M O C 



591 



Vocba. all canununicntion? between the shore and the vessels 

 - , ~ * . '. During other three or four months, the 



opposite monsoon blows from the north-west with less 

 viole:ici, but with still greater heat The country in 

 the vicinity of Mocha is remarkably dreary, and, for a 

 circuit often miles, consists of arid sand, covered by a 

 aline efflorescence, and with scarcely any appearance 

 of vegetation except the common mimosa, and a species 

 , of s,i!ici ' : i ; but near to the town are numbers of 

 ' date-trees ui' stunted growth, and a few patches of ve- 

 getables in the neigbourhood of the wells. The town, 

 how i ell supplied with provisions .from the in- 



Uiid JMHHand the opposite coast of Abyssinia, and 

 in summer great abundance of excellent fruits are 



country from 20 to 50 



miles distance. The w cki-h and unwhole- 



^eri, but pure water is brought daily to 



.1, a town about 20 miles inland. 



>vern- AL id of the 1 J-tii century Mocha wat not 



KDU in . but, about the end of the Kith, it had 



become the great man lor the trade between India 

 and Egypt, and about 1738 it seems to have t 

 ed iu greatest height of prosperity, when the Ei 

 'French, and Dutch, carried on a regular trade - 

 by the Cape of Good Hope for the coffee which used 

 font. to Alexandria. 



Thi article, whi< , principal produce of the 



country, together with gum-arabic, myrrh and frankin- 

 cense, which are brought from the opposite coast of 

 port of the export trade of 



Mod till goes up 



the Red Sea to Sit It are very consider- 



able, particularly from India and Muscat, the greater 

 trafiic it carried on through Banian tra- 

 i are found in great numbers at 

 arc iudulged with die public exercise of 



, * well at the other towns he) on 2 in? to the 

 Imam, it governed by a l)i>U, who is usually a slave, 

 .loved at pleasure and made to disgorge 



- 



.Tise from the sum* levied upon the BdMalM 

 and other foreign merchants. The second officer in the 

 town is the Cas Kat. .-tary of Stale, who is al. 



ways an Arab, and 1 as a licensed spy ovet 



idi or .V.i M-. and thru 

 |>ose the divan where . business is 



' has only a vote along 

 The poli^.j it very strict during the 

 '. aod any pcr^m found > ut . ' - house after the 

 t, which is indicated by the 

 n ducted to 



pr*^ . insist* of abo 



lurrcman and armed with match, 



-ijfgers. These troops have no ap. 

 pearance _ habits, and, when 



on guard at the different gates, arc aeen reclining on 

 couches with their matchlocks 1) ing neglected by their 

 tides, and a i :!'re or smoking-pipe in their 



hands. They atten '.i every Friday on his pro- 



the rreat masque, and are afterwards exer- 

 i of his 1 



ci*td in t 

 marksmen 



raited in the 

 t 

 The crabt 



ist< ,,f 



ghee, 

 .ndan: 



ight 



The btiH 

 iiition hoi! 

 The cawa, 



MOD 



husk of the coffee-berry, is dnmk bvmo^t of them seve- 

 ral times a-da\ . and the pipe is rarely out of the luu.ds 

 of the men. They are i.ot very strict in tbe ceremo- 

 nies of their religion, except in the performance of their 

 ablutions, and on the Friday, the Mahometan Sabbath, 

 the lower orders carry on their usual occupations. 

 Since the triumphs of the Rritish arms in India, their 

 conduct has become more tolerant towards Christians, 

 who may now walk along the streets without being lia- 

 ble to insult, but who are still prohibited from going 

 out at the Mecca-gate, though both Jews and Banians 

 are indulged with that privilege. The character of the 

 Arabs who inhabit the town is very inferior to those of 

 the country, who still follow the pastoral habits. They 

 are coward. v, cruel, revengeful, lewd, dishonest, inordi- 

 nately addicted to falsehood in every form, and scarcely 

 possessed of a single good quality. See Parson's Tra- 

 vels ; Valentia's I'oyaget and Travels, vol. ii.; Bruce'a 

 Travels, vol. ii. (ry.) 



MODliNA, (Miitina) a city of Italy, situated in 

 North Latitude 44 38' 51"; and East Longitude, 

 reckoned from the meridian of Ferro, 28* 34' 5!)". 



This city is situated on the I'ia i'.'nili.i, in the plea, 

 sant plain of Loinb:irdy, and is the capital of the duchy 

 of Modriia. It is clso the seat of the sovereigns, and 

 <if the supreme tribunals. It is surrounded by a good 

 wall, with a fortress in the side between the north and 

 wit, and is distinguished l.y jiacious squares and 

 streets, adorned with noble edifices, pleasant environs, 

 and by the ample public promenade, which was form- 

 d embellished by the pre.-ent sovereign, Francis 

 IV. The royal palace is one of the line.-t in Italy. 

 The tower i-t of beautiful architecture, all coated over 

 with v.hite marble, one of the seven of that description 

 :. is a singular property of the Modenese soil, 

 that in digging into the earth, to the depth of about 

 sixty feet, there arise veins of very pure spring-water; 

 .rtording excellent perennial fountains. The po- 

 pulati'Mi of this city amounts to about '26,1100 souls. 



ancient city, of which the first 



mention occur* in the year of Home 535, during the 

 war with Cartilage: at which period the triumvirate 

 commissioned to assign the lands to the new coli 

 shut themselves up in Modcna, in order to escape the 

 fury of the liaie (iauN ; from which circumstance it 

 it this city was, at that time, well 

 le "f i nduring a siege ; anil, there. 

 fore, most probably founded a long time bcfoiv.. In 

 the year 5(J7 it was made a Human colony ; and, in the 

 civil war which brokeoutui th>; vt'ar 675, between the 

 two con-uls Q. udiis, I'ompcy here 



1. , - i'_'i d X .J ! rutu-, i'.t'in < T '.' it Brutus who killed 

 Ctnar. Still more " CCTCQnMjT was the siege sust 

 here by Brutus, in the year of Rome 709, against M. 

 Anthony, and the defeat of tile latter in the year 710, 

 under the wall* of the city, by the consuls Hirtius and 

 Panaa, with Cooar Ocu'.vianus, afterward? An^n-tii-. in 

 consequence of which Anthony v. as compelled to r.i-c 

 the siege. Seven months aft< lory, l.epidus, 



OdaviaMa, and Anthony, divided t!te republic among 

 them into three parti, bavin;: nu t 1 .1 ibis purpose in a 

 mall. island in the river L/ivino in the Mode -icse terri- 

 tory, according to tile opinion of most writers. The 



tinu- 

 i-tjiiilinc. -ions of t 



or ion to th- ' : 



i'1-d at tin 



' I ! ' 



rnal factMMi^^^HHm and the 

 to of the 1'rii 



:i die 15th De. 





