350 m. in circumference. It is interspersed with
islands, and abounds in fishes, but is infested with
crocodiles. The S. W. extremity is only a few
leagues from the Pacific Ocean, and the S. E. end
communicates with the Atlantic Ocean by the
river St. Juan.

Nicaragua, a city of the foregoing province, sit-
uate at some distance S. W. of the lake, and near
the mouth of a river, on the Pacific Ocean, 120
m. S. E. of Leon de Nicaragua. Long. 86. 10.
W., lat. 11. 15. N.

Nicaria, an island of the Grecian Archipelago,
between Samos and Tina, anciently called Icaria.
It is 50 m. in circumference, and full of rocks.
Long. 26. 30. E., lat. 37. 40. N.

Nicastro, a town of Naples, in Calabria Ultra,
with an ancient castle, 17 m. S. S. E. of Cosenza.

Nice, a coanty of Sardinia, bounded by the Var,
the Maritime Alps, the territories of Genoa, and
the Mediterranean. It was anciently an appendage
of Provence in France, but afterwards passed to
the king of Sardinia. It is 36 m. long, and 18
broad ; and contains about 100 000 inhabitants.

Nice, an ancient, handsome, and considerable
town, on the confines ofFrance and Italy, capital
of the foregoing province. It has a strong citadel
built on a rock, and on the W. it is fortified
with a wall and ditch. On the E. side of the rock
is the harbour, called Limpia, from a small river
that runs into it. The inhabitants export oil, silk,
wine, cordials, rice, oranges, lemons, and all sorts
of dried fruits. It was taken by the French in
1792, retaken by the Austrians in 150*), but evac-
uated in a week afterwards. It is very agreeably
situated, 4 m. from the mouth of the Var. S3
S. by W. of Turin, and 83 E. of Aix.

Nice, a city of Natolia. See Isnic.

Nishaburg, a town of Persia, famous for a mine
of turquoise stone in its neighbourhood. It is 37
m. S. of Mesched.

Nicholas, a county of the W. district of Virgin-
ia. Pop. 3,349. A county of Kentucky. Pop.

8,832. Carlisle is the capital.

Nicholasville, ph. Jessamine Co. Ken. 30 m. S.
E. of Frankfort.

Nicholas, St., one of the largest and most pleas-
ant of the Cape Verde Islands, between St. Lucia
and St. Jago. It is 75 m. in length ; and is the
residence of the bishop of the isles. Long. 14. 10.
AV.. lat. 16. 32. N.

Nicho’as. St., a town of France, in the depart-
ment of Meurthe. with a handsome church, to
which pilgrims formerly resorted. It is seated
on the Meurthe. 7 m. S. E. of Nancy.

Nicko'iLS. St., Mole, a town, harbour, and cape,
at the N. W. extremity of St. Domingo, com-
manding the strait called the Windward Passage.
The harb-r-ar is strongly fortified by nature and
art: and ships : f any burden may ride at anchor in
the basin, even during a hurricane. It was ta-
ken bv the Engffsh aided bv the French royalists,
in 1793. but evacuated in 1798. Long. 73. 30.
AV.. lat. 19.49 X.

Nicholas Is'end. a small island on the N. coast of
the island of Cuba. Long. 79. 40. W., lat. 33. 50. N.

Nicobar Islands.*, group of 19 islands on the E.
side of the bay of Bengal’. They are almost en-
tirely uncultivated : but the cocoa-nut, the mel-
lori or lerum (a kind of bread-fruit), and other
tropical fruits grow spontaneously ; there are also
yams and sweet potatoes, and the edible birds’
nests so much esteemed in China. Dogs and
hogs are the principal animals. The inhabitants
are tall and well proportioned, with black eyes,
black lank hair, and dark copper-coloured skins.
They live in little huts, having no towns, and go
quite naked, except a cloth about the waist with
a small string hanging down behind. These is-
lands extend northward, from the N. point of
Sumatra. The largest, which gives name to the
rest, is 25 m. long and 10 broaa. Its extremity
is in long. 94. 3. E., lat. 6. 39. N.

Nicojach Cave, in Georgia, is situated in an em-
inence called Racoon Mountain. Its mouth' is
50 feet high and 160 feet wide. It is many miles
in depth and the floor is covered with a stream of
water throughout its whole length. Three miles
within is a cataract, beyond which visitors hay.'
not penetrated. The rock is limestone.

Nicolaaef, a city of Russia, in the government
of Catharinenslaf, founded hy Catherine II., on
the S. side of the Ingul,at its conflux with the Bog
The public buildings and a number of private
houses are constructed of a white calcareous stone,
but the rest of the houses are of wood. This
place, being of easier access hy water for vessels
than Cherson, is now the capital of the naval es
tablishment of the Black Sea. The admiralty,
with a long line of magazines, workshops, wet and
dry docks, and every necessary department for
shipping are placed along the bank of the Ingul.
It is 30 m. N. N. E. of Oczakow and 45 N. W.ot
Cherson. Long. 30. 46. E., lat. 46. 58. N.

Aicolo, St., the most consider able of the isles
of Tremeti, in the gulf of Venice. It has a har-
bour, defended by a fortress, in which is an abbey
with a church. Long. 15. 37. E., lat. 42. 10. N

Nicolsburg, a town of Moravia, with a castle on
a mountain , 12 m. E. N. E. of Laab.

Nieopoii, a town of Bulgaria, famous for the first
battle fought between the Turks and the Christ-
ians in 1396, when the emperor Sigismund was de
feated, and had 20,000 men killed. It is seated
on the Danube, at the influx of the Osma, 60 m.
S. S. AV. of Bucharest and 150 N. N. W. of Adri-
anople. Long. 25. 43. E., lat. 44. 16. N.

Nicopoli, or Glanish, a town of Turkish Arme
nia, built by Pompey in memory of a victory
gained over Mithridates. It is 15 m. S. of Erzerum.

Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, seated near the
mountain Olympus. From the time of Con-
stantin^ the Great till 1567, it was 9 m. in cir-
cumference ; hut the Venetians, finding it too ex-
tensive, reduced it to 3, and fortified it with 11
bastions and 3 gates ; all the rest they razed to
the foundation, demolishing temples, palaces,^-
and the most beautiful monuments. In 1570, it
was besieged 45 days by the Turks, and then
taken by a general assault. The church of St.
Sophia is a fine old Gothic structure. The baza-
ar is extensive, well supplied with provisions, and
remarkably clean. Lon. 33. 26. E., lat. 35.14. N.

Nicosia, a town of Sicily, in Val di Demona,
12 m. S. of Cofalu.

Nicotera, a town of Naples, in Calabria Ultra,
near the coast of the Mediterranean, 35 m. N. N.
E. of Reggio, and 135 S. E. of Naples. Long. 16.

30. E., lat. 38. 34. N.

Nicoya, a town of Guatemala, in Costa Rica,
situate on a small river, which runs into the bay
of Salinas, where there is a pearl fishery. It is
98 m. VV. N. W. of Cartago. Long. 85. 49. W.,
lat. 10. 40. N.

Nicsara, a town of Turkey, in Caramania, and
an archbishop’s see, 10 m. N. of Tocat. Long.

36. 9. E., lat. 39. 25. N.

Nidau, a town of Switzerland in the canton