Aberration being able, by another instrument, to confirm the truth of the observations hitherto made with that of Mr Molineux, was no small inducement to the undertaking; but the chief of all was, the opportunity he should thereby have of trying in what manner other stars should be affected by the same cause, whatever it might be. For Mr Molineux's instrument being originally designed for observing Draconis, to try whether it had any sensible parallax, it was so contrived, as to be capable of but little alteration in its direction; not above seven or eight minutes of a degree and there being but few stars, within half that distance from the zenith of Kew, bright enough to be well observed, he could not, with his instrument, thoroughly examine how this cause affected stars that were differently situated, with respect to the equinoctial and solstitial points of the ecliptic.

These considerations determined him; and by the contrivance and direction of the same ingenious person, Mr Graham, his instrument was fixed up the 19th of August 1727. As he had no convenient place where he could make use of so long a telescope as Mr Molineux's, he contented himself with one of but little more than half the length, namely of 12 feet and a half, the other being 24 feet and a half long, judging from the experience he had already had, that this radius would be long enough to adjust the instrument to a sufficient degree of exactness: and he had no reason afterwards to change his opinion; for by all his trials he was very well satisfied, that when it was carefully rectified, its situation might be securely depended on to half a second. As the place where his instrument was hung, in some measure determined its radius; so did it also the length of the arc or limb, on which the divisions were made, to adjust it: for the arc could not conveniently be extended farther, than to reach to about 6 degrees on each side of the zenith. This however was sufficient, as it gave him an opportunity of making choice of several stars, very different both in magnitude and situation; there being more than two hundred, inserted in the British Catalogue, that might be observed with it. He needed not indeed to have extended the limb so far, but that he was willing to take in Capella, the only star of the first magnitude that came so near his zenith.

His instrument being fixed, he immediately began to observe such stars as be judged most proper to give bim any light into the cause of the motion already mentioned. There was a sufficient variety of small ones, and not less than twelve that he could observe through all seasons of the year, as they were bright enough to be seen in the day time, when nearest the sun. He had not been long observing, before he perceived that the notion they had before entertained, that the stars were farthest north and south when the sun was near the equinoxes, was only true of those stars which are near the solstitial colure. And after continuing his observations a few months, he discovered what he then apprehended to be a general law observed by all the stars, namely, that each of them be came stationary, or was farthest north or south, when it passed over his zenith at six of the clock, either in the evening or morning. He perceived also that whatever situation the stars were in, with respect to the cardinal points of the ecliptic, the apparent motion of

every one of them tended the same way, when they Aberration. passed his instrument about the same hour of the day or night; for they all moved southward when they passed in the day, and northward when in the night; so that each of them was farthest north when it came in the evening about six of the clock, and farthest south when it came about six in the morning.

Though he afterwards discovered that the maxima, in most of these stars, do not happen exactly when they pass at those hours; yet, not being able at that time to prove the contrary, and supposing that they did, he endeavoured to find out what proportion the greatest alterations of declination, in different stars, bore to each other; it being very evident that they did not all change their inclination equally. It has been before noticed, that it appeared from Mr Molineux's obser vations, that y Draconis changed its declination above twice as much as the before-mentioned small star that was nearly opposite to it; but examining the matter more nicely, he found that the greatest change in the declination of these stars, was as the sine of the latitude of each star respectively. This led him to suspect that there might be the like proportion between the maxima of other stars; but finding that the observations of some of them would not perfectly correspond with such an hypothesis, and not knowing whether the small difference he met with might not be owing to the uncertainty and error of the observations, he deferred the farther examination into the truth of this hypothesis, till he should be furnished with a series of observations made in all parts of the year; which would enable him not only to determine what errors the ob servations might be liable to, or how far they might safely be depended on; but also to judge, whether there had been any sensible change in the parts of the instrument itself.

When the year was completed, he began to examine and compare his observations; and having satisfied himself as to the general laws of the phenomena, he then endeavoured to find out the cause of them. He was already convinced that the apparent motion of the stars was not owing to a nutation of the earth's axis. The next that occurred to him, was an alteration in the direction of the plumb-line, by which the instrument was constantly adjusted; but this, upon trial, provided insufficient. Then he considered what refraction might do; but here also he met with no satisfaction. At last, through an amazing sagacity, he conjectured that all the phenomena hitherto mentioned, proceeded from the progressive motion of light, and the earth's annual motion in her orbit for he perceived, that if light were propagated in time, the apparent place of a fixed object would not be the same when the eye is at rest, as when it is moving in any other direction hat that of the line passing through the object and the eye; and that when the eye is moving in different directions, the apparent place of the object would be different. (Hutton's Math. Dict.).

:

ABERRATION, in Optics, the deviation or dispersion of the rays of light, when reflected by a speculum, or refracted by a lens, which prevents them from meeting or uniting in the same point, called the geometrical focus, but are spread over a small space, and produce a confusion of images. There are two species of aberration distinguished by their different causes;

the

Aberration the one arises from the figure of the lens or speculum, the other from the unequal refrangibility of the rays Abgar. of light. This last species is sometimes called the Newtonian, from the name of its discoverer. See OP

TICS.

ABERRATION of the Planets, is equal to the geocentric motion of the planet, the space it appears to move as seen from the earth, during the time that light employs in passing from the planet to the earth. Thus, in the sun, the aberration in longitude is constantly 20", that being the space moved by the sun, or, which is the same thing, by the earth, in the time of 8' 7", which is the time in which light passes from the sun to the earth. In like manner, knowing the distance of any planet from the earth, by proportion it will be, as the distance of the sun is to the distance of the planet, so is 8' 7" to the time of light passing from the planet to the earth: then computing the planet's geocentric motion in this time, that will be the aberration of the planet, whether it be in longitude, latitude, right ascension, or declination. (Hutton's Math. Dict.).

ABERYSTWITH, a market-town of Cardiganshire, in Wales, seated on the Ridal, near its confluence with the Istwith, where it falls into the sea. It is a rich town, and has a great trade in lead, and a considerable fishery of whiting, cod, and herrings. It was formerly surrounded with walls, and fortified with a castle but both are now in ruins. Its distance from London is 203 miles W. N. W. W. Long. 4. 20. N. Lat. 52. 17. Population 2264 in 1811.

ABESTA, or AVESTA, the name of one of the sacred books of the Persian magi, which they ascribe to their great founder Zoroaster. The Abesta is a commentary on two others of their religious books called Zend and Pazend; the three together including the whole system of the Ignicole or worshippers of fire.

ABETTOR, a law term implying one who encourages another to the performance of some criminal action, or who is art or part in the performance itself. Treason is the only crime in which abettors are excluded by law, every individual concerned being considered as a principal. It is the same with art-and-part in the Scots law.

ABEX, a country of Higher Ethiopia, in Africa, bordering on the Red sea, by which it is bounded on the east. It has Nubia or Sennar on the north; Sennar and Abyssinia on the west; and Abyssinia on the south. Its principal towns are Suaquem and Arkeko. It is subject to the Turks, and has the name of the beglerbeglik of Habeleth. It is about five hundred miles in length and one hundred in breadth; is a mountainous country, sandy, barren, and unhealthy, much infested with wild beasts; and the forests abound with ebony trees.

ABEYANCE, in Law, the expectancy of an estate. Thus if lands be leased to one person for life, with reversion to another for years, the remainder for years is in abeyance till the death of the lessee.

ABGAR, or ABGARUS, a name given to several of the kings of Edessa in Syria. The most celebrated of them was one who, it is said, was contemporary with Jesus Christ; and who having a distemper in his feet, * Eccl. and hearing of Jesus's miraculous cures, requested him Hit. lib. i. by letter to come and cure him. Eusebius*, who believed that this letter was genuine, and also an answer

cap. 13.

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our Saviour is said to have returned to it, has translated them both from the Syriac, and asserts that they were taken out of the archives of the city of Edessa. The first is as follows: "Abgarus, prince of Edessa, to Jesus the holy Saviour, who hath appeared in the "flesh in the confines of Jerusalem, greeting. I have "heard of thee, and of the cures thou hast wrought "without medicines or herbs. For it is reported thou "makest the blind to see, the lame to walk, lepers to "be clean, devils and unclean spirits to be expelled, "such as have been long diseased to be healed, and "the dead to be raised; all which when I heard concerning thee, I concluded with myself, That either "thou wast a God come down from heaven, or the "Son of God sent to do these things. I have there"fore written to thee, beseeching thee to vouchsafe to come unto me, and cure my disease. For I have "also heard that the Jews use thee ill, and lay snares "to destroy thee. I have here a little city, pleasantly "situated, and sufficient for us both. ABGARUS." To this letter, Jesus, it is said, returned an answer by Annanias, Abgarus's courier; which was as follows: "Blessed art thou, O Abgarus! who hast believed in me whom thou hast not seen; for the Scriptures say "of me, They who have seen me have not believed in "me, that they who have not seen, may, by believing, "have life. But whereas thou writest to have me

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come to thee, it is of necessity that I fulfil all things "here for which I am sent; and having finished them, "to return to him that sent me but when I am re"turned to him, I will then send one of my disciples "to thee, who shall cure thy malady, and give life to "thee and thine. JESUS." After Jesus's ascension, Judas, who is also named Thomas, sent Thaddeus, one of the seventy, to Abgarus; who preached the gospel to him and his people, cured him of his disorder, and wrought many other miracles: which was done says Eusebius, A. D. 43.-Though the above letters are acknowledged to be spurious by the candid writers of the church of Rome; several Protestant authors, as Dr Parker, Dr Cave, and Dr Grabe, have maintained that they are genuine, and ought not to be rejected.

ABGILLUS, JOHN, surnamed Prester John, was son to a king of the Friscii; and, from the austerity of his life, obtained the name of Prester, or Priest. He attended Charlemagne in his expedition to the Holy Land; but instead of returning with that monarch to Europe, it is pretended that he gained mighty conquests, and founded the empire of the Abyssines, called, from his name, the empire of Prester John. He is said to have written the history of Charlemagne's jour ney into the Holy Land, and his own into the Indies; but they are more probably trifling romances, written in the ages of ignorance.

ABIANS, anciently a people of Thrace, or (ac-. cording to some authors of Scythia. They had no fixed habitations; they led a wandering life. Their houses were waggons, which carried all their possessions. They lived on the flesh of their herds and flocks, on milk and cheese, chiefly on that of mare's milk. They were unacquainted with commerce. They only exchanged commodities with their neigh bours. They possessed lands, but they did not cultivate them. They assigned their agriculture to any who would undertake it, reserving only to themselves

a

Ahians

a tribute; which they exacted, not with a view to live in affluence, but merely to enjoy the necessaries of life. Abimelech. They never took arms but to oblige those to make good a promise to them by whom it had been broken. They paid tribute to none of the neighbouring states. They deemed themselves exempt from such an imposition; for they relied on their strength and courage, and consequently thought themselves able to repel any invasion. The Abians, we are told, were a people of great integrity. This honourable eulogium is given them by Homer. (Strabo).

ABIATHAR, high priest of the Jews, son to Ahimelech, who had borne the same office, and received David into his house. This so enraged Saul, who hated David, that he put Ahimelech to death, and 81 priests; Abiathar alone escaped the massacre. He afterwards was high priest; and often gave King David testimonies of his fidelity, particularly during Absalom's conspiracy, at which time Abiathar, followed David, and bore away the ark. But after this, conspiring with Adonijah, in order to raise him to the throne of King David his father; this so exasperated Solomon against him, that he divested him of the priesthood, and banished him, A. M. 3021, before Christ 1014.

ABIB, signifying an ear of corn, a name given by the Jews to the first month of their ecclesiastical year, afterwards called Nisan. It commenced at the vernal equinox; and according to the course of the moon, by which their months were regulated, answered to the latter part of our March and beginning of April.

ABIDING by WRITINGS, in Scots Law: When a person founds upon a writing alleged to be false, he may be obliged to declare judicially, whether he will stand or abide by it as a true deed.

ABIES, the FIR-TREE. See. PINUS, BOTANY Index.

ABIGEAT, an old law term, denoting the crime of stealing cattle by droves or herds. This crime was severely punished; the delinquent being often condemned to the mines, banishment, and sometimes capitally.

ABIHU, brother to Nadab, and son to Aaron. The two former had the happiness to ascend Mount Sinai with their father, and there to behold the glory of God: but afterward putting strange fire into their censers, instead of the sacred fire commanded by God, fire rushing upon them killed them. Though all the people bewailed this terrible catastrophe, Moses forbade Aaron and his two sons Eleazar and Ithamar to join in the lamentation.

ABII SCYTHE, taken by Strabo to denote the European Sarmatæ, bordering on the Thracians and Bastanæ They were commended by Curtius for their love of justice, and by Ammiesius for their contempt of earthly things.

ABIMELECH, king of Gerar, a country of the Philistines, was contemporary with Abraham. This patriarch and his family being there, his wife Sarah, though 90 years of age, was not safe in it; for Abimelech carried her off, and was so enamoured of her, that he resolved to marry her. Abraham did not declare himself Sarah's husband; but gave out she was his sister. But the king being warned in a dream, that she was married to a prophet, and that he should die VOL. I. Part I.

if he did not restore her to Abraham, the king obeyed; Abimelech at the same time reproving Abraham for his disingenuity; who thereupon, among other excuses, said she Abiponians. was really his sister, being born of the same father, though of a different mother. Abimelech afterwards gave considerable presents to Abraham; and a covenant, that of Beersheba, was entered into between them, A. M. 2107. After the death of Abraham, there

being a famine in the neighbouring countries, Isaac his son also withdrew into Gerar, which was then likewise governed by a king called

ABIMELECH, probably the successor of the former. Here Rebekah's beauty forced her husband to employ Abraham's artifice. Abimelech discovering that they were nearly related, chid Isaac for calling his wife his sister; and at the same time forbade all his subjects, upon pain of death, to do the least injury to Isaac or Rebekah. Isaac's prosperity lost him the king's friendship, and he was desired to go from among them. He obeyed; but Abimelech afterwards entered into a covenant with him, A. M. 2200.

ABIMELECH, the natural son of Gideon, by his concubine. His violent acts and death are recorded in Judges, chap. ix. A M. 2769.

ABINGDON, a market-town in Berkshire, situated on a branch of the Thames, derives its name from an ancient abbey. The streets, which are wel paved, terminate in a spacious area, in which the market is held; and in the centre of this area is the markethouse, which is supported on lofty pillars, with a large hall of freestone above, in which the summer assizes for the county are held, and other public business done, the Lent assizes being held at Reading. It has two churches; one dedicated to St Nicholas, and the other to St Helena: the latter is adorned with a spire, and both are said to have been erected by the abbots of Abingdon. Here are also two hospitals, one for six, and the other for thirteen poor men, and as many poor women; a free school; and a charity school. town was incorporated by Queen Mary. It sends two members to parliament, who are chosen by the inhabitants at large not receiving alms. Its great manufactures are sail-cloth, sacking, and especially malt, large quantities of which are sent by water to London. It is seven miles south of Oxford, 47 east of Gloucester, and 55 west of London. This town is supposed by Bishop Gibson to be the place called, in the Saxon annals, Cloveshoo. W. Long. 1. 12. N. Lat. 51. 42. Population 4801 in 1811.

The

ABINTESTATE, in Civil Law, is applied to a person who inherits the right of one who died intestate or without making a will. See INTESTATE.

ABIPONIANS, a tribe of American Indians, who formerly inhabited the district of Chaks in Paraguay ; but the hostilities of the Spaniards have now obliged them to remove southward into the territory lying between Santa Fe and St Jago. The only account we have of them is that published by M. Dobrizhoffer in 1785. This gentleman, who lived seven years in their country, informs us that they are not numerous, the whole nation not much exceeding 5000; for which he assigns as a reason an unnatural custom among their women of sometimes destroying their own children, from motives of jealousy lest their husbands should take other mates during the long time they give suck, E which

tion.

Abiponiaus which is not less than two years. They are naturally # white, but, by exposure to the air and smoke, become Ablacta of a brown colour. They are a strong and hardy race of people; which our author attributes to their marrying so late, an Abiponian seldom or never thinking of marriage till 30 years of age. They are greatly celebrated on account of their chastity and other virtues ; though, according to our author, they have no knowledge of a Deity. They make frequent incursions into the territories of the Spaniards, mounted on the horses which run wild in those parts. They have a kind of order of chivalry for their warriors; and are so for midable, that 100 of their enemies will fly before ten of these horsemen. The hatred which these savages, whose manners, though rude and uncultivated, are in many respects pure and virtuous, bear to the Spaniards, is invincible. These pretended Christians," says our author, "who are the scum of the Spanish nation, practise every kind of fraud and villany among these poor barbarians; and their corrupt and vicious morals are so adapted to prejudice the Abiponians against the Christian religion, that the Jesuit missionaries have, by a severe law, prohibited any Spaniard from coming, without a formal permission, into any of their colonies." -From his account of the success of the Jesuits in converting them to Christianity, however, it does not appear that they have been able to do more than bribe them to a compliance with the ceremonies of the Popish superstition; so that in general they are quite ignorant and uncivilized; a most striking instance of which is, that in counting they can go no further than three; and all the art of the Jesuits to teach them the simplest use and expression of numbers has proved unsuccessful.

ABIRAM, a seditious Levite, who, in concert with Korah and Dathan, rebelled against Moses and Aaron, in order to share with them in the government of the people; when Moses ordering them to come with their censers before the altar of the Lord, the earth suddenly opened under their feet, and swallowed up them and their tents; and at the same instant fire came from heaven, and consumed 250 of their followers. Numb. chap. xvi.

ABISHAI, son of Zeruiah, and brother to Joab, was one of the celebrated warriors who flourished in the reign of David: he killed with his own hand 300 men, with no other weapon but his lance; and slew a Philistine giant, the iron of whose spear weighed 300 shekels. 1 Sam. chap. xxvi. 2 Sam. chap. xxiii.

ABJURATION, in our ancient customs, implied an oath, taken by a person guilty of felony, and who had fled to a place of sanctuary, whereby he solemnly engaged to leave the kingdom for ever.

ABJURATION is now used to signify the renouncing, disclaiming, and denying upon oath, the Pretender to have any kind of right to the crown of these kingdoms. ABJURATION of Heresy, the solemn recantation of any doctrine as false and wicked.

ABLACTATION, or weaning a child from the breast. See WEANING.

ABLACTATION, among the ancient gardeners, the same with what is now called GRAFTING by approach, is a method of engrafting, by which the scion of one tree being for some time united to the stock of another, is afterwards cut off, and, as it were, weaned from the parent tree. 3

In English, French, &c. there is no precise mark whereby to distinguish the ablative from other cases; and we only use the term in analogy to the Latin. Thus, in the two phrases, the magnitude of the city, and he spoke much of the city; we say, that of the city in the first is genitive, and in the latter ablative; because it would be so, if the two phrases were expressed in Latin.

ers.

The question concerning the Greek ablative has been the subject of a famous literary war between two great grammarians, Frischlin and Crusius; the former maintaining, and the latter opposing, the reality of it. The dispute still subsists among their respective followThe chief reason alleged by the former is, that the Roman writers often joined Greek words with the Latin prepositions which govern ablative cases, as well as with nouns of the same case. To which their opponents answer, that the Latins anciently had no ablative themselves; but instead thereof, made use, like the Greeks, of the dative case; till at length they formed an ablative, governed by prepositions, which were not put before the dative: that, at first, the two cases had always the same termination, as they still have in many instances: but that this was afterwards changed in certain words. It is no wonder then, that the Latins sometimes join prepositions which govern an ablative case, or nouns in the ablative case, with Greek datives, since they were originally the same; and that the Greek dative has the same effect as the Latin ablative.

ABLATIVE ABSOLUTE, in Grammar, is a phrase detached or independent of the other parts of a sentence or discourse. In the Latin language it is frequent, and it has been adopted by the moderns.

ABLAY, in Geography, a country of Great Tartary, governed by a Calmuck chief, but subject to Russia, to obtain its protection. It lies east of the river Irtisch, and extends 500 leagues along the southern frontiers of Siberia, from E. Long. 72° to 83°. N. Lat. from 51° to 54°.

ABLE, or ABEL, THOMAS, chaplain to Queen Catherine, consort to Henry VIII. distinguished himself by his zeal in opposing the proceedings against that unfortunate princess for a divorce. For this purpose he wrote a piece, entitled "Tractatus de non dissolvendo Henrici et Catharinæ matrimonio, i. e. Treatise proving that the marriage of King Henry and Queen Catharine ought not to be dissolved." But the title of the book, according to Bishop Tanner, was

"A

Invicta

Invicta Veritas. He took the degree of bachelor of arts at Oxford on the 4th of July 1513, and that of master of arts on the 27th of July 1516. In 1534 he fell under a prosecution for being concerned in the affair of Elizabeth Barton, called the Holy Maid of Kent. This was an infamous impostor, suborned by the monks to use strange gesticulations, exhibit fictitious miracles, and to feign the gift of prophecy; and so well did she act her part, that she drew some persons of respectability to her interest: but being detected, she was condemned and executed, after discovering the names of her principal accomplices and instigators. On her account Able was charged with misprision of treason, by stat. 25 Hen. VIII.; and being also one of those who denied the king's supremacy over the church, he was apprehended and imprisoned; during which time his confinement was so rigorous, that the keeper of Newgate was committed to Marshalsea prison for suffering him to go out upon bail. He was af terwards hanged, drawn, and quartered, at Smithfield in 1540. Bouchier gives him the character of a very learned man; and tells us, that he used to teach the queen music and the learned languages.

ABLECTI, in Roman antiquity, a select body of soldiers chosen from among those called EXTRAORDI

NARII.

ABLEGMINA, in Roman antiquity, those choice parts of the entrails of victims which were offered in sacrifice to the gods. They were sprinkled with flour, and burnt upon the altar; the priests pouring some wine on them.

ABLOE, in Geography, a town of Little Tartary, which lies between the river Dnieper and the Black sea. E. Long. 33. 15. N. Lat. 46. 20.

ABLUENTS, in Medicine, the same with diluters or DILUENTS.

ABLUTION, in a general sense, signifies the washing or purifying something with water.

ABLUTION, in a religious sense, a ceremony in use among the ancients, and still practised in several parts of the world: it consisted in washing the body, which was always done before sacrificing, or even entering their houses. Ablutions appear to be as old as any ceremonies, and external worship itself. Moses enjoined them; the heathens adopted them; and Mahomet and his followers have continued them: thus they have got footing among most nations, and make a considerable part of most established religions.-The Egyptian priests had their diurnal and nocturnal ablutions; the Grecians their sprinklings; the Romans their lustrations and lavations; the Jews their washing of hands and feet, beside their baptisms.-The ancient Christians had their ablutions before communion; which the Romish church etill retain before their mass, sometimes after. The Syrians, Copts, &c. have their solemn washings on Good Friday: the Turks their greater and lesser ablutions; their Ghast and Wodou, their Aman, Taharat, &c.

ABNER, the son of Ner, father-in-law to Saul, and general of all his forces, served him on all occasions with fidelity and courage. After the death of that prince, Abner set Ishbosheth, Saul's son, on the throne. A war breaking out between the tribe of Judah, who had elected David king, and Israel, Abner marched against that prince with the flower of his troops, but was defeated. Abner afterward, being disgusted,

went over to David, and induced the chiefs of the ar- Abner my and the elders of Israel to declare for him. He was received by David with every mark of affection, which, Aboccis. gave offence to Joab, by whom he was insidiously put to death, A. M. 2956.

ABNOBA, now ABENOW, in Geography, a long range of mountains in Germany, extending from the Rhine to the Necker, and having different names according to the different countries through which they stretch. About the river Maine they are called the Oden or Otenwald; between Hesse and Franconia, the Spessart; and about the duchy of Wirtemberg, where the Danube takes its rise, they receive the name of Baar.

ABO, a maritime town of Finland, situated on the promontory formed by the gulfs of Finland and Bothnia, 120 miles north-east from Stockholm, in E. Long. 22. 7. and N. Lat. 60. 28. It belonged formerly to Sweden, but was transferred to Russia with the province of Finland in 1809. It is built on both sides of the river Aurajocki, which have a communication by a wooden bridge. The streets and lanes of Abo amount to 102; the number of houses to 1100, which in 1780 contained above 2000 families. In 1791 the number of inhabitants was 11,500.

A gymnasium was established at Abo by Gustavus Adolphus in 1626, which was converted by Queen Christina, in 1640, into an academy or university, in which are now taught anatomy, natural history, chemistry, and economics. The library founded by Queen Christina consists of above 10,000 volumes, besides manuscripte, ancient coins, medals, &c. The school of anatomy is in considerable repute; and enjoys, it is said, one very extraordinary privilege. By a particular regulation, all persons who hold lands or pensions from the crown are bound to leave their bodies to be dissected for the instruction of the students. The exports

The trade of Abo is considerable. consist of iron, copper, pitch, tar, deals, &c. The imports are tobacco, coffee, sugar, wine, salt, grain, hemp, and spiceries. In Abo are manufactured silk ribbands, fustian, sail-cloth, leather, tiles, watches and clocks, paper, sugar, and tobacco. The plantations of tobacco in this neighbourhood produce not less than 152,000 cwt. annually. (Acerbi's Travels).

ABO-HUS, or ABO-SLOT, a very ancient castle in Finland, situated at the mouth of the river Aura, was the residence of Duke John, and the prison of King Eric in the 16th century. It is at present employed as a magazine for corn and gunpowder, and as a prison for state offenders.

ABOARD, the inside of a ship. Hence any person who enters a ship is said to go aboard: but when an enemy enters in the time of battle, he is said to board; a phrase which always implies hostility.-To fall aboard of, is to strike or encounter another ship when one or both are in motion, or to be driven upon a ship by the force of the wind or current.-Aboard-main-tack, the order to draw the main-tack, i. e. the lower-corner of the main-sail, down to the CHESS-TREE.

ABOASAR, in Geography, a village in Lower Egypt, supposed to be the ancient Busiris.

ABOCCIS, in Ancient Geography, the Abuncis of Ptolemy, a town of Ethiopia, situated on the western side of the Nile near the great cataract.

E 2

ABOCRO,