THE 



PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE. 



MAY 1800. 



t. Dcfcriptlon of the IJJand of CchheS oV Macajlir; iinlh an 

 Account of Us Gold Mines, and the Manner of ivorking 

 them; By Mr. VON WuRMB *. 



X HE ifiand of Celebes, called alfo Macafl^ir, is of great 

 importance to the Dutch f fur the fpice trade, on account of 

 its iituation, as it has on the north the Philippines, on the 

 nefl. the Sunda iOcs, oa the eaft the Moluccas, and on the 

 fouth Tinlor and Java. It extends from the third degree of 

 north to the fifth of foulh latitude, and lies nearly under the 

 J36th degree of longitude. It is about a hundred and twenty 

 hiiles in length from north to fouth, and forty-five in breadth 

 from eaft to weft. Kaynal favs its diameter amounts to about 

 a hundred and thirty miles, by which, in all probability, he 

 underftood its length from north to fouth. Properly the 

 eafteru fide of the ifland is called Celebes, and the wefteru 

 ^NlaealTar ; but in general the former name is given to the 

 whole ifland, particularly by the Dutch. 



As this ifland lies under the line, the air is exceeding- 

 ly liot ; but the heat is moderated by frequent rains and 

 cooling breezes, and in moft places the air is not prejudicial 

 to the health of ihe inhabitants. It abounds with moun- 



• From Mrrkwiircligkriten am Oft'nidien, publiflicd by his brother. 

 \ This ifland, fince the author wrote, has fallen into the hands of the 

 Hni'lilh. 



Vol. \'f. P p tain". 



