sidered vain when I affirm that (though this performance is but small) thousands of pages might be investigated to obtain the information comprised herein. There are some contracted and superstitious professors of religion, who condemn astronomical contemplation as superfluous, yet I flatter myself that the reasonable part of all denominations will agree with me in maintaining, that a sketch of christain Philosophy is calculated to answer the most valuable purposes. If therefore the subsequent strictures have the intrinsically excellent tendency to impregnate one uninformed mind with honourable, illustrious and iranscendant conceptions of the Almighty, to fill the heart with solemnity, love, gratitude and reverential awe; if they will stimulate the reader to let his life as well as his lips praise and honour the Deity, my end is gained, I am abundantly rewarded for all my trouble.

EUROPE has been long distinguished, above every other division of the earth, for arts, arms, civilization, polished manners, and extensive commerce; but these advantages, although they confer pre eminence, do not point it out as the first division to be chosen when describing our globe; for an author would ever wish to rise in importance, not to descend, as he proceeds on his subject. The following reasons occur to shew the propriety of beginning with Asia. Divine revelation, as well as the most authenticated ancient history, lead us to suppose that Man when first created was placed there; there we find the human race multiplying, and gradually spreading to Africa and Europe. There the Jewish theocracy subsisted, and the immediate revelations of the Deity to mankind were made through Moses and the prophets, and finally by Jesus Christ. At present, full and interesting information is to be collected of this quarter; the commerce

carried on from Europe to various parts of Asia is of great extent, whilst some of its richest and most populous countries are possessed by Europeans.

Asia, is also superior to Europe and Africa in the extent of its territoties, it stretching into all climates, from the frozen wilds of Siberia, to the sultry regions of India and Siam. In many parts of these vast regions the serenity of the air, the fertility of the soil, the deliciousness of the fruits, the fragrancy of the plants, the beauty and value, of the gems, and the fineness of its silks and cottons, gave it such charms, that in the earlies ages it was the seat of the empires of the Assyrians, Medes, Persians, and Grecks ; after the extinction of these empires, the Romans carried their arms even beyond the Ganges. In all these various revolutions, the natives were possessed of some share of power and opulence: till at length the Mabomitans, spread their devastations very widely to the utter extirpation of liberty and the polite arts, destroying all its ancient splendor, and rendering many of the most fertile spots uncultivated deserts. On the death of Tamerlane, the Turks became conquerors, and took possession of the middle regions of Asia, which they now enjoy. On account of the rich commodities which the southern parts afford,

the people of many distant countries still cary on a considerable trade with each other; and the Indies are resorted to for the purposes of commerce by all the .naritime powers of Europe. Various are the religions professed in Asia. Many Jews are dispersed here, and considerable numbers were settled in the East Indies, many centuries before the passage to those countries was discovered by the Portuguese. Christianity is far from being general in Asia, though the Popish missiona ries have laboured with indefatigable zeal to introduce it; some sects of Christians are tol. erated in different parts, but its professors generally groan under the yoke of Turkish oppression. The two sects of religion of Mahomet have overspread one third of Asia, and almost all the rest are involved in the grosest idolatry, under different forms; the most considerable of which are the worshippers of Brama and of Foe; besides these, there are the followers of Confucius, and some of a far more ancient sect, who derive their principles from Zoroaster, acknowledging but one Supreme Deity, whom they worship under the symbol of fire.

From the variety of climates through which this very large quarter extends, the soil varies from the sterility of the sandy de sert and the everlastingly frozen clad, to the

luxuriancy of the tropical landscape, ever clothed with the verdure of spring, and the fullness and luxuriancy of summer and autumn its inhabitants also bear every variety of tinct from the fair complexion of Circassian, to the olive and black of Hindostan and Malacca.

The continent of Asia is situated between 1ood. E. and 127d. W. longitude from Philadelphia, and between the equator and 72d. N. latitude, without including the islands that lie to the south. It is about 470 miles in length, from the Dardanels on the W. to the eastern shore of Tartary; and about 4380 miles in breadth, from the most southern part of Malacca to the most northern cape of Nova Zen bla. It is bounded by the Frozen Ocean on the N. On the W. it is separated from Africa by the Red Sea, and from Europe by the Levant, the Archipelago, the Hellespont. Propontit, Besphorus, the Black Sea, the river Don, and a line drawn from it to the river Tobol, and from thence to the Oby, which falls into the Frozen Ocean. On the E. it is bound by the Pacific, and on the S. by the Indian Ocean.

Besides the empires of Japan. China, Hin dostan, and Persia, the Russian and Turks

hold considerable territories; it has also many

less considerable sovereignties.