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the emporium of the Red sea, and one of the richest cities 
of the east. De Castro at that time considered it superior to 
every other city he had seen, except Lisbon. Since that 
time it has suffered an extreme decline, and is now almost in 
ruins. Instead of numerous ships unlading their cargoes on 
every side of the island into the houses of the merchants, 
only a few wretched Arabian vessels called dows, are seen at 
anchor by the side of some miserable houses. The port, 
however, still retains all its excellence, and is capable of con¬ 
taining two hundred large vessels, which can anchor close 
to the island in seven fathoms water. There might also be 
room for a prodigious number of smaller vessels. The ap¬ 
proach, however, is rendered extremely dangerous by the 
rocks and shoals which lie off it in every direction; and the 
mouth is so narrow, as to render it impracticable to enter with 
any but the most favourable wind. It appears singular, that 
this narrow passage between coral rocks should have remain¬ 
ed open for so long a period, amid the action of a sea con¬ 
tinually breaking upon it, after having passed over sand¬ 
banks, and notwithstanding the clouds of sand which at one 
season were borne towards it from the desert. Two mina¬ 
rets give the town a handsome appearance at a distance; and 
the buildings being white washed, and on an elevated site, 
look much better than they really are. Suakin is supposed 
to be the Soter Limen of Diodorus, the Theon Soter of 
Ptolemy, though the difficulty of the entrance scarcely cor¬ 
responds to these terms, which signify “ the safe harbour.” 
Its importance in the middle ages was derived from its 
being the martime capital of the Turks in the Red Sea, where 
that empire maintained then a powerful navy. Since their 
poweronthe Arabian coasts has sunk into insignificance, Sua¬ 
kin has lost all political importance. It is supported only by 
being still the channel by which communication is main¬ 
tained between Arabia and the interior of Africa. Pilgrims, 
slave dealers, or persons combining both these characters, 
quit the Nile at Shendi, and proceed through Taka and other 
districts of Nubia, to this port, where they embark for Jidda. 
They bring chiefly slaves, with a little ivory and gold, and 
take Indian goods in return. The natives have fine figures, 
and a good expression of countenance. They are of a dark 
copper colour, fheir hair is somewhat woolly, drawn out 
into points, and dressed with fat, occasionally powdered with 
red; a piece of wood is stuck through it nearly horizontally, 
which they frequently use to disturb any animalcules that 
bite too hard. They also employ it to separate the hair into 
ringlets, and turn it round the finger. They are on the 
whole a well looking race of people, and their skins are per¬ 
fectly free from any eruption. There appears a striking re¬ 
semblance between them and the South Sea islanders, as 
drawn in Captain Cook’s voyages. They have a species of 
wood, with which they constantly clean their teeth, which 
are beautifully white and regular. Their head is uncovered, 
being only protected by the mass of greased woolly hair, and 
they wear a piece of white cloth wrapped round the middle, 
and thrown over the shoulder. The country round, and the 
coast to a considerable extent, are occupied by a hardy race 
of Bedouin Arabs, called Suakini. The water here is 
abundant and good, being preserved both in wells and 
tanks. Fish is cheap and plentiful; the mullets are parti¬ 
cularly fine. Sheep may be had for a dollar each, but 
fowls are scarce and dear. There is no grain except that 
coarse species called dhourra or jowarry. Lat. 19. 48. N. 
long. 37. 33. E. 
SUAN, a town of Hindostan, province of Bahar, and 
district of Rotas. Lat. 25. 15. N. long. 86 . 25. E. 
SVANEHOLM, a large village in the south of Sweden, 
province of Malmohus, with 1100 inhabitants. 
SUAN-YANG, a town of Corea 5 35 miles west of Tsin- 
tchuen, 
SUAPURE, a river of Guiana, which collecting the 
waters of many other rivers, enters the Orinoco, opposite the 
rapid stream of the Marumarota. 
SUAREZ (Francis), a Spanish theologian, was born at 
Granada in the year 1548. He was at an early age distin- 
tinguished by an extraordinary memory, though his other 
SUB 
faculties arrived very gradually at maturity. Having been 
admitted into the society of Jesuits, he became a professor 
in the society’s schools at Alcala, Salamanca, and Rome, 
and at length was appointed first professor of theology at 
Coimbra. He died at Lisbon in 1617. His indefatigable 
industry may be inferred from the twenty-three folio volumes 
of his works, which have been printed at Lyons, at Mentz, 
and in theyear 1748, at Venice. The principal subject of these 
voluminous publications, is theology. Suarez is accounted 
the principal author of the system denominated “ Con- 
gruism,” fundamentally that of Molina; by which he at¬ 
tempts to explain, from a simultaneous concurrence of the 
divine and human being, how grace infallibly produces its 
effect, without destroying man’s free will. Suarez, being a 
well-known master of controversy, was desired by pope 
Paul V. to undertake the defence of the Catholic faith in 
England, where many of that communion took the oath of 
allegiance required by James I. His book was entitled, 
“ A Defence of the Catholic Faith against the Errors of the 
English Sect.” In discussing the legality of the oath de¬ 
manded, the principles which he maintained were those of 
of the civil as well as the ecclesiastical supremacy of the 
papal see. These gave such offence to James, that he 
ordered the book to be burnt in front of St. Paul’s church, 
and prohibited it to be read in his dominions. The par¬ 
liament of Paris also caused the book to be burnt, as con¬ 
taining seditious tenets. 
SUA'SIBLE, adj. [from suadeo, Lat.] Easy to be 
persuaded. 
SUA'SION, s. [suasion , old Fr., suasio, Lat.] Persua¬ 
sion ; enticement.—But it [temptation] is devilish, when it 
is either by suasion unto that which is evil;—or with a 
design to entrap or draw any into danger. Bp. Hopkins.— 
Mere petition, or precarious suasion. South. 
SUA'SIVE, adj. [from suadeo, Lat.] Having power 
to persuade.—It had the passions in perfect subjection ; and 
though its command over them was but suasive and poli¬ 
tical, yet it had the force of absolute and despotical. South. 
SUA'SORY, adj. [sttasorius, Lat., suasoire, Fr.] Hav¬ 
ing tendency to persuade.—There is a suasory or enticing 
temptation, that inclines the will and affections to close with 
what is represented to them. Bp. Hopkins. 
SUA'VITY. s. [ suavite , Fr., suavitas, Lat.] Sweetness 
to the senses.—She desired them for rarity, pulchritude, and 
suavity. Brown. 
Mild-smiling Cupid’s there, 
With lively looks, and amorous suavity. More. 
Sweetness to the mind.—That goes no farther than to 
some suavities and pleasant fancies within ourselves. Glan- 
ville. 
SUATA, a settlement of New Granada, in the province of 
Tunja, which contains 1000 houses; 70 miles north of 
Tunja. 
SUAZA, a river of New Granada, in the province of 
Neiva, which runs west, and enters the Magdalena, opposite 
the city of La Plata. 
SUAZO, one of the large villages, or rather towns, which 
adjoin the city of Cadiz, in Spain. It stands on the east- 
side of the river St. Peter, at the extremity of the bridge of 
Suazo, which joins the isle of Leon to the mainland. 
SUB, in composition, signifies a subordinate degree. 
SUBA'CID, adj. [sub and acidus, Lat.] Sour in a 
small degree.—The juice of the stem is like the chyle in the 
animal body, not sufficiently concocted by circulation, and 
is commonly subacid in all plants. Arbuthnot. 
SUBA'CRID, adj. Sharp and pungent in a small degree. 
—The green choler of a cow tasted sweet, bitter, subacrid, 
or a little pungent, and turned syrup of violets green. 
Floyer. 
To SUBA'CT v. a. [subactus, Lat.] To reduce; to 
subdue.—Tangible bodies have no pleasure in the consort 
of air, but endeavour to subact it into a more dense body. 
Bacon. 
SUBA'CTION, s. [subactus , Lat.] The act of re¬ 
ducing 
