|
port near Scotland, where they could safely land
their supplies for Mary of Guise, the queen regent.
It is said that the bones of giants are often dug up
in the neighbourhood. It exports considerable
quantities of grain for the London market.
Ayamonte, a seaport of Spain, in Andalusia,
with a castle on a rock, at the mouth of'the river
Guadiana, opposite Castro-Marino, 80 m. N. W.
of Cadiz. Long. 7. 15. W. lat. 37. 12. N.
Aylesbury, a borough in Buckinghamshire, Eng.
It is the centre of the business of the fertile vale
of Aylesbury. Many people here derive their
support from a peculiar manner of rearing ducks
for the London market; and the making of lace
is carried on to a great extent. It is 17 m. S. E.
of Buckingham, and 38 N. W. of London. Pop.
in 1821, 4,400.
Aylesford, a town in the county of Kent, Eng.
situate on the west bank of the Medway river.
Pop. in 1821,1,136.
Aylesham, a town in Norfolk, Eng. 11 m. N. of
Norwich, and 118 N. E. of London. There is a
spring about a mile from the town, very effica-
cious in chronic disorders. It is seated on the
south bank of the river Bure, which is navigable
to Yarmouth. Pop. in 1821,1,853.
Ayr, a county, parish, royal burgh, and river of
Scotland. The county extends for about 56 miles
along the S. W. coast, and is about 20 in mean
breadth. It is one of the most productive coun-
ties in Scotland, and exports considerable quanti-
ties of grain to Liverpool; and the north part of
the county participates largely in the cotton man-
ufacture. It also abounds in coal and iron, and
has some veins of copper and antimony, and some
kelp is made on the coast from sea weed, which
is also extensively used as manure. It has been
proposed to intersect the north part of the county
with a canal from Adrossan to the Clyde at Glas-
gow, but after having been completed for about 12
miles from the Clyde, the work has been suspend-
ed. Agates, porphyry, jasper, and calcareous pet-
rifactions are found in various parts, of the county;
whilst lime, and freestone abound, and on the riv-
er Ayr is obtained the whetstone, so useful in
sharpening of agricultural cutlery. The principal
to wins beside Ayr, are Kilmarnock, Kilwinning,
and Irvine, N.,St. Quivox, Mauchline, Muirkirk,
in the centre, Maybole, Kirkmichael, Daily,
Girvan, and Ballantrae, S.
The Royal Burgh of Ayr is situate in the parish,
and at the mouth of the river of the same name,
on the sea coast, the light-house being in lat. 54.
35. N. and 4. 26. W. long. It is a place of con-
siderable antiquity, having been a royal burgh as
far back as 1202 ; its commercial importance de-
clined with the rise of Glasgow, but has revived
somewhat since the commencement of the present
century. Its export of coal is very great. About |
6,000 tons of shipping belong to the place, a por-
tion of which is employed in the timber trade, to
British America. Its buildings do not merit any
particular notice. Pop. in 1821, 7,425, and New
Town Ayr, immediately contiguous, 4,027 more.
The Ayr river as well as the Don, affords a con-
siderable supply of salmon.
Aysgarth, a parish and village of North York-
shire ; the parish contains 12 townships, and a
population of 5,620; the village contains 293 in-
habitants; and is seated on the Eure, four miles
east of Askrigg. Here is a grand picturesque
waterfall, called Aysgarth Force; and abridge of
one arch, 72 feet in the span, overgrown with
ivy,
Azamor, a town of Morocco, on the river Mor*
beys, near the sea, 80 m. N. of Morocco.
Azaredo, a sea-port of Brazil, in the bay of
Spirito Santo, celebrated for sugar. Long. 40.
10. W. lat. 20. 18. S.
Azores or Western Islands, a group of islands in
the Atlantic, between 25. and 30. W. long, and
37. and 40. N. lat. 900 m. AV. of Portugal. They
are nine in number, viz. St. Maria, St. Michael,
Terceira, St. George, Graciosa, Fayal, Pico,
Flores, and Corvo. They were first discovered
in 1439, by John Vanderberg, a merchant of Bru-
ges, who was driven here by stress of weather.
On his arrival at Lisbon, he boasted of his dis-
covery ; on which the Portuguese set sail, and
took possession of them, which the}7 have retained
ever since. They have all a clear sky and- salu-
brious air; are extremely fertile in corn, wnne,
and various fruits; and breed great numbers of
cattle. It is said they are quite free of venom-
ous animals; but they are subject to earthquakes
and volcanic eruptions. They are seen at a great
distance, one of them having a very high moun-
tain, called the Pico, or Peak of the Azores. The
governor-general resides at Angra, in Terceira ;
but St. Michael is the largest island. In the year
1819 they exported to Great Britain 51,706 boxes
of oranges, and in 1824-5 a still greater quantity.
Azoth, Azotus, or Ashdod, one of the five cities
of the Philistines, and a celebrated seaport cf the
Mediterranean. It was in this city that the idol
Dagon fell down before the Ark ; and so strong
a place it wras, if we may believe Herodotus, that
it sustained a siege of 29 years, by Psammeticus,
king of Egypt. It wins, however taken by the
Maccabees, in a much shorter time, who burned
both city and temple, and writh them about 8,000
men. The town is now called by the Arabs Has-
aneyun. It is but thinly inhabited, though the
situation is very pleasant. The town is about a
mile and a half in circumference, and has in it a
mosque, a public bath, a market-place, and twin
inns. Here is an old structure with fine marble
pillars, which the inhabitants say wins the house
that Sampson pulled down ; and to the S. E. just
out of the town, is the winter where Philip bap-
tized the Ethiopian eunuch. There are several
ancient buildings, with capitals and pillars stand-
ing. It is situated about 14 or 15 m. S. of Ekron,
betwinen that and Ascalon. |
