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ancient, it is in good prefervation. Tlie umverfity was 

 founded by Charles V. The German ftudents enjoy par- 

 ticular privilegef', which they derive from the fame emperor. 

 In the 15th century the academy of the Intronati was here 

 founded. This city Hill retains fome (liadow of its former 

 republican liberty, which may appear from the manner of 

 clcfting its council, which confills of nine perfons, ityled 

 Excellenzi ; but whofe power the great duke very much 

 curtailed. The caftle, built at one end of the city, in order 

 to curb the inhabitants, is of no great ftrength. Near it is 

 the univerfity's academy for martial exerciles. Many no- 

 bility refide here, who have a caiino or affcmbly of both 

 fexes ; and it is generally allowed that the Italian language 

 is in no pare of Italy fpoken with greater purity ; 54 miles 

 S. of Bologna. N. lat. 21^. E. long. 11° 16'. 



SIENNE, a river of France, which runs into the fea, 

 near Havre. 



SIENNOI, a town of Ruffia, in the government of Mo- 

 gilev ; 60 miles N.N.W. of Mogilev. N. lat. 54° 30'. 

 E. long. 29^ 44'. 



SIEN-TCHING, a town of Corea ; 23 miles N. W. of 

 Liong-kouang. 



SIEN-YEOU, a town of China, of the third rank, in 

 Fo-kien ; 22 miles N. of Siuen-tcheou. 



SIEOU, a city of China, of the fccond rank, in Kiang- 

 nan ; 381 miles S. of Peking. N. lat. 33^ 45'. E. long. 

 117° 32'. 



SlEOU-GIN, a town of China, of the third rank, in 

 Quang-fi ; 15 miles N.W. of Yong-ngan. 



SIEOU-OLT, a town of China, of the third rank, in 

 Ho-nan ; 36 miles S. W. of Vue-kiun. 



SIEOU-YUEN-HOTUN, a town of Chinefe Tar- 

 tary ; 330 miles E. of Peking. N. lat. 40° 18'. E. long. 

 122^ yi'. 



SIEPERNOI-PESOK, a fmall fandv ifland of Rullia, 

 in the Frozen ocean. N. lat. 71° 30'. E. long. io6^ 14'. 



SIER, a river of France, which rifes about fix miles 

 S.E. of Thonnes, and runs into the Rhone, near Seill'el. 



SIERAGE, a town of Hindoollan ; 32 miles N.W. of 

 Benares. 



SIERCK, a town of France, in the department of the 

 Mofelle. In 1792, this town was taken by the duke of 

 Brunfwick ; 9 miles N.N.E. of Thionville. 



SIERMAH, a town of Bengal; 24 miles S. of Pala- 

 mow. 



SIERNDORFF, a town of Auftria ; 7 miles N.W. 

 of Korn-Neuburg. 



SIERNING, a town of Auftria; 12 miles S.W. of 

 Ebenfurth. 



SIERO, a town of Spain, in Afturia ; 9 miles N.E. of 

 Oviedo. 



SIEROCK, a town of the duchy of Warfaw ; i j miles 

 N. of Warfaw. 



SIERRA, the caftern part of New Callilc, fo called 

 from Its mountains. The word Sierra is a general name for 

 mountain in Spain, and thofe diftinftive appellations are 

 often given from the neighbouring towns. 



SiERR.\ d'Adnana, mountains of Spain, in Guipufcoa, 

 which took their name from the hermit Adrian. The road 

 leading over it to Alaba and Old Caftile is very difficult to 

 travellers. At the very beginning of it is a dark fpace, be- 

 tween 40 and 50 paces in length, cut through a rock ; after 

 which we afcend up a hill, which is reckoned the higheft 

 among the Pyrenees. Thefc mountains are but little in- 

 iiabited, a few ftiepherds' huts only being to be fcen • 18 

 miles S. of Tolofa. 



Sierra de Byar, a mountain of Spain, in the proviuce 

 of Leon ; 20 miles N.N.E. of Plafencia. 



Sierra Cava, a fmall rocky ifland, near the eaft coalt 

 of Sardinia. N. lat. 39° 46'. E. long. 10°. 



Sierra del Cid, a mountain of Spain, in Valencia ; 14 

 miles N.W. of Alicant. 



Sierra dir Coire, a mountain of the ifland of Cuba ; 15 

 miles W. of St. Jago. 



Sierra de Guadarama, a mountain of Spain, in the fouth 

 part of Old Cailile ; 15 miles S. of Segovia. 



Sierra di Gador, a mountain of Spain, in the kingdom 

 of Grenada ; compofed of marble, of which they make ex- 

 cellent lime ; 12 miles S. of Almeria. 



Sierra de Gredor, a mountain of Spain, in the province 

 of Leon ; 25 miles N.W. of Plafencia. 



Sierr.4 Jahma, a mountain of Spain, in Ellremadura ; 

 20 miles N.N.W. of Coria. 



Sierra Leona, a country of Africa, in Upper Guinea ; 

 fo called becaufe it is mountainous, and the mountains 

 abound in lions. It is compofed of feveral ftates or king- 

 doms, and is well watered by a river of the fame name, at 

 the mouth of which an alTociation of Englifti gentlemen 

 eltablifhed a fettlement, on land purchafed of the prince of 

 the country. This company was incorporated by acl of 

 parliament, in the year 1 791. A coiifiderable number of 

 whites and free negroes were conveyed thither from Nova 

 Scotia, befides many who went from England. At firft 

 the new fettlers feem to have fiiffered from the want of pro- 

 per habitations during the rainy leafon, but fubfequent ac- 

 counts were more favourable. In tho month of December 

 1793, the natives continued pcrfeftly friendly; the neigh- 

 bouring chiefs fhevved every defire of b..Mng connefted with 

 the company : fome had fent their children to be educated 

 at Sierra Leona, and many others propofed to fend them in 

 the enfuing dry fcafon. The rainy (eafon had patled over 

 Without any confiderable mortality ; and the Nuva Scotia 

 colonills had maintained their health, and appeared to have 

 become well inured to the climate. The trade was much 

 more briflc ; the cultivation wa^ advancing, both in the co- 

 lony and parts adjacent ; and there appears to have been no 

 diiSculty in procuring the native labourers. The rice, 

 cotton, and other articles in the company's plantation, had 

 thrived exceedingly, the fugar-cane excepted, which had 

 been hurt by the white ants. The fchool of the company- 

 contained between 300 and 400 children, chiefly Nova 

 Scotians, who appear to have made full as much improve- 

 ment as is common in European fchools, under fimilar cir- 

 cumftances. The colony had gradually improved in order, 

 and appeared to be advancing in every refpect ; but neither 

 thefe appearances, nor feveral parhamentary aids, could fup- 

 port it fufBciently againll new difficulties which continually 

 occurred; and the company was diflolved in i8o7. Sierra 

 Leona river abounds in tifli, but is much infeiled with alliga- 

 tors. The country adjacent produces abundance of millet and 

 rice ; and the woods are filled with parrots of various kinds, 

 and other beautiful birds ; ferpents are found, fome of a 

 very large fize ; and numerous wild beads, fuch as lions, 

 tigers, elephants, wild boars, and monkies. 



The benevolent and laudable exertions of the African 

 Inftitution, eftabliflied fince the abolition of the flave-tradc, 

 have very much contributed to the profperity of the cploiiy 

 of Sierra Leona. The climate is much better for European 

 conftitulions than that of almoft any other part of the coaft. 

 There are now 400 houfes within the walls of Freetown, 

 containing 191 7 inhabitants, befide about 2500 Negroes, 

 freed by fentences of the admiralty-court, and refiding there 

 under the protedioa of the government. There is a con- 

 fiderable 



