LBINO. mate, and existing in every different stage and mode of cultivation. It would, therefore, be contrary to all LBION analogy, if we did not discover, in the numerous tribes of men, at least as many and as important diversities as those which we observe in the inferior species. See PRICHARD'S Researches, p. 17. Philos. Trans. 1706,

AL

1707. NICHOLSON's Journal, v. xix. p. 81. SOEMMER ALBINO. ING, Icones Oculi Humani, p. 6. SAUSSURE, Voyages. dans les Alpes, c. xlvii. DAPPER, Description de BUERA. l'Afrique, fol. Amstel. 1686, p. 332, LIONEL WAFER'S Account of the Isthmus of America, 1704, p. 106-10.

ALBINTIMELIUM, or ALBIUM INTEMELIUM, in Ancient Geography, a town in Liguria, now Ventimiglia, in the state of Genoa. N. lat. 43°, 48'. E. lon. 7°, 33'.

ALBIOCE, or ALIBECE, in Ancient Geography, a town of Gaul (now Riez, in Provence), sometimes called Reii Apollinares, from their worship of Apollo, and sometimes Civitas Reiensium. Cæsar calls the people Albici.

ALBION, in Ancient Geography, a name given to the island of Great Britain by Ptolemy, Agathemurus, &c. as containing England, Scotland, and Wales. It is of very uncertain etymology. The Hebrew alben (white), the Phoenician alp, or alpin (high), and the Greek aλpov (white), have each been said to furnish its origin, from the lofty appearance of the white cliffs on the southern shores of the island. Some, however, have derived it from king Albion, a fabulous son of Neptune, who is said to have settled here, and to have first practised astrology and the art of ship-building.

ALBION, NEW. This name is now given to an extensive tract of land on the north-west coast of America. It was originally applied by Sir Francis Drake to the whole of California, but is now chiefly confined to that part of the coast which extends between the 43d and 48th degrees of N. latitude. On the morning of the 7th of March, 1778, Captain Cook discovered this long-looked for shore, extending from the north-east to south-east. The land was observed to be "diversified with a great many rising grounds and small hills; many of which were entirely covered with tall, straight trees, and others which were lower, and grew in spots like coppices; but the interspaces, and sides of many of the rising grounds, were clear." In the year 1792, Vancouver visited this coast, and made a very diligent inspection of all its parts. His account of this country is very interesting. The shore he describes as formed, for the greater part, by nearly perpendicular cliffs; the interior of the country exhibiting a pleasing diversity of hill and dale, and adorned with an abundance of tall forest trees. The open spots are clothed with luxuriant herbage. The finest prospects are stated to abound in those parts lying nearest the sea-coast They discovered some pretty extensive forests of poplar, arbor-vitæ, common yew, black and white common dwarf oak, American ash, common hazel, sycamore, maple, oriental astintus, American alder, common willow, Canadian alder, small fruited cub, and Pennsylvanian cherry-trees. Near the outer borders of the forests on the coast, and all along the shore, aquatic and other birds were seen in abundanee; but it does not appear that the quadrupeds of this country are very numerous; at least Vancouver did not see many, though he was shown by the natives the skins of almost every kind of animal common to the western coast of this continent.

The inhabitants appeared to be but few in number; but those whom they saw were, in general, more clean in their persons than most other natives of these shores. Still, however, they are raised but a very small degree from the most depraved and uncultivated tribes of savages. They wear various kinds of dresses of skins and woollen, and some which are curiously manufactured from the bark of trees. Their instruments of hunting and of warfare consist of spears, arrows, and other missiles. Their houses are described as extremely ill constructed of sticks, with matting thrown over them.

.

ALBIREO, a star in the constellation Cygnus, of the third magnitude, and marked 3 by Bayer. ALBIS, the ancient name of the river Elbe, which flows through Germany northward into the German ocean. The part of the country where it rose was formerly inhabited by the Hermunduri. Very little was known by the Romans of the country beyond this river. TACITUS, Germ. c. xii.

ALBOGALERUS, or GALERUS, in Roman Antiquity, a sacerdotal cap, or ornament, worn by the flamen dialis, or priests of Jupiter.

ALBOR, a well-built town, giving the title of county, in the province of Algarva, on the coast of Portugal, about three miles E. of Lagos.

ALBOR, one of the Bahama islands in the North Atlantic ocean. It lies between the islands of Neque. and St. Salvador.

ALBORAN, a small island, situate in the Mediter ranean, nearly in the middle sea, between Capo de, Gata on the Spanish shore, and Cape de Tres Forcas on that of Africa. Also an island near Melilla, on the coast of the kingdom of Fez, in Africa. W. lon. 20, 32'. N. lat. 36°.

ALBORAX, in Mahometan Theology, the beast which is said to have carried the prophet on his journies into heaven. It seems uncertain whether this, animal were an ass or a mule, or some non-descript between both.

ALBOURN, a town and parish of England, in the middle of Wiltshire, about seven miles from Marlborough. A trade of no small extent was carried on here formerly in the manufacture of fustian; but, in 1760, it was reduced very considerably by fire. The town stands on a small river, which runs into the Kennet, and its present population amounts to about 1300 persons.

ALBUCA, in Botany, a genus of plants, of the class Hexandria, order Monogynia.

ALBUERA, a river of Spain, running into the Guadiana, on the banks of which, in the road from Seville to Olivença, is a village of the same name. Here was fought, 16th March, 1811, one of the most important battles of the late peninsular war, between Marshal Beresford, commanding the allied British,

AL- Spanish, and Portuguese troops, amounting to 27,000 BUERA. infantry, and 2000 cavalry, and the French, under Marshal Soult, of 20,000 infantry, and 3000 cavalry. ALBUFEIRA, a sea-port town of Portugal, in the province of Algarva, about 12 miles E. of Ville Novo de Portimao.

ALBUNEA.

ALBUGINEOUS. From albus, white, is formed albumen, and thence albugo; applied to a white speck in the eye. Albugineous appears to be applied, by physical writers, to that which approaches to white.

That, saith Aristotle, which is not watery and unprolifical will not conglaciate; which perhaps must not be taken strictly; but in the germ and spirited particles: for eggs I observe will freeze in the albuginous part thereof. Browne's Vulgar Errours. ALBUGO, in Surgery, a white-coloured opaque spot on the cornea of the eye. Leucoma is another scientific name for this obstruction, which is commonly called a film, speck, or scar.

ALBULA, in Ancient Geography, a name of the river Tiber. VIRG. Æn. viii. v. 332. LIVY, &c.

ALBUM, in Ancient Geography, a promontory of Africa, in the Straits of Gibraltar, situated near the city of Tangiers, being the extreme western point of the Mediterranean Sea, on the African side. It is now called Cape Espartel. PLIN. I. iii. c. 1. It seems to be the same promontory that is noticed by MELA, 1. i. c. 5, and PLIN. 1. v. sec. 1, under the name of Ampelusia.

ALBUM, in Antiquity, a white table book, often mentioned in Roman authors, in which the prætors had their edicts written and exhibited to the public. There was also an Album Senatorium, in which the names of the senators were written. TACITUS, Ann. l. iv. c. 42; where it is related that the name of Apidius Merula was struck off the list for some misdemeanour. An album was also used for the names of the judices, or jurymen. SUETON. Claud. c. xvi.

ALBUMEN, ALBUMENA, in Physiology (albus, white), one of the radical parts of animal substances, which received its name from being first noticed in the eggs of birds, where it forms "the white." Fourcroy also discovered a similar substance in vegetables.

The animal albumen exists, in its most perfect state, in the whites of eggs and in the serum of the blood. It is a viscous fluid, soluble in water at the common temperature, and coagulating when exposed to a heat above 134° Fahr. and then it is no longer soluble in water. The vitreous and crystalline humours of the eye, and the liquor that fills the abdomen in dropsy, contain large portions of albumen. As contained in milk, it conduces largely to the nutriment of man.

In the vegetable kingdom, it is found principally amongst the narcotic and antiscorbutic plants, where it generally resides in the leaves. Fourcroy first obtained it from the juice of young cresses. For much interesting information respecting this substance, see FOURCROY, Systeme des Con. Chemique, and Phil. Trans. vol. xc. See also CHEMISTRY, Div. ii.

ALBUNEA, in Ancient Geography, a wood on the river Anio, near Tibur, sacred to the Muses, and deriving its name from the sibyl Albunea, to whom a temple was erected at Tibur, the ruins of which yet remain. The ALBUNEA FONS was a name given to some sulphureous waters that were found near this spot, and which were resorted to for medicinal purposes.

ALBUQUERQUE, a town and strong castle of ALBUSpain, in the province of Estramadura, on the frontiers QUER of Portugal. This is the sole property of the count of QUE Ledesma. Ledesma. It is about 20 miles from Badajoz. There is some trade in wool and woollen manufactures carried on here, and the number of inhabitants is stated to be 5500.

ALBUQUERQUE, a town of New Mexico, on the shore of the Rio del Norte, and containing a population of

6000 inhabitants.

ALBUQUERQUE, SANTA ROSA DE, a village of New Mexico, under the intendancy of Puebla, where the duties of the silver mines from the whole district of Colotlan are paid.

ALBURNUM, in Phytology, is a substance found between the hard wood of trees and the inner bark. It is soft and white, and seems to be the preparatory matter which afterwards becomes wood when indurated, and of a darker and more decided colour. It abounds in growing trees, and a young oak of six inches diameter contains as much of it as of hard wood. Some have called it adeps arborum, the fat of trees; more commonly it is called sap.

ALBURNUS, in Ancient Geography, a lofty mountain of Lucania, near Paestum, mentioned by VIRGIL, Georg. iii.

ALBUS, in commerce, a coin of small size and value, current in some countries of the Lower Rhine, Cologne, &c. Its value is about a halfpenny English.

ALBY, or ALDBY, a village in the county of York, about seven or eight miles from the city of that name It is a Saxon term, signifying old habitation; and has been supposed, by Drake, in his Eboracum, to have been a Roman villa, erected for the residence of the prefect of the detachment constantly stationed at Derventio, as an out-post, or guard, to the city of York. Camden, however, asserts, that this village of Aldby, is the site. of Derventio, the first Roman station from York; but Drake, with greater probability, places Derventio at Stamford-bridge, about 24 miles further to the south. Both these places are situated on the Derwent. Aldby is said afterwards to have become a palace of the Northumbrian kings, and to have been the place where the life of Edwin was attempted by an assassin. It is at present an insignificant village, and merits notice only from the facts above stated.

ALCA, in Ornithology, the auk, and razor-bill, a of the family Brachypteres; but according to Latham, genus of the Linnæan system, in the order Anseres, and of the order Palmipedes.

ALCEUS, in Mythology, the grandfather of Hercules, from whom he derived the epithet Alcides.

ALCAICS

ALCAICS, in Ancient Poetry, a kind of verse, which' takes its name from the inventor, the poet Alcæus.' It is divided into two principal species; the first is of five feet, and is composed of a spondee or an iambic, a second iambic, a long syllable, a dactyl, and a second dactyl. Thus,

thus:

order of Calatrava. There still remain traces of its ALCANIS

RAZAS.

Sylvie laborantes gělu | que; which is an iambic Archilochian dimeter to complete the stanza. The fourth line exhibits the second sort of Alcaics, composed of two dactyls and two trochees :

Flumină constitě rint a cutŏ?

There is, beside these two principal species, which are sometimes called dactylic alcaics, a third kind, which are called simple alcaics, consisting of an epitrite, two choriambuses, and a bacchius.

The ALCAIC ODE generally contains four strophes, each of which has four verses; the first two are alcaic verses of the first dactylic kind; the third consists of four iambic feet with a long syllable; the fourth is an alcaic verse of the second dactylic kind.

ALCAID, ALCALDE, or ALCAYD, is a title given to an officer of justice of considerable importance amongst the Moors, Spaniards, and Portuguese. The word comes from the Arabic kad, to govern. The office in Spain and Portugal somewhat resembles that of our justice of peace in England.

ALCALA DE GISVERT, or XIBERT, a small town of Valentia, in Spain. It lies 15 miles from Murviedro, and its population is about 3,600 persons.

ALCALA DE HENAREZ, an ancient town of Spain, in the province of Toledo, about 15 miles from Madrid. This was at one time a very flourishing place, but is now greatly reduced. The munificent cardinal Ximenes, archbishop of Toledo, to whom Alcala be longed, founded an university here about the close of the fifteenth century; a most stupendous establishment. The building was finished in eight years. Forty-six professorships were endowed, and the cardinal, at his death, left a settled revenue of 14,000 ducats per annum, to the university. Here also he established a printing press, from which, in 1522, issued the celebrated edition of the Holy Scriptures, called the Complutensian Polyglot, from Complutum, the ancient name of this town. It was the first Polyglot Bible ever printed, and is said to have cost him an immense sum. A physician of this town had the honour of correcting the Hebrew text. But the university buildings, which are scattered in various parts of the town, are now fast going to decay. Ximenes was buried in the university church; besides which there are three parish churches, and several religious houses, and hospitals. The inhabitants amount to about 5,000.

ALCALA LA REAL, a small city of Andalusia, in Spain. It is situated on a considerable eminence, in the province of Jaen, about 27 miles from the town of that name. It is chiefly remarkable for a rich abbey, founded here at an early period. The population amounts to nearly 9,000 inhabitants.

ALCALI, in Chemistry. See ALKALI. ALCAMO, a small town and county of Sicily, situate in the Val di Mazzura, near the gulph of Castel-aMure, and on the direct road to Palermo, from which it lies about 25 miles S. W.

ALCANIS, or ALCANIZ, a town of the province of Arragon, in the kingdom of Spain. It stands about 12 miles from Caspe, and 46 S. E. of Saragossa, on the river Guadalope. This town was once the Spanish capital of the Moors, and when re-taken by the Spaniards, it was constituted a commandery of the

VOL. XVII.

ALCANTARA (the Norba Cæsarea of Ancient Geography), a small, but strong town in the province of Estremadura, in Spain, on the Portuguese frontier. It stands on a rock, in a strong natural situation, which, together with its fortifications, renders it a town of considerable military importance. The Tagus runs through it, over which is a stone bridge of six arches, said, by an inscription over one of them, to have been built by the Emperor Trajan. Near the entrance of this bridge is an excavation, hewn out of the solid rock by the pagans, but since converted into a chapel. The words al cantara signify the bridge, and thence the town takes its name. It has some trade in cloth and wool, and contains 3,000 inhabitants. It is 45 miles from Madrid, and 125 from Seville. W. lon. 7°, 12'. N. lat. 39°, 30'.

ALCANTARA, or ALCANTARILLA, a town in the province of Seville, in Spain, situate not far from the Guadalquiver, and 14 miles from Seville. In this town there is also a Roman bridge, which was formerly shut at each end by a gate, and fortified by a tower.

ALCANTARA, a town in the province of Maranham, in the bay of St. Marcos, in the kingdom of Brazil. Cotton plantations abound in the neighbourhood. There is a handsome quay, opening upon the harbour, around which the town stands, on a semicircular eminence.

ALCANTARA, a considerable river of the kingdom of Sicily, which takes its rise on the north side of Mount Etna, and runs round the bottom of the mountain for about 60 miles. Its waters bear that whitish tinge which is generally seen in rivers flowing from the glaciers of the Alps, and it is supposed, by Brydone, that the snows of Etna form this river. The current is at some places so rapid and strong, as to have worn away the bed of lava, which not unfrequently interrupts its course.

ALCANTARA, KNIGHTS OF, in Chivalry, a celebrated and very ancient order of knighthood, in Spain. Ferdinand and Isabella settled the sovereign of the order, in conjunction with the grand master of the knights of Calatrava, at Castile, on the expulsion of the Moors; against whom they obtained those successes that principally occupy their history. They possess thirtyseven commanderies, and are distinguished by wearing a cross fluer-de-lis, of green, over a large white cloak.

ALCARAZ, a town in the province of La Mancha, in the kingdom of Spain. It stands on a mountain also named Alcaraz, and in a fertile country, called Campo di Monteil, near the source of the Guadarmenia, containing about 3,300 inhabitants, and is about 54 miles E. of Ciudad Real, 105 S. S. E. of Madrid. W. lon. 2°, 52'. N. lat. 38°, 56'. Also a village in Catalonia, on the Arragonese frontier of Spain, two leagues from Lerida.

ALCARRAZAS, in Pottery are porous vessels, formerly made only in Spain, but lately introduced into England for wine coolers, and now manufactured

2 M

ALCAR- here. In Spain they are used for the purpose of coolRAZAS. ing water for drinking. The liquid slowly oozes through ALCHY- the pores of these vessels, and collects in drops on MIZE. the outside. In England, the bottle, or decanter of wine, is placed in them after they have been first saturated with water, and the evaporation thus produced on the vessel effectually cools the wine within. ALCASSAR, or ALCAZAR, a city on the coast of Barbary, in the kingdom of Fez, in Africa, built in 1180. It was formerly a place of much trade, and a governor resided there, but though it was taken by the Portuguese, in the middle of the fifteenth century, and continued long in the possession of that enterprising people, it sunk into decay, and now lies in ruins. It was near this place that the memorable battle was fought, in 1578, in which three sovereigns were slain, viz. the famous Sebastian, king of Portugal; Abdemelech, king of Morocco; and Mahomet, the usurper. This city is also called by historians Alcassar Guiber, or the Great Castle. W. lon. 120, 35'. N. lat. 35°, 15'. ALCAVALA, in Spanish and Neapolitan Finance, a tax, or per centage on transferable property, imposed every time it is sold, similarly to our auction duty. It has varied in these countries from 3 to 14 per cent. ALCE, in Ancient Geography, the town now called Alcazar, in Spain, mentioned by Livy as taken by Gracchus.

ALCE, in Zoology, a species of the cervus, or stag, commonly called the elk.

ALCEA, in Botany, the hollyhock; class Monadelphia, and order Polyandria.

ALCEDO, in Ornithology, the king-fisher; a genus of birds, in the Linnæan order of Picæ, and placed by Cuvier in the family of Tenuirostres, order Passeres. ALCESTER, or ALNCESTER, a town of Warwickshire, in England, situated on the conflux of the two rivers Aln and Arrow. It is distant from Stratford on Avon eight miles N. W. and 102 N. W. from London. ALCHEMILLA, in Botany, ladies mantle; of the class Tetrandria, order Monogynia. It is a powerful astringent in hemorrhages, and takes its name from its being a favourite drug of the ancient alchymists. ALCHYMIZE, v. AL'CHYMY, n. ALKY MISTRIE,

ALCHYM'ICAL,

ALCHYM'ICALLY,

ALCHYMIST,

ALCHYMIST'ICAL,

ALCHYMIST'ICALLY.

Perhaps from youa; axevw, to pour; for he (says Vossius) who pours or mixes metals, changes them, and converts

the baser to a purer.

And whan this alkymistre saw his time,
Riseth up, sire preest, quod he, and stondeth by me;
And for I wote wel ingot have ye non,
Goth, walketh forth, and bringeth a chalk ston.

Chaucer. The Chanones Yemannes Tale, book ii.
The discolouring cold
Might alchymise their silver into gold.

Lovelace. Luc. Phars.
Then of their session ended they bid cry
With trumpets regal sound the grand result:
Towards the four winds four speedy cherubin
Put to their mouths the sounding alchemy.

Milton. Paradise Lost, book ii.
Some alchemists there may be yet or odd
Squire of the squibs against the pageant day
May to thy name a vulcanale say.

Ben Jonson. Underwood. On Vulcan.

The alchymistical cabalists, or cabalistical alchymists, have extracted the name, or number, whether you will, out of the word Lightfoot's Miscellaneous Works.

Jehovah, after a strange manner.

It was by the means of fantastical ideas and notions, that chemistry was turned into alchemy; astronomy into judicial astrology. Bolingbroke's Essay on Human Knowledge. Time was, when I know not what mystical meanings were drawn, by a certain cabalistic alchymy, from the simplest expressions of holy writ. Horsley's Sermons.

ALCHYMY, an occult science which would scarcely deserve more than a simple definition of the term, were it not for the extensive and injurious influence it has at certain periods obtained; so much so, as to induce several ancient states to enact severe laws against its practice, particularly the Romans, who sent all pretenders to the art into exile. Our own country has not been deficient in imposing upon it legal restrictions. It consists in a pretence to a sublime species of chemistry, to transmute metals into gold, and particularly to form the philosopher's stone, the universal medicine, or panacea, and universal solvent. The extraordinary changes produced in bodies by means of chemical agents suggested to some of the ancients who have been dignified with the name of philosophers, the idea of transmuting the elements of which any substance in nature is composed into other elements, and hence of changing even portions of inferior metals into those of a superior quality and value.

Aiming to sustain their credulity by the venerable names of antiquity, the alchymists pretend that their art was known by Adam and by Noah, whose descendants diffused it through the various countries of the earth, whither they were dispersed after the deluge. To the Egyptians they assign a very high degree of attainment in this splendid knowledge, and they are said to have communicated it to Pythagoras and other Grecian philosophers of eminence. In the fourth century, the attention of alchymists, of whom the Greek ecclesiastics were the principal, seems to have been particularly turned to the formation of silver and gold; and in consequence of the Mahometan conquests, the art spread more extensively, and acquired a greater influence among persons of distinction. Having successfully introduced mercurial preparations into medicine, the Arabian physicians cherished the notion of an universal remedy for all diseases, and the possibility of effecting the indefinite prolongation of human life; while men of great opulence and literary distinction gave it their decided patronage and support. After this period it seems to have declined, till, about the middle of the thirteenth century, it resumed its celebrity under the auspices of Albert Magnus, Roger Bacon, and other distinguished names: and it was confidently believed, not only that precious gems and metals might be produced by the discovery of the philosopher's stone, but many profound mysteries, both of science and religion, developed. The belief in Alchymy, for several centuries, became, in consequence of such an illustrious advocacy, almost universal; and impostors, who pretended to sell the secret, multiplied to an extraordinary degree, and succeeded to a great extent in swindling the deluded populace..

That branch of the alchymic art which aimed at the discovery of an universal medicine, was maintained, with great zeal and boldness, by Paracelsus, in the sixteenth century, who succeeded in healing many diseases which the imperfect science of the age deemed incurable. He did not hesitate to promise longevity to

30

N.

HY- his patients, which, however, proved most injurious to [E. the interests of his pretended art; and although some reliance upon its virtue and efficacy lingered long in the minds even of men otherwise eminent for their wisdom, even in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it has at length yielded to the true philosophic spirit. The writers on Alchymy generally adopted the most studied and mystical obscurity of phrase in their compositions, with the evident purpose of impressing the conviction that none but the peculiar favourites of heaven (for such their disciples were uniformly represented) might understand them. A few select persons only were described as possessing the knowledge of the philosopher's stone, and the most awful vengeance of heaven was denounced upon such as should disclose the sublime secret to the vulgar. After suffering perpetual disappointments in making the experiments to which they were directed, persons were still led on, under various pretexts, to renew the trial, till the exhaustion of their patience or their property induced them ultimately to desist.

The theory avowed by the most recent alchymists is as follows: They believe that the metals were composed of two substances-metallic earth and an inflammable substance called sulphur. Gold possesses these principles in nearly a pure state; in other metals they are more or less corrupted and intermixed with other ingredients. Hence it is only necessary to purify them from these debasements to convert them into gold, and this is the precise object of all the different alchymical processes. The instrument of this purification is the philosopher's stone, a small portion of which being injected into any of the inferior metals while in a state of fusion, the whole would be converted into gold or silver. Respecting the mode of the operation a diversity of opinions prevailed; a similar disagreement existed with regard to its powers. When formed according to one process, one ounce of the stone was supposed capable of converting only ten ounces of lead or copper into gold; according to another, it could transmute a thousand times its own weight.

The colour of the lapis philosophorum, or philosopher's stone, was universally agreed to be red, but there is by no means an union of opinion on the subject of the substances from which it is composed; in consequence of which, unavailable efforts have been employed to discover it in numberless bodies and substances, and by processes as various as prolix.

Considering the natural credulity which attaches to an unenlightened age, it is no wonder that Alchymy should have arisen into practice, and aspired to notoriety and distinction; and reflecting on the extension of knowledge and the progress of discovery, it has at length become equally intelligible how it should have sunk into disrepute; nor needs it now, if it ever needed, an argumentative refutation. Perhaps, how

ALCO

RAN.

ever, it is due to this exploded science, to observe, that ALCHYby provoking inquiry into the secrets of nature, and into MIZE. the various combinations of natural substances, it developed many interesting facts which had otherwise been much longer hid, and prepared the way for better systems. ALCINA, in Botany, a Mexican plant, described by Cowanilles, and placed by the French botanists in the Corymbiferæ of Jussieu.

ALCIS, in Ancient Mythology, the name of a deity worshipped by the Germans; and of Minerva, amongst the Macedonians.

ALCKMAAR, or ALKMAAR, the principal town of North Holland. It is well built, and contained, before the devastations of the French revolution 10,000 in habitants, and about 2,600 houses. In 1796 the population was taken at 8,373, by far the largest part of whom were Catholics. In the order of towns sending deputies to the states, it was the twelfth town. Its articles of trade consist of corn, cheese, flour, butter, flower-roots, and seeds. It is 24 miles N. N. W. of Amsterdam. E. lon. 21°. N. lat. 52, 38'.

ALCMANIAN, in Classic Poetry, a kind of verse which takes its name from Alcman, the Greek poet, consisting generally of seven feet, of which the first four are either dactyls or spondees, and the last three trochees, as

Solvitur acris hy | ēms grā tā vicě | Vēris | et Fa | vōni. ALCMENA, in Ancient Mythology, the fabled mother of Hercules, by Jupiter, who assuming the shape of Amphitryon, her betrothed lover, introduced himself to her bed, and ordered Mercury to stay the rising of Phoebus for three days; an amour of which Alcmena is said to have been so proud, that she wore three moons upon her crest, as a symbol of the circumstance. ALCO, in Zoology, a name sometimes given to the Canis Americanus of Linnæus.

ALCOBACA, a town of Portugal, in the province of Estremadura, 17 miles S. S. W. of Leira.

ALCOHOL, in Eastern Customs, a kind of impalpable powder (generally of lead ore), with which the ladies of Barbary and Egypt tinge their hair, and the edges of their eye-lids. See KOHOL.

ALCOHOL, in Chemistry, a term applied by modern chemists to the pure vinous spirit of liquors, which have undergone distillation and vinous fermentation. See CHEMISTRY, Div. ii.

ALCOLEA, a town of Andalusia, on the river Guadalquiver, in Spain. It is six miles N. of Carmona. There is another town of this name on the river Cinca, in Arragon, situate 15 miles S. of Balbastro.

ALCOMENÆ, in Ancient Geography, a town of Ithaca, which gave the name of Alcomenus to Ulysses. Also a town of Illyria.

ALCOR, in Astronomy, the Arabian name of the small star adjoining the large one (Alioth) in the middle of the tail of the Great Bear.

AL-CORAN, AL-KORAN, OF THE KORAN, the term by which the Mahometans designate the volume which contains the revelations, doctrines, and precepts of Maho

met, or Mahommed, and in which they place an implicit confidence similar to that which Christians possess in the Bible. The word is derived from the Arabic verb