a tract of dry land encompassed with water; in which sense it stands contradistinguished from Continent, or Terra Firma.

Several naturalists are of opinion, that the islands were formed at the deluge; others think, that there have been new islands formed by the casting up of vast heaps of clay, mud, sand, &c.; others think they have been separated from the continent by violent storms, inundations, and earthquakes. These last have observed, that the East Indies, which abound in islands more than any other part of the world, are likewise more annoyed with earthquakes, tempests, lightnings, volcanoes, &c. than any other part. Others again conclude, that islands are as ancient as the world, and that there were some at the beginning; and, among other arguments, support their opinion from Gen. x. 5, and other passages of Scripture.

Varenius thinks that there have been islands produced each of these ways. St Helena, Ascension, and other steep rocky islands, he supposes to have become so by the sea's overflowing their neighbouring champagnes; but by the heaping up huge quantities of sand, and other terrestrial matter, he thinks the islands of Zealand, Japan, &c. were formed. Sumatra and Ceylon, and most of the East India islands, he thinks, were rent off from the main land; and concludes, that the islands of the Archipelago were formed in the same way, imagining it probable that Deucalion's flood might contribute towards it. The ancients had a notion that Delos, and a few other islands, rose from the bottom of the sea; which, how fabulous soever it may appear, agrees with later observations. Seneca takes notice, that the island Therasia rose thus out of the Aegean sea in his time, of which the mariners were eye-witnesses.

It is indeed very probable, that many islands have existed not only from the deluge, but from the creation of the world; and we have undoubted proofs of the formation of islands in all the different ways above-mentioned. Another way, however, in which islands are frequently formed in the South Sea, is by the coralline insects. On this subject the following curious dissertation by Alexander Dalrymple, Esq., hath appeared in the Philosophical Transactions for the year 1767.

"These islands are generally long and narrow; they are formed by a narrow bar of land, inclosing the sea within it; generally, perhaps always, with some intervals at least to the tide; commonly with an opening capable of receiving a canoe, and frequently sufficient to admit even larger vessels.

"The origin of these islands will explain their nature. What led me first to this deduction was an observation of Abdul Roobin, a Soooloo pilot, that all the islands lying off the north-east coast of Borneo had shoals to the eastward of them.

"These islands being covered to the westward by Borneo, the winds from that quarter do not attack them with violence. But the north-east winds, tumbling in the billows from a wide ocean, heap up the coral with which those seas are filled. This, obvious after storms, is perhaps at all other times imperceptibly effected.

"The coral banks, raised in the same manner, become dry. These banks are found of all depths, at all all distances from shore, entirely unconnected with the land, and detached from each other; although it often happens that they are divided by a narrow gut without bottom.

"Coral banks also grow, by a quick progression, towards the surface; but the winds, heaping up the coral from deeper water, chiefly accelerate the formation of these into shoals and islands. They become gradually shallower; and, when once the sea meets with resistance, the coral is quickly thrown up by the force of the waves breaking against the bank; and hence it is, that, in the open sea, there is scarce an instance of a coral bank having so little water that a large ship cannot pass over, but it is also so shallow that a boat would ground on it.

"I have seen these coral banks in all the stages; some in deep water, others with few rocks appearing above the surface; some just formed into islands, without the least appearance of vegetation; and others from such as have a few weeds on the highest part, to those which are covered with large timber, with a bottomless sea at a pistol-shot distance.

"The loose coral, rolled inward by the billows in large pieces, will ground; and the reflux being unable to carry them away, they become a bar to coagulate the sand, always found intermixed with coral; which sand, being easiest raised, will be lodged at top. When the sand-bank is raised by violent storms beyond the reach of common waves, it becomes a resting-place to vagrant birds, whom the search of prey draws thither. The dung, feathers, &c. increase the soil, and prepare it for the reception of accidental roots, branches, and seed, cast up by the waves, or brought thither by birds. Thus islands are formed: the leaves and rotten branches intermixing with the sand, form in time a light black mould, of which in general these islands consist; more sandy as less woody; and, when full of large trees, with a greater proportion of mould.

"Cocoa nuts, continuing long in the sea without losing their vegetative powers, are commonly to be found in such islands; particularly as they are adapted to all soils, whether sandy, rich, or rocky.

"The violence of the waves within the tropics, must generally be directed to two points, according to the monsoons.

"Hence the islands formed from coral banks must be long and narrow, and lie nearly in a meridional direction. For even supposing the banks to be round, as they seldom are when large, the sea, meeting most resistance in the middle, must heave up the matter in greater quantities there than towards the extremities: and, by the same rule, the ends will generally be open, or at least lowest. They will also commonly have soundings there, as the remains of the bank, not accumulated, will be under water.

"Where the coral banks are not exposed to the common monsoon, they will alter their direction; and be either round, extending the parallel, or be of irregular forms, according to accidental circumstances.

"The interior parts of these islands being sea, sometimes form harbours capable of receiving vessels of some burden, and, I believe, always abound greatly with fish; and, such as I have seen, with turtle-grafts and other sea-plants, particularly one species, called by the Sooloos gammye, which grows in little globules, and is somewhat pungent, as well as acid, to the taste.

"It need not be repeated, that the ends of those islands only are the places to expect soundings; and they commonly have a shallow spit running out from each point.

"Abdul Roobin's observation points out another circumstance, which may be useful to navigators; by consideration of the winds to which any islands are most exposed, to form a probable conjecture which side has deepest water; and from a view which side has the shoals, an idea may be formed which winds rage with most violence."

Islands from their situation enjoy many great advantages, the principal of which are these. In the first place, many benefits are derived to the inhabitants of an island from its unity. The very largest country on a continent is still but a part, which implies dependence, and is necessarily attended with a train of imperfections; from all of which, by the unerring and unalterable laws of nature, the people who live in an island are or may be entirely free. All countries on the continent are exposed to continual dangers, against which their inhabitants must be perpetually upon their guard. This renders a large military force requisite. It involves them in continual negotiations, leagues, and alliances; all of which, however, cannot exempt them from frequent wars, or the miseries that attend them, and which have commonly bad effects on their internal policy. In the next place, the climate is generally mild and salubrious from the vapors of the surrounding sea, which according to the latitude abates the violence of heat, and moderates the rigour of cold, both which are sensibly and constantly less than on continents under the same elevation of the pole. We have a remarkable instance of this in the islands called anciently Siebades, in the modern Latin Insula Arearum, by us the islands of Hieres. They are three in number, lying in 43° north latitude, before the port of Toulon. In them, the fruits of France and Italy arrive at the highest perfection, and all the medical herbs of Italy, Greece, and Egypt, grow wild. Yet the climate is wonderfully temperate and pleasant in all seasons.*—There is also commonly a greater variety,* See Amer. and always a greater fertility, in the soil, occasioned risa, t° 6—chiefly by the warmth of the circumambient air, frequent showers, and, in consequence of both, being continually impregnated with vegetable salts. Another considerable advantage arises from its accessibility on every side, by which it is open to receive supplies from other countries, and has the conveniency of exporting its commodities and manufactures to all markets, and, in comparison of the continent, at all seasons. The opposite sides of an island may in regard to commerce be considered as two countries; each has its ports, its proper commodities, its proper correspondencies; in consequence of which, it promotes the cultivation, and procures vent for the manufactures, of a large district behind it; while the intermediate midland space finds a profit in that inland trade, which these two districts supply. The winds contrary on one side are favourable on the other; and the sea, the common road to both both coasts, is continually ploughed by vessels outward and homeward bound, which keeps up that active and enterprising spirit which characterizes islanders. An island has at once the most extensive and the most effectual frontier, and this on all sides, subsisting for ever, without repairs, and without expense; and, which is still more, derives from this very frontier a great part of the subsistence of its inhabitants, and a valuable article in its commerce, from its fisheries. It is commonly said the sea is a mine, but in truth it is better; its treasures are more lasting and more certain, procured by labour solely, and fit for use or for sale as soon as procured, quickly consumed, and thereby the source of continual employment to a stout, hardy, laborious race of men, who likewise find employment for numbers, and are in various respects otherwise beneficial members of the community. The defence of this natural barrier, which, as we have said, costs nothing, but on the contrary yields much, is not only permanent, but in every respect more to be relied on than any that could be raised by the skill and industry of men at the greatest expense. All these blessings and benefits are insured by the lesson that Nature dictates, some would say the law which she prescribes, to the inhabitants of every island, to place all their hopes in the assiduous cultivation of their own country, to bend all their endeavours to raising and extending their commerce, and to put their trust in Providence, and in the safeguard which she directs; men accustomed to robust and hardy exercises, and in what necessarily arises from their way of life, a naval force. The first inhabitants come in vessels, are for a time dependent on the country from whence they came, arrive at independence by enlarging their correspondence; and thus commerce is natural and essential to the people of an island; which is the reason that they thrive so long as they possess it, and gradually decline in the same proportion in which that decays.

**Islands of Ice.** See *Ice-Island*.

**Floating-Islands.** Histories are full of accounts of floating islands; but the greatest part of them are either false or exaggerated. What we generally see of this kind is no more than the concretion of the lighter and more viscous matter floating on the surface of the water in cakes; and, with the roots of the plants, forming conglomerates of different sizes, which, not being fixed to the shore in any part, are blown about by the winds, and float on the surface. These are generally found in lakes, where they are confined from being carried too far; and, in process of time, some of them acquire a very considerable size. Seneca tells us of many of these floating islands in Italy; and some later writers have described not a few of them in other places. But, however true these accounts might have been at the time when they were written, very few proofs of their authenticity are now to be found; the floating islands having either disappeared again, or been fixed to the sides in such a manner as to make a part of the shore. Pliny tells us of a great island which at one time swam about in the lake Cutilia in the country of Reatinum, which was discovered to the old Romans by a miracle; and Pomponius tells us, that in Lydia there were several islands so loose in their foundations, that every little accident shook and removed them.

(or Iceland) Crystal.** See *Crystal (Iceland)*.

**ISLE-ADAM,** a town of France, with a handsome castle, and the title of a baron; seated on the river Oise, three miles from Beaumont, and 20 from Paris. E. Long. 2. 13. N. Lat. 49. 7.

**ISLE-de-Dieu,** a small island of France in the sea of Galloping, and on the coast of Poitou, from which it is 14 miles. W. Long. 2. 5. N. Lat. 46. 45.

**ISLE-de-France,** is one of the 12 general governments of France; bounded on the north by Picardy, on the west by Normandy, on the south by the government of Orleanais, and on the east by that of Champagne. It is about 90 miles in length, and as much in breadth; and is watered by the rivers Seine, Marne, Oise, and Aisne. The air is temperate, and the soil fertile; and it abounds in wine, corn, and fruits. It contains 10 small districts, and Paris is the capital city.

**ISLEBANS,** in ecclesiastical history, a name given to those who adopted the sentiments of a Lutheran divine of Saxony, called John Agricola, a disciple and companion of Luther, a native of Isleb, whence the name; who interpreting literally some of the precepts of St Paul with regard to the Jewish law, declaimed against the law and the necessity of good works. See *Antinomians*.

**ISLINGTON,** a village of Middlesex, on the north side of London, to which it is almost contiguous. It appears to be of Saxon origin; and in the conqueror's time was written Iledon, or Ifendon. The church is one of the prebends of St Paul's; to the dean and chapter of which a certain precinct here belongs, for the probate of wills, and granting administrations. The church was a Gothic structure erected in 1503, and stood till 1751, when the inhabitants applied to parliament for leave to rebuild it, and soon after erected the present structure, which is a very substantial brick edifice, though it does not want an air of lightness. Its houses are above 2000, including the Upper and Lower Holloways, three sides of Newington-Green, and part of Kingsland, on the road to Ware. The White Conduit-house in this place, so called from a white stone conduit that stands before the entrance, has handsome gardens with good walks, and two large rooms one above the other for the entertainment of company at tea, &c. In the S.W. part of this village is that noble reservoir, improperly called New River Head; though they are only two basins, which receive that river from Hertfordshire, and from whence the water is thrown by an engine into the company's pipes for the supply of London. In the red-moat on the north side of these basins, called Six-Acre Field, from the contents of it, which is the third field beyond the White-Conduit, there appears to have been a fortress in former days, inclosed with a rampart and ditch, which is supposed to have been a Roman camp made use of by Suetonius Paulinus after his retreat, which Tacitus mentions, from London, before he fell thence, and routed the Britons under their queen Boadicea; and that which is vulgarly, but erroneously, called Jack Straw's castle, in a square place in the S.W. angle of the field, supposed to have been the seat seat of the Roman general's pretorium or tent. In this parish are two charity-schools; one founded in 1613 by Dame Alice Owen, for educating 30 children. This foundation, together with that of a row of almshouses, are under the care of the brewers company. Here is an hospital with its chapel, and a workhouse for the poor. There is a spring of chalybeate water, in a very pleasant garden, which for some years was honoured by the constant attendance of the princess Amelia, and many persons of quality, who drank the waters. To this place, which is called New Tunbridge Wells, many people resort, particularly during the summer; the price of drinking the waters being 10s. 6d. for the season. Near this place is a house of entertainment called Saddler's Wells, where, during the summer season, people are amused with balance matters, walking on the wire, rope-dancing, tumbling, and pantomime entertainments.