192 M E S 
Calabria, vol. iv. p. 603. and the article Earthquake, 
there referred to. 
MESSI'NES, a town of France, in the department of 
the Lys, and chief place of a canton, in the diftrift of 
Ypres. The place contains 3155, and the canton 17,956, 
inhabitants. 
MF.SSI'NES, a town of France, in the department of 
the North : ten miles north-north-well of Lille. 
MESS'ING, J'. The aft of feeding together. 
MESS'ING, a town of Bavaria, in the bifhopric of 
Aichftatt: eight miles north-welt of Beilngries, and four¬ 
teen north-north-eaft of Aichftatt. 
MESS'ING, a village in.Eflex, fouth-weft of Colchef- 
ter, towards Witham; with a fair on the firft Tuefday in 
July. 
MESS'INGHAM, a village in Lincolnlhire, near But- 
terworth and Axholm-ilie ; with a fair on Trinity Monday. 
MESS'IS, a town of Aiiatic Turkey, in Caramania: 
fifteen miles eaft-fouth-eaft of Adana, and fifty-eight 
fouth-weft of Marafch. 
. MESSOU'RI. See Mesembria, p. 170. 
MESS'UAGE, j. [ ntejjuagium , law Lat. formed perhaps 
from mefnage by miftake of the n in court-hand for u, 
they being written alike; or from maijon, Fr.] The houfe 
and ground fet apart for houfehold ufes. 
In Scotland, meffuage denotes what is called in England 
the munor-houj'e, viz. the principal dwelling-houle within 
any barony. 
MESSU'BY, a town of Sweden, in Tavaftland : thirty- 
four miles north-weft of Tavallhus, 
MESSUKh See Mysore. 
MES'TA, a town and cape on the weft coaft of the 
ifland of Scio. Lat. 38. 25. N. Ion. 25. 50. E. 
MES'TA, f. A Spanilh term, which, in its general ac¬ 
ceptation, fignifies a mixture of two or more forts of grain, 
and is equivalent to the Englilh word majllin, denotes, in 
a more reftrifted fenfe, the union of the flocks belonging 
to feveral different proprietors into one colleftive body, 
which does not ftriftiy attach to any country, but travels 
backward and forward twice in the year, palling part of it 
at one place, and part in another. .This colleftion is 
formed by an aflociation of proprietors, conlifting of the 
nobles, perfons in power, members of rich monafteries 
and ecclefiaftical chapters, who feed their flocks on the 
wafte lands, as is done on the commons in England. 
This cuftom, firft introduced by circumftantialneceflity, 
in procels of time was converted into a claim, which long 
polfeflion has now changed into a prefcriptive right. It 
refts at prefent upon the fupport of thofe laws and ordi¬ 
nances which have favoured, protefted, and perpetuated, 
the ufurpation. The origin of this cuftom mult be referred 
to the era in which the great plague ravaged Spain, and 
deftroyed two-thirds of the population. The few perfons 
who furvived that deftruftive fcourge took polfeflion of 
the lands which had been vacated by the death of their 
former occupiers. Thefe they united with their own for 
the purpofe of forming large properties ; but, not pof- 
fefling fufficient means for the cultivation of luch exten- 
iive domains, they were obliged to convert nearly the 
whole into pafturage, and confine their attention princi¬ 
pally to the care and increafe of their flocks. Hence has 
arifen the vaft quantity of pafture-lands which occupy the 
greater part of Ellramadura, the kingdom of Leon, and 
other provinces. To this caufe, among others, may be 
attributed the prodigious quantity of uncultivated lands 
difcoverable through the whole kingdom; and hence fo 
many proprietors, who pofiefs extenlive trafts of territory, 
yet have no titles to their eftates, and are therefore deno¬ 
minated duenojvocei’os. 
The flocks which, when united, form the mefta, ufually 
conlift of about ten thoufand Iheep in each. Every flock 
is condufted by an officer, called a mayoral , who fuperin- 
tends the Ihepherds, and direfts the route. It is elfential 
that he Ihould be an aftive man, well acquainted with the 
kinds of pafturage, the nature of Iheep, and methods.of 
M E S 
treatment. The mayoral is allowed a horfe and one hun¬ 
dred doublons, or 30I. 8s. per annum. Under him are 
fifty Ihepherds, who are divided into four clafles. The 
wages amount to one hundred and fifty reals,or il. ns. 3d. 
per month, for the firft clafs ; one hundred reals for the 
fecond, fixty reals for the third, and forty reals for the 
fourth ; exclufive of thefe wages, each is allowed a daily 
ration of bread, weighing two pounds. They receive in¬ 
dividually tw'elve reals, or 2s. 6d. for travelling-expenfes, 
when they commence their journey in the month of 
April or May ; and the like fum on their return in Oc¬ 
tober. To each ffiepherd is granted the privilege alio of 
keeping a few Iheep and goats ; but the wool and hair 
belong to the proprietor of the flock. The number of 
perfons thus employed in the care of the whole of the 
flocks which compole the mefta, are about forty-five or 
fifty thoufand. The dogs are alfo numerous, fifty being 
the allowance to each flock. The number of Iheep which 
are thus made to migrate has varied at different periods. 
In the fixteenth century, the enumeration comprifed 
feven millions ; at the commencement of the feventeenth, 
in the reign of Philip III. they were reduced to two mil¬ 
lions five hundred thoufand. Uftaria ftates the number 
in his time, about the end of the fame century, at four 
millions ; they amount at prefent to near five. 
The flocks are put in motion the latter end of April, 
or beginning of May, leaving the plains of Eftramadura, 
Andalufia, the kingdom of Leon, and Old and New Caf- 
tile, where they uiually winter ; they repair to the moun¬ 
tains of the two latter provinces, and thofe of Biicay, 
Navarre, and Arragon. The mountainous diftrifts molt 
frequented by thele flocks in New Callile are thofe of 
Cuenca ; and, in Old Callile, thofe of Segovia, Soria, and 
Buytrago. The Iheep, while feeding on the mountains, 
have occafionally adminiftered to them fimall quantities 
of fait. It is laid upon flat ftones, to which the flocks 
are driven, and permitted to eat what quantity they 
pleafe. During the days the fait is adminiftered, the 
Iheep are not allowed to depafture on a calcareous foil, 
but are moved to argillaceous lands, where they feed vo- 
racioully. 
Towards the end of September, the flocks recommence 
their march homewards. Defcending from the moun¬ 
tains, they travel towards the warmer parts of the coun¬ 
try, and again repair to the plains of Leon, Eftramadura, 
and Andalufia. The Iheep are generally condufted to 
the fame paftures they had grazed the preceding year, and 
where molt of them had been yeaned ; there they are 
kept during the winter. 
The journey which the flocks make in their peregrina¬ 
tions is regulated by particular laws, and immemorial 
cuftoms. The Iheep pals unmolefted over the paftures 
belonging to the villages, and the commons which lie in 
their road, and have a right to feed on them. They are 
not, however, allowed to pafs over cultivated lands ; but 
the proprietors of fuch lands are obliged to leave for them 
a path ninety varas (84 yards) in breadth. When they 
traverfe the commonable paftures, they feldom travel 
more than two leagues, or five miles and a half, a-day ; 
but, when they walk in dole order over the cultivated 
fields, often more than fix leagues, or near feventeen 
miles. The whole of their journey is ufually an extent 
of one hundred and twenty, thirty, or forty, leagues, 
which they perform in thirty or thirty-five days. 
The price paid for depalluring the lands, where they 
winter, is equally regulated by ufage, and is very low ; 
but it is not in the power of the landed proprietors to 
make the fmalleft advance. The mefta has its peculiar 
laws, which were originally made by the parties interefted, 
the proprietors of flocks, and received the fanftion of fe¬ 
veral lovereigns of Spain, among whom was Charles I. 
who approved and confirmed them in the year 1544. A 
particular tribunal alfo exilts, under the title of Horn-ado 
Confejo de la Mejia, or the Honourable Council of the 
Mefta. This court, in which one of the council at Caftiie 
1 prefides. 
