Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 11.djvu/374

354 containing case whereby a cord can be coiled several times round the axis for the purpose of setting the fly-wheel in motion. There is also attached to the rigid case, in the plane passing through the centre of gravity of the wheel at right angles to its axis, a thin flange of metal, which is called the bearing edge. The circumference of this flange is not a circle but a curvilinear polygon of sixteen or more equal sides. The object of mak ing it so is to pre vent the instrument from rolling like a wheel on the bearing edge when the fly wheel is rotating rapidly. A draw ing of the gyrostat, with a portion of the case removed to show the inside, is given in fig. 4. A represents the bearing edge upon which the whole balances. To suit certain experiments, a sharp conical steel point can be fixed on to the end B by means of a bayonet joint.

Fig. 4.

The gyrostat is a most instructive instrument, and with it many interesting experiments can be performed. We can only mention a few taken from Thomson and Tait s Natural Philosophy, vol. i. Part I., where the mathematics of the whole subject will be found fully given.

1em 1em 1em 1em 1em 1em  GYTHIUM was an ancient Achaean town on the Laconian Gulf, south-west of the mouth of the Eurotas, near the site of the modern port Marathonisi. It lay opposite the island Cranae, at the foot of the fertile valley of the Gythius. On its coins the common types are Apollo and Heracles, the founders of the city. Heracles, the Phoenician god Melkart, points to an early connexion with Tyre. The Phcenicians maintained a great trade with the shores of the Laconian Gulf, and Aphrodite Migonitis, the Phoenician Astarte, had a temple at Migonium, the modern Marathonisi. Aphrodite and Asclepius also occur on its coins, and the latter had a temple in the city. A great port in the period of Phoenician intercourse, Gythium became a secondary town after the Dorian conquest, as is proved by the absence of early coins ; and it was only after the decay of Sparta that it again became an import ant city. It was the ordinary station of the Spartan fleet, and was considered the port of Sparta, from which it was distant about 30 miles. In the wars against Athens it was therefore exposed to frequent attacks. Tol- midas, the Athenian commander, burned it. Later it was besieged unsuccessfully by Epaminondas. It was strongly fortified by the tyrant Nabis ; but he was compelled by Flamininus to give up Gythium and other coast towns to the Achaean league. When, soon afterwards, the whole country became a Roman province, Gythium had its own magistrates, o-Tparayoi and &amp;lt;/&amp;gt;opo&amp;lt;, (see inscr. in Lebas, Voyage Archeol., 242, and Gott. Gel. Anz., 1865, p. 461). Augustus made it one of the twenty -four Eleuthero-Laconian towns. The existing ruins, called Paleopoli, are all of the Roman period. According to Strabo (p. 3G3), it had an artificial harbour, of which Col. Leake could see no trace. In the town was a well sacred to Asclepius, and at three stades distance was the stone Argos, where Orestes was relieved from his madness.  GYULA, chief town of the Trans-Tibiscan county of Be ke s, Hungary, is favourably situated on the Fehe r (White) K orb s, and has a well-built station on the Nagy-Varad (Grosswardein) and Eszek line of the Alfold-Fiume Railway, in 46 38 1ST. lat., 21 17 E. long. The outer ditch of the old ruined fortress, the tower of which serves as a prison, divides Gyula into two parts, named respectively Magyar- Yaros (Hungarian-town) and Ne met-Varos (German-town). Stone bridges facilitate communication over the canals, which flow from the K orb s, and intersect the streets. Among the principal buildings are Roman Catholic, Old United Greek, Lutheran, and Calvinist churches, and a Jews synagogue, also a fine castle with gardens, a county hall, an ancient Turkish bath, many handsome private residences, and several oil-mills. Gyula is, moreover, the seat of the county assemblies and administration, of a royal court of justice, of the assizes, and of a board of taxes, and has post and telegraph offices, and a savings-bank. The inhabitants are employed partly in industrial and commercial pursuits, partly in fanning and cattle-breeding. The fairs are much resorted to for the purchase of corn, horned cattle, sheep, pigs, wooden wares, and gall-nuts. The chief agricultural products of the surrounding country are wheat, barley, oats, and maize; there is also a good supply of garden fruit, grapes, and vegetables. In 1870 the population amounted to 18,495, consisting chiefly of Magyars, Wallachs, and Germans.