 2 II 3 = III 4 = III 5 = III = III III 6 III = 1 BSB Stats Bibliothek Bayerische 30% COM © 2007 digitalfoto-trainer.de E1 50 60mm 1 A. 2uimola a Plavantbrotto Sefountainof SaleWater: B.Pegora a Remarkable Promontory C.Iwo drohd Nocks ofWhiteMarble teinel with Purple. DANeverfading Copse Surrounding the fountain A. E A Mountain ofthe SameMarble as the Rocko c . F. 2 Beauteous Hillochs witha Fountain upeni'ach . QUIMOLA & PEGOSA ,daken from a an Aletint Survey in the BlueMountains ByPetrusPalusPeepadotus, Succeſsorlar Rigdum Funnidos,late beographer 3:Hydrographer to the Prince of Shaq - all- ia . Pra G.Npöll ofhoses billis 8-Violewa,here are found.Diamonds8-Aubia H. TheMountain Amina . 1. A stinking Bog læhaling locsonlapors 8 foggy Damps. K. Cattle feedingon š about Pegoga . L. the Author Peepadotu . Pr.6 M ,Cersonssent to plumbthe Depths of quimola , H I F E E M 1. Quimola aPleasantlpotto sopoustain & of SaleWater, B.Pegosa a Remarkable Promontory , C. Zwo Archd Rocksofwhite Marble Veinil with Purple, D. A Neverfading Copse Surrounding the fountain A. E aMountain of the Same Marbleas the Rocko c. F. 2 Beauteous Itillochs with a fountain upon iach . QUIMOLA & / PEGOS A ,luhen proí an Netiial Survey in the BlueMountains By Petrus Palus Peepadotus,Succeſsorlame Rigdum Funnidəs,late Geographer 3 Hydrographer to the Prince of Shag - all ia . Pro G.ApollofRovesbilles &Viollets, how asfound.Diamondsöhrebia . H.TheMountain Armina , 1. A sinking Bog tæhaling Moisonlapors 8 foggyDampo. K. Cattle feeding on is about Pegosa. L. the Author Peepadotus. M. Personswent to plumbtheDepths of2nimola . /

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See also

• British erotica
• Somatopia
• Merryland