324 M A R 
MA'RA,/ in old records, a meer; a marfh ; a pool; 
a bog. 
MA'RA, [Heb. bitter.] The name of a woman. Ruth. 
MA'RA, in heathen mythology, q fpirit which was 
fuppofed to torment and fufFocate people in their deep. 
Johnfon. 
MA'RA, a mountain of Malacca, near the Straits. 
Lat. 1.55.N. Ion. 102. 39. E. 
MARAASCIAN', a town of Turkeftan, on the Sirr: 
130 miles fouth-foutli-eaft of Andugar. 
MARABAD', a town of Perfia, in the province of 
Segeftan : 120 miles north-north-eaft of Zareng, and 170 
fouth-weft of Balk. 
MARABE'A, a town of Arabia, near the Red Sea, for¬ 
merly a feaport; but, the harbours being filled up, molt of 
the inhabitants quitted the town, and fettled at Loheia : 
eight miles north of Loheia. 
MARABO'NA BA'Y, a bay on the north coalt of Ja¬ 
maica. Lat. 18.31. N. Ion. 77. 21. E. 
MARABOU', an inlet of the harbour of Alexandria, 
in Egypt, fituated at its weltern extremity, commanding 
one of the channels, and feparated from the continent by 
a range of rocks one hundred and forty yards in extent. 
The length of the ifiet is not above three hundred yards, 
and its breadth one hundred and fifty. The French, du¬ 
ring their abode in Egypt, conftrucled a ftrong regular 
fort on this ifiet round a tower which .was formerly a 
mofque. 
MAR'ABOUT,yi [derived from a word which fignifies 
a monk, or a man engaged to the performance of his vow.] 
A Mahometan prielt, fuch as are difperfed through vari¬ 
ous parts of Africa. Thofe of the Mandingo nation ap¬ 
ply themfelves, befides religious matters, to the ltudy of 
phyfic, as far as it depends on mere experience, without 
entering into the inveftigation of the caufes of difeafes. 
They are alfo often called upon by the kings and chiefs 
to give their opinion in cafes of law and equity. Molt of 
them are well verfed in the Mauritanic dialed: of the Ara¬ 
bic language, and they are the only people of letters among 
the blacks ; for none of the black nations about Senegal 
and Gambia have even an alphabet, much lefs any writings 
in their own languages. The felling of charms is laid to 
conltitute the greateft part of their revenue ; and, the more 
reputation any one of them has acquired, the dearer is it 
loid. Thefe charms ufually confilt in nothing but a few 
lines taken from the Koran, written on a little piece of 
paper, which, after being nicely fewed up in leather or 
cloth, are worn by the purchafers about their necks. 
They are defigned to protect and defend them in danger; 
but, as one charm has only the power of preferving them 
from one kind of danger, they are obliged to have many 
of them ; fo that many of the blacks are covered with them 
in different parts of the body ; and. they have fuch a ftrong 
faith in them, that, when they are furprifed in the night¬ 
time by an enemy, they will not take up arms for their 
own defence, though in the mod imminent danger, till 
they have dreffed themfelves with thefe charms, and then 
they will meet him undauntedly. This faith in charms, 
however, is a corruption of the Mahometan religion; and 
the Moors, who live on the north fide of the river Senegal, 
obferving it in its purity, make no ufe of them. 
The marabouts of the black nations, as well as thofe of 
the Moors, are alfo the principal merchants, and the molt 
opulent people among them ; and the gum-trade on the 
river Senegal is chieiiy carried on by thofe of the Moors. 
They are alfo the only people who can travel with any 
fafety into difiant kingdoms, which no layman can well 
do without running the rilk of being made a Have. Their 
religious profellion protects them every-where ; they are 
even refpetted among thofe nations who are not Maho¬ 
metans ; and they are confidered by thetnas a godly and vir¬ 
tuous people, and men of wifdom. They make profelytes 
to the Mahometan religion, and are induftrious in fpreading 
it all over Africa. Some marabouts of the Foolah nation 
who vifit Senegal, are pretty well verfed in the Old Tef- 
M A R 
tament, and are partly acquainted with the inftitutes of 
the new one. Their converfation is inftruftive and plead¬ 
ing. The marabouts of the Moors are more learned .and 
ingenious in every refpeft than thofe of the black nations. 
Phil. Tranf. air. vol. xv. p. 348. 
MARA'CA, a fmall ifland in the Atlantic, near the 
coalt of Guiana. Lat. 2. N. Ion. 51. 26. W. 
MARA'CA, a town of South America, in the govern¬ 
ment of Caraccas: fifty miles fouth-weft of Leon de Ca- 
raccas. 
MARACAGUA'CO, a branch of the Amazons’ river, 
which joins the main ftreatn forty miles fouth-weft of 
Pauxis. 
MARACAIBO', a province of South America, in the 
government of Caraccas, furrounding Maracaibo Lake ; 
bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea, on the ealt 
by Venezuela, on the fouth by Varinas and New Grenada, 
and on the weft by the province of St. Martha. The po¬ 
pulation is eftimated at 100,000. There are 300 European 
regular troops, 1.00 artillery-men, and 810 militia, 
MARACAIBO', a lake of the above province, lying 
from north to fouth, communicating at one extremity 
with the fea. Its length from the bay to its moll louthern 
recefs, is, according to Oviedo, fifty leagues, its greateft 
breadth thirty, and its circumference upwards of 150. 
This lake may have owed its formation to the flow and 
gradual excavation occafioned by numerous rivers, which, 
flowing from eaft, weft, and fouth, here terminate their 
courfe. It is eafily navigated, and carries veflels of the 
greateft burden. All the produce and provifions of the 
interior, intended for conlumption or lhipping at the 
town of Maracaibo, are conveyed by the rivers which 
difcharge themfelves into this lake. Hurricanes are not 
unfrequent in this lake; and yet there is always a kind 
of undulation on the furface of the water, fo that, on 
particular occafions, its waves are fufficiently agitated to 
bury under them the canoes and fmall craft. At this 
time the waters of the fea force themfelves into the lake, 
and give a brackifli tafle to it as far as Maracaibo; but 
at all other times it is frefli and fit for drinking as far as 
the fea. The baths which are ufed here, and which the 
jntenfe heat of the country renders indifpenfible, are at¬ 
tended with very falutary effects. All the different kinds 
of fi(h furniflied by the rivers of South America abound 
in this lake. To the north-eaft of it, in the moft barren 
part of the borders, and in a place called Mena, there is 
an inexhauftible mine of mineral pitch, which, mixed 
with fuet, is ufed for graving veflels. The bituminous 
vapours ifl’uing from this mine are eafily inflamed, and in 
the night luminous corrufcations are vilible, which re- 
femble lightning, and which are denominated the Lan¬ 
terns of Maracaibo, becaufe they ferve for a light-houfe 
and compafs to the Spaniards and Indians who navigate 
the lake. The fterility, and alfo the noxious atmofphere, 
of the borders of the lake, dilcourage culture and popu¬ 
lation. The Indians are fo unhealthy, that they prefer 
dwelling on the lake itfelf to taking up their abodes on 
its borders. The Spaniards found on this lake feveral 
villages, built without order, and without apparent de- 
fign, but with folidity. Hence they gave them the name 
of Venezuela, a diminutive of Venice, which they have not 
retained, but which has fince been appljed to the whole 
province. Four of thefe villages remain ; and the Indians 
who inhabit them have a church, which is under the care 
of a curate, who is intruded with the charge of adminif- 
tering fpiritual aid among the aquatic Indians. The great 
refource and chief employment of thefe people is the hunt¬ 
ing of wild ducks, which they take by thrufting their 
heads into empty calabafties, doled fo that they may fee 
without being feen, and fwimming to the place where the 
ducks are, which they lay hold of by the legs, before they 
are alarmed ; and, tying them to their belts, thus bring 
them to the Ihore. 
MARACAIBO', a town or city, which is the capital 
of the above province, fituated on the left bank of the 
1 ' ’ lake 
