Menai, a strait which divides the island of An-
glesey from the other parts of N. Wales. An
elegant suspension bridge has been thrown over
this strait, which will allow vessels that pass
the strait to sail beneath it.

Menan, a river of the kingdom of Siam, which
passes by the city of Siam, and enters the gulf of
Siam, below Bancok.    *

Menancabow, a kingdom in the centre of the
island of Sumatra. The country is described as
a large plain, clear of wood, comparatively well
cultivated, and abounding in gold.

Mende, a town of France, capital of the depart-
ment of Lozere, and a bishop’s see. It has man-
ufactures of serges and other woolen stuffs; and
is seated on the Lot, 35 m. S. W. of Puy and 210
S. by E. of Paris. Long. 3. 30. E., lat. 44. 31. N.

Mcndham, ph. Morris Co. N. Y.

Mendip Hills, a lofty tract in the N. E. of Som-
ersetshire, Eng. abounding in coal, calamine, and
lead: copper, manganese, bole, and red ochre,
are also found. A great portion of these hills,
formerly covered with heath and fern, has been
brought into cultivation and produces good corn.
At the bottom of a deep ravine, near the village
of Berrington, a cavern was discovered, in 1798,
containing a great number of human bones, many
of them incrusted with a ca'careous cement, and
a large portion completely incorporated with the
solid rock.

Mcndelsharn, a decayed village and parish in
Suffolk, Eng. where an ancient silver crown,
weighing 60 ounces, was dug up about the end
of the 17th century. It is seated near the source
of the Deben, 80 m. N. E. ofLondon.

Mendon, ph. Worcester Co. Mass. 37 mi S. W.
Boston. Pop. 3,152; a township of Monroe Co.
N. Y. Pop. 3,075.

Mendoza, a city of Buenos Ayres, province of
Cugo, on the E. side of the Andes, in a plain
adorned with gardens, well watered by canals.
It contains four convents, a college, and a church.
A river of the same name flows by this town, and
finally enters the Atlantic under the name of Co-
lorado. Long. 70. 12. W., lat. 34. 0. S.

Mendrah, a province of the kingdom of Fezzan,
much of which is a continued level of hard and
barren soil; but the quantity of trona, a species
of fossil alkali, that floats on the surface, or settles
on the banks of its numerous smoking lakes, has
given it a higher importance than that of the
more fertile districts. It has a town of the same
name, 60 m. S. of Mourzouk.

Mendrisio, a town of Switzerland, canton of
Ticino, containing several convents. 7 m. W.
by N. of Como.

Menehould, St., a town of France, department
of Marne. In 1792 the French gave the first
check to the progress of the Prussians a( this place,
which in the end compelled them to a retreat.
It is seated in a morass, on the river Aisne, be-
tween two rocks, 20 m. E. N. E. of Chalons.

Mengen, a town of Wurtemberg, near the Dan-
ube, 50 m. S. of Stutgard.

Mengeringhauscn, a town and castle of Ger-
many, county of WalaCck, 8 m. N. E. of Corbach
and 24 N. W. of Cassel.

Menin, a town of the Netherlands, in W. Flan-
ders. It has b^en often taken ; the last time by
the French in 1794. It is seated on the Lis, 10
m. N. of Lisle.

Mentone, a town of Nice, with a castle and a
small harbour, 5 m. E. N. E. of Monaco.

Mentor, ph. Geauga Co. Ohio.

Mentz, or Mayence, a city of Germany, in th
grand duchy of Hesse, and a bishop’s see. It is
well fortified, and deemed a barrier fortress. The
city is built in an irregular manner, and plenti
fully provided with churches. The principal
buildings are the electorial palace (now much de-
cayed), the house of the Teutonic knights, and
the cathedral. Mentz is one of the towns which
claim the invention, of printing; and the growth
of the best Rhenish wine is limited to a circle of
about five miles round it. The French took this
place by surprise in 1792; and the next year it
stood a long blockade and siege before it surrend
ered to the allies. It was twice re-attacked
the French in 1795, but they were defeated by
the Austrians, who also relieved it from a block
ade of two months in 1796. The siege was soon
after resumed, and continued till the signing ofthe
treaty of Udina in 1797, when the city was taken
possession of by the French. By the peace of
Luneville, in 1801, it was formally ceded to
France, but was delivered up to the allies in 1814.
Mentz is seated on the Rhine, just below the in-
flux of the Maine, and on the opposite side is the
town of Cassel, connected with it by a bridge of
boats. It is 22 m. W. S. W. of Frankfort and 70
E. by N. of Treves. Long. 8.10. E., lat. 49.58. N.

Mentz, a township of Cayuga Co. N. Y. 12 m
N. W. Auburn on the Erie Canal. Pop. 4,144.

Menuf,a town of Egypt, situate in a well culti-
vated country, near that branch ofthe Nile which
flows to Rosetta, 40 m. N. N. W. of Cairo.

Menzala, a town of Egypt, situate near a lake
of the same name, 60 m. long, separated from the
Mediterranean by a narrow slip ot land. It is 20
m. S. S. E. of Damietta and 73 N. N. E. of Cairo.
Long. 32. 2. E., lat. 31. 3. N.

Meppen, a town of Westphalia, capital of a dis
trict of the same name, 52 m. N. of Munster.

Mequincnza, a town of Spain, in Catalonia,
with a castle, seated at the conflux of the Segra
with the Ebro, 58 m. E. S. E. of Saragossa and
180 E.N. E. of Madrid.

Mequinez, a city of Morocco, seated in a de-
lightful plain, having a serene and clear air; for
which reason the emperor frequently resides in
this place in preference to Fez. The palace
stands on the S. side, and is guarded by several
hundreds of black eunuchs, whose knives and
scimitars are covered with wrought silver. In
the middle of the city, the Jews have a place to
themselves, the gates of which are locked every
night, and guarded. Close by Mequinez, on
the N .W. side, is a large Negro town, which
takes up as much ground as the city, but the
houses are not so high, nor so well built. The
inhabitants of Mequinez, estimated at 112,000, are
considered more polished and hospitable than those
of the southern provinces. 58 m. W. of Fez.
Long. 5. 46. W., lat. 32. 40. N.

Mer, a town of France, department of Loire-et-
Cher, 11 m. N. N. W. of Bloise.

Meran, a town of the Austrian States, in Tyrol,
of which it was formerly the capital; seated near
the conflux of the Passar, with the Adige, 12 m.
N. N. W. of Botzen. Long. 11.5. E., lat. 46. 39.
N.

Mercer, a county of the W. district of Pennsyl-
vania. Pop. 19,731. The chief town has the same
name. A county of Kentucky. Pop. 17,706. Har-
rodsburg is the capital. A county of Ohio. Pop
1,110. St. Mary’s is the capital. A county of H
linois. Pop. 26.

Mercer, ph. Somerset Co. Me, 94 m. S. E. Port