149 
M E R 
thoufand inches above the pavement, is a little hole, 
through which the fun’s image, when in the meridian, 
fading upon the line, marks his progrefs all the year. 
When finilhed, M. Caffini, by a public writing, informed 
the mathematicians of Europe, of a new oracle of Apollo, 
or the fun, eftablilhed in a temple, which might be con- 
fulted, with entire confidence, as to all difficulties in agro¬ 
nomy. See the article Geography, vol. viii. p. 458, 9. 
MERIDIA'NI, f. in antiquity, a name which the Ro¬ 
mans gave to a kind of gladiators who entered the arena, 
after the bejliarii (who fought in the morning againft 
beafts) had finilhed. They were thus called from meridies, 
noon, the time when they exhibited their Ihows. The 
meridiani fought man with man, fword in hand. Hence 
Seneca takes occafion to obferve, that the combats of the 
morning were full of humanity compared with thofe 
which followed. 
MERID'IONAL, adj. Southern.—In the fouthern coaft 
of America and Africa, the fouthern point varieth to¬ 
ward the land, as being difpofed that way by the meri¬ 
dional or proper hemifphere. Brown's Vulgar Errotirs .— 
Southerly; having a fouthern afpeCf.—All offices that re¬ 
quire heat, as kitchens, ftillatories, and ftoves, fnould be 
meridional. Wotton. 
Meridional Distance, in navigation, the fame with 
departure, or eafting and welling; being the difference 
of longitude between the meridian, under which the Ihip 
now is, and any other meridian, which the was under 
before. 
Meridional Parts, miles, or minutes, are the parts 
by which the meridians in a Mercator’s chart increafe, 
as the parallels of latitude decreafe. The cofine of the 
latitude of any place being equal to the radius, or femi- 
diameter, of that parallel; therefore, in the true fea-chart, 
or nautical planilphere, this radius being the radius of 
the equinoctial, or whole fine, of 90 degrees, the meri¬ 
dional parts at each degree of latitude mult increafe as 
the lecants of the arc contained between that latitude and 
the equinoctial decreafe. See the article Navigation. 
MERIDIONAL'ITY, f. Pofition in the fouth; afpect 
towards the fouth. 
MERID'IONALLY, adv. In the direction of the meri¬ 
dian.—The Jews, not willing to lie as their temple Itood, 
do place their bed from north to fouth, and delight to 
lleep meridionally. Brown’s Vulgar Errours. 
MERJE'JAH, a town of Algiers : eighty miles eaft of 
Oran. 
MERIGNAC', a town of France, in the department 
of the Charente : nine miles eaft of Cognac. 
MERIGNY', a town of France, in the department of 
the Indre: five miles weft of Blanc en Berry, and ten 
north-weft of Belabre. 
MERJIAN', a town of Perfia, in the province of Ker¬ 
man: fifty-five miles north of Kabis. 
ME'RIM, a large lake of Brafil, near the Atlantic. 
Lat. 33. S. 
MER'IMEG, or Mar'amag, a large river of Louifiana, 
avhich runs into the Miffiffippi below the mouth of the 
Miffouri. 
\ MERI'NA, a town of Naples, in the province of 
Otranto: three miles eaft-fouth-eaft of Lecce. 
MERINDAPIL'LY, a town of Hindooftan, in Bara- 
maul: twenty-five miles north-weft of Darempoury. 
MERINDOL', a village of France, in the department 
of the Months of the Rhone. A great part of the inha¬ 
bitants were maffiacred on account of their religion, in 
1545, in virtue of an arret of the parliament of Aix. It 
is nine miles eaft of Cavaillon. 
MERI'NO. See the article Ovis. 
MERINVIL'LE, a town of France, in the department 
©f the Seine and Oife: nine miles fouth of Eftampes. 
ME'RION, Upper and Lower, two townfliips of Ame¬ 
rica, in Montgomery county, Pennfylvania; the firft has 
993, and the latter 1422, inhabitants. , 
MERI'ONES, a charioteer of Idomeneus king of Crete 
Vol. XV. No. J031. 
MER 
during the Trojan war, fon of Molus a Cretan prince. He 
fignalized himfelf before Troy, and fought with Deipho- 
bus the fon of Priam, whom he wounded. Homer com¬ 
pares him with Mars. He was greatly admired by the 
Cretans, who even paid him divine honours after death. 
Homer. II. 2, &c. 
MERION'ETH. See Towyn. 
MERIONETHSHIRE, a county of North Wales, 
bounded on the weft by the Bay of Cardigan, which 
forms part of the Iriih Sea; on the north by Denbigh- 
fhire and Caernarvonffiire; on the eaft by Montgomery- 
fliire; and on the fouth by the river Dovey, which divides 
it from CardiganIhire. This county extends in length, 
from Beddgelert near Snowdon, to Bwlch y Vedwen on 
the confines of Montgomerylhire, forty-three miles; in 
breadth, from Harlech to the extreme boundary of Llan¬ 
gollen parilh, thirty-eight. It is called by the natives Mei- 
ronydd, and is the only county in Wales which, with the 
addition of the wor djhire, ftill retains its ancient appella¬ 
tion. This name is laid to be derived from Meirion, the 
fon of Tibrawn, and grandfon of Cunedda, a diftinguifhed 
Britiffi chieftain of the fifth century, who, having affifted 
thb Wellh in refcuing their country from the depreda¬ 
tions of a band of Iriih marauders, received from them a 
large extent of territory as the reward of his fervices. At 
a later period it was the fcene of many of the daring ex¬ 
ploits of the celebrated Owen Glendower, who fo vigo- 
roully efpouled the caufe of the unfortunate Richard II. 
The general afpeft of Merionethlhire differs in fome 
refpefts from that of the other counties in North Wales. 
For the moft part it is extremely mountainous; but its 
mountains are lefs elevated, with the exception of a few 
points, than thofe of the adjacent county of Caernarvon. 
The higheft hill, however, called Cader-Idris, is inferior 
in height only to Snowdon. This mountain, according 
to tradition, was lo called from being the favourite feat 
of Idris, who was a great prince, poet, aftronomer, and 
philofopher, in ancient times. The heights of thefe moun¬ 
tains are given in vol. xiv. p. 727. The other principal 
eminences are Aren-Vowdhwy, Aren-Benllyn, Aren- 
Nig, Moelwyn, Manod, &c. thefe rear their lofty heads 
over a profulion of lower hills, which are interfered by 
fome beautiful valleys, and are interlperfed with woods, 
lakes, rivers, rivulets, and cataraCts. 
From the mountainous nature of Merionethlhire, it 
may naturally be fuppofed that it is not deftined to reach 
any high degree of agricultural improvement. Mr. Davies, 
in his Survey of North Wales, eftimates the number of 
acres in the whole county at 430,000, and ftates that out 
of thefe not above 146,000 acres are inclofed. The foil 
is various, but in general extremely poor. The hilly dif- 
trifts, where covered with foil, are in general too fteep 
and rugged to admit of culture. By far the greater pro¬ 
portion of the low grounds confifts of peat-earth, forming 
bogs and turbaries. In fome few places attempts have 
been made by different individuals to bring a part of thefe 
wafte lands into cultivation; but their progrels has by no 
means anfwered their expectations, though fome advan¬ 
tages have certainly been gained. The attention of the 
inhabitants, therefore, is chiefly directed to the rearing 
and feeding of cattle, flieep, and goats, of which a great 
number are exchanged for the commodities of more fer¬ 
tile or more commercial diftrifts. The cultivated fpots 
lie chiefly on the fea-coaft, and on the Ikirts of the county. 
In the valleys, and on the fides of the hills, in many parts 
there appear eonfiderable plantations of wood, both na¬ 
tural and railed by art. 
Notwithftanding the apparently-favourable chara&er of 
this county for the productions of the mineral kingdom, 
it is remarkable that few mines of any importance have 
been difcovered in it. The diftrict abounds indeed with 
numerous veins both of lead and copper ore, but they 
are generally either fo peculiarly placed, or fo limited in 
extent, as to deprive the adventurer of any fair profpect 
of remuneration for the expenle and trouble of opening 
Q q them. 
