TAP 
tain on the eastern coast. Its population is about 4000; 
and it is remarkable for the number of its churches and con¬ 
vents, some of which are profusely decorated with marble. 
It has a harbour, and exports; among other articles, wine 
and hemp. It is built on the site of the ancient Taunome- 
nium, of whose former splendour the remains of antiquity 
still seen here bear ample witness, the theatre, the naumachia, 
the cisterns, and the aqueduct, being all objects of admira¬ 
tion to the traveller. The theatre, in particular, is a splendid 
monument, and is almost unrivalled for its position and 
high state of preservation. Its seats afford a delightful view 
of the sea on the one side, and the distant mountains on the 
other, while Etna and its vicinity appear with peculiar ad¬ 
vantage, from the elevation on which it stands. In the 10th 
century Taormina was taken from the Greek emperors by 
the Saracens, who called it Al-Moezzia, a name which it 
retained a considerable time. In 1690, it was much 
damaged by an earthquake. It is a strong military position ; 
26 miles north-north-east of Catania, and 27 south-south¬ 
west of Messina. Lat. 37. 51. N. long. 15. 23. E. 
TAOS, a village of Mexico, in the intendancy of New 
Mexico. It is situated on the east side of the Rio del Norte, 
and, according to Humboldt, is placed in the old maps 62 
leagues too far north, under the 40th degree of north lat. 
Population 8900. 
TAOUKA, one of the Society islands, in the South 
Pacific ocean. Lat. 14. 30. S. long. 145. 9. W. 
TAOUS MOUNTAINS, in North America, the southern 
part of the chain of the Chipbewan or Rocky mountains, 
where the Del Norte, Red river, Arkansaw, and Colorado, 
have their rise. 
To TAP, v. a. To touch lightly; to strike gently, 
[cseppan, Saxon; tappen,- Dutch.] To pierce a vessel; 
to broach a vessel. It is used likewise of the liquor. 
That blood, already like the pelican. 
Hast thou tapt out, and drunkenly caroused. ShaJcspcare • 
To TAP, v. n. To strike a gentle blow: as, he tapped 
at the door. 
TAP, s. A gentle blow.—This is the right fencing grace, 
tap for tap, and so part fair. Shakspeare .—[caeppe, Sax.] 
A pipe at which the liquor of a vessel is let out. 
TAPACRIC, a large and ancient settlemeut of Peru, 
capital of a province of the same name, which extended 
fronCthe Lake Titicaca to the source of the river Chopare. 
It is now a miserable village, situated near the source of the 
river Condorillo. Lat. 18. 10. S. 
TAPACURO, a small river of Brazil, in the province of 
Pernambuco, which runs east, and enters the sea close to 
Cape San Agustin. 
TAPANATEPEC, a settlement of Guatimala, in the 
province of Chiapa. 
TAPANOOLY, a British settlement of Sumatra, situated 
on the small island of Puchong Keechil, at the bottom of 
the bay of Tapanooly, on the north-west shore, distant about 
2^ or 3 miles. The bay of Tapanooly, with the island of 
Mansalar, forms one of the finest ports in the world ; com¬ 
posed of such a complication of harbours within each other, 
that it is asserted a large ship might lie so hid among them, 
as not to be discovered without a laborious research. This 
inlet stretches into the heart of the Battas country, with 
whom a considerable traffic is carried on, and timber for 
masts and spars is to be procured in the various creeks; but 
not being in the general track for British Vessels, this harbour 
has been little frequented for naval purpose's. The natives 
are in general inoffensive, and give little annoyance to the 
settlement; but parties of Acheenese traders, jealous of the 
influence of the English, endeavoured to drive them out of 
the bay. The large kima cockle (chama gigas) abounds in 
this bay, one of which that was carried to England measured 
three feet three inches in its longest diameter, and two feet one 
inch across. The substance 6f the shell is in general perfectly 
white, and several inches thick. The roe of this cockle will 
sometimes weigh six pounds, and the fish altogether, when 
cleared of the shell, from 20 to 30 pounds. One method of 
Vol. XXIII. No. 1612. 
TAP 845 
taking them in deep water is by thrusting a bamboo between 
the valves as they lie open, which is made fast by the 
immediate closure of the shell. In this bay are also found 
most beautiful corallines and madrepores. The settlement 
was taken in 1760 by a squadron of French ships, under 
theCompte d’Estairig; and in 1809, being nearly defence¬ 
less, it was again taken and plundered by a French squadron. 
Lat. 1. 40. N. long. 98.50. E. 
TAPAQUIRE, a small river of Guiana, which enters 
the Orinoco. 
T.APARICA. See Taporica. 
TAPAYOS, or Tapajos, a magnificent river of Brazil, 
in the capitania of Matto Grosso, which derives its copious 
sources from numerous branches rising in the interior 
mountains of Brazil. It is one of those great rivers which 
come from the south to feed the vast stream of the Amazons. 
Its course is north for more than 600 miles between the 
Chingu and the Madera, and it falls into the Amazons, in 
Lat. 2. 24. 50. S. long. 55. W. The source of the Tapayos 
is in the mountain plains of Parexis, so called from an Indian 
nation which inhabits them. These plains occupy a vast 
space, not level, but formed by undulating heaps of sand 
and light earth, resembling large waves. The spectator who 
is in the midst of them ever sees before him a distant and 
extended mount; he approaches it by a gentle and long 
declivity, traverses the plain, and advances by an ascent 
equally gentle, until he gains imperceptibly the heights he 
saw; another eminence then presents itself, and he proceeds 
with the same recurring circumstances. The soil of these 
wide plains is sandy, and so light, that loaded beasts, pass¬ 
ing, sink into it so much as to impede their progress. The 
pasturage is poor, consisting of a grass composed of wiry 
stalks a foot high, and small rough lancet-shaped leaves. 
The animals, in grazing, pluck them up with the roots cover¬ 
ed with sand. On this account the passage by land is 
difficult and tedious; though, on finding any of the streams 
which abound in these plains, there is grass and other mild her¬ 
bage, which afford tolerable pasturage. The plains of Parexis 
form, to a large extent and breadth, the summit of those 
high mountains of the same name, and are situated on 
some of the most elevated land in all Brazil: and from 
these mountains descend the greatest rivers of South America; 
the Paraguay, with all its numerous branches, which takes a 
southern direction, and issues into the ocean by the estuary 
of the Plata; and various other important streams which run 
north into the Amazons. Among these is the Tapayos which 
is formed by the junction of the two rivers, the Arinos and 
the Juruena, and their confluent streams. The head waters 
of all these rivers spring up at a very short distance from the 
head waters of the Paraguay ; so that it Avould not be diffi¬ 
cult to establish a ready communication between them. It 
is evident also, that by means of the Tapayos and its large 
branches, the Arinos and Juruena, a more easy communica¬ 
tion might be carried on between the maritime city of Para, 
and the mines of Matto Grosso and Cuiaba. This naviga¬ 
tion to Matto Grosso is at least two hundred leagues shorter 
than that performed through the Madera and Guapore; it is 
consequently less tedious and expensive, and equally advan¬ 
tageous to the mines of Cuiaba. The navigation of the river 
Tapayos might lead also to new discoveries in the vast unex¬ 
plored parts of this river, up to its entrance into the plains of 
the Parexis; and their products might add to those of the ex¬ 
tensive regions on the Amazons. Besides this, the river is 
known to be auriferous for a great part of its course. 
TAPAYOS, a settlement of Brazil, in the government of 
Para; 350 miles west of Para. Lat. 2. 30. S. long, 57. 
12. W. 
TAPE, s. [cseppe, Sax.] A narrow fillet or band of 
linen. 
Will you buy any tape, or lace for your cap, 
My dainty duck, my dear-a ? S/takspeare. 
TAPE ANT AN, a small island in the Sooloo archipelago, 
Lat. 6. 15, N. long, 122. 9. E, 
TA'PER, s. [capep, Sax.] A wax candle; a light. 
10 F Get 
