(anc. geog.), a city of Phoenicia in Asia, famous in scripture for its riches, arising from the extensive commerce carried on by its inhabitants. Heavy judgments were denounced against the Sidonians on account of their wickedness, which were accomplished in the time of Ochus king of Persia; for that monarch having come against them with an army on account of their rebellion, the city was betrayed by its king; upon which the wretched inhabitants were seized with despair; they set fire to their houses, and 40,000, with their wives and children, perished in the flames.

This city is now called Saide, and, according to Mr Bruce's account, not only its harbour is filled up with sand, but the pavement of the ancient city stood 7½ feet lower than the ground on which the present city stands. Volney describes it as an ill-built dirty city. Its length along the sea-shore is about 600 paces, and its breadth 150. At the north-west side of the town is the castle, which is built in the sea itself, 80 paces from the main land, to which it is joined by arches. To the west of this castle is a shoal 15 feet high above the sea, and about 200 paces long. The space between this shoal and the castle forms the road, but vessels are not safe there in bad weather. The shoal, which extends along the town, has a baton inclosed by a decayed pier. This was the ancient port; but it is so choked up by sand, that boats alone can enter its mouth near the castle. Fakr-el-din, emir of the Druses, destroyed all these little ports from Barrouet to Acre, by sinking boats and stones to prevent the Turkish ships from entering them. The basin of Saide, if it were emptied, might contain 20 or 25 small vessels. On the side of the sea, the town is absolutely without any wall; and that which encloses it on the land side is no better than a prifon-wall. The whole artillery does not exceed five cannons, and these are without carriages and gunners. The garrison scarcely amounts to 100 men. The water comes from the river Aoula, through open canals, from which it is fetched by the women. These canals serve also to water the orchards of mulberry and lemon trees.

Saide is a considerable trading town, and is the chief emporium of Damascus and the interior country. The French, who are the only Europeans to be found there, have a consul, and five or six commercial houses. Their exports consist in silks, and particularly in raw and spun cottons. The manufacture of this cotton is the principal art of the inhabitants, the number of whom may be estimated at about 5000. It is 45 miles west from Damascus. E. Long. 36° 5'. N. Lat. 37°.

SIDUS Georgium, in astronomy, a new primary planet, discovered by Dr Herschell in the year 1781. By most foreign, and even by some British philosophers, it is known by the name of Herschell, an honour which is due to the discoverer. As the other planets are distinguished by marks or characters, the planet Herschell is distinguished by an H, the initial letter of the discoverer's name, and a cross to show that it is a Christian planet. From many calculations of our best astronomers mers and mathematicians, says Dr Herschell, I have collected the following particulars, as most to be depended upon.

Place of the node - $2^\circ 11' 49'' 36''$ Inclination of the orbit - $43^\circ 35'$ Place of the perihelion - $172^\circ 13' 17''$ Time of the perihelion passage - Sep. 7, 1799 Eccentricity of the orbit - $0.8234$ Half the greater axis - $19,079,04$ Revolution - $83,336$ sidereal years.

From my own observations on this planet's apparent diameter, which I have found cannot well be less than $4''$, nor indeed much greater, we infer, that its real diameter is to that of the earth as $4,454$ to $1$; and hence it appears to be of very considerable bulk, and, except Saturn and Jupiter, by far the largest of the remaining planets. Its light is of a bluish-white colour, and in brilliancy between that of the Moon and of Venus. With a telescope which magnifies about $300$ times, it appears to have a very well-defined visible disk; but with instruments of a small power, it can hardly be distinguished from a fixed star of between the fifth and seventh magnitude. In a very fine clear night, when the moon is absent, it may also be seen by the naked eye.