OCEANIA
General
OCEANIA, used to be named AUSTRALIA, is the only continent entirely in the southern hemisphere.Ả mostly unbroken coast-line faces the sea in majestic and stately curves, giving the whole land a character of compactness, which likens it in some way to portions of the African continent. Quite one-half of its area is drained towards the interior.
There are, however, no rivers like the Congo or Nile, and no snow-capped mountains to act as feeders. The average height of the land is not more than 300 feet, the highest point, Mount Kosciusko, being only 7328 feet above sea-level, and well below the limits of perpetual snow.
Australia lies between 10" 39' and 39 11!' south lat, and between meridians of 113 5' and l53 16' east long. Its greatest length is 2400 miles from east to west, and the greatest breadth 1971 miles from north to south. The area is, approximately, 2,946,691 square miles, with a coast line measuring about 8850. This is equal to one mile to each333 square miles of land, the smallest proportion of coast shown by any of the continents.
Edition 1
CLARION
In heraldry, a bearing as represented in Plate LXV. fig. 5. he bears ruby, three clarions topaz, being the arms Sf the earl of Bath, by the name of Granville: Guilin is of opinion, that three clarions are a kind of old-fashioned trumpets; but this fay, that they rather resemble the rudder of a ship; others, a raft for a lance.
MESOLOGARITHMS
According to Kepler, are the logarithms of the confines and co-tangents, the former, of which were called by lord Napier antilogarithms, and the latter differentials.
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BOIBOI
In zoology, the name of a species of ferment found in America, and called by the Portuguese cobra de very. It is about an ell in length, of the thickness of a man’s thumb, and is all over of a very beautiful and Aliening green. Its mouth is very large, and it's tongue black. It loves to be about houses, and never injures any creature unleafs provoked or hurt; but it will then bite, and its poison is very fatal.
Most mentioned country
New Zealand
Edition 2
MUCUS
Mucilaginous liquor secreted by certain glands, and serving to lubricate many of the internal cavities of the body. In its natural fatted it is generally limpid and colures; but, from certain causes, will often aflame a thick consistence and whitify color like pus.
NEPER
Or Napier (John), baron of Merchanting in Scotland, whose high attainments in many branches of useful literature render his memory valuable, was born in 1550. He had a peculiar turn to mathematical investigations and useful inventions.
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MALALEUCA
The Capote tree; a genus of the polyandria order, belonging to the polyadelphy clefs of plants. There is but one species, viz. the leukoderma, a native of the East Indies and South-Sea islands. Mr. Fortier relates that they were found is the island of New Caledonia.
Most mentioned country
Australia
Edition 3
BARROWS
In ancient topography, artificial hillocks or mounts, met with in many parts of the world, intended as repositories for the dead, and formed either of tones heaped up, or of earth. For the former, more generally known by the name of cairns, fee Cairns.—Of the latter Dr Plott takes notice of two forts in Oxford hire : one placed on the military ways ; the other in the fields, meadows, or woods; the first fort doubtless of Roman redfin, the other more probably erected by the Britons or Danes.
MUSCICAPAI
Or Fly-catcher, a genus of birds belonging to the order of puffers. The bill is flatted the others white: the legs are dusky. This species inhabits the southern isle of New Zealand ; where it is fee constantly hunting after infects, and flies always with its tail in (hale of a fan. It is easily tamed; and will then fit on any perfin’s fielder, and pick off the flies.
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ROCKINGHAM
A town in Northampton hire, in England, 87 miles from London, sands on the river Welland. It has a charity-school, a market on Thursday, and a fair on Sept. 8. for five days. Its forced was reckoned one of the large and riches of the kingdom, in which William the Conqueror built a castle.
Most mentioned country
New Zealand
Edition 4
PONTEFRACT
Or Pomfret, a town of the weft riding of Yurtlike in England, situated on the river Are. It is said to. take its name from a broken bridge, which is supposed to have been laid anciently over that marshy spot called the Wajh.
ROCKINGHAM
A town in Northamptonfhire, in England, 87 miles from London, Hands on the river Veiland. It has a charity-school, a market on Thursday, and a fair on Sept. 8. for five days. Its forest was reckoned one of the largest and richest of the kingdom, in which William the Conqueror built a castle.
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SHEFFIELDIA
A genus of plants belonging to the class of pentandria, and to the order of monogyny. The corolla is bell-shaped; the filaments are ten; of which every second is barren. The capful confits of one cell, which has four valves. There is only one species, the repent, a native of New Zealand.
Most mentioned country
New Zealand
Edition 5
DUSKY BAY
A bay of the island of New Zealand in the Southern Pacific ocean. The country around is mountainous, and the hills near the sea fide are covered with thick foretells. It is in S. Lat. 45. 47. and ia E. Long. 166. 18.
BLENHELM HOUSE
A noble and princely house erected in honor of the duke of Marlborough at Woodstock near Oxford, which with the manor of Woodstock is fettled on the duke and his heirs, in consideration of the eminent services by him performed for the public; and for building of which house the sum of 500,000. was granted by parliament, &c.
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HARRIOT THOMAS
A celebrated algebraist, was born at Oxford in 1360, where he was also educated. In 1 579 he completed his bachelor’s degree j and, being already distinguished for his mathematical learning, was soon after recommended to Sir Walter Raleigh, as a proper person to intrude him in that science.
Most mentioned country
New Zealand
Edition 6
MOUNT EDGECYMBE
A prodigious high peak, at the entrance of Cook’s strait, in New Zealand, on the welt fide. Its height is supposed not to be much inferior to that of the Peak of Tenerife, Mount Sorrel, a town in Leicestershire, of named from a high mount or solid rock adjoining to the town, of a dark red or sorrel-colored done, extremely hard.
PHORMIUM FLAX-PLANT
Or Phormium tenax Ford, a name which we may give to a plant that serves the inhabitants of New Zealand instead of hemp and flax. Of this plant there are two forts 5 the leaves of both referable those of Hags, but the flowers are smaller, and their clusters more numerous in one kind they are yellow, and in the other a deep red.
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SHIVWIA
A genus of plants, belonging to the class syngeneic, and order polygamy segregate, of which the chargers are the following j the calyx is imbricated with five or fix leaves, the three interior of which are larger; the corolla is five-cleft; there is one oblong feed. One species only has been discovered, which is a native of New Zealand.
Most mentioned country
New Zealand
Edition 7
CHEM CALORIC
Quantity of caloric. A thermometer placed within a condenser rides several degrees every. We can even fee a reason for this. When the particles of a body are forced nearer each other, the repulsive power of the caloric combined with them is increased, and consequently a part of it will be apt to fly off.
NAPIER
Baron of Merchanting in Scotland, inventor of the logarithms, was the eldest son of Sir Archibald Napier of Merchanting, and born in the year 151,0. Having given early discoveries of great natural parts, his rather was careful to have them cultivated by a liberal education After going through the ordinary course of philosophy at the university of St Andrew’s, he made the tour of France, Italy, and Germany.
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QUEDA
A kingdom of Asia, in the peninsula beyond the Ganges, and near the strait of Malacca. A green or nephritic (by the jewelers called jade) is likewise very common, together with horn-stone, finagle, several forts of flinty stones and pebbles, some loose pieces of baffles, strata of a compact mica or glimmer, with particles of quart.
Most mentioned country
New Zealand
Edition 8
CARLINGFORD
A port-town of Ireland, seated on Carlingford bay, in the county of Louth, and province of Leinster, 22 miles north of Drogheda.
NEW ENGLAND
Late a province of the British' empire in America, is bounded on the north by Canada, on the east by Nova Scotia and the Atlantic ocean, on the south by the Atlantic and Long Island' Sound, and on the weft by New York. It lies in the form of a quarter of a circle.
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PELOPONNESUS
A large pensile to the south of the left of Greece ; called, as it were, Plebs nexus or influx, though properly not an island, but a peninsula; yet wanting but little to be one viz. the Isthmus of Corinth, ending in a point like the leaf of the platoons or plane-tree.