PANACEA-PANDECTS

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and partly goat, having a goat's horns, feet and tail, and a chaplet of pine on his red and laughing face, a motley skin covering his body, with a crooked stick in one hand, and a pipe in the other. Pan was said continually to play on his mysterious pipe, composed of seven unequal reeds, but so fitted as to produce together the most perfect melody, metaphorically called of the spheres; which results from the sublime wonderful order of the seven planets, that is, the six primary planets and the moon; moving in orbits of unequal dimensions, and performing their revolutions with different degrees of velocity, but all with unerring concord.-Young, Russell.

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PANACEA, a universal medicine. The kind of nostrums which is pretended to cure or prevent diseases generally, is called panacea; others which promise the certain cure or prevention of particular disorders, are called specifics. It is affirmed in Dr. Willich's Lectures on Diet and Regimen, that most of the nostrums advertised as cough drops, &c. are preparations of opium, similar to the paregoric elixir of the shops, but disguised and rendered more deleterious, by the addition of aromatic and heating gums; and that the indiscriminate use of them has pernicious effects. In all the annals of human folly, nothing can exceed the unreflecting confidence with which people swallow the medicines of advertising impostors. Some well persons take these medicines to preserve their health, or to give it a higher tone. An Italian count did so; and finding his error had cost him his life, he ordered the following inscription to be placed on his tomb. "I was well; I wanted to be better; I took medicine, and here I am.'

PANDECTS, or Digest, a body of Roman laws, drawn up in the reign and by the order of Justinian the emperor. The pandects were designed to contain all that was useful in the works of the ancient lawyers, which amounted to more than two thousand volumes; they appeared in the year 553; the compilers having been engaged more than three years in the work. In the eastern Roman empire this great body of laws continued only till the ninth century; when the emperor

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and whistle, and sing, and dance, and imitate the shoutings of the Brazilians when they prepared for battle. If, however, the spectators refused to make presents to the parrot's mistress, he seemed to resent their stinginess, and remained silent and sullen.-Goldsmith.

PASCATAQUA, or Piscataqua, a large river, and the only large river, whose whole course is in NewHampshire. On the south side of this river, about two miles from the sea, is Portsmouth, the largest town in the state. Its harbor is one of the finest on the continent, having a sufficient depth of water for vessels of any burden. It is defended against storms by the adjacent land, in such a manner, as that ships may securely ride there in any season of the year. Besides, the harbor is so well fortified by nature, that very little art will be necessary to render it impregnable. Its vicinity to the sea renders it very convenient for naval trade.-Morse, Winterbotham.

PATAGONIA, the most southern part of South America, where a race of people have been discovered, who leading an unrestrained and savage life, are reported to be of a gigantic stature. The companions of Magellan, wintering in St. Julian's Bay, had remained some months without seeing any human creature; when one day (according to their report) they saw approaching, as if he were dropt from the clouds, a man of enormous stature, dancing, and singing, and putting dust upon his head. His face was broad, his colour brown, and painted over with a variety of tints; each cheek had the resemblance of an heart drawn upon it; he was clothed in skins, and armed with a bow. Several others of the same stature quickly afterwards appeared; two of whom the mariners decoyed on ship-board. Nothing could be more gentle than they were in the beginning; they considered the fetters that were preparing for them as ornaments, and played with them, like children with their toys; but when they found for what purpose they were intended, they instantly exerted their amazing strength, and broke them to pieces. Some of the inhabitants seen by Captain Biron, in 1764, were about seven feet in height. They are supposed to be one of

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the wandering tribes, which occupy that vast, but least known region of America, which extends from the river La Plata to the straits of Magellan.

PATOWMAC, a large river, which originating in the Allegany mountains, and forming, through its whole course, a boundary between the states of Virginia and Maryland, falls into Chesapeak Bay: being navigable for large ships about three hundred miles, and seven miles and an half wide at its mouth. This river penetrates through all the ridges of mountains eastward of the Allegany; its passage through the Blue Ridge, which is higher even than the Allegany, is perhaps one of the most stupendous scenes in nature. The piles of rocks on each hand, and the evident marks of their disrupture and avulsion from their beds, induce a belief that the river having been dammed up by this ridge of mountains, formed an ocean which filled the whole valley; and, continuing to rise, at length broke over at this spot, and tore the mountain down from the summit to its base. Mount Vernon, venerated as the seat of the illustrious Washington, is situated on the Virginia bank of this river, where it is nearly two miles wide, and about two hundred and eighty miles from the sea.

PEACOCK, a beautiful bird, but of a horrid voice, and mischievous nature. They are natives of the EastIndies, and are still found in vast flocks, in a wild state, in the islands of Java and Ceylon. So early as the days of Solomon, we find in his navies, among the articles imported from the East, apes, and peacocks. When this bird was first brought into Greece, the Grecians went a great distance to see it, and paid for the sight. The Romans used it as the greatest of luxuries, at their tables, allured more by its costliness and beautiful plumage, than by the flavor of the meat, which is now reckoned to be very indifferent. That which is called the peacock of Thibet, is the most beautiful of the feathered creation, containing in its plumage all the most vivid colours, red, blue, yellow, and green, disposed in almost an artificial order, as if merely to please the eye of the beholder.-Goldsmith.

PEARL FISHERY-PEARL OYSTER-PEKIN. 287

PEARL FISHERY, the fishing up of pearl oysters, by divers employed for the purpose. The greatest pearl fishery is in the Persian Gulf. The wretched people who are employed in this service, dive to the depth of fifteen fathom, or ninety feet, drawing in their breath as they go down when arrived at the bottom, they fill their nets with oysters, and making a signal, are drawn up with a rope. The oysters are brought to shore, and every one of them examined; a few only containing pearls. Thus a number of human creatures are chained to the bottom of the ocean, to pluck a glittering pebble that may adorn the bodies of the rich. These wretched divers seldom live more than five or six years, after they begin their business.-Goldsmith.

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PEARL OYSTER, a species of oyster that contains pearls. They are found in the greatest abundance, and of the best kind in the Persian Gulf. That which particularly obtains the name of the pearl oyster, has a large, strong, whitish shell, wrinkled and rough without, and within smooth and of a silver colour. pearl is found, sometimes adhering to the shell, and sometimes within the body of the oyster. The value of this jewel is according to the size and colour: the whitest and the roundest is the best. What is called Mother of Pearl, is the external coat of the shell of the pearl oyster, resembling the real pearl in colour and consistence. This substance is separated from the oystershell, and shaped into a variety of beautiful utensils.Goldsmith.

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PEKIN, the capital of the empire of China; situated in a fertile plain in latitude 39° 54′; with streets as straight as a line, most of them three miles in length, and about a hundred and twenty feet wide, containing about two million inhabitants. The walls of the immense palace of the emperor, including that and the gardens, are upwards of four miles in circumference ; and are covered with tiles of a shining beautiful yellow. All the riches and merchandise of the empire are continually pouring into this city; and the concourse of people in the streets is prodigious. People of distinction oblige all their dependants to follow them. A

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Mandarin of the first rank is always accompanied by his whole tribunal. The nobility of the court, and princes of the blood, never appear in public without being surrounded by a body of cavalry; and as their presence is required at the palace every day, their train alone is sufficient to crowd the streets; it is, besides, the resort of a vast number of strangers, who are carried about in chairs or ride on horseback, each one having a guide. Crowds of fortune-tellers, jugglers, ballad-singers, and mountebanks, are seen on every side; horses, camels, mules, and carriages, are constantly crossing one another in every direction. In all this immense concourse no women are ever seen. So strict and active is the police of this city, that it is rare to hear of houses being robbed, or people assassinated. An earthquake which happened here in 1731, buried above a hundred thousand people in the ruins of the houses. The Russians have a seminary at Pekin, for the purpose of learning the Chinese language; since which establishment many interesting publications have made their appearance at Petersburgh, relative to the laws, history, and geography of China, translated from the originals published at Pekin.-Walker, Winterbot

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PELEW ISLANDS, a cluster of small islands in the north Pacific Ocean, situated between the 5th and 9th degree of north latitude. In the year 1783, the English ship Antelope, Henry Wilson master, (the whole crew being thirty-four persons) was wrecked on the coral rocks near one of these islands; to which with great difficulty they all escaped. According to Captain Wilson's journal, Abbe Thulle, the king, as well as all his men, were quite naked; the sovereign and the nobility being distinguished by no other mark than that of a bone drawn round their wrists. They had never seen a white man; and seemed to think that the whole globe was bounded by their own horizon.— They received and entertained the distressed Englishmen with the utmost hospitality and kindness. Their unsuspecting confidence, their simple honesty, and their hospitable disposition, formed a striking contrast to the spirit of selfishness, deceit and intrigue, with which a