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fi-.'quent mention of it occurs in tlie liiflory of Spain, 

 it gradually fuiik in coiifcqueiice, and rctaiiii t'tw traces 

 of its ancient grcatiicfs. Its iituatioii and cli.'iiiite, ahd the 

 various vegetable and mineral produftions of its environs, 

 have been higlilv extolled by ancient and modern travellers. 



ALMERICANS; in Ecchjlnjlkal HWory, were the fol- 

 lowers of Almeric, or Amauri, in the thirttcnlU ccnf.ir)-. 

 They malnlaincd that every Chrlftian was obliged to believe 

 liirafclf a member of Jefus Chrill, and attached fome extra- 

 vagant and fanatical ideas to this opinion ; and alfo that the 

 power of the Fatlicr continued no longer than the Mofaic 

 difpenfation ; that the empire of the Son extended only to 

 the thirteenth century ; and that then the reign of the Holy 

 Ghoft commenced, when all facraments and external worfhip 

 were to be aholifhed, and the falvation of Chrlllians was to be 

 accomplidicd merely by internal acis of illuminating gi-ace. 

 Their morals were as infamous as their doctrine was ab- 

 fiird ; and under the name of charity they comprehended 

 and committed the moft criminal acts of impurity and licen- 

 tioufn^fs. Their tenets were reprobated by a public decree 

 of the council of Paris, in the year 120c;, when many perfons 

 of this feci were condemned, and aftcnvards burnt by the or- 

 der of king Philip. Dupin 13th Cent. vol. v. p. 144. Mofh. 

 Eccl. Hitt. vol. iii. p. 157. 



ALMERY. SeeAMBRv. 



ALMEYDA, Dos Francis, in Biography and Hijiory, 

 Count d'Abrantes, having ferved king Ferdinand of Callile 

 with great reputation, was nominated by king Emanuel of 

 Portugal, firll viceroy and governor-general of the newly 

 conquered countries in the Eall Indies ; and had alligned 

 him guards for his pcrfon, a number of chaplains, and eveiy 

 other appendage to his office, which was thoxight neceffary 

 to give it dignity and influence. He fet fail with a fleet from 

 Lifbon in March 1505-6, touched at the Cape Vcrd iflands, 

 doubled the Cape at a confiderable dillance to thefouth, and 

 anived fafely at Guiloa. From thence he proceeded to 

 Morabaza, a fmall, v.cll fortified city in an ifland, which he 

 reduced ; he proceeded to the Angedive iflands, not far from 

 Goa, where he built a fort ; he alfo erected and garrifoned 

 another fort at Cannanor ; and, arriving at Cochin, fecured 

 it in the iutereft of Portugal. At this time the ifland of 

 Madagafcar was difcovered ; and, during his government, his 

 fon Don Lorenzo Aluieyda furveyed the Maldive iflands, 

 and difcovered the great ifland of Ceylon, the chief monarch 

 of which he compelled to fubmit to the protection of Portu- 

 gal. This young warrior, after returning from this expedi- 

 tion, was employed in the fleet deftined againft Calicut, but 

 loft his life in a naval engagement againft the Samorin, on 

 which occafion the viceroy behaved with great heroifm, ac- 

 quiefcing in the diftreffing event with this reflection ; " All 

 men mull die, and Lorenzo could not die better than in the 

 fervice of his country." Almeyda, however, manifelled an 

 unbecoming jealoufy on the arrival of Alphonfo Albu- 

 querque, who was appointed as his fucceflbr, and confined 

 him in the citadel of Cannanor, under pretence of mifcondutt. 

 Before he furrendered his command he engaged the whole 

 power of the Mahometans at fea, and gained a compl„te vic- 

 tor,', by which he cimtributed in a great meafure to break 

 that formidable league, from which the Samorin was in hopes 

 of compelling the Portuguefe to abandon their Indian con- 

 quefts, and to facilitate the enteqirifes of Ai.BU(iUER(y r, 

 his fncceflbr. In his return home with the wealth he had 

 acquired, he touched at Saldanha point, on the coaft of 

 Africa, in order to procure fome frefh provifions ; and fome 

 of his failcrs, quarrelling with the natives, occafioned a fray, 

 in which Almeyda was induced imprudently to interfere. 

 When his officers urged him to go afttore on tJiis hazardous 



Vol. L 



A L M 



cnlcrpriff, " Whither do you curiy my 60 years:" faid AI- 

 meyda, on ftcpping into his boat. Tlie natives ajrembltd in 

 a very numerous body, and Almeyda, with 57 of the 150 

 men who accompanied him, fell victims to this rafli and un- 

 juft attempt. Mod. Un. Hill. vol. viii. p. 40—43. 



ALMEYRIM, or Almerin, in Geography, a town of 

 Portugal, in the province of Eftrcmadura, one league fouth- 

 caft of Santaren. 



ALMIA, in Ancicit Geography, a town placed by Pto- 

 lemy in Afiatic Sarmatia. 



ALMIGGIM, or Almvgcim <winit, a word ufed in 

 the Scriptures to fignify a beautiful and light fort of wood. 

 It has been conjetlured to be feveral forts of woods now 

 in ufe ; others think it has been loft long fince. Meibo- 

 mius infers, from the accounts of Jofcphus, that it was the 

 wood of the Indian pine-tree, or fir-tree. But it has been 

 alledged, that as this tree was common in Judea, it could not 

 have been fearched for as far as Ophir. The Vulgate ren- 

 ders it lignum thyinum ; and, according to Theophraftus, the 

 thyon-trcc grows in Africa near the temple of Jupiter Am- 

 mon, and refembles the cyprefs. It was much efteemcd 

 ajnong the Heathens for doors and images, becaufe it would 

 not rot. Dr. Shaw (Travels, p. 422.) fuppofcs that the al- 

 mug was the cyprefs, and he obferves, that the wood of this 

 tree is ftill ufed in Italy, and in other places, for violins, 

 harpfiejiords, and other ftringed inftruments. Hiller, in his 

 Hierophyticon, confidcrs almuggim as a general name for 

 the wood of the gum-bearing trees, and for the trees them- 

 felvcs. But as the cedar and fir-trees are joined w ith the al- 

 mug-trees, it is more probable that fome particular fpccies, ra- 

 ther than the whole gentis, was here intended. This wood 

 was excellent for its whitenefs, as well as remarkably light, 

 and tiiercfore was ufed in mufical inftruments. 



ALMINA, in Ancient Geography, a country of Epinis, 

 according to Ptolemy, between Thefprotia to the weft, and 

 Dolopia to the north. 



ALMINIA, Amissa, the fame with Peguntium. See 

 Almissa. 



ALMIRA, a town of Phoenicia of Libanus. 



ALMIRiE, or Almyr^e, a diftriift of Africa, ia the 

 Marncoti', according to Ptolemy. 



ALM'iRANTE ijlands, in Geography, are a groupe of 

 finall iflands in the South Indian ocean, off the coaft of Zan- 

 guebar in Africa, extending from weft-fouth-weft to eaft- 

 north-eaft, from S. lat. 5° 45' to 5^ 30', and from E. long. 

 51° 40' to 52° 50'. 



ALMIRON, a town of European Turkey, in the ifle 

 of Candy, fix miles north-weft of Retimo. 



ALMISSA, Almisivm, the ancient Pcgunlium, an 

 cpifcopal city of Dahuatia, is fituated in the duchy of 

 Chulni, on a rock betwixt two high mountains, at the mouth 

 of the Tettina, and was formerly notorious for its piracy. It 

 has been reduced by the Venetians. It is 20 miles eaft of 

 Spalatro, and called by the Turks Omiic. E. long, 18° 14'. 

 N. lat. 43° 50'. 



ALMO, or Almow, in Ancient Geographiy, a river of 

 Latium, which rifing near Bovilloe, took a northern di- 

 rection, and difcharged itfelf into the Tiber, to the fbuth- 

 weft of R(mie. The I>atln poets, perfonifying this river, 

 gave it a daughter named Lar, who, divulging the amours 

 of Jupiter with the naiad Jutuma, was condemned to eter- 

 nal filence, and difmifted to the infernal regions. In her way 

 thither (he attached the affection of Mercury, and became 

 the mother of two children, under the appellation of the Dti 

 Lares, and the mother was called the goddefs Mutttu, or 

 Mula. This river is now Dachia and II rio d'Appio, as it 

 runs from the Appian way into the Tiber, or fiom a corrup- 

 5 B tion 



