in law, is when a man is disabled, or made incapable to inherit any lands, or take that benefit which otherwise he might have done: and this may happen four ways; by the act of an ancestor, or of the party himself, by the act of God, or of the law.

1. Disability by the act of the ancestor, is where the ancestor is attainted of high treason, &c. which corrupts the blood of his children, so that they may not inherit his estate.

2. Disability by the act of the party is where a man binds himself by obligation, that, upon surrender of a lease, he will grant a new estate to a lessor; and afterwards he grants over the reversion to another, which puts it out of his power to perform it.

3. Disability by the act of God is where a man is non sane memoriae, whereby he is incapable to make any grant, &c. So that, if he passeth an estate out of him, it may after his death be made void; but it is a maxim in law, "That a man of full age, shall never be received to disable his own person."

4. Disability by the act of the law, is where a man by the sole act of the law, without anything by him done, is rendered incapable of the benefit of the law; as an alien born, &c.

ISLANDS OF DISAPPOINTMENT, are a cluster of small islands, lying in S. Lat. 14° W. Long. 14° 16'. They were discovered by Commodore Byron in 1765, who gave them their name from the shores affording no anchorage for his ships; for which reason he was obliged to quit them without landing, or procuring any refreshments for his crew, who were then languishing with sickness. They are inhabited by Indians, who appeared on the beach with spears in their hands, that were at least 16 feet long. They everywhere discovered hostile intentions, and seemed by signs to threaten the people in the boat with death if they came ashore. There are cocoa-trees in great abundance, and the shore abounds with turtle.