Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/671

 SAL [ i

Bf a beficged Place. Pearl a Saltier Ruby, the Coat of Lord Macclesfield.

SALTNESS, the Quality of fomething impregnated

with Salt. The Saltmfs of the Sea, Lakes, ckc. is a

Thing that has long perplexed the Philofbphers to ac- count for. Some take it to be the Effect of the dry, aduft, and even ialine Exhalations, which the Sun railes from the Earth, and the Winds, and Rains difcharge in- to the Sea. And hence, fay they, it is, that the Sea is found more brackip near the Surface, than towards the Bottom. Others contend, that the Sun being continually extracting the pureft and fubtiteft Parts from the Water; the coarler Parts remaining, being exalted and concocted by this Heat, acquire by little and little, their Degree of Saknefs. Others, as Father liouhours, wiil have it, That the Creator gave the Waters of the Ocean their Saltnefs at the Beginning, not only to prevent their Corruption, but alio to enable them to bear greater Burthens. Sernier feems to be nearer the Matter, when he alcribes the Saltnefs of the Ocean, to the Foffile or Mineral Salts brought into it by the Rivers, and cUffoU ved in the Water.

Dr. Halley, in an exprefs Difcourfe of the Sa'tnefs of the Ocean, in the Thilofophical Tranj'ailions, oblerves, That all the Lakes in the World are Salt, ibme more, fome lefs than the Ocean ; which, in this Cafe, may be efteemed a great Lake it fclf. And that all the Vapours exhaled by the Sun from Lakes, are perfectly frefh.; lb that all the faline Particles brought in by the Rivers re- main behind, while the frefh. evaporate. Hence 'tis evi- dent, their Saltnefs mufi be continually augmented. Now if this be the true Reafbn of the Saltnefs of Lakes, 'tis probable the Saltnefs of the Ocean it felf arifes from rhe lame Caufe : Hence we are furnifhed with a Method of estimating the Age of the World, by obierving the Increale of Saltnefs in the Waters of Lakes; and com- puting in how long Time the Ocean might, at that Rate, arrive at its prefent Saltnefs. See Lake.

The Count de Marfgli oblerves, That in Trovence, the Bottom of the Sea is wholly (tony, and nothing but a Continuation of the Mountains of the Cevennes $ being even found to confift of feveral Strata ; among which, are Salt and Pitcoal : And hence he derives the Saltnefs and Hittemefs of the Sea- Water.

SALTS, or Sams, in the Manage, the Leaps or Vaults of a Horfe ; from the Trench Saut, of the Latin Saints, a Leap, Dance, &c. A Step and a Salt is a high Air, wherein the Horfe riling, makes a Curvet between Two Salts, or Cabrioles; to as to mount before, and ■fling back with his hind Feet. Two Steps and a Salt is a Motion compofed of Two Curvets, ending with a Capriole.

SALTUARIUS, in Antiquity, an Officer, Servant or Slave among the Romans, ££c, who had the Care and Cuftody of a Country Houfe, with Lands and Woods, and who was to look to the Fruit, the Fences, 0S>c. In Nehemiah, cap. ii. v. 8. mention is made of an Officer of this Kind; Cuftos Saltus Regis, which Saci interprets, Keeper of the King's Forelt ; but he was more ; having not only the keeping of a Forefl, but of a Houfe with a Forelt. Saltus being here ufed as Horti for a Houfe of Pleafure ; becaufe Gardens are the princi- pal Part. In the Laws of the Lombards, Saltuarius

is an Officer who has the Guard of the Frontiers.

SALTUM, as, Ordination per Saltum. See ORIGI- NATION.

SALTUS, in Law-Books, a high Wood. See

Boscus.

SALTZ, or Sultz, a Pickle made of Salt, diffolved by the Coldnefs or Moifture of a Cellar.

SALVAGE-MONEY, is a Recompence allowed by_ the Statute and Civil Law, to luch Perfons as have af- filed in laving Merchandizes, Ships, &c. perifhing in Wrecks, or by Pyrates or Enemies. This ufually was a Tenth Part of the Value of the Things faved. See Wreck.

SALVATELLA, in Anatomy, a famous Branch of the Cephalic Vein, palling over the Metacarpus, between the Ring Finger, and the little Finger. Several Phyfi- cians, in Imitation of the Arabs, recommend Bleeding in the Salvatella, as proper in Tertian and Quartan A^ues, and molt Hypochondriac Difeafes.

"SALVE, among the Romanifls, the fTrit Word of & La- tin Prayer, or Sequence adreffed to the Virgin, and fung after Complines; as alfo upon the Point of executing a Criminal. Durandus lays, Twas compofed by Teter Bi- Jhop of Compojlella. The Cuftom of Singing the Salve Regina, at the Clole of the Office, was begun by Order of St. "Dominic ; and firft, by the Congregation of Dominicans at Solcgne, about 12^7. Gregory IX. firft appointed it to be general. S. Beril&l'd added the Con- clulion, dulcis ! pia v Sec.-

o

SAM

SALVER, a flat Difh, ufually of Silver or other rich Metal, uled to let Glafles on to ierve Wines and other Liquors. The French call it Seus-cottppe, urJer-cup. The Italians u(e to preient a Salver, with, feveral Kinds of Wines, with this Complement, Si non e buono fane lo.

SALUTATION, the A&ion or Ceremony of Saluting, Greeting, or paying Refpect, or Reverence to any one, There is a great Variety in the Forms of Salutation : VJe falute God by Adorations, Prayers, ££fr. Kings, by Genuflexion, ($c. In F.i.gland, i£c. we falmc one another by uncovering the Head, inclining the Body, &c. The Orientals by uncovering their Feet, laying their Hands on the Breaft, &c. The Pope makes no Reverence to any Mortal but the Emperor of Germany, to whom he ftoops a very little, when he admits him to kils his Mouth. In the Army, the Officers flute by certain or- derly, iludied Motions of the Pike, &c. 'Twas held by the Ancients, That the Statue of A'iemmn, one of the Horfes of the Sun, in a Temple in Lgyft, fa- luted that Luminary every Morning at his Riling. The Deceit confiited in this, That the Statue being hollow, when the Warmth of the Morning began to ratify the included Air, it was driven out thro' a narrow Duct in the Mouth : Thus making a gentle Murmur, which the Priefts interpreted a Neighing.

At Sea, xhsyfahrte by a Difcharge of Cannon, which is greater or lels, with Ball or without, according to the Degree of Refpect they would fhew. Ships always falute with an odd Number of Guns; Galleys with an even one. A VefTel under the Wind of another, is always obliged to falute firft. To falute with Mulquets, is to fire One, Two or Three Volleys; which is a Method of Salutation that lometimes precedes that of the Cannon ; and is chiefly uled on Occafion of Feafts. After the Cannon, they lometimes alio falute with the Voice ; which. Salutation alio occasionally obtains where they carry no Guns, or don't care to difcharge any. Saluting with the. Flag, is performed Two Ways ; either by holding it dole to the Staff, lb as it can't flutter; or by 11 ri king it Co as it can't be feen at all, which is the moll refpect'ful Sa- KtiniOn. Saluting with the Sails, is performed by hover- ing the Top-fails half Way of the Mails. Only thole Veffelc which carry no Guns, falute with the Sails. When there are levera] Ships of War together, the Com- mander alone Jhkttes Father Fournier has an expreis Treatife of Sea-Salutes and Signals. See Signal.

The .Aigelical Salutation, is an Addrefs which the Romanifs make to the Virgin ; containing the Form wherein the Angel falutedher, when he acquainted her with the Myftery of the Incarnation. See Ave Mary.

SAMARITANS, an ancient Sect among the Jewsj ftill iubfifting in Ibme Parts of the Levant, under the fame Name. Its Origin was in the Time of Rehcboam j under whole Reign, a Divilion was made of the People of Jfrael into Two diftinct Kingdoms. One of thefe Kingdoms, called Judah, confiited of fuch as adberd to Rehoboam, and the Houie of "David? The other retain'd the ancient Name of Ifraclitcs, under the Command of 'Jeroboam. The Capital of their State was Samaria? and hence it was they were denominated Samaritans. Sal- manazar, King of Affyria, having conquered Samaria, led the whole People Captive into the remotelt Parts of his Empire ; and filled their Place with Colonies of Babylo- nians, Cutheans, and other Idolaters. Thefe finding themfelves daily deftroyed by wild Beads, defired an Jfraelitip Prieft to inllruct them in the ancient Laws and Cuftoms of the Land they inhabited. This was granted them ; and they thence-forth ceafed to be incommoded with any Beafts. However, with the Law of Afcjes, they flill retained lomewhat of their ancient Idolatry. The Rabbins lay, They adored the Figure of a Dove on Mount Gerizim. See Father Souciet. Be this as it will, 'tis certain, the modern Samaritans are far from all Ido- latry. Some of the moft learned among the Jewfp Doctors Own, That they o&ferve the Law of Mofes more rigidly than the Jews themfelves. They have a Hebrew Copy of the Pentateuch, differing in Ibme Refpects from that of the Jews, and written in different Characters, commonly called Samaritan Characters; which Or'tgen, Jerom, and other Fathers and Criticks, ancient and mo- dern, take to be the primitive Characters of the ancient Hebrews ; tW others maintain the contrary. The Point of Preference, as to Purity, Antiquity, &c. of the Two 'Pentateuch's, is alio ■ dilputed by the modern Criticks. See Pentateuch.

The Samaritans arc now very few in Number ; tho* defcended directly from Abraham. They were chiefly found at Gaza, Neapolis (the ancient Siche?n) Damafcus y Cairo, &c. They had a Temple or Chapel on Mount Gerizim, where they performed their Sacrifices. Jofeph Scaliger, being curious to know their Ufages, wrote' to the
 * tis not very long, fince they pretended to have Priefts