M O S 
MOSKOVSKAI'A, a government of Ruffia, fo called 
from Mofcow’, or Molkva, the capital. It is bounded on 
the north and north-weft by Tverlkoe, on the well by 
Smolenikoe, on the fouth by the governments of Kaluga 
and Tula, and on the eaft by Viadimirlkoe; about one 
hundred miles long,and ninety-two broad; and contains 
1,140,000 inhabitants. Lat. 54. 50 to 56. 40. N. Ion. 35. 
to 38. E. 
MOSKOVSKAI'A, a fortrefs of RufTia, in the govern¬ 
ment of Caucalus : 104 miles weft-north-weft of Efcate- 
rinograd. Lat. 45. 12. N. Ion. 41. 26. E. 
MOS'KVA, a river of Ruftla, which rifes near Rtiza, 
pafles by Mofcow, and runs into the Oka near Kolomna. 
See Moscow. 
MOS'LY, a town of Poland, in the palatinate of Belcz: 
eight miles fouth of Belcz. 
"MOSON'GO, a province of Africa, in the kingdom of 
Anziko, eaft of Pombo. 
MOSPO'NY, a town of the illand of Ceylon : twenty- 
four miles eaft of Candi. 
MOS'QUE, or Mo sic, f. [the Turkifh mefgid, or mef- 
sJiit, properly fignifiesa temple built of wood, fuch as the 
Turks firft ufed : hence the Spaniards derive their mefcheta, 
and the Italians mofeheta, and the French and Engliih 
mofque and mojk. Borel derives the word from the Greek 
^. 400 -^oj, a calf, becaufe of the frequent mention of a cow 
in the Alcoran : but others, with the greateft appearance 
of realon, derive it from the Arabic mafgiad, a place of 
worfhip.] A temple, or place of religious worfhip, among 
the Mahometans.—In this mofque we faw feveral large 
incenfe-pots, candlefticks for altars, and other church- 
furniture, being the fpoils of Chriftian churches at the 
taking of Cyprus. Maundrel. 
Mofques are fquare buildings, generally conftrufled of 
ftone. Before the chief gate there is a fquare court paved 
with white marble; and low galleries round it, whofe 
roof is fupported by marble pillars. In thefe galleries the 
Turks wafh themfelves before they go into the mofque. 
In each mofque there is a great number of lamps; and 
between thefe hang cryftal rings, oftriches’ eggs, and other 
curiofities, which, when the lamps are lighted, make a 
fine fhow. As it is not lawful to enter the mofque with 
ftockings or fhoes on, the pavements are covered with 
pieces of fluff fewed together, each being wide enough to 
hold a row of men kneeling, fitting, or proftrate. The 
women are not allowed to enter the mofque, but flay in 
the porches without. About every mofque there are fix 
high towers, called minarets , each of which has three lit¬ 
tle open galleries, one above another: thefe towers, as 
well as the mofques, are covered with lead, and adorned 
with gilding and other ornaments; and frorq thence, in- 
flead of a bell, the people are called to prayers by certain 
officers appointed for that purpofe. Moft of the mofques 
have a kind of hofpital belonging to them, in which tra¬ 
vellers of what religion foever, are entertained three days. 
Each mofque has alfo a place called tarbe, which is the bu- 
rying-place of its founders ; within which is a tomb fix 
or feven feet long, covered with green velvet or fatin ; at 
the ends of which are two tapers, and round it feveral 
feats for thofe who read the Koran and pray for the fouls 
of the deceafed. 
MOSQUITO BAN'K, or Mosoui'tos, a clufter of 
fmall iflands, near the coaft of Honduras, which gives 
name to a traft of country on the continent, called the 
Mofquito Shore. Lat. 14. 30. N. Ion. 82. 10. W. 
MOSQUITO BA'Y, a bay on the eaft coaft of the ifland 
of St. Chriftopher. 
MOSQUITO CO'VE, a bay on the weft coaft of the 
ifland of Antigua. Lat. 17. 12. N. Ion. 61. 35. W. 
MOSQUITO CO'VE, a bay on the north coaft of the 
ifland of Jamaica. Lat. 18.28. N. Ion. 78. 5. W. 
MOSQUITO CO'VE, a bay on the coaft of Weft Green¬ 
land. Lat. 65. N. Ion. 52. 50. W. 
MOSQUITO I'SLAND, one of the fmaller Virgin 
Iflands, near the north coaft; of Virgin Gorda. 
M O S 71 
MOSQUITO I'SLANDS, fmall iflands on the coaft of 
Main. Lat. 43. 55. N. Ion. 69. 10. W. 
MOSQUITO KE'Y, a fmall ifland in the Spanifti Main. 
Lat. 14. 25. N. Ion. 82. 25. W. 
MOSQUITO KF.'YS, a clufter of iflets and rocks in the 
Spanilh Main. Lat. 12. 47. N. Ion. 82. 45. W. 
MOSQUITO PO'INT, a cape at the entrance of Port 
Royal Harbour, Jamaica. 
MOSQUITO PO'INT, a cape on the coaft of Guiana, 
at the mouth of Effequibo. 
MOSQUITO SHO'RE, a name given to a trafil of coun¬ 
try in North America, bounded on the north and eaft by 
the fea, on the fouth by Nicaragua, and on the weft by 
Honduras. The Spaniards, indeed, reckon this a part of 
the province of Honduras, though they have no fettle- 
ments in the Mofquito country. When the Spaniards 
firft invaded this part of Mexico, they barbaroufly malfa- 
cred moft of the natives ; whence proceeds the infuper- 
able averfion of fuch of them as efcaped into the inacceffi- 
ble mountains, againlt the Spaniards; and for that reafon 
they have always readily joined with any Europeans that 
come upon their coaft in enterprifes againlt the Spaniards, 
particularly with the Engliih, whofrequentlycome among 
them. The Mofquito Indians, being excellent markfmen, 
are employed by the Engliih to ftrike the manatee fifli; 
and many of them fail in Engliih vefiels to'Jamaica. 
When the duke of Albemarle was governor of the laft- 
mentioned illand, thefe people put themfelves under the 
protection of the crown of England, and their king re¬ 
ceived a commiffion from him. Since which time, when 
their king dies, the next male heir goes to Jamaica, and 
receives a commiffion accordingly; but before that he is 
not acknowledged as fuch by his countrymen. The Eng- 
lilli evacuated this country in the year 1787, after having 
had pofteffion of it for about eighty years. But, though 
the Spaniards have now recovered it, the Mofquitos have 
an hereditary averfion towards them, and profefs great at¬ 
tachment to our countrymen. 
Captain Henderfon, of the 5th Weft-India regiment, 
having (about the year 1807) been ftationed in a military 
capacity at Honduras, availed himfelf of the opportunity 
thus afforded him for gaining accefs to local information, 
in compofing an account of that fettlement and of the 
neighbouring Indians. Having been difpatched to the 
Mofquito Shore, with prefents to the Indian chiefs, he 
learned to his coll that the name of the Ihore had been 
very aptly bellowed; the mofquito-gnat (Culex pipiens) 
being lb troublefome as to oblige even the natives to quit 
their dwellings in certain feafons, and to pafs the night in. 
their little barks on the water. He was curious to learn 
what llage of favage-lociety the inhabitants of this quarter 
had reached, and found that they belonged to the clafs of 
“ fmall delpotifms;” which, in the opinion of a writer 
who is converfant with the progrefs of rude tribes, is one 
of the moft advanced periods of favage-hiftory. All the 
offices of domeitic life are performed by women ; the fuc- 
ceffion to the crown is hereditary; and the royal pow’er is 
completely delpotic, abforbing within itfelf the executive, 
legiflative, and judicial, functions. They difeover no 
trace of religious belief, except the adoration of evil 
fpirits; and they have among them neither phyfician nor 
lawyer; but abound in conjurors. Polygamy is freely 
allowed; but adultery is puniihed, though not capitally. 
They can fupport long abilinence from food, but are in 
the habit of indemnifying themfelves for it by the cufto- 
mary excefies of favages when provifions come into their 
pofteffion; continuing their repaft day and night, except 
in the fliort intervals of lleep, until the confumption of 
their Hock is completed. The warriors of the Mofquito 
tribe may amount to the number of fifteen hundred ; and, 
fmall as this force is, they are able to keep their inland- 
neighbours, whofe manners are much ruder, in a flate of 
dependence. Henderfon's Account of the Britijh Settlement 
of Honduras , Load, 1809. 
MOSQUI'TOSj 
