M EC 
were eftablilhed itrbolh houfes; and the compafV was ra¬ 
tified by the emperor Leopold. 
Two lines of the dukes of Mecklenburg are ftill fub- 
fifting. The Schwerin line commenced in duke Frederic 
William ; and the annual revenues are confiderable; they 
were formerly rated at 300,000 rix-dollars per annum. 
The Strelitz line commenced in duke Adolphus-Fre- 
deric II. younger brother of the duke of Schwerin, and 
grandfather of Adolphus-Frederic IV. who entered on 
the government in 175a, and whofe family received a 
great additional luflre by his Britannic majefiy’s taking 
his fecond filter for his confort, and by her own great me¬ 
rit and noble deportment in that high ftation. Belides 
the duchy of Strelitz, to this duke belong the principality 
of Ratzeburg, with the lord (hip of Stargard, the ancient 
commanderies cf Miro and Neme'ro, and a yearly penfion 
of 9000 dollars out of the Boitzenburg toll. The title 
affumed by both the dukes was Duke of Mecklenburg ; Prince 
of Wenden, Schwerin , and Ratzburg ; Count of Schwerin and 
the Country of Roftock, and Lord of Stargard. By the agree¬ 
ment concluded at Wittftock in 1442, the eledfor of 
Brandenburg, on the extinction of the male line of the 
dukes of Mecklenburg, is entitled to their whole fuc- 
cefiion. The whole revenues of the Strelitz branch are 
eltimated at 126,000 rix-dollars. 
By the 35th articleof the Treaty ofVienna, June 1,1815, 
the dukes of Mecklenburg are to alfume the titles of Grand 
Dukes of Mecklenburg Schwerin, and Strelitz. By the 
fame treaty, article 49, 50. the grand duke of Mecklen- 
burg-Strelitz is to receive an accefiion of territory cora- 
priling 10,000 fouls, in the department of the Sarte, or 
elfewhere. 
The two duchies are divided into three circles ; Meck¬ 
lenburg, Wenden, and Stargard. The accounts of the 
foil and produce of this country are various and contra¬ 
dictory, even among the Mecklenburghers themfelves. 
According to the remonftrance of the nobility in 1718 to 
the imperial court againlt the contribution exadted from 
them, the country was reprefented as full of lakes, which 
were almolt wholly unproductive 5 and as abounding with 
heaths, moors, woods, fens, and quarries. The foil was 
faid to be fandy, and capable of producing only a fmajl 
quantity of rye and oats, and the paftures and meadows 
afforded but poor food for their Iheep. The arable lands, 
even when well manured, produce for the mod part only 
barley, and very little wheat. The account given by 
Cluvier and Frank, who have defcri.bed the country, is 
very different. About one-tenth of the country, they 
fay, is fandy; but the word of the fandy land produces 
excellent rye, and, when fuffered to lie fallow, affords 
good fheep-walks; but the country in general is repre¬ 
fented as incomparable, and not exceeded by Pomerania 
or Holftein. When well tilled and dunged, it yields 
barley and wheat, generally five, fix, or eight, fold. The 
country is interfperfed with delightful eminences, pleafant 
and profitable woods ; nor is it dellitute of good fruit-trees. 
Several forefts have been afforted, fens drained, and, toge¬ 
ther with the moors and quarries, improved into arable 
and pafture land. The commons and meadows, not in¬ 
ferior to thofe of Holftein and Pomerania, afford grafs in 
fuch plenty, that the country exports annually fome thou- 
fands of cattle : the lakes and rivers, by their abundance 
of fill), yield large revenues. 
The principal rivers are the Elbe, Stor, Reckenitz, and 
Havel. In both duchies, exclufive of Roftock, are forty- 
five great and final! cities. The inhabitants of both du¬ 
chies are Lutherans ; but there are fome congregations of 
Calvinifts; and in Schwerin the Roman-catholics are per¬ 
mitted the free exerciie of their worfhip. The towns have 
German fchools; and Roftock has an univerfity. The 
country is not deliitute of woollen manufactures, tanners, 
leather-dreffers, and other trades. The exports of the 
country are corn, flax, hemp, hops, wax, honey, cattle, 
butter, cheefe, wool, and feveral kinds of wood. 
MECK'LENBURG, a town in the above duchy,_of the 
Vol. XIV. No. 1014. 
M E D 797 
fame name, anciently the capital of the Obotrites. Some 
old hiftorians call it Megapolis, or the Great City, as ge¬ 
nerally fuppofed on account of its very larrge exte'nt. 
Formerly it contained three convents; and in 1038 a bi¬ 
shopric was. founded here. Since the founding of Wif- 
mar, it has infenlibly funk to a village: two miles fouth 
of Wifinar. 
MECK'LENBURG, f. A kind of lace made in the 
above place. 
MECK'LENBURG, a county of North Carolina, in 
the diftrift of Salilbury, bounded fouth by the Hate of 
South Carolina 5 containing 10,317 inhabitants, of whom 
1931 are flaves. Its chief town is Charlotte.—A county 
of Virginia, bounded fouth by the Itate of North Caro¬ 
lina ; containing 8332 free inhabitants, and 8676 Haves. 
—A town of Virginia : feventy miles fouth-weft of Rich¬ 
mond. 
MECK'LEY, a country of Thibet, bounded on the 
eafl of China, on the fouth by Ava or Birmah, and on 
the weft by thick forefts, which feparate it from Bengal; 
about 350 miles in length, and 170 in breadth; fubjeft to 
the king of Birmah. Lat. 22. 30. to 27. 20. N. Ion. 93. 20. 
to 98 • 40. E. 
MECK'MUHL, a town of Wurtemberg, on the Jaxt : 
’thirty-two miles north-north-eaft Stuttgart, and twelve 
north-north-eaft of Heilbron. Lat. 49. 20. N. Ion. 9. 23. E. 
MECOBA'NISH, a lake of Canada. Lat. 48. c8.N. 
Ion. 83. 45. W. 
ME'CON, or Menan, a large river of Alia, which rifes 
in the mountains of Thibet, between the 34th and 35th 
degrees of north latitude; and, taking a direftion fouth, 
inclining a little to the ealt, it palfes through the Chinefe 
province of Yun-nan, the kingdom of Laos, Cambodia, &c. 
and runs into the Eaftern Sea rather more than 200 miles 
fouth of the city of Cambodia. This river is at firft called 
Kiou-long, ami holds this name till it enters the kinc-doni 
of Laos, when it takes the name of Mecon ; when it enters 
Cambodia, it takes the name of the country till at the 
city of Cambodia it divides into two branches; the eaftern 
of which is called Cambodia, or the Japanefe River, and 
the weftern Oubequeme. 
MECO NIUM, f. [Latin.] Exprelfed juice of poppy. 
—The firft excrement of children.—Infants new-born 
have a meconium, or fort of dark-coloured excrement, in 
the bowels. Arbuthnot. 
MECONOL'OGY, f, [from the Gr. ^r ; Kur, a poppy ; 
and 7,070;, a defeription.] A treatife on opiates. 
ME'CRAN, a province of Perfia, bounded on the north 
by Segeftan and Candahar, on the ealt by Hindooftan, on 
the fouth by the Indian Sea, and on the weft by Kerman. 
It is the Gedrofia of the ancients. A chain of moun¬ 
tains crolfes it, and divides it into two almolt equal parts. 
The fouthern part is dry, and little more than a defert 
for 180 miles together : the northern part is not fo much 
fo ; but (till animals are rare, and the foil far from fertile. 
Water is fcarce, and but few rivers are found. Deep and 
moving fands often Hop travellers in their journey, and 
fometimes overwhelm them. Kidge is the capital. 
MECRIN'HOS, a town of Portugal, in the province of 
Tras os Montes : fifteen miles north-north-eaft of Torre 
de Moncorvo, and twenty-four fouth-eaft of Mirandela. 
MECZA'RA, a country of Africa, in the kingdom of 
Tombut. 
ME'DA, a town of Portugal, in the province of Beira : 
ten miles fouth of St. Joao da Pefqueira, and twenty 1101th- 
eaft of Pinhel. 
MEDA'CO,a town of Africa, in the country of Meetka: 
Lat. 14. 30. N. Ion. 23.20. E. 
ME'DAD, [Heb. one that meafures; or, the waters of 
love.] Medad and Eldad were amongft thofe whom God in- 
fpired with his holy fpirit, to aflift Moles in the government. 
They, happening to continue in the camp, and not goino- 
to the tabernacle with the reft, to receive the fpirit ole 
God, did, however, receive it in the camp, where they 
prophefied, Presently a young man ran to Mofes (whom 
9 R, the 
