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when a westerly wind rushes through the valley
of Colli between the mountains. About the mid-
dle of the 11th century the Norman king,Roger,es-
tablished silk manufactures in this city, by means
of prisoners taken in his war with the Greeks, and
they still flourish, though not so lucrative since
the manufacture has extended to Italy. One
mile from Palermo is a celebrated convent of
Capuchins, in which is a vault, made use of as
a receptacle for the dead. It consists of 4 wide
passages, each about 40 feet in length, with arch-
es along the sides, in which the bodies are set
uprigiit, clothed in coarse garments, with their
heads, arms, and feet bare. On the floor are
handsome trunks, containing the bodies of per-
sons of distinction, the keys of which are kept by
the relations. In 1799 when the French made
themselves masters of Naples, Palermo became
the residence of the court; at present it is the
seat of the viceroy of the Sicilian parliament and
of the chief boards of the island administration.
130 m. W. of Messina, and 200 S. by W. of
Naples. Long. 13. 23. E.,lat. 38. 7. N.
Palestine, a country of Syria, so called from
the Philistines, who inhabited its sea-coast. In
the Scriptures it is styled the Land of Canaan,
and the Promised Land: it is also called Judina,
from the patriarch-Judah; and the Holy Land,
from its having been the scene of the birth, min-
islrv, and death of Jesus Christ. It is divided
from the other parts of Syria on the N. by Mount
Libanus, and on the E. by the river Jordan and
the Dead Sea; Arabia Petrina on the S./and the
Mediterranean on the W. It is in general a fer-
tile country, abounding where cultivated, with
com, wine, and oil; and it might supply the
neighbouring country with all these, as it anciently
did, were tbe present inhabitants equally indus-
trious. The parts about Jerusalem are the most
mountainous and rocky ; but thej7 feed numerous
herds and flocks, and yield plenty of honey, with
excellent wine and oil; and the valleys produce
large crops of corn. This country has been con-
quered and occupied by such a variety of foreign
races mat it is difficult to say which forms the
basis of its present population. It now belongs
to the Turkish empire, and is included in the
pachalics of Acre and Damascus, the former com-
prehending the sea-coast and the latter extending
over tiie interior.
PA'Xxic. ph. Lawrence Co. Indiana; p.v. Craw-
ford C). lillnris. 30 m. E. Vandalia.
PTest-ii-. one of the largest of the islands
called the Lagunss. near Venice. It has a town
o: the sam? nine. 6 m. S. of Venice.
Pxe2x80x98C--~ri~.~. ancienllv Pnenesie, an episcopal
town Lain, in the delegation of Rome, with
the tit'- : ’ a -xe2x96xa0ri'icipility. Here formerly stood
a tern:-’- dud. : it; d t' Fortune, the ruins of w hich
:nav vet be seen. It is 25 m. E. by S. of Rome.
Lon/. U 5 E . ’.it 41.52. N.
PA :~cj. a t inxe2x80x94: : ' Italy, in the papal states,
situate on a h. 1. 27 a. E. of Rome.
Paligzu:. “ Pz'i’Z'ii. a fort of Hindoostan, in
Malabar, bull: by Hvcer. on his conquest of that
province. Around it are scattered many villages,
which contain a considerable population and have
some trade. It was taken by the British in 1783
and again in 17xc2xbb. and was confirmed to them at
the peace of 1792. I: stands between two rivu-
lets, near their junction, at the foot of the south-
ern extremity of the Ghauts. 23 m. W S. W. of
Coimbetore and 56 E. by N. of Paniany. |
Paligonda, a town of Hindoostan, in the Car-
natic, with the remains of a fort, in which is -
considerable temple. It is seated on the Paliar,
25 m. W. of Arcot.
Path Strait, a strait at the N. end of the island
of Ceylon, in the bay of Bengal, which separates
that island from the coast of Coromandel. It is
celebrated for the extensive pearl fishery carried
on in it, on both shores, formerly by the Dutch
and now by the British.
PaUiser Islands, a group of islands in the S.
Pacific; the largest is about 15 m. long and 10
broad. Long. 146. 30. W., lat. 15. 38. S.
Palma, one of the Canary islands, to the N. ol
Ferro, 50 m. in circumference, and very fertile.
It has a town of the same name, much frequented
for its excellent wines and safe harbour. Long,
17. 50. W., lat. 28. 37. N.
Palma, a strong city, capital of the island oi
Majorca, and a bishop’s seh. The public squares,
the cathedral, and the royal palace, are magnifi-
cent. It contains 4,000 houses, built after the
antique manner; a university, more ancient than
celebrated; and 22 churches, besides the cathe
drat. The harbour is extremely good. It was
taken by the English in 1766, and retaken in
1715. It is seated on the S. W. side of the island.
Long. 2. 30. E.. lat. 39. 35. N.
Palma, a town of Spain, in Andalusia, on the
Xenil, near its conflux with the Guadalquivir, 30
in. S. W. of Cordova.
Palma, a town of Portugal, in Estremadura,
on the river Cadoan, 20 m. E. of Setuval.
Palma, a town of New Granada, 40 m. N. W.
of Bogota.
Palma Nuora, a strong frontier town of Italy,
in the Venetian province of Udina, seated on a
canal, which communicates witn the Lizonzo, 10
m. S E. of Udina. Long. 13. 15. xc2xa3., lat. 46.2. N.
Palma di Solo, a sea-port of Sardinia, on the S.
W. coast, 38 m. S. W. of Cagliari.
Palmas, a river of Mexico, formed by the junc-
tion of the Nassas and Sauceda, in New Biscay,
whence it flows E. about 200 m. between the
provinces of Panuco and New Leon, into the
gulf of Mexico.
Palmas, the capital of the island of Grand Ca-
nara. See Canaries.
Palmas, one of the Philippine islands, 16
leagues S. E. of Mindanao. Long. 127. 0. E.,
lat.'5. 33. N.
Palmas, Cape, a promontory on the Ivory coast
of Guinea. Long. 5. 34. W., lat. 4. 26. N.
Palmela, a town of Portugal, in Estremadura,
with a castle on a rock, 8 m. N. N. E. of Setuvah
Palmfr, ph. Hampden Co. Mass. 82 m. S. W.
Boston. Pop. 1,237. Here are some manufactures.
Palmertoicn, p.v. Saratoga Co. N. Y. 46 m.
from Albany.
Palmerston Isle. an island in the S. Pacific,
discovered by Cook in 1774. It consists of about
10 islets, connected by a reef of coral rocks, and
lving in a circular direction; the principal one
not exceeding a m. in circumference, nor more
than three feet above the level of the sea. It
abounds with cocoa-nuts, scurvygrass, and the
wharra-tree, but has no inhabitants. Long. 162.
57 W., lat. 18. 0. S.
Palmyra, or Tadmor, once a magnificent city
of Syria, originally built by king Solomon, in the
midst of a sandy desert, bounded on three sides
by a chain of high mountains. On the decline ol
the Macedonian empire in the E., it became the
capital of a principality, under the name of Pal-
myra; and it declared for the Romans, on Adrkw |
