MISSOURI TERRITORY MITHRIDATES. 



founded in 1764 ; the principal inhabitants were from 

 Canada. This country was settled but slowly until it 

 was purchased by the United States; since that period, 

 immigration has almost annually increased. In 1820, 

 Missouri became an independent state, and it will, 

 doubtless, become one of the most populous in the 

 Union. For the constitution, see Constitutions of Ike 

 United States. A good description of Missouri, and 

 of all the states of the Mississippi Valley, may be 

 obtained from Flint's Geography, &c. 



MISSOURI TERRITORY; a tract of country 

 nelouging to the United States, 900 miles long, 

 and 800 broad ; bounded by the British possessions 

 on the north ; the North- West Territory, Illinois and 

 Missouri on the east ; the territories of the Mexican 

 republic on the south and south-west ; and west by 

 the Rocky mountains. The belt of land on the west 

 border of the Mississippi, that is wooded, is generally 

 from two to four hundred miles broad. Then com- 

 mence the immense prairies, which constitute so 

 striking and impressive a feature in the vast coun- 

 try that spreads westward to the Rocky moun- 

 tains. For the most part, this country is a plain, 

 more or less covered with grass, and in many 

 places, fertile ; but other parts, of great extent, are 

 almost a moving sand. Countless numbers of buf- 

 faloes, elks, and other wild animals, graze upon it. 

 The principal sources of the Missouri, Arkansas, and 

 Red river, are found in this territory, and several 

 large branches of the Mississippi, above the Missouri, 

 come from the north-western part of the same vast 

 country. The Rocky mountains are yet but imper- 

 fectly known. Their bases have generally an eleva- 

 tion of 3 or 4000 feet above the ocean, and some 

 of them are estimated at 12,000 feet in height. Fol- 

 lowing up the valleys of the sources of the Platte to 

 the opposite valleys of waters that flow west, a good 

 road is found, easily passable with loaded wagons. 

 Thus an easy communication is provided between the 

 navigable rivers of the Oregon territory, oh the borders 

 of the Pacific ocean, and those which flow into the gulf 

 of Mexico. There are other ranges of mountains, 

 which traverse different parts of this territory, as the 

 Black hills, the Ozark mountains, the Masserne, &c. 

 There are fertile belts of land on the margins of most 

 of the rivers, and some of them have a great extent of 

 rich country. Generally, as we recede from the rivers, 

 the soil becomes poor, and very extensive deserts are 

 found in the southern regions. There are very few set- 

 tlements of whites in this vast country, and none so 

 considerable as to have any established government. 

 At Council Bluffs there is a military post, having one 

 regiment of infantry. Many tribes of Indians still 

 possess extensive tracts. The Sioux are the most 

 numerous ; the whole number is estimated at between 

 140,000 and 150,000. 



MISTLETOE. See Misletoe. 



MITE. Several minute species of insects are 

 known under the name of mites, most of which, how- 

 ever, belong to the genus acarus of Linnaeus. The 

 most of these animals are very small, or almost 

 microscopic. They occur everywhere, some being 

 jf a wandering character and to be found under 

 tones, leaves, the bark of trees, or in provisions, as 

 meal, cheese, pepper, &c. ; others are stationary and 

 parasitic, on the skin of various animals, sometimes 

 proving of serious injury to them . It is even asserted, 

 and with great appearance of truth, that the itch is 

 owing to these animals. From the experiments of 

 several inquirers, it appears they not only have been 

 seen in the pustules of the itch, but also that they are 

 capable of giving it to a healthy individual by being 

 placed on his skin. This is, however, denied by 

 other and very high authority. The mites inhabiting 

 cheese are so minute that to the naked eye they 



appear like moving particles of dust. They are very 

 quick-sighted, and when once they have been tou/.-hed 

 with a pin, it is curious to observe the cunning whicli 

 they display to avoid a second touch. They are 

 extremely voracious, and will even prey on each 

 other, and are so tenacious of life that they have 

 been kept alive for many months between object- 

 glasses of a microscope. The species which is found 

 in meal occasions considerable injury. Leuwenhoek 

 states that they may lie expelled by placing a few nut- 

 megs in the vessel or sack containing the meal. A 

 German writer, named Funke, advises a cheaper 

 remedy, which consists of the decorticated, thick 

 branches of the lilac, or elder, which are to be put in 

 the flour, and will, it is said, completely prevent 

 their depredations. See Tick. 



MITE; a small coin, formerly current, equal to about 

 one third of a farthing ; it also denotes a small weight 

 used by the money ers. It is equal to the twentieth 

 part of a grain, and divided into twenty-four doits. 



MITFORD, WJLLIAM ; an eminent historical and 

 philological writer, born in London, February 10 

 1734. He studied at Queen's college, Oxford, and 

 then at the Middle Temple, but early quitted the 

 profession of the law, and obtained a commission in the 

 Southamptonshire militia, of which he became colonel. 

 In 1785, he was chosen member of parliament, in which 

 he sat till 1818. His death took place in 1827. He 

 was professor of ancient history at the royal academy; 

 and, besides his principal work, the History of Greece 

 (1784 IS 10, 4 vols., 4to ; since reprinted in 8vo), he 

 published an Essay on the Harmony of Language 

 (1774, 8vo) ; a Treatise on the Military Force, and 

 particularly the Militia of this kingdom (8vo) ; Obser- 

 vations on the History of Christianity (8vo) ; a work 

 on architecture, and another on the corn-laws. 



MITHRA ; the sun, or the genius of the sun, with 

 the Persians, which was worshipped as a deity, at a 

 later period, also in Greece and Rome. Mithra 

 stands as a mediator between Ormuzd and the world. 

 His symbols are the sun (of truth and justice) on his 

 head, the mace (power) in his hand, or the sacrific- 

 ing dagger, and the bull of the world, on whose back 

 he lies. He is not to be confounded with the Mitra, 

 or Anahid, the Persian Venus. Even in Germany, 

 there are traces of his worship, in the provinces 

 anciently under the dominion of the Romans. 



MITHRIDATES ; the name of several kings of 

 Pontus, among whom Mithridates the Great, or the 

 Vlth, was the most renowned. Ambition, cruelty, 

 a spirit which nothing could bend, united with a 

 powerful genius, were the characteristics which 

 early developed themselves in his character. His 

 father was murdered B. C. 124, and Mithridates 

 ascended the throne at the age of thirteen years. 

 His mother and instructor plotted against his life ; 

 but he caused the former to be thrown into prison 

 (although she had been made co-regent with him), 

 where she died, according to some, of ill treatment, 

 but according to others of poison. He hardened his 

 body against exposure, and endeavoured to render 

 himself insensible to the effects of poison (whence the 

 name of a supposed antidote, MMridate). When he 

 became of age, he travelled through Asia, partly to 

 learn the customs, laws, manners, and languages of 

 the inhabitants (and he is said to have spoken twenty- 

 two languages), and partly to examine the territories 

 of his neighbours, of which he meditated the con- 

 quest. After an absence of three years, he returned, 

 and put to death his wife, who had been unfaithful, 

 and had attempted to poison him. He then attacked 

 Papniagonia, and divided it with his ally, the king 

 of Bithynia. The Romans, who bad declared the 

 country free, threatened him with a war ; but Mitl.ri- 

 dates was so little alarmed at this threat, that he 

 A 2 



