inhabitants is derived from the pilgrims, who
flock to this place from every part of the Mahom-
etan world. On the top of one of the hills is a
cave, where they pretend Mahomet usually re-
tired to perform his devotions; and hither, they
affirm, the greatest part of the Koran was brought
to him by the angel Gabriel. Numbers of sheep
are brought hither to be sold to the pilgrims.
The principal ornament of Mecca is the famous
temple, which has 42 doors, and its form resem-
bles that of the Royal Exchange in London, but
it is nearly ten times as large. The area in the
middle is covered with gravel, except in two or
three places that lead to the Beat-Allah through
certain doors; and these are paved with short
stones. The Beat-Allah, in the middle of the
temple, is a square structure, covered all over
with a thick sort of silk, and the middle em-
broidered with large letters of gold: the door is
covered with silver plates, and has a silver cur-
tain before it, thick with gold embroidery. This
Beat is the principal object of the pilgrims’ devo-
tion, and is open but two days in the space of six
weeks, one day for the men and the next for the
women. About 12 paces from the Beat is the
pretended sepulchre of Abraham, by whom the
Mahometans affirm the Beat-Allah to have been
erected ; and 2 m. from the town, according to
the same authority, is the hill on which he pre-
pared to offer up his son Isaac. The famous balm
of Mecca is not manufactured in this city but
is found and brought hither from the surrounding
country. Mecca is governed by a sheref, who is
a temporal prince, and his revenue is increased
by the donations of Mahometan sovereigns. It is
34 m. E. N. E. of Jidda, the sea-port of Mecca,
and 220 S. by E. of Medina. Long. 40. 55. xc2xa3.
lat. 21. 40. N.'

Mechanick, a village in Dutchess Co. N. V.
15 m. N. E. Poughkeepsie.

Mechanicsburg, p.v. Cumberland Co. Pa. 8 m.
from Harrisburg; p.v. Champaign Co. Ohio and
a village in Liberty township, Butler Co. Ohio.

Mechaniekstown, p.v. Frederick Co. Maryland.

Mechanick,’s Mill, p.v. Moore Co. N. C. 68 m.
S. W. Raleigh.

Mcchaniesville, p.v. Saratoga Co. N. Y., Mont-
gomery Co. Maryland and Darlington Dis. S. C.

Mechlin, or MaHnes, a town of the Nether-
lands, capital of a district in the province of
Antwerp, and an archbishop’s see. The cathe-
dral is a superb structure, with a very high stee-
ple. Here is a great foundery for ordnance of all
kinds; and the best Brabant lace, fine linen,
damask, carpets, and leather are made here.
Mechlin submitted to the duke of Marlborough
in 1706: and was taken by the French in 1746,
1792, and 17f*4. It is seated on the Dyle, 10 m.
N. N. E. cf Brussels and 15 S. S. E. of Antwerp.
Long. 4. 23. xc2xa3..Iat. 51. 2. N.

Mechoacan. See Valladolid.

Meckenhr.n. a town of the Prussian states, in
tne province of Berg and Cleves, situate on the
Erflt, S m. S. W. of Bone.

Mecklenburg, a duchy of Germany, bounded
N. bv the Baltic. E. by Pomerania, S. by Bran-
denburg, and W. by Holstein and Lunenburg.
It extends 135 m. in"length, and 90 where broad-
est, and abounds in corn, pastures, and game.
The country was, for many centuries, under the
government of one prince ; but on the death of
the sovereign, in 1592, it was divided between
his two sons; the elder obtaining the duchy of
Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and the younger the
62
duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelilz. Both princes re
ceived the title of grand duke at the congress of
Vienna in 1815, and they have each a vote at the
diet of the empire. Schwerin and Strelitz are
the chief towns.

Mecklmberg, a county of the E. District of
Virginia. Pop. 20,366. Boydton is the capital.
A county of N. Carolina. Pop. 20,076. Char
lotte is the capital.

Meckley. See Cassay.

Mecon, a river which rises in the N. E. part of
Thibet, flows through the country of Cambodia,
and falls into the China Sea by three mouths.

Mecran, or Mekran, a province of Persia, bound-
ed on the N. by Segistan and Candahar, E. by
Hindoostan, S. by the Indian Ocean, and W. by
Kerman. The southern part is dry, and little
more than a desert; the northern is less so, hut
animals are rare, and the soil far from fertile.
Kidge is the capital.

Medea, a town of Algiers, on the site of the
ancient Lamida, in a country abounding in corn,
fruit, and sheep. 35 m. S. W. of Algiers.

Medea,or Mahdia, a sea-port of Tunis, formerly a
place of importance ; seated on a peninsula in the
gulf of Cabes, 8 m. S. by E. of Tunis.

Medtbach, a town of Prussia, in the province of
Westphalia, 32 m. E. of Cassel.

Med el in, a town of Spain, in Estremadura, the
birth-place of the celebrated Fernando Cortes. It
is seated in a fertile country on the river Guadia-
na, 20 m. E. hy S. of Merida.

Medelpodia, a province of Sweden, between the
gulfs of Bothnia and Jamtland. It is 100 m. long
and 45 broad ; very mountainous and woody, but
interspersed with lakes, rivers, and fertile valleys
Sundswold is the capital*

Medenblick a sea-port of the Netherlands, in N
Holland, witn a good harbour. The chief com-
merce is in timber brought fiom Norway and Swe-
den ; the vicinity is remarkable for its rich pas-
tures. Medenblick was taken by the English in
1799. It is seated on the Zuyder Zee, 28 m. N.
E. of Amsterdam. Long. 51. E., lat. 52. 46. N.

Medfidd, p.t. Norfolk Co. Mass. 18 m. S. W.
Boston. Pop. 817.

Medford, p.t. Middlesex Co. Mass. on Mystic
river, 5 m. N. W. Boston. Pop. 1,755.

Median. See Madian.

Medina, a town of Arabia Deserta, celebrated as
the burial place of Mahomet. It is a small, poor
place, but is walled round, and has a magnificent
mosque, in one corner of which is the tomb of
Mahomet, enclosed with rich curtains and lighted
by a great number of lamps. Medina is called
the City of the Prophet, because here he was pro-
tected by the inhabitants when he fled from Mec-
ca, and here he was first invested with regal pow-
er. The time of his death was in 637; but the
Mahometan epoch begins in 622, from the time
of his flight. Medina is seated on a sandy plain,
abounding in palm trees, 200 m. N. W. of'Mecca.
Its port is Jambo. Long. 39. 33. E., lat. 25. 20.
N.

Medina, the capital of the kingdom of Woolly,
W. Africa. It contains about 1,000 houses, and
is defended by a high wall, surrounded by a thick
hedge. Long. 12. 50. W., lat. 13. 38. N.

Medina, a town and fort of the island of Bah-
rein, near which is a bank containing the finest
pearls in the world. The harboilr will not admit
vessels of more than 200 tons. It is seated near
the Arabian shore oftlie Persian Gulf.

Medina, a town of Spain, in Estremadi noeeat-