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be gathered sometimes with oue hand, and snow with the other.Prodigious masses of ice and snow o.ten fall from them in winter,and do a great deal of damage; and most of the streams andrivers take their rise from the thawing of the ice and snowon tlie sides and tops. From the rising or descending of theclouds, with which they are commonly enveloped, the inhabitantscan pretty exactly foretel the elianges of the weather. The otherand lower parts of Switzerland are very pleasant and fertile, beingdiversified with vine-yards, corn-fields, meadows, and pasture-grounds. In the valleys they cultivate saffron with success. Barley is sowed on the very ice mountains, the oats in a warmer soil, rye ina warmer still, and the warmest of all is assigned to spelt. In mostparts a three-fold produce is accounted a tolerable harvest. Flax ,hemp, and tobacco, are much cultivated. Apples, pears, nuts, cher-ries, plums, and chfcsnuts, are plentiful; and the part towards Italy abounds in peaches, morelles, almonds, figs, citrons, pomegra-nates, and others of the more delicate fruits. The Swiss are abraie, honest, hospitable, hardy people; very true to their en-gagements, friendly and humane. In short, there is not a peo-ple in Europe whose national character is better. In their personsthey are generally tall, robust, and well made; but their com-plexions are none of the best, and those that live in the neighbour-hood of the mountains are subject to wens. The principalManufactures are linen of several sorts, lace, thread, silk, andWorsted stockings, neck-cloths, cotton-stulfs, gloves, handker-chiefs, silks of several sorts, gold and silver brocades, a varietyof woollen manufactures, hats, paper, leather of all sorts, earthenWares, snuff and tobacco, porcelain, watches, clocks, toys, andother hard-wares, &c. Slates, black and variegated marble, por-phyry, gypsum, alabaster, crystal, saltpetre, salt, coal, &c. aboundhere with silver, copper, lead, and iron ores. Gold-dust is foundthe sands of several livers, particularly the Rhine , Emmet,Aar, Reuss, Arve, and Inn. Iron-ore also abounds, and is wrought.The greater part of this country is composed of mountains, withMarrow valleys between; these mountains are composed of stu-pendous rocks, two, four or six masses, piled on each other, andfrom 4,000 to 10,000 feet in perpendicular height. One peak, onMlount St. Gothard, is, by Du Cret, computed at 16,500 French feet. The lower parts of these high mountains are covered withWoods and pastures, the herbage in which is of a remarkablelength and richness. The middle consists of Alps abounding in agreat variety of odoriferous herbs, thickets, and bushes, witli ex-cellent springs, in summer resorted to by herdsmen, with theircattle. The third part of these mountains consists almost entirely°f craggy and inaccessible rocks, some of which are cjuite bare,"ithout herbage growing upon them, or even so much as glass,' v, 'ilst others are continually covered with snow and ice. TheJ^eys between these mountains appear like so many smoothfoaen lakes. The ice-hills begin in the canton of Glarus , andjr^ er passing through the territory of the Grisons , and thence into' e canton of Uri, terminate in that of Bern . The highest of thesefountains are those in the canton of Uri, viz. St. Gothard , Firka,■p r ' s palt, and Lucmanier, which send forth rivers to all parts ofl| fope. The principal livers arc the Rhine , the Rhone, the lteuss,e Aar, the Adda, and the Tesino, with many others that join2 e m. The principal lakes are those of Geneva , Neufclia:el, Biel,v, Ur ich, the Waldstatter, Thun, and Brien, Constance, and Ldcern.

oth rivers and lakes abound with fish. The arts and sciencesla i ' on £ keen cultivated with assiduity and success in Switzer-Q tlt ' 1 and several of the cantons and slates connected -with thea 0 . n f e deracy, have given birth to learned men, whose abilitiesH writings have done honour to the country,rih Wl Y? L ’ a kind r ' n S IT >ade to turn round in a staple, or otherte A ^ le y are used when a ship lies at her moorings; also intli Crs ^ or ‘-♦'Ble, that they may turn round without unwarping* bidder.

shi IVel "^' ANN0N ’ a small piece of artillery belonging to aPofwa,, which carries a shot of half a pound, and is fixed in aSVu ° n t ' ,e lo P ’*’ e s h'P’ s side, stern, or bow, and also in her tops.SVVrv^*^' ^ ef> Medicine, Syncope, &c.jtHlD, an offensive weapon worn at the side, and servingto t0 Cut or sla ^‘ * ts P arts are, the handle, guard, and blade;

g uich may be added the bow, scabbard, pummel, &c.

Sov' V ° RD op State, is that borne before the, king, lords, andoiuoi-s of counties, cities, or boroughs, &c.

Word-Fish. SeeXiPHiAS.

SYBARIS, an ancient city of Italy , in Lucania, on the bay ofTarenlum; founded by a colony of Aehaeans.

SYBILHEAD, a cape of Ireland on the AY. coast of Kerry ;

8 miles W. N. W. of Dingle. Lon. 10. 18. AV. Lat. 52. 11. N.

Sybilunf. Oracles. See Sibylline, and Sibyls .

SYCAMORE, in botany. See Acer, and Ficus .

SYCOPHANT, [o-i/xiipav7ii!-; sycophanta, I,at.] an appellationformerly given by the ancient Athenians to those who informed ofexportation of figs contrary to law; and hence it is still used illgeneral for all informers, parasites, flatterers, &c.

SYDNEY BAY , a bay of the S. Pacific Ocean, on the S.side of Norfolk Island . Lon. 168. 12. E. Lat. 29. 4. S.

Sydney Cove, a town on the coast of New South Wales , onthe E. coast of New Holland ; which was begun to be erected atPort Jackson , as a settlement for convicts, in Feb. 1788. Lon.151. 28. E. Lat. 33. 50. S.

SY ENA, in botany, a genus of the triandria monogynia classand order. Calyx three-leaved ; petals three ; anthers oblong ;capsule one-celled, three-valved. There is only one species,S. fiuviatilis, a minute mossy plant, a native of Guiana, in rivu-lets, M

SYENE, an ancient city of Egypt , situated according to Mr.Bruce, in lat. 24° 0'45" N. although Pliny and Strabo both saythai it lay directly under the tropic of Cancer. It is now calledAssouan, and is 375 miles S. of Cairo .

SYLLA, Lucius Cornelius, was descended from the illus-trious family of the Cometh, but from a branch quite distinct fromthat of the Scipios. His debauched behaviour in his youngeryears did not correspond with his excellent education. Nicopolis ,a rich courtezan, left him heir to her great estate. He learnedtlie art of war under Marius, whom he attended to Numidia asquestor; and soon became the most skilful soldier in tlie army,while by his obliging behaviour he gained the esteem of all. Hiscourage and dexterity contributed to the success of tlie war; and Illseloquence persuaded Bocchus to deliver up Jugnrtha. He servedafterwards in the social war, and as a reward lie was raised to theprffitorship, next elected consul, and soon after declared general ofthe army against Mithridates VII. king of Pontus. Marius wasexasperated that tlie management of this war was not committedto him. The people were persuaded by his intrigues to reversedie decree, and substitute him in place of Sylla. Upon this hesent down officers to take the command of the army ; but Syllaby this time had gained over the soldiers; who, instead of obey-ing the decree of the people, slew Marius’s officers, and intreatedSylla to lead them instantly to Rome . Accordingly lie enteredtlie city sword in hand, slew Sulpicius the consul, obliged Mariusto flee, new-modelled the laws, and afterwards marched into tlieEast, and immediately laid siege to Athens ; for that city, toge- .(her with tlie rest of Greece , had fallen into the power of Mithri-dates. He wrote to tlie Amphyctiuns, who were assembled atDelphi, to send him all the gold in tlie temple of Apollo, promis-ing to restore it at the end of the war ; and when he received itsaid that lie now was sure of victory, since tlie gods themselvesfurnished him with money. Alliens was at last taken by assault,and Sylla was upon the point of destroying it, when lie recollectedits ancient glory, and spared (as he said) the living for the sake ofthe dead. After burning the Piraeus , he gained two decisive vic-tories over the generals of Mithridates. In tlie second battle)fought at Orchomenus , lie was almost defeated ; his troops beganto flee, when leaping from his horse, he snatched up a standard,and erving out, ** I will die here gloriously ; and, soldiers, whenyou are asked where you abandoned your general, answer, atOrchomenus .” This reproach recalled tlie courage of the Ro-mans; they followed him, and gained a complete victory. Mithri-dates then sued for peace. Mean time Cinna had declaredagainst Sylla in Italy ; and Marius, returning from banishment,had taken the most severe vengeance on all his enemies. Syllawas declared a traitor, his laws reversed, his friends murder-ed, and the government new-modelled. These news inducedSylla to conclude a treaty wilh Mithridates , and march directlyto Rome . His approach terrified the Romans. Marius and Cin nawere both dead ; but the consuls made vigorous preparations tooppose him. A civil war was begun; but Sylla in the end sub-dued all his enemies, and entirely ruined the Marian, faction. Heentered Rome at the head of his victorious army, and assumed thetitle of Felix, Happy. Tlie remainder of his life was stained witli