The land is distinguished into _Continents_, _Islands_, _Peninsula’s_,
_Isthmus’s_, _Promontories_, _Mountains_, or _Coasts_.
[Sidenote: _Continent._]
[Sidenote: _Main Land._]
9. A _Continent_ is a large quantity of land, in which many great
countries are joined together, without being separated from each other
by the sea: such are _Europe_, _Asia_, _Africa_, and the vast continent
of _America_; which four are the principal divisions of the Earth. A
continent is sometimes called the _Main Land_.
[Sidenote: _Island._]
10. An _Island_ is a country, or portion of land, environed round with
water: such are _Great-Britain_ and _Ireland_; _Sardinia_, _Sicily_,
&c. in the _Mediterranean Sea_; the _Isles_ of _Wight_, _Anglesey_,
&c. near _England_. Also a small part of dry land, in the midst of a
river, is called an island, when compared to a lesser, is called the
continent; as if we compare the _Isle_ of _Wight_ to _England_, the
latter may be properly called the continent.
[Sidenote: _Peninsula._]
11. A _Peninsula_ is a part of land almost environed with water, save
one narrow neck adjoining it to the continent; or which is almost
an island: such is _Denmark_ joining to _Germany_; also _Africa_ is
properly a large peninsula joining to _Asia_.
[Sidenote: _Isthmus._]
12. An _Isthmus_ is a narrow neck of land joining a peninsula to the
continent; as the _Isthmus_ of _Sues_, which joins _Africa_ to _Asia_,
that of _Panama_, joining North and South _America_, &c.
[Sidenote: _Promontory._]
[Sidenote: _Mountain._]
13. A _Promontory_ is a high part of land stretching out into the sea,
and is often called a _Cape_ or _Headland_: such is the _Cape_ of
_Good Hope_ in the South of _Africa_; _Cape Finistre_ on the West of
_Spain_; also the _Lizard Point_, and the _Land’s End_, are two Capes
or Headlands on the West of _England_. A _Mountain_ is a high part of
land in the midst of a country, over topping the adjacent parts.
[Sidenote: _A Coast_ or _Shore_.]
[Sidenote: _Inland._]
14. A _Coast_ or _Shore_ is that part of land which borders upon the
sea, whether it be in islands or a continent: And that part of the land
which is far distant from the sea, is called the _Inland Country_.
These are the usual distinctions of the land.
The Water is distinguished into _Oceans_, _Seas_, _Lakes_, _Gulfs_,
_Straits_, and _Rivers_.
[Sidenote: _The Ocean_, or _Main Sea_.]
15. The _Ocean_, or _Main Sea_, is a vast spreading collection of
water, not divided or separated by lands running between; such is the
_Atlantic_ or _Western Ocean_; between _Europe_ and _America_; the
_Pacific Ocean_, or _South Sea_, &c.
_Note_, Those parts of the ocean which border upon the land, are called
by various names, according to those of the adjacent countries; as, the
_British Sea_, the _Irish Sea_, the _French_ and _Spanish Sea_.
[Sidenote: _A Lake._]
16. A _Lake_ is a collection of deep standing water, inclosed all round
with land, and not having any visible and open communication with the
sea: But when this lake is very large, it is commonly called a sea; as
the _Caspian Sea_ in _Asia_, &c.
[Sidenote: _A Gulf._]
[Sidenote: _Creek_ or _Haven_.]
17. A _Gulf_ is a part of the sea almost encompassed with land, or that
which runs up a great way into the land; as, the _Gulf_ of _Venice,
&c._ But if it be very large, ’tis rather called an _Inland Sea_;
as the _Baltic Sea_, the _Mediterranean Sea_, the _Red Sea_, or the
_Arabian Gulf, &c._ And a small part of sea thus environed with land is
usually called a _Bay_. If it be but a very small Part, or, as it were,
a small arm of the sea, that runs but a few miles between the land, it
is called a _Creek_ or _Haven_.
[Sidenote: _A Strait._]
18. A _Strait_ is a narrow passage lying between two shores, whereby
two seas are joined together; as, the _Straits_ of _Dover_, between the
_British Channel_ and the _German Sea_; the _Straits_ of _Gibralter_,
between the _Atlantic_ and the _Mediterranean Sea_. The _Mediterranean_
itself is also sometimes called the _Straits_.
These are all the necessary terms commonly used in _Geography_. The
names of the several countries and seas, and all the principal
divisions of the Earth, the reader will find expressed upon the
Terrestrial Globes. To give a tolerable account of the produce of each
country, the genius of the people, their political institutions, _&c._
is properly a particular subject of itself, and quite foreign to our
design. We shall next proceed to the use of the Globes; but first it
may not be amiss to take a short _review_ of their appurtenances.
Those circles of the sphere that are _fixed_, are (as has been already
said) drawn upon the _Globes_ themselves; those that are _moveable_,
are supplied by the _Brass Meridian_, the _Wooden Horizon_, and the
_Quadrant of Altitude_.
[Sidenote: _Brass Meridian._]
1. That side of the _Brazen Meridian_, which is divided into degrees,
represents the _true Meridian_; this side is commonly turned towards
the East, and ’tis usual to place the globe so before you, that the
North be to the right hand, and the South to the left. The meridian
is divided into 4 quadrants, each being 90 degrees, two of which are
numbered from that part of the equinoctial, which is above the horizon,
towards each of the Poles; the other two quadrants are numbered from
the Poles towards the equator. The reason why two quadrants of the
meridian are numbered from the equator, and the other two from the
Poles, is because the former of these two serve to shew the distance of
any point on the globe from the equator, and the other to elevate the
globe to the latitude of the place.
[Sidenote: _Wooden Horizon._]
2. The upper side of the wooden frame called the _Wooden Horizon_;
represents the true horizon; the circles drawn upon this plane have
been already described; we may observe, that the first point of ♈ is
the East, and the opposite being the first point of ♎ is the West, the
meridian passing through the North and South points.
[Sidenote: _Quadrant of Altitude._]
3. The _Quadrant of Altitude_ is a flexible plate of thin brass, having
a nut and screw at one end, to be fastened to the meridian of either
globe, as occasion requires. The edge of this quadrant which has the
graduations upon it, called the fiducial edge, is that which is always
meant whenever we make mention of the quadrant of altitude.
[Sidenote: _Hour Circle._]
4. The _Horary_ or _Hour Circle_, is divided into twice twelve hours,
the two XII’s coinciding with the meridian; the uppermost XII is that
at _Noon_, and the lowermost towards the horizon is XII at _Night_.
The hours on the _East_ side of the meridian are the _Morning Hours_,
and those on the _West_ side the _Hours_ after _Noon_. The axis of the
globe carries round the _Hand_ or _Index_ which points the hour, and
passes through the center of the hour circle.
The things above described are common to both globes; but there are
some others which are peculiar or proper to one sort of globe. The two
_Colures_, and the _Circles_ of _Latitude_ from the ecliptic, belong
only to the _Celestial Globes_; also the ecliptic itself does properly
belong only to this globe, tho’ it is always drawn on the Terrestrial,
for the sake of those that might not have the other globe by them. The
equinoctial on the celestial globe is always numbered into 360 degrees,
beginning at the equinoctial point ♈; but on the terrestrial, it is
arbitrary, where these numbers commence, according to the meridian of
what place you intend for your first; and the degrees may be counted
either quite round to 360, or both ways, ’till they meet in the
opposite part of the meridian, at 180.
[Illustration]