(4) POLL, in geography, one of the points on which the terraqueous globe turns; each of them being to degrees diftant from the equator, and, in confequence of their fituation, the inclination of the earth's axis, and its parallelism during the amal motion of our globe round the fun, having only one day and one night throughout the year. Owing to the obliquity with which the rays of the fun fall upon the poles, and the great length of winter night, the cold is fo intenfe, that those parts of the globe have never been fully explored, though the attempt has been repeatedly made by the moft celebrated navigators. Indeed their attempts have chiefly been confined to the northern regious; for with regard to the south pole, there not the fame incitement to attempt it. The great object for which navigators have ventured themselves in these frozen feas, was to find out a Bore ready paffage to the East Indies; and this has been attempted three several ways: one by coafting along the northern parts of Europe and Afia, called the north-eaft paffage; another, by failing round the northern part of the American contibent, called the north-west passage; and the third by failing directly over the pole itfelf. We have ready given a fhort account of several unfuccefsfal attempts which have been made from England to discover the first two of these. See NORTHWEST PASSAGE, and NORTH-EAST PASSAGE. But before we proceed to the third, we fhall make a few further obfervations on them, and ration the attempts of fome other nations. Dung the 17th century, various navigators, Dutchmer particularly, attempted to find out the north tapaffage, with great fortitude and perfeverance. They always found it impoffible, however, to furmount the obftacles which nature had thrown in the way. Subfequent attempts are thought by many to have demonftrated the impoffibility of ever failing eastward along the N. coaft of Afia; and this impoffibility is accounted for by the increafe of cold in proportion to the extent of land. This is indeed the cafe in temperate climates; but much more fo in those frozen regions where the influence of the fun, even in fummer, is but fmall. Hence, as the continent of Afia extends a vaft way from W. to E., and has befides the continent of Europe joined to it on the W., it follows, that about the middle part of that tract of land the cold fhould be greater than anywhere elfe. Experience has determined this to be fact; and it Dow appears, that about the middle part of the northern coaft of Afia the ice never thaws; neither have even the hardy Ruffians and Siberians themfelves been able to overcome the difficulties they met with in that part of their voyage. In order to make this the more plain and the follow ing accounts more intelligible, we shall obferve, that from the NW. extremity of Europe, called the NORTH CAPE, to the NE. extremity of Afia, called the Promontory of the TSCHUTSKI, is a Space including about 160° of lon. vix. from 40° to 200° E. of Ferro: the port of Archangel lies in about 57° E. lon. Nova Zembla between 70° and 95; which laft is alfo the fituation of the mouth of the great river Oby. Still farther eastward are the mouths of the rivers Jenifey in roo; Piafida

in 105; Chatanga in 124°; Lena, which has many mouths, between 134° and 142°; Indigirka in 162°; and the Kovyma in 1759. The coldeft place in all this tract, therefore, ought to be that between the mouths of the Jenifey and the Chantanga; and indeed here the unfurmountable difficulty has always been, as will appear from the following accounts of the voyages made by the Ruffians with a view to difcover the north-eaft paffage. In 1734, lieutenant Morzovieff failed from Archangel towards the river Oby, but could scarce advance 20 degrees of longitude during that feafon, The next fummer he paffed through the straits of Weygatz into the sea of Kara; but did not double the promontory which feparates the fea of Kara from the bay or mouth of the river Oby. In 1738, the lieutenants Malgyin and Shurakoff doubled that promontory with great difficulty, and entered the bay of Oby. Several unfuccessful attempts were made to pass from the bay of Oby to the Jenifey; which was at laft effected, in 1738, by two veffels commanded by lieutenants Offzin and Kofkeleff. The fame year the pilot Feodor Menin failed eaftwards from the Jenifey to the mouth of the Piafida; but here he was stopped by the ice; and finding it impoffible to force a paffage, he returned to the jenifey. In July 1735, lieutenant Prontfhiftcheff failed down the Lena, to pafs by fea to the mouth of the Jenifey. The western mouths of the Lena were fo choaked up with ice; that he was obliged to pass through the most easterly one; and was prevented by contrary winds from getting out till the 13th of Auguft. Having fteered NW. along the islands which lie scattered before the mouths of the Lena, he found himself in lat. 70. 4.; yet even here he faw pieces of ice from 24 to 60 feet in height, and in no place was there a free channel left of greater breadth than 100 or 200 yards. His veffel being much damaged, he entered the mouth of the Olenek, a small river near the western mouth of the Lena; and here he continued till the enfuing feafon, when he got out in the beginning of Auguft. But before he could reach the mouth of the Chatanga, he was fo entirely furrounded and hemmed in with ice, that it was with the utmoft difficulty he could get loofe. Obferving then a large field of ice ftretching into the fea, he was obliged to fail up the Chatanga. Getting free once more, he proceeded northward, doubled cape Taimura, and reached the bay of that name, lying about 115° E. of Ferro; from thence he attempted to proceed W. along the coaft. Near the fhore were feveral fmall islands, between which and the shore the ice was immoveably fixed. He then directed his courfe towards the fea, in order to pass round the chain of islands. At first he found the fea more free to the north of these islands, but obferved much ice lying between them. At laft he arrived at what he took to be the laft of the islands, lying in lat. 77. 25. Between this inland and the more, as well as on the other fide of the island which lay moft to the north, the ice was firm and immoveable. He attempted, however, to fteer ftill more to the north; and having advanced about fix miles, he was prevented by a thick fog from proceeding: this fog being difperfed, he faw

nothing

nothing everywhere but ice, which at laft drove him eastward, and with much danger and difficulty he got to the mouth of the Olenek on the 29th of Auguft. Another attempt to pafs by fea from the Lena to the Jenifey was made in 1739 by Chariton Laptieff, but with no better fuccefs than that juft mentioned. This voyager relates, that between the rivers Piafida and Taimura, a promontory ftretches into the fea, which he could not double, the fea: being entirely frozen up be fore he could pafs round. Befides the Ruffians, it is certain that fome English and Dutch veffels have paffed the island of Nova Zembla into the fea of Kara: "But (fays Mr Coxe in his Account of the Ruffian Voyages) no veffel of any nation has ever paffed round that cape which extends to the north of the Piafida, and is laid down in the Ruffian charts in about 78° lat. We have already feen that no Russian vessel has ever got from the Piafida to the Chatanga, or from the Chatanga to the Piafida; and yet fome authors have pofitively afferted, that this promontory has been failed round. In order therefore to elude the Ruffian accounts, which clearly affert the contrary, it is pretended that Gmelin and Muller have purposely concealed fome parts of the Ruffian journals, and have impofed on the world by a mifrepresentation of facts. But without entering into any difpute upon this head, I can venture to affirm, that no fufficient proof has been as yet advanced in fupport of this affertion; and therefore, until fome pofitive information fhall be produced, we cannot deny plain facts, or give the preference to hearsay evidence over circumstantial and well attefted accounts." The other part of this north-east pasfage, viz. from the Lena, to Kamtfchatka though fufficiently difficult and dangerous, is yet practicable: as having been once performed, if we may believe the accounts of the Ruffians. According to fome authors, indeed, fays Mr Coxe, this navigation has been open a century and an half; and feveral veffels at different times have passed round the north-eastern extremity of Afia. But if we confult the Ruffian accounts, we fhall find that frequent expeditions have been unquestionably made from the Lena to the Kovyma, but that the. voyage from the Kovyma round Tíchutfkoi Nofs into the Eaftern Ocean has been performed but once. According to Mr Muller, this formidable cape was doubled in 1648. The material incidents of this remarkable voyage are as follow. "In 1648 seven kotches, or veffels, failed from the mouth of the river Kovyma, in order to penetrate into the Eaftern Ocean. Of thefe, four were never more heard of: the remaining three were commanded by Simon Deihneff, Gerafim Ankudinoff, and Fedor Alexeeff. Dehneff and Ankudinoff quarrelled before their departure concerning the divifion of profits and honours to be acquired by their voyage: which, however was not fo cafily accomplished as they had imagined. Yet Defhneff in his memorials makes no mention of obftructions from the ice, nor probably did he meet with any; for he takes notice that the fea is not every year fo free from ice as it was at that time. The vellels failed from the. Kovyma on the 20th of June, and in September they reached the promontory of the Tíchutiki, where Ankudinoff's

veffel was wrecked, and the crew diftribu among the other two. Soon after this the t veffels loft fight of each other, and never join again. Defhneff was driven about by tempeftu winds till October, when he was fhipwreck confiderably to the fouth of the Anadyr. Hav at last reached that river, he formed a scheme returning by the fame way that he had com but never made the attempt. As for Alexe after being alfo fhipwrecked, he had died of fcurvy, together with Ankudinoff; part of crew were killed by the favages, and a few e ped to Kamtfchatka, where they fettled." Fro Capt. Cook's voyages towards the NE. parts Afia, it appears, that it is poffible to double t promontory of Tfchutki without any great di culty: (See Cook, N° III. § 9, ro.) and it now a pears, that the continents of Afia and America a separated from one another but by a narrow ftra which is free from ice; but, to the northward that experienced navigator was everywhere fto ped by ice in Auguft, fo that he could neithe trace the American continent farther than to th latitude of 70°, nor reach the mouth of the rive Kovyma on the Afiatic continent; though it i probable, that this might have been done at and ther time when the fituation of the ice was alte ed either by winds or currents. On the whol therefore, it appears that the infurmountable of ftacle in the NE. paffage lies between the river Piafida and Chatanga; and unless there be in the fpace a connection between the Afiatic and Ame rican continents, there is not in any other part Ice, however, is as effectual an obstruction a land: and though the voyage were to be made b accident for once, it never could be esteemed paffage calculated for the purposes of trade, o any other beneficial purpose whatever. With re gard to the north weft paffage, the fame difficul ties occur as in the other. Captain Cook's voy age has now affured us, that if there is any fra which divides the continent of America into two it must lie in a higher latitude than 70°, an confequently be perpetually frozen up. If north-weft paffage can be found then, it must bi by failing round the whole American continent inftead of feeking a paffage through it, which fome have fuppofed to exift in the bottom of Ba fin's Bay. But the extent of the American conti nent to the northward is yet unknown; and the is a poffibility of its being joined to that part of Afia between the Piafida and Chatanga, which has never yet been circumnavigated. It remain therefore to confider, whether there is any poff bility of attaining the wifhed for paffage by failing directly north, between the eaftern and weftern continents. Of the practicability of this method the Hon. Daines Barrington is very confident, appears by feveral tracts which be published i 1775 and 1776, in confequence of the unfucce ful attempts made by Capt. PHIPPS, Lord Ma grave. See NORTH-EAST PASSAGE. In the tracts he inftances a great number of navigators who have reached very high northern latitudes nay, fome who have been at the pole itself, gone beyond it.-But as many of thefe inftances are founded on mere hear-fay evidence, and at Mr Barrington's whole hypothefis is exprefsly de

nied

urbanity and generofity. He died at an advanced age of a consumption, about A. A. B. 270. Of his tenets little is faid by the ancients, because he strictly adhered to the doctrine of Plato.

(2, 3.) POLEMON, a fon of Zeno the rhetorician, and a renowned fophift. He was made king of Pontus by Mark Antony, and was fucceeded by his fon Polemon II. See PONTUS.

(1.) POLEMONIUM, in ancient geography, a town of Pontus, on the E. bank of the mouth of the Thermodoon; now called VATIJA.

(2.) POLEMONIUM, in botany, GREEK VALERIAN, or Jacob's Ladder, a genus of the monogy. nia order, belonging to the petandria clafs of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 29th order, Campanacea. The corolla is quinquepartite; the ftamina inferted into fcales, which clofe the bottom of the corolla; the ftigma is trifid: the capfule bilocular fuperior. There are two fpecies: the most remarkable is

POLEMONIUM COERULEUM, with an empale. ment longer than the flower. It grows naturally in fome places of England; however, its beauty has obtained it a place in the gardens. There are three varieties; one with a white, another with a blue, and another with a variegated flow. er; alfo a kind with variegated leaves. They are eafily propagated by feeds; but that kind with variegated leaves is preferved by parting its roots, because the plants raised from feeds would be apt to degenerate and become plain.

(1.) POLEMOSCOPE. n. f. [Toni and x.] In optics, is a kind of crooked or oblique perspective glafs, contrived for feeing objects that do not lie directly before the eye. Dia. (2.) A POLEMOSCOPE, in optics, is the fame with an OPERA GLASS. See DIOPTRICS, § 49. POLENBURG, Cornelius, an excellent painter of little landscapes and figures. See POLEMBERG. He was educated under Blomaert, whom he foon quitted to travel into Italy; and ftudied Jong in Rome and Florence, where he formed a ftyle entirely new, which, though preferable to the Flemish, is unlike any Italian, except in his having adorned his landscapes with ruins. There is a varnished smoothness and finishing in his pictures, that render them always pleafing, though fimple, and too nearly refembling one another. At London, he painted the figures in Steenwyck's perspectives, for K. Charles I. but ftaid only 4 years. His works are very scarce and valuable.

POLERON, one of the Banda or nutmeg islands in the Eaft Indies. It was one of those fpice islands which put themselves under the protection of the English, and voluntarily acknowledged James 1. king of England, for their fovereign; for which reason the natives of this and the reft of the islands were murdered or driven thence by the Dutch, together with the English. See AMBOYNA, § 4.

POLES. n. f. plur. The people of Poland. See POLAND, 27.

POLESÍA, a province of Poland, bounded by Polachio and Proper Lithuania on the N. and by Volhynia on the S. It is one of the palatinates of Lithuania, and is commonly called Brescia, or BRZESK; and its capital is of this name. It is full of forests and lakes.

POLESINO DE ROVICO, a province of Italy, in the Venetian State, lying N. of the Po; and bounded on that fide by the Paduan, on the S. by the Ferrarefe, on the E. by Dogado, and on the W. by the Veronefe. It is 45 miles in length, and 17 in breadth, and is a fertile country. RoVIGO is the capital.

POLESTAR. . f. [pole and star.] 1. A ftar near the pole, by which navigators compute their northern latitude; cynofure; lodeftar.-If a pi lot at fea cannot fee the poleftar, let him steer bis courfe by fuch ftars as best appear to him. King Charles. I was failing in a vaft ocean without o ther help than the poleftar of the ancients. Dryden. 2. Any guide or director.

POLETÆ, were ten magiftrates of Athens, who, with three that had the management of money allowed for public shows, were empower ed to let out the tribute money and other publi revenues, and to fell confifcated eftates; all which bargains were ratified by their prefident, or in hi name. They were by their office alfo bound te convict fuch as had not paid the tribute called Miloixiv, and fell them in the market by auction The market where these wretches were fold wai called wλnînμov ty peloixiv. ↑

POLETO, a town of the Italian repubic, in the dep. of the Mincio, district and late duchy al Mantua; 11 miles ESE. of Mantua.

(1.) POLEY MOUNTAIN. n.. [polium, La A plant. Miller.

(2.) POLEY MOUNTAIN, or POLEY GRASS, a fpecies of LYTHRUM.

POLEGAVIE, or POWGAVIE, a village of Perth fhire, in the Carfe of Gowrie, and Parish of Inch ture, feated on the Tay, with a good harbour and pier lately erected. It is the property of Lord Kinnaird, who, in 1797, erected a large granary in it, capable of containing 6000 bolls of grain. POLIANTHES. See POLYANTHES.

POLIAS, a furname of MINERVA, as the protectress of cities.

POLICANDRO, a small island in the Archi pelago, between Milo and Morgo. It has no har bour, but has a town about three miles from the fhore near a huge rock. It is a ragged ftony ifland, but yields as much corn as is fufficient for the inhabitants, who confit of about 120 Greek families, all Chriftians. The only commodity is cotton; of which they make napkins, a dozen of which are fold for a crown. Lon. 35. 25. E. Lat. 36. 36. N.

POLICASTRELLO, a town of Naples, in Calabria Citra; 15 miles NW. of Bifignano.

(1.) POLICASTRO, an epifcopal town of Naples, in Principato Citra, now almoft in ruins, Lon. 15. 46. E. Lat. 40. 26. N.

(2.) POLICASTRO, a town of Naples, in Cala bria Ultra; 9 miles WSW. of St. Severina. (3.) POLICASTRO, or Paleo Caftro, a town of Candy: 15 miles ESE. of Settia.

*POLICE. n.. [French.] The regulation and government of a city or country, fo far as regards the inhabitants.

*POLICED. adj. [from police.] Regulated: formed into a regular courfe of administration.Where there is a kingdom altogether unable or indign to govern, it is a juft cause of war for ano

ther

ther nation, that is civil or policed, to subdue them.

Bacon.

POLICHNA; 1. an ancient town of Troas, on Ida. Hredot. vi. c. 28.; 2. another in Crete. Thucyd. c. 85.

(1.) POLICY. n. S. [zorirua; politia, Latin.] 1. The art of government, chiefly with refpect to foreign powers. 2. Art; prudence; management of affairs; ftratagem.-The policy of that purpose made more in the marriage than the love of the parties. ShakTo feem

The fame you are not, which for your best ends You call your policy. Shak. If the be curft, it is for policy. Shak. -The beft rule of policy is to prefer the doing of justice before all enjoyments. King Charles. The wildom of this world is fometimes taken in Scripture for policy. South. 3. [Poliça, Spanish.] A warrant for money in the public funds; a

ticket.

(a) POLICY, or POLITY. See POLITY. (3) POLICY OF INSURANCE, or ASSURANCE, of hips, is a contract, whereby a person takes up. on himself the risks of a fea voyage; obliging himself to make good the loffes and damages that may befal the vessel, in part or in whole; in confideration of a certain fum per cent. paid, accord. ing to the risk run. See INSURANCE, N° II. POLIDORO DA CARAVAGGIO, an eminent parater, born at Caravaggio, in the Milanefe, in 144. He went young to Rome, where he workas a labourer in preparing ftucco for the pain. ters; and feeing them at work in the Vatican, he folicited fome of them to teach him the rules of defigning. He attached himself particularly to Maturino, a young Florentine; and a fimilarity in talents and tafte producing a difinterested af. fetion; they affociated like brothers, laboured together, and lived on one common purfe, until the death of Maturino. He practifed the chiarofcuro in a degree fuperior to any in the Roman fchool; and finished an incredible number of pictures in fresco and in oil, for the public buildings a Rome. Being obliged to fly from Rome when it was pillaged, he retired to Meflina, where he obtained a large fum of money, with great reputation, by painting the triumphal arches for the reception of Charles V. after his victory at Tunis: but when he was preparing to return to Rome, be was murdered for the fake of his riches, by bis Sicilian valet and other affaffins, in 1543.

POLIEA, a feftival at Thebes in honour of Apollo, who was there reprefented with grey hairs, TA, contrary to the practice of all other places. An ox was alfo facrificed, and formerly a bull, till once that one could not be got.

POLIFOLIA. See ANDROMEDA, II. N° 5. (1.) POLIGNAC, Melchior Dɛ, an excellent French genius and a cardinal, born of an ancient and noble family at Puy, in 1762. He was fent by Lewis XIV. ambaffador extraordinary to Poand, where, on the death of Sobieski, he formed a project of procuring the election of the Prince of Conti. But failing, he returned home under Come difgrace; but when reftored to favour, he was fent to Rome as auditor of the Rota. He

was plenipotentiary during the congrefs at U trecht, when Clement I. created him a cardinal; and upon the acceffion of Lewis XV. he was appointed to refide at Rome as minister of France. He remained there till 1732, and died in 1741. He left a MS. poem entitled Anti Lucretius, feu De Deo et Natura; the plan of which he is faid to have formed in Holland in a converfation with, Mr Bayle. This celebrated poem was first publifhed in 1749, and has fince been feveral times printed in other countries befides France. He had been received into the French Academy in 1704, into the Academy of Sciences in 1715, into that of the Belles Lettres in 1717: and he would have been an ornament to any fociety, having all the accomplishments of a man of parts and learning.

(2.) POLIGNAC, in geography, a town of France, in the dep. of Upper Loire; 6 miles N. of Puy.

POLIGNANO, a populous town and bishop' fee of Naples, in Bari, on a rock near the fea; 6 miles NW. of Converfano, and 16 E. of Bari. Lon. 17. 24. E. Lat. 41. 25. N.

POLIGNI, or a town of France, in the dep. POLIGNY, of the Jura, and ci-devant prov. of Franche Comte, on a rivulet 32 miles SSW. of Befançon, and 9 NNE. of Lons le SauniLon. 5. 55. W. Lat. 46. 50. N.

er.

POLINA, an ancient town of European Tur. key, in Albania, with a Greek archbishop's fee; formerly confiderable, but now moftly in ruins, 12 miles S. of Durazzo. Lon. 19. 20. Ė. Lat. 41. 42. N.

POLINARA, a town of Naples, in Calabria Citra; 11 miles N. of Bifignano.

POLINO, an island in the Grecian Archipelago: 3 miles NE of Milo.

POLIORCETES, Gr. i. e. a taker of cities, a firname given to Demetrius. See DEMETRIUS, N° 1.

(1.) POLISH. adj. [from Pole.] Of or belonging to Poland.

(a.) * POLISH. n. f. [poli, poliffure, Fr. from the verb.] 1. Artificial glofs; brightness given by attrition.-Confider the great difficulty of hewing it into any form, and of giving it the due turn, proportion, and polish. Addifon-Another prifm of clearer glafs and better polish seemed free from veins. Newton. 2. Elegance of manners.What are these wond'rous civilifing arts, This Roman polish? Addifon. (1.)* To POLISн. v. a. [polio, Lat. polir, Fr.] To fmooth; to brighten by attrition; to glofs. He polisbeth it perfectly. Eccl.Pygmalion, with fatal art,

1.

Polish'd the form that flung his heart. Granville. 2. To make elegant of manners.— Studious they appear

*

Of arts that polish life, inventors rare. Milton. (2.) To POLISH. V. N. To answer to the act of polifhing; to receive a glofs. It is reported by the ancients, that there was a kind of fteel, which would polib almoft as white and bright as filver. Bacon.

* POLISHABLE. adj. [from polish.] Capable of being polished. N 2 (L.)