GEO 



to the ■Breftern country. — Alfo, a poll-town and port of en- 

 try in Montgomery county, Maryland, and in the territory 

 of Columbia, plcifantly tituatcd on a number of fniall bills, 

 on tbe northern bank of Potowmack river, feparated eaiU 

 ward by Rock creek from Walliington city, and diilant 4 

 miles from tbe capital, and 8 N. from Alexandria. The 

 hollies, which are about 250, are elegant and commodious. 

 The Roman Catholics have eftabliflied a college in this place, 

 wliich is in a flourifhing (late. The town carries on a fmall 

 trade with Europe and the Well Indies ; 46 miles S.VV. by 

 W. from Baltimore, and 148 S.W. from Philadelphia. N. 

 lat. 38 55'. — Alfo, a town and townfhip of Lincoln county, 

 in the ilate of Maine, fituated on both fides of Kennebeck 

 river ; incorporated in 1716, and containing 1534 inhabitants. 

 It is entirely furrounded by navigable waters, excepting 

 about two miles of land, which divides the waters of Win- 

 nagance creek, apart of the Kennebeck, from an arm or influx 

 of Cafcobay, called Stephen's river. This townfliip con- 

 tains about 28,000 acres of land, and falt-marlh. Upon this 

 fpot the Europeans fii-fl attempted in 1607 to colonize New 

 England. It is a part of what was called " Sagadahock ;" 

 and the patentees of the Plymouth company began hereto 

 lay the foundation of a great ftate. They Jent over for 

 this purpofe a number of civil and military officers, 

 and about I GO people. Several misfortunes obliged 

 them tto give up the fettlement, and in 1608 the whole 

 number who furvived the winter returned to England. 

 George-town is 15 miles S. of Powr,alborough, and 

 170 N. by E. from Bofton. — Alfo, a poft-town of 

 Georgia, in the county of Oglethorpe, 50 miles S.W of 

 Augulta, in the midft of a poor country, but indicating pro- 

 fperity. — Alfo, a large maritime diftritt in the lower coun- 

 try of South Carolina, fituated in tlie N.E. corner of the 

 State. Horry and Marion dillrifts have lately been taken 

 from this territory, leaving 20,332 inhabitants, of whom 

 16,860 are flaves.— Alfo, a poft-town, and port of entry, 

 and capital of the laft-mentioned diftritt, fituated on a fpot 

 near wliich feveral ftreams unite their waters, and form a 

 broad vi.ater called " Winyaw" bay, 13 miles from the fea. 

 It contains 3 or 400 dwelling-houies, built chiefly of wood. 

 The public buildings are a court-houfe, gaol, and academy ; 

 four churches for epifcopalians, baptilts, prelbyterians, and 

 methodifts refpeftively. The place carries on a fmall trade 

 with the Weft Indies ; 60 miles N.E. by N. from Charlef- 

 tovvn, and 681 from Philadelphia. N. lat. 33 24'. W. 



long. 79" 35' Alfo, a town of Kentucky, on the Eik- 



horn ; 20 miles E. of Francfort. N. lat. 38 '7'. W. long. 

 84" 50'. — Alfo, a town of New Brunfwick, on the river 

 St. John. N. lat. 45° 48'. W. long. 66 12'. — Alfo, a 

 town on the eaft coall of the ifland of St. John, on the 

 gulf of St. Laurence. — Alfo, a town of the ftate of Geor- 

 gia J 20 miles N. of Wayneftjorough. — Alfo, a town of 

 Scotland, in Perthftiire, with fome barracks, at the end of 

 Loch Rannock ; 31 miles N.W. of Perth. N. lat. 56^ 

 41'. W. long. 4'^ 25'. 



GEORGIA, in Botany, Ehrhart Beitr. v. i. 176, fo 

 named by that author after his majcfty George III. king of 

 Great Britain, when he eftabliftied, as a new genus, the mofs 

 called by Linn;EU3 Minum pfHucidnm. All botanifts, never- 

 thelefs, have prei'erred the name Tetraphis, given by Hed- 

 wig. See F.HIN'GE o/"Mo.sSE.s, n. I. It feems, however, 

 that there ought to be a Georgia after Georgi the Rulfian 

 traveller and botanift. See Georgina. 



Geohgia, in Geouraphy, a country of Afia, between the 

 Cafpian and Black fcas, and particularly appropriated to 

 the territory that lies between the Cafpian fea and Mingrelia, 

 anciently known by the name of " Iberia.'' The ancient 



GEO 



Iberia, which lies to the weft, is now cliieSy the " Imir.evs- 

 tia''of European Turkey, on the other fide of a branch of 

 the Caucafus. Georgia, cr more properly " Curguftan," 

 including Dagheftan and Schirvan, may be confidcrcd as con- 

 ftituting the Albania of the ancients; a name, however, 

 that has been applied in different quarters to mountainous re- 

 gions. 



The whole country, which is known by the name of Geor- 

 gia or Gruiinia, is divided into two confiderablc Chriftian 

 ftates. One of thefe, bounded by the Black fea, confiftsof 

 the kingdom of " Immeretia," and the principalities of 

 " Mingrelia" and " Guriel,'' (which fee rcfpectively,) and 

 is now governed by a common prince, who bears the title of 

 tzar or czar. Each of thefe countries had formerly its own 

 ruler, all acknowledging the fupremacyof the Grand Sultan, 

 till czar Solomon united them under his authority, and freed 

 them from the paramount Ottomans. Solomon, having 

 upon his acccfllon forbidden the fcandalous traffic praftifed 

 by the nobles of felling their peafants, grcatlv offended the 

 Turks, who gained by that fpecies of commerce. Being by 

 their intrigues driven trom his throne, and compelled to find 

 an aiylum in the woods and mountains, he lived like a wild 

 man for fixteen years, in caverns and holes, and frequently, 

 by his perfonal courage, efcaped affaflination, until he was 

 re-inllated in his dominions by the Ruffians. I'his prince, on 

 ordinary occafions, was diftinguilhed from his fubjefts by 

 riding on an afs, perhaps the only one in Immeretia, and by 

 wearing boots. He had no regular troops, but collefted a 

 defultory army of 6000 men, without artillery. Thefe 

 troops were drawn together by the found of the trumpet ; 

 in other refpcfts the prince's orders were iifued at the mar- 

 kets, which are held every Friday. One of his fervants 

 afccnded a tree near the place of meeting, and proclaimed 

 the editt with a loud voice. His fubjefts were of the Greek 

 religion. Solomon died of the plague in 1 7 84, and was 

 fucceeded by his nephew David, who threw himfelf under 

 the protcftion of Ruifia. In 17S4 his embaffadors were in- 

 troduced to the emprefs at Peterfburg, and, in the eaftcrn 

 ftyle of homage, threw themftlves on tlie ground at her 

 feet. 



The fecond Georgian ftate confifts of the principalities of 

 " Kai-duelia" or " Carduelia," (Kartalinia) and " Kak- 

 hetty," which have been long governed by Chriftian princes, 

 ill fubmiihon to the Pcrfian' empire, but, fince the fliock 

 fuftained by the throne of the Sopliis, have rendered them- 

 felves independent. Each of tliefe two provinces formerly 

 compofed a diftinft ftate ; but they have both lately been re- 

 duced under the fole fovereignty of prince Heraclius of thi; 

 Kakhettian dynafly. The ilate of Karduelia and Kakhetty 

 borders northwards on the Kabarda, ealhvards on Dagheftan 

 and Schirvan, (which fee refpcttively, ) fouthwards on the 

 Perlian Armenia, and weft«ards on Immeretia. The capi- 

 tal is Tcffis (which fee). The czar, or prince Heraclius, 

 who is celebrated for his bravery and other great qualities, as 

 well as by the important part which he afted during the dif- 

 turbances that agitated Perfia after the death of Tamas Kuli- 

 Khan, iubmitted in the year 1783 to the Ruffian empire, 

 thus voluntarily facrilicing an independence w hich he feemed 

 to have fecured by his exploits ; but the advantages of which 

 were richly compenfatcd in the proteftion he procured by 

 this iubmiiTion. However, notwithftanding his clofc alliance 

 with Ruifia, he was compelled in 1787 to renounce his con- 

 nedtion with it, and to acknowledge himfelf tributary to 

 the Porte ; but he died foon afterwards. Within a few 

 years pall tli? Ruffian iutercft revived, and prevailed ; and 

 in February 1801, Georgia was by a public ukafe united to 

 that empire. The Georgians or Gruiinians, as they are fome- 



tiraes 



