327 
S O F 
visited by Europeans, and resemble the sands at the mouth 
of the Ganges, being, like them, probably liable to shift 
their position. The great bank of Sofala extends for two 
days’ sail, and appears to have been thrown up by the violence 
of the south-easterly winds, which generally prevail, blow¬ 
ing in direct opposition to the currents of many rapid rivers, 
which here flow into the sea. Ships, however, by carefully 
tracing their course, may find a channel of 12 fathoms, and 
should never go into a smaller depth. The Portuguese, in 
order to avoid these banks, carry on their whole trade by 
smaller coasting vessels. Whales are found here in vast 
multitudes, often 20 or 30 at a time. The town is situated 
up a river, navigable only for small vessels, and having a 
bar at its entrance only 12 or 14 feet deep at low water. It 
lies on the northern bank ; and the fort is situated on a point 
of land insulated at high water. The anchorage is about 
four miles from the fort; but ships ought not to enter with¬ 
out a pilot. Opposite to the mouth of the river is a small 
island, called also Sofala. The surrounding country is wild, 
and thinly inhabited, traversed by vast herds of elephants, 
the ivory from which affords a staple article of commerce. 
The people, in their stature, colour, habits, and language, 
appear nearly allied to the Kaffres, and perfectly distinct 
from either the Hottentot or negro race. They are well 
armed, brave, and apparently quite independent. The vil¬ 
lages consist of huts, interspersed with large trees like the In¬ 
dia fig, built in regular order. On the upper part of the river 
Sofala, is Zimboas, capital of the dominions of the Quiteue. 
According to Vossius, Vincent, and other learned inquirers, 
Sofala is the Ophir of Solomon, whither the fleets of that 
monarch made regular voyages in search of gold; and not¬ 
withstanding the very opposite hypothesis of Gosselin, much 
probability seems still to attach to the supposition. The 
town is in Lat. 20. 15. S. long. 34. 35. E. 
SOFFIETA, in Ichthyology, the bellows-fish, a name 
by which some have called the scolopax; a small sea-fish, 
common in the markets of Rome and Venice. 
SOFFITA, Soffit, or Sofit, in Architecture, any tim¬ 
ber ceiling, formed of cross-beams, or flying corniches. 
Soffita is also used for the under side or face of an archi¬ 
trave. 
SOFIA, or Sophia, a city in the north of European 
Turkey, the capital of Bulgaria, pleasantly situated in a 
plain at the foot of the mountains of Argentaro, on the river 
Bogana. It is large and populous, being said to contain no 
less than 50,000 inhabitants, and carrying on, though an 
inland place, a very extensive trade, which is for the most 
part in the hands of Greeks and Armenians. The Turks 
form a comparatively small part of the population. Sofia 
contains a number of handsome baths and mosques, but the 
streets are narrow, uneven, and dirty, the houses meanly 
built, and the air unhealthy. It was built by the emperor 
Justinian, on the ruins of the ancient Sardica. It is the see 
of a Greek metropolitan and of a Catholic bishop. It stands 
in the high road leading from Constantinople to Belgrade ; 
280 miles west-north-west of Constantinople, and 160 west- 
north-west of Adrianople. Lat. 42. 56. N. long. 23. 14. E. 
SOFIA, a town of -Naples, in Calabria Citra, with 1200 
inhabitants. 
SOFIT, or Soffit. See Soffita. 
SOFLINGEN, a town of Germany, in Wirtemberg; 
2 miles west ofUlm. Population 1400. 
SOFR, a village of Hedsjas, in Arabia; 70 miles south¬ 
east of Mecca. 
SOFRA, a village of Nedsjed, in Arabia; 50 miles north¬ 
east of Kariatein. 
SOFROI, a small town of Fez, which carries on some 
trade in oil; 12 miles east of Fez. 
SOFT, adj. [pops, Saxon; saft, Teut. which Junius 
refers to saft, Su. Goth, succus; and Ssrenius to the Icel. 
scfa, sedare.] Not hard.—Hard and soft are names we give 
things, only in relation to the constitutions of our own 
bodies; that being called hard, which will pul us to pain 
sooner than change figure, by the pressure of any part of 
S O F 
our bodies: and that soft, which changes the situation of its 
parts upon an easy touch. Locke. —Not rugged; not 
rough.—What went ye out for to see ? a man clothed in soft 
raiment ? behold, they that wear soft raiment are in king’s 
houses. St. Matthew.— Ductile; not unchangeable of 
form. 
S pirits can either sex assume ; so soft 
And uncompounded is their essence pure. Milton. 
Facile; flexible; not resolute; yielding.—A few divines 
of so soft and servile tempers as disposed them to so sudden 
acting and compliance. King Charles.— Tender; timorous. 
Curst be the verse, how well soe’er it flow. 
That tends to make one worthy man my foe; 
Give virtue scandal, innocence a fear, 
Or from the soft-e y’d virgin steal a tear. Pope. 
Mild ; gentle; kind : not severe. 
Would my heart were flint like Edward’s; 
Or Edward’s soft and pitiful like mine. Shakspeare . 
Meek; civil; complaisant. 
Thou art their soldier, and being bred in broils, 
Has not the soft way, which thou dost confess 
Were fit for thee to use, as they to claim 
In asking their good loves. Shakspeare. 
Placid ; still; easy. 
On her soft axle while she paces even. 
She bears thee soft, with the smooth air along. Milton. 
Effeminate; viciously nice.—An idle and soft course of 
life is the source of criminal pleasures. Broome. —Delicate; 
elegantly tender.—Her form more soft and feminine. 
Milton. —Weak ; simple.—The deceiver soon found this 
soft place of Adam’s, and innocency itself did not secure 
him:* Glanville. —Gentle; not loud; notrough. 
Her voice was ever soft. 
Gentle and low, an excellent thing in women. Shakspeare _ 
Smooth; flowing; not vehement; not rapid.—The so¬ 
lemn nightingale tun’d her soft lays. Milton. —Not forcible; 
not violent.—Sleep falls with soft slumberous weight. Mil- 
ton. —Mild; not glaring.—The sun shining upon the upper 
part of the clouds, made them appear like fine down or 
wool, and made the softest sweetest lights imaginable. 
Brown. 
SOFT, ado. Softly; gently; quietly. 
There soft extended, to the murmuring sound 
Of the high porch, Ulysses sleeps protound. Pope. 
SOFT, interj. Hold; stop; not so fast. 
But soft, I pray you; did king Richard then 
Proclaim my brother ? Shakspeare. 
To SOFTEN, v. a. To make soft; to make less hard.—- 
Bodies, into which the water will enter, long seething will 
rather soften than indurate. Bacon. 
Their arrow’s point they soften in the flame, 
And sounding hammers break its barbed frame. Gap. 
To intenerate; to make less fierce or obstinate; to mol¬ 
lify.—I will soften stony hearts. Milton. —To make easy ; 
to compose; to make placid; to mitigate ; to palliate; to 
alleviate. 
Call round her tomb each object of desire, 
Bid her be all that chears or softens life. 
The tender sister, daughter, friend and wife. Pope. 
To make less harsh ; less vehement; less violent. 
He bore his great commission in his look, 
But sweetly temper’d awe, and soften'd all he spoke. 
Drpden. 
To make less glaring. To make tender; to enervate. 
To. SO'FTEN, v. n. To grow less hard.—Many bodies 
that will hardly melt, will soften; as iron in the forge. 
Bacon. —To grow less obstinate, cruel or obstinate. 
He 
