MAR 
lake to the wed, at the diftance of about fix leagues from 
the fea, on a fandy foil, and in a hot dry climate, chiefly 
experienced from March to OCtober; but in July and 
Augnft the air feems to proceed from a furnace. The 
thunder-ftorms and torrents are here terrible; and, when 
they fail, earthquakes often follow. Although many 
lioufes are built of lime and fand, and with confider- 
able fade, mod of them are meanly covered with reeds. 
There is no water but that which is derived from the lake, 
which is falubrious, though not pleafant, efpecially in 
March and April, when the ftrong breezes impregnate it 
with fea-fpray. The principal part of this city is on the 
fhore of a fmall gulf, one league in depth, which forms 
the lake towards the wed. The other part is to the 
north, in the neck of the lake, which at this place is three 
leagues wide, whence it begins to extend towards the 
fouth. The point where the city begins is called Mara¬ 
caibo Point; that where the gulf commences Point Aricia, 
fituated almod oppofite to Point St. Lucia. According 
to an enumeration in i8ot, there were about 22,000 in¬ 
habitants; and they U'ere increafed by about 2000 Spanidi 
refugees from St. Domingo. The (laves do not exceed 
5000! The habit of failing on the lake encourages the 
fpirit of navigation, and many of the natives become fea- 
men. Even in the dry favannahs they contrive to feed 
numerous herds ; and the youth are celebrated for intel¬ 
ligence and ingenuity ; but the inhabitants are rather 
noted for want of probity. The women are fond of the- 
harp, which refounds in the dreets in the evening : in 
youth (fays Depons) they are diftinguifhed by their mo- 
dedy; and, when married, are faithful affectionate wives 
and excellent mothers. Here is only one church, aided 
by a chapel-of-eafe, and a convent of Francifcans. At 
Maracaibo they adore a virgin who bears the furname 
of Chiquinquira, which was the name of a village in the 
kingdom of Santa Fe where die made her fird appearance. 
A temple, on the difcovery of her in 15S6, was dedicated 
to her ; and, as tradition reports, a fountain rofe under 
the altar where die was placed. She communicated to its 
waters miraculous virtues, which have given her a per¬ 
manent reputation among the Spaniards. The image of 
this virgin is placed in the chapel-of-eafe of St. Juan de 
Dios, where fhe is invoked by the mariners. The foun¬ 
dation of this town was laid, in 1571, by captain Alonzo 
Pacheco, an inhabitant of Truxillo, under the name of 
New Zamora, but now known only under that of Mara¬ 
caibo. At the entrance into this port is a bar of quick- 
land, ten or twelve feet under water, which excludes large 
veflels, and admits fmall ones with difficulty, and not 
without the conduCt of a fkilful pilot. As foon as the 
bar is cleared, there is plenty of water, and a good har¬ 
bour, which is defended by three forts. The manufac¬ 
tures and merchandifes that are brought hither from places 
near the lake are put on-board Spanifh fhips that come 
hither to purchafe them. Maracaibo is the feat of a go¬ 
vernor, who enjoys the fame falary, and exercifes the fame 
functions, as the governor of Cumana. This place is very 
convenient for fbip-building. It is 270 miles eaft of Car- 
thagena. Lat. 10. 30. N. Ion. 71.46. W. 
MARACA'NA, a town of Brafil, in the government 
of Para, on a river which runs into the Atlantic : eighty 
miles north-north-eaft of Para. Lat. o. 27. S. Ion. 49. W. 
MARACAN'DA, in ancient geography, a very confi- 
derable city of Afia, and capital of Sogdiana, which was 
'captured by Alexander the Great, who, after leaving a 
ftrong garrifon there, burnt and laid wafte all the plains. 
Now thought to be Samarcand, a city of Ufbeck Tartary in 
Afia, the country and royal refidence of Tamerlane. See 
Samarcand. 
MARACA'PA, a town of South America, and capital 
of a diftriCt in the province of Cumana : forty-two miles 
weft of Cumana. 
MARACA'Y, a town of South America, in the govern¬ 
ment of Caraccas : forty miles fouth-weft of Caraccas. 
MARAC'CI (Louis), a learned Italian oriental fcholar, 
Vol. XIV. No. 977. 
MAR S l 2o 
was born at Lucca in the year 1612, His proficiency 
in Arabic occafioned his being appointed to tlie chair 
of Arabic in the College of Wifdom, which he filled 
with no little reputation. Pope Innocent XI. wdio re- 
fpeCted him not only for his learning but for his virtues, 
appointed him his confeftbr, and would have honoured 
him with the purple, had not the humility of Maracci 
led him to decline that diftinttion. He died in 1700, at 
the great age of eighty-eight. He had a confiderable (hare 
in editing the Arabic Bible, publifhed at Rome in 1671, 
in three volumes folio; and he acquired much celebrity 
by publidling at Padua, in 1698, “ Alcorani Textus Uni- 
verfus Arabice et Latine,” in two volumes folio. His 
verfion is accompanied with notes, a refutation of the 
Mahometan doff lines, and a life of Mahomet. He was alfo 
the author of The Life of Father Leonardi, the founder 
of the Congregation of the Mother of God, 1617, folio; 
and of numerous other pieces which are enumerated in 
the forty-firft volume of father Niceron’s Memoirs. 
MAR'ACOCK, /. in botany. See Passiflora. 
MARACU', a river of Brafil, which runs into the At¬ 
lantic in lat. 2. 40. S. Ion. 45. 31. W. 
MARADECA'NUM, a town of Hindooftan, in the 
circar of Cicacole: fifteen miles north-eaft of Tickely. 
MAR'AGA, a town of Egypt, on the left bank of the 
Nile. The environs are faid to produce the belt wheat in 
Egypt : fix miles fouth of Taha. 
MAR'AGA, Mar'agha, or Mir'ga, a town of Perfia, 
in the province of Adirbeitzan. This town was taken by 
Jengldz Khan : fifty miles fouth of Tabris. Lat. 37.20. N. 
Ion. 46. 22. E. 
MARAGAL', a town of Perfia, in Adirbeitzan : forty- 
two miles fouth of Tabris. 
MAR'AGHA, a town of Syria, in the defert. An ob- 
fervatory was built here by order of Hulaku, one of the 
defcendants of Jenghiz Khan, and furnifhed with inftru- 
ments for aftronomical obfervations. It is feventy-five 
miles eaft-fouth-eaft of Aleppo. 
MAR'AGNON. See Maranon. 
MA'RAH, [Hebrew.] The name of a place in the 
wildernefs. Exod. xv. 
MA'RAH, a town of Syria. The Roman-catholics have 
a church, and the Greeks a church and convent: fifteen 
miles north-eaft of Damafcus. 
M AR AT, a town of Hindooftan: forty-five miles fouth- 
weft of Allahabad. 
MARA'JO, an ifland between the mouths of the Ama¬ 
zons and Para rivers, in form fomething between an oval 
and triangle; about 160 miles in its greateft length, and 
120 in its greateft breadth. Lat. 1. 5. S. Ion. 51. W. 
MARAJON', a town on the eaft coaft of the ifland of 
Marajo : twenty-four miles north-weft of Para. 
MARAI'SAH, a town of Tunis, near the fea, with the 
remains of a fmall harbour. 
MARAKUN'DA, a town of Africa, in the kingdom 
of Bad el u. 
MARALAG', a town on the north-weft coaft of the 
ifland of Mindanao. Lat. 8.25. N. Ion. 123. 14. E. 
MAR'ALAH, [Hebrew.] The name of a place. 
MARAL'DI (James-Philip), a learned mathematician, 
aftronomer, and natural philolopher, was born in the year 
1665, at Perinaldo in the county of Nice, which had been 
already honoured by the birth of his maternal uncle, the 
celebrated Caffini. When he was twenty-two years of 
age his uncle fent for him to Paris, where he had been 
fettled a long time, that he might himfelf fuperintend his 
ftudies. Under fuch a tutor Maraldi made a wonderful 
proficiency, and foon anfwered the moft flattering expecta¬ 
tions which he had formed of him. When Caffini found 
that his nephew’s advancement in fcience, his extraordi¬ 
nary diligence, and his accuracy, had qualified him to 
become an ufefulafliftant in his aftronomical labours, by the 
direction of the Royal Academy of Sciences he affociated 
him with himfelf in making obfervations on the celeftial 
bodies. A wide field was now opened for the induitry 
4 - O and 
