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Jftfct in naval architecture, a vessel
with two masts, usually applied to one
carrying bombs, or rather mortars.
Kiffek.il, a mineral dug up near Konie
in Natolia, and employed in forming the
bowls of Turkish tobacco-pipes.
Kupfernickel, a sulphate of nickel, and
generally compounded of nickel, ar-
senic, and sulphate of iron.
LABRADOR STONE, a beautiful
stone brought from the coast of Labra-
dor. Its color is commonly of a light
or of a deep gray, frequently blackish ;
but when held in certain positions to
the light, it exhibits varieties of beauti-
ful internal colors, chiefly green and
blue.
Lac, or Gum Lae, the product of the
coccus lacca, an insect, which deposits
its eggs on the branches of a tree called
Bihar in Assam. Lac possesses the
properties of a resin, and is the basis of
many varnishes, and of the finest kinds
of sealing-wax. The best is amber-co-
lored and transparent.
Lace, a species of net-work, made of
silk, thread, or cotton. The best laces
come from Holland.
Lacker, a varnish applied to brass,
tin, and other metals, to improve their
color.
Lacmus, a plant which yields a yellow
dye-stuif: it is a species of moss, and
comes from France, Holland and the is-
lands of Candia and Teneriffe.
Lapis Lazuli, a sort of stone from
which that celebrated color, ultramarine,
is made. It is found in many parts, but
that of Asia and Africa is superior.
Larboard, among seamen, the left-
hand side of the ship, when you stand
with your face towards the head.
Latitude, the distance of any place
from the equator, measured upon the
meridian in degrees, minutes, and sec-
onds: all places lying under the equator
are said to have no latitude; and all
others to have north or south latitude,
according to their situation with respect
to the equator. The complement of lati-
tude is the difference between the lati-
tude itself and 90“, or as much as the
place itself is distant from the pole ; and
this complement is always equal to the
elevation of the equator above the hori-
zon of the place. The elevation of the
pole ot any place is equal to the latitude
itself.
Lava, the fused stony substance which
issues from volcanoes.
Lavender, a fragrant plant, native of
the S. of Europe, and now commonly
cultivated in our gardens. The water
drawn from the flowers by distillation
is an agreeable perfume.
Lawn, a sort of clear or open worked
cambric manufactured in France and
Flanders, also in Scotland and the N.
of Ireland.
Lazaretto, a public building, hospital
or pest-house, for the reception of those
afflicted with contagious disorders. The
Lazaretto of Marseilles is the finest in
the world.
Lead, one of the perfect metals. It is
Of a dull white, inclining to a blue color;
and although the least ductile and sono-
rous, it is the heaviest of metallic bo-
dies, excepting mercury, gold and pla-
tina. It is found abundantly in differ-
ent parts of Europe and in N. and S.
America. The lead mines of Missouri
are very productive.
Lee, an epithet to distinguish that
half of the horizon, to which the wind
is directed from the other part whence
it arises, which latter is called to wind-
ward.
Lemnian Earth, a clay of a pale red
color, which has its name from the is-
land of Lemnos, where it is dug. When
genuine, it is a good medicine in some
diseases. |
Lemons, the fruit of the lemon-tree,
growing in great abundance in Sicily,
Spain and Portugal. The ports of Lis-
bon and Malaga are the principal ship-
plng-places of lemons; the shipping of
fruit from these places commences about
the middle of September, and continues
until the February following, after which
time the article Deconies scarce and
dear. The lemons of the Bermuda is-
lands are large and of a delicious flavor.
The island of Zante abounds in lemons
of a great size. Lemons are invariably
shipped while their color is green, and
they generally become quite yellow ere
they reach this country.
Lentisk, the tree which produces the
resin called mastich. It grows in the
S. of Europe.
Lichen, or Liverwort, a species of moss
found in different parts of France, and
in the Canary and Cape de Verd is-
lands. it is useful in dying, and also as
a food or medicine.
Light-House, a tower on an eminence
upon the seacoast, or at the entrance of
some port or river, for the direction of
ships in dark nights, by means of an
illumination.
Lignum Vitee, a species of wood of great
utility both for turnery and in pharma-
cy. The tree which produces it grows
in most of the W. India islands, but es-
pecially in Hayti and Saint Croix.
Lime, one of those earthy substances,
which exist in every part of the world.
It is found purest in limestone, marble
and chalk. None of these substances
are lime, but are capable of becoming so
by burning in a white heat. Lime may
also be obtained by burning calcareous
spars, or by dissolving oyster shells in
muriatic acid.
Limes, a species of lemon, which
grows plentifully in the W. Indies, and
is also to be met with in the S. of Eu-
rope.
Linen, a cloth of very extensive use
made of flax. The chief countries in
which it is manufactured are Russia,
Germany, Switzerland, Flanders, Hol-
land, Scotland and Ireland. The flax-
seed is chiefly procured from America.
LinseyicooLiey, a coarse cloth made of
flax, or hemp, and wool mixed, and
much worn by the peasantry of Scot-
land, Wales, &c.
Liquid Amber, a resinous juice, flow-
ing from a large tree, which grows in
Virginia, Mexico, and other parts of
America.
Liquorice, a root which grows wild in
many parts ofFrance, Italy, Spain, and
Germany, and is cultivated in England.
Bayonne and Saragossa in Spain sup-
ply the best. The inspissated juice of
tlie liquorice-root is exported in rolls,
or cakes, usually covered with bay
leaves from Spain and Holland. -
Lisbon Wine, a white wine, of a fine
sweet flavor, which usually comes from
the city of that name.
Litharge, an oxide of lead.
Lithina, an alkali in the mineral call-
ed petalite.
Lithography, the art of printing from
stone.
Load, or Lode, in mining, a word used
especially in the tin-mines, for any reg-
ular vein or course, whether metallic or
not, but most commonly load means a
metallic vein.
Loadstone, a hard mineral body of a
dark gray color with a metallic lustre,
and possessed of the property of attract-
ing iron. This singular substance has
likewise the wonderful property of turn-
ing to the pole when suspended, and
left at liberty to move freely. Upon this
remarkable circumstance the mariner’s
compass depends, an instrument which
gives us such advantages over the an-
cients. The natural loadstone has the
quality of communicating its properties
to iron and steel. It is found in con-
siderable masses in the N. of Europe,
China, Siam, and tbe Phillippine isles.
Logwood, a hard and compact wood
of a fine grain and so heavy as to sink
in water. Its predominant color is red,
tinged with orange, yellow, and black. |
Its ehref use is for dying. This wood
is likewise called India, Jamaica and
Campeachy wood, from the places where
it grows most plentifully.
Longitude, in navigation, the distance
of a ship or place, east or west, from
another, reckoned in degrees from the-
equator. It has become a conventional
usage to reckon longitude from Green
wich, near London.
Lugger, a sort of vessel usually heavi-
ly built, and rigged with a square sail.
Lumber, in the coasting trade, means
stowage-wood and small timber; as
spars, joists, boards, planks, shingles,
hoops, staves, &c. Maine exports vast
quantities of lumber
Lustring, or Lutestring, a species c/
light, shining silk.
Lycopodium, the fine dust of lycopo-
dium or club-moss, is sometimes called
on account of its great inflammability,
vegetable sulphur. It is common in
mountainous places and in forests ot
fir-i'wes ; and when strewed in the air
takes tire from a candle and burns like
-a flash of lightning. It is used in thea
tres.
MACE, one of the exterior coverings
of the nutmeg. It is a warm aromatic,
and usually comes from the E. ndies,
in glass or porcelain vessels.
Mackerel, a fish, native of the Euro-
pean and American seas, generally ap-
pearing at stated seasons, and swarm-
ing in vast shoals round particular
coasts.
Madder, the root of the rubia tincto-
rum, a substance extensively employed
in dying. It grows most abundantly in
Holland.
Madeira, a well known white wine,
deriving its name from the island where
it is made.
Magnesia, a white and spongy sub-
stance usually obtained by the decom-
position of the sulphate of magnesia. It
is much used in medicine.
Mahogany, the timber of a tree, which
is a native of the warmest parts of Ame-
rica, and grows in many of the W. In-
dia islands. It is hard, takes a fine
polish, and answers better than any
other sort of wood, in ail kinds of cabi-
net ware.
Maize, a kind of Indian corn, exten-
sively cultivated in the U. States, and
used for making bread, &c.
Malachite, a green carbonate of cop-
per.
Malt, a term applied to grain prepared
after a particular manner, for brewing
the various kinds of beer.
Manganese, a brilliant metal, of a
darkish white color, very brittle, of con-
siderable hardness, and difficult of fu-
sion. It is found in America and vari-
ous parts of Europe.
Manna, a substance obtained from
several vegetables: but. the ash, the
larch, and the alhagi afford it in the
largest quantities. The best manna
comes from Sicily.
Marble, a kind of stone of various
colors, composed chiefly of lime, found
in great masses, and dug out of pits and
quarries. It abounds in Mass. and other
parts of the U. States, and in all the
countries of Europe.
Marie, an earthy substance of seve-
ral varieties, useful as a manure.
Marmots, likewise called Alpine mice,
are rather bigger than the rabbit, an4
are valuable on account of their skins.
They abcund in Europe, Kamtschatka
and America.
Marten, an animal of a dark tawny
color, with a white throat and a bushy
tail. Its general length is about a foot,
and a half, and it is prized for its skin.
The finest marten-skins are obtained in
N. America, Russia, Norway, and the
Levant.
Massicot, white lead calcined over a
moderate fire.
Mastic, a resin obtained from the lea-
ser turpentine tree and the leatiaoua
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