Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/71

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( 427 ) LAM

and refolve. That which is brittle, of an afti-colour, fwcet-fceated, l$c. is the beft. Pietro delict Voile tells us he was iniorra'd by the Indian^ that Ladanum is formed like Dew, and ialls from Heaven like Manna, that it is gathcr'd on the Leaves of a Plant, a Palm and an half high j that after gathering they boil it, by whichmeansit becomes foft like Wax-

Liquid Ladanum is a Preparation of the natural Lada- num y by melting and purifying it from the Hairs, i$c. This is fometimes fold for a black Amber.

LAGAN, atfirftwas the Right which the chief Lord of the Fee had to take Goods caft on the Shore by the Violence of the Sea, but afterwards fignified a Right which any one had to Goods /hipwrecked and floating in the Sea, becaufe being remote from the Shore, it could not be determined to whofe Fee they properly belonged. The word Lagan comes from the Saxon Liggan, cubare, to lie, and not from Vgare, to bind, as Jome will have it, be- caufe the Goods are frequently tied together to prevent their finking.

LAGOPHTHALMIA, a Difcafe of the Eye-Lids, when the upper Lid is fo contracted that the Eye can't be quite fhut, but remains open even in the time of Sleep. The word comes from the Greek Aayw, Hare, and &?0&a«o?, Eye : this being the Property of the Eyes of Hares.

LAIR is a Term in Hunting, for the Place where Deer harbour by day ; alfo a Place where Cattel ufually reft under fome Shelter, the Ground being enriched by their Dung.

LAKE, a large Quantity of Water inclofed in the Ca- vity of fome Inland Place, of a considerable Extent and Depth. Properly fpeaking, however, thofe only are called Lakes, which receive and emit Rivers. Lakes are of four kinds 5 (1.) Such as neither emit nor receive Ri- vers. (2.) Such as emit Rivers without receiving any. (5.) Such as receive without emitting any. (4.) Such as both receive and emit Rivers. Of the firft kind fome are perennial, others temporary ; the temporary owe their Origin moil of them to Rain, and to the Cavity or Depreffion of the Place where they are lodged. In the Indies they make artificial Lakes, which they wall about, to catch the Rain in wet Seafons, and preferve it for their Ufe in the dry ones. There are feveral of this kind of Lakes, formed by the Inundations of the Sea and Rivers, particularly thcTsWeand Niger ; which, when they retire within their Banks, leave Floods of Water, which the Inhabitants take care to inclofe, to ferve as a Magazine for the enfuing Months. The Generation of perennial Lakes may be alfo referred to Rain, where the Cavity is fo deep as to receive a Quantity in Winter more than the Heat of the Sun will exhale in Summer j tho 'tis probable ma- ny of thefe Lakes have their Springs at bottom, by which they are continually fuppliecl. To this Clafs may be referred the Turloughs, i. e. Terreus Lactts, or Land- Lakes in Ireland, which are Lakes one part of the Year, and the reft very fmooth Fields : At the bottom of thefe Turloughs are found Holes, through which the Water runs in Winter, and finks towards Summer.

The fecond Species of Lakes, which emit without re- ceiving Rivers, is very numerous 5 they owe their Origin to Springs, the Cavities where the Spring is found not be- ing able to contain all the Waters it yields.

The third kind, ws thofe which receive Rivers with- out emitting any, apparently owe their Origin to thofe Rivers, which, in their Progrefs from their Source, fall- ing into fome ample Cavity, are collected together, and form a Lake of fuch Dhnenfions as may lofe as much by Exhalation as it continually receives from its Spring ; or fometimes happening on a foft fpongy Soil, that im- bibes the Water, and tranfmits it to the neighbouring Grounds. The Number of thefe is f mall.

The fourth Species both receives and emits Rivers. Of thefe we reckon three different kinds, as the Quanti- ty of Water they emit is greater, equal, or lefs than that they receive. If the Quantity they emit be greater, 'tis plain they mutt have a Spring at the bottom 5 if lefs, there muft be fome fubterraneous Duels or Canals, orelfe the Earth muft be fpongy ; if it be equal, we gather that they have neither any hidden Springs nor Canals. Of thefe Lakes we have a great Number, and thofe very considerable ones.

The Generality of Lakes confift of frefli Waters, as moft of thofe which are fupplied either from fome Spring far from the Sea, or a River, or from the Rain : Some few of Salt-water 5 as thofe produced by the Inun- dation of the Sea, or by its Imrniflion through fome Duct, of the Earth, or that have Salt Springs at bottom. Dr. Halley is of Opinion, that all great perennial Lakes are fair, cither in a greater or lefs Degree, and that this Saltnefs increafes with Time, and on this Foundation pro- pofes a Method for determining the Age of the World. The large Lakes, wherewith the Northern Regions a-

bound, ferve for very good Purpofes, inafmuch as the warm Vapours arifmg from them ferve for a Defcnfative againft the pinching Cold of thofe Climates. To this it is owing, that Ireland, Scotland, &c. are lefs affefted with Frolls than much warmer Countries.

LAMA, the Title of an Order of Priefts among the Wej\ em Tartars, on the Frontiers of China 5 thefe LtWs are held in great Veneration. They, have a Grand Lama, who is their High-Prieft, and who is the fecond Perfon m the Kingdom, being the next in Authority to the King. He receives Homage and Adoration not only from the People, but from the neighbouring Kings ■■, noneofwhom are ever inthroned, without fending Ambaffadors to him to obtain his Benediction. TheLama's are extremely fu- perftitious, and are remarkably given to Magick.

LAMBATIVES, a Form of Medicines to^be lick'd off the End of a Liquorice-Stick. The fame with L'mBus's Lohocks, and Ecleimas, which fee.

LAMBDOIDES, in Anatomy, an Epithet applied to the third proper Suture of the Cranium, in regard it refembles the Form of a Greek a Lambda ; for the fame reafon it is fometimes called Tpjiloides, as bearing fome Refemblance to a Greek r Ypfifon.

LAMELLjE, a Diminutive oiLaminic, little thin Plates whereof the Scales and Shells of Fifties, &c. are com- pofed.

LAMIjE, among the Antients, were efieemed a kind of Demons, or evil Spirits, who, under the Form of beau- tiful Women, devoured Children. Horace makes men- tion of them in his Jrt of Poetry. Some Authors call them Lani<e, a laniando. Philojlratus fays, they are alfo called Larvce, or Lemures, as if they were the fame thing. Bochart will have the word to be Phoenician, and derives it from QnV* to devour, alledging the Fable of the Lamik came from Lybia.

LAMINAE, thin Plates or Tables, whereof any thing confifts, particularly the human Skull, which are two, the one laid over the other.

LAMMAS-DAY, qmfi Lamb-mas, is the firft of Juguft, fo called, as fome will have it, becaufe Lambs were not then fit to eat, as being grown too big. Others derive it from a Saxon word, iignifying Loaf-Mafs^ becaufe on that Day our Forefathers made an Offering of Bread made with new Wheat. On this Day the Tenants, who formerly held Lands of the Cathedral Church in Tork t were bound by their Tenure to bring a Lamb alive into the Church at High-Mafs. See Gale.

LAMP, a Preparation of Oil, &c. in a proper VerTe?, for burning. The Ufe of lighted Lamps in Churches and Places of Devotion is very antient. In the City of Fez is a Mofque wherein are 900 brazen Lamps burning every Night. XuTurkey all their Illuminations are with •Lamp. Polydore Virgil afcribes the firft Invention of Lamps to the Egyptians, and Herodotus defenbes a Feaft of Lamps held annually in Egypt.

Kircher ftiews the manner of preparing Lamps which diffufe a Light fo difpofed, as to make the Faces of thofe prefent appear black, blue, red^, or any other Colour. There has been a great Difputc among the Learned about the Sepulchral Lamps of the Antients: fome maintain they had the Secret of making Lamps that were inextin- guiftiable, alledging feveral that had been found burning at the opening of Tombs 1 5 or 16" Hundred Years old. But others treat thefe Relations as Fables j and others think that the Lamps which before were extinguifti'd;, take Light a-frefh upon the Admifiion of frefti Air. Dr. Plott however is of Opinion fuch perpetual Lamps are things practicable, and has himfelf made fome Propofals of this kind. The Linum Jsbefiinum he thinks may dd pretty well for the Wick, and that Naptha, or Liquid Bitumen, conftantly fpringing into fome of the Coal Mines, will anfwer for the Oil. If the Asbeftos won't make a perpetual Wick, he thinks there is no matter in the World that will ; and atgues that the Tradition of fuch Lamps muft be fabulous, or that they made them without Wicks. Of this Kind he thinks it poflible to make one of the Bitumen fpringing into the Coal Mines at Pitchford in Shropjhire ; which, he fays, like other liquid. Bitumens, will burn without a Wick. He makes a Pro- pofal too, for imitating thofe Lamps that kindle on the Immiffion of frefti Air 5 by inclofing fome of the liquid Phofphorus in the Recipient of an Air-Pump; which, un- der thofe Circumfiances, will not /hine at all, but on letting in the Air into the Recipient, there will poftibly, fays he, appear as good a perpetual Lamp as fome that have been found in the Sepulchers'of the Antients.

Cardan's Lamp, is a Contrivance of that Author which furnifhes it felf with its own Oil- It confifts of a little Column of Brafs, Tin, or the like, well clofed every where, excepting a fmall Aperture at Bottom, which opens into the Middle of a little Neck where the Wick is placed. Here the Oil cannot get out, but in proportion as

it