P I c 
fouth-eaft fide of Shrewfbury, near Cond-over. It is noted 
for a fpring of pitchy water (from whence fome derive its 
name), on the top of which there always flows a fort of 
liquid bitumen. Over moll of the coal-pits in this 
neighbourhood there lies a ftratum of blackilh rock; of 
which, by boiling and grinding, they make pitch and 
tar, and alfo dillil an oil from it. 
PICHIN'CHA, a mountain of Peru, in the province 
ol Truxillo. Though famous for its great height, it is 1278 
yards lower than the perpendicular height of Cotopaxi, 
in the fame province. When Don George Juan and Don 
Antonio de Ulloa were ftationed on it for the purpofe of 
making allronomical obfervations, in 1745, they found 
the cold on the top of this mountain extremely intenfe, 
the wind violent; and they were frequently involved in 
fo thick a fog, or, in other words, a cloud, that an objeft 
at fix or eight paces diftance w'as fcarcely difcernible. 
The air grew clear, by the clouds moving nearer to the 
earth, and on all fides furrounding the mountain to a vail 
diftance, reprefenting the fea with the mountain Handing 
like an illand in the centre. When this happened, they 
heard the dreadful noile of the tempells that difcharged 
themfelves on the neighbouring country. They faw the 
lightning ifl'ue from the clouds, and heard the thunder 
roll far beneath them. While the lower parts were in¬ 
volved in tempells of thunder and rain, they enjoyed a 
delightful ferenity : the wind was abated, the Iky clear, 
and the enlivening rays of the fun moderated the feverity 
of the cold. But, when the clouds rofe, their thicknefs 
rendered refpiration difficult; fnow and hail fell conti¬ 
nually, and the wind returned with all its violence; fo 
that it was impoflible entirely to overcome the fear of 
being, together with their hut, blown down the precipice 
on .whofe edge it was built, or of being buried in it by 
the conftant accumulations of ice and fnow. Their fears 
were likewife increafed by the fall of enormous fragments 
of rocks. Though the fmallell crevice vifible in their 
hut was Hopped, the wind was fo piercing that it pene¬ 
trated through; and though the hut was fimall, crowded 
with inhabitants, and had leveral lamps conllantly burn¬ 
ing, the cold was fo great, that each individual was 
obliged to have a chafing-dilh of coals; and lever-al men 
were conllantly employed every morning to remove the 
fnow which fell in the night. By the feverities of fuch a 
climate their feet were fwelled, and fo tender that walk¬ 
ing was attended with extreme pain; their hands were 
covered with chilblains, and their lips fo fwelled and 
chapped, that every motion in fpeakingdrew blood. 
M. Von Humboldt, much more recently, has been twice 
at the mouth of the crater of this mountain; no one but 
Condamine having ever reached it before. From the 
edge of the crater, he fays, rife three peaks, which are 
free from fnow, as it is continually melted by the afcending 
vapour. At the iummit of thefe, is a rock that projects 
over the precipice, and from which he made his obferva¬ 
tions. The rock is about twelve feet long by fix broad, 
and ftrongly agitated by frequent fliocks, of which he 
counted eighteen in lefs than half an hour. On this he 
lay on his belly, that he might the better examine the 
bottom of the crater. The mouth of the volcano forms a 
circular hole, near a league in circumference, the perpen¬ 
dicular edges of which are covered with fnow on the top. 
The infide is of a deep black; but the abyfs is fo vaft, that 
the fummits of feveral mountains may be diftinguiftied in 
it. Their tops feemed to be fix hundred yards below his 
flation; and he has no doubt but the bottom of the crater 
is on a level with the city of Quito, which the mountain 
overlooks. Condamine (in 1736) found it extinft, and 
even covered with fnow : but Humboldt found it burn¬ 
ing. On his fecond vifit, being furnifhed with inftru- 
ments, he found the diameter of the crater to be 1600 
yards, whereas that qf Vefnvius is but 670. The height 
of the mountain is 5280 yards. 
. PICHIN'CHAS, a town of South America, in the pro¬ 
vince of Quito : fifteen miles nortli-eall of Quito, 
Voi^XX. No. 1375. 
pie 377 
PICH'MANSKOI, a town of Ruflia, in tlie govern¬ 
ment of Olonetz, on the lake Lateha : thirty-two miles 
fouth-fouth-weft of Kargapol. 
PICH'MONT, a fmall ifland of the Danube, near which 
another fmall place, called Engel, has exhibited the pheno¬ 
menon of a floating ifland. It had remained flationary 
in the memory of the oldeft perfon, until May 1810, when 
the preflure of the flream is fuppofed to have detached its 
bottom; and in a few months it made a progrefs of about 
eight miles. 
PlCIER'NO, a town of Naples, in the province of 
Bafilicata: eight miles wefl-north-wefl of Potenza. 
PICIOT'TI, a river of Naples, which runs into the 
fea fifteen miles fouth-eaft of Reggio. 
PICK, a river of Upper Canada, which runs into 
Lake Superior in lat. 84. 28. N. Ion. 86. 4. W. 
PICK, a fmall ifland in the north part of Lake Supe¬ 
rior. Lat. 48. 31. N. Ion. 86. 28. W. 
To PICK, v.a. [picken, Dutch.] To cull; to choofe ; 
to feleft; to glean; to gather here and there. It has 
commonly out after it when it implies feledlion, and up 
when it means cafual occurrence.—This fellow picks up 
wit as pigeons peas. Shakefpeare. —Contempt putteth an 
edge upon anger more than the hurt itfelf; and, when' 
men areingenious in picking out circumflances of contempt, 
they do kindle their anger much. Bacon. —The want of 
many things fed him with hope, that he fliould out of 
thefe his enemies diftrefles pick fome fit occafion of advan¬ 
tage. Knollcs. 
They muft pick me out, with fhackles tir’d, 
To make them fport with blind activity. Milton's S. A'. 
Deep through a miry lane fhe pick'd her way; 
Above her ankle rofe the chalky clay. Gay. 
Heaven, when it ftrives to polifh all it can 
Its laft bell work, but forms a fofter man, 
Picks from each fex, to make the fav’rite blefl, 
Your love of pleafure, our defire of reft. Pope. 
To take up; to gather; to find induftrioufly.—It was 
believed, that Perkin’s efcape was not without the king’s 
privity, who had him all the time of his flight in a line ; 
and that the king did this, to pick a quarrel to put him to 
death. Bacon's Hen. VII.—She has educated feveral poor 
children, that were picked up in the ftreets, and put them 
in a way of honeft employment. Law .—To feparate from 
any thing ufelefs or noxious, by gleaning out either part; 
to clean by picking away filth.—It hath been noted by 
the ancients, that it is dangerous to pick one’s ears whillt 
he yawneth ; for that, in yawning, the minor parchment' 
of the ear is extended by the drawing of the breath. 
Bacon's Nat. Hijl, 
For private friends, his anfwer was. 
He could not flay to pick them in a pile 
Of mufty chaff. Shakefpeare s Coriol. 
To clean, by gathering off gradually any thing adhering. 
—Hope is a pleafant premeditation of enjoyment; as when 
a dog expedls, till his mafter has done picking a bone. 
More .—You are not to wafh your hands till you have 
picked your fallad. Swift's Adv. to Servants.—[Piquer, 
Fr.] To pierce; to ftrike with a iharp inftrument. —Pick 
an apple with a pin full of holes not deep, and fmear it 
with ipirits, to fee if the virtual heat of the llrong waters 
will not mature it. Bacon .—In the face, a wart or fiery 
puflule-, heated by fcratching or picking with nails, will 
terminate corrofive. WiJ'eman .—[Pycan, Sax.] To ftrike 
with bill or beak; to peck.—The eye that inocketh at 
his father, the ravens of the valley fliall pick out. Prov. 
xx-x. 1 7>*-[Picare, Ital.] To rob.—The other night I. 
fell afleep here, and had my pocket pickt; this houl'e is 
turn’d bawdy-houfe, they pick pockets. Shakefpeare .— 
They have a defign upon your pocket, and the word con¬ 
fidence is ufed only as an inftrument to pick it. South .— 
To open a lock by a pointed inftrument; 
5 D' Did. 
