Tamarindus.

dus.

fyftem it is ranked under the lamentacea. There is only one Tamarin. fpecies, the indica, which is a native of both Indies, of America, of Arabia, and Egypt, and was cultivated in Britain before the year 1633.

Talra barous zeal, and a timidity of fpirit for the fuccefs of the Christian religion, which the belief of its divinity can never excuse, ordered great numbers of the Talmud to be burned. Gregory IX., burned about 20 cart-loads, and Paul IV. ordered 12,000 copies of the Talmud to be destroyed. The last edition of the Talmud of Babylon, printed at Amsterdam, is in 12 vols folio. The Talmud of Jerufalem is in one large folio.

TALPA, the мOLE; a genus of quadrupeds belonging to the order of fera and class of mammalia. It has fix unequal foreteeth in the upper jaw, and eight in the lower; one tufk on each fide in each jaw; feven grinders on each fide above, and fix below. There are feven fpecies; the European, the flava or American, the criftata, longicaudata, fufca, rubra, and aurea.

The European mole is the only fpecies of this animal found in Britain. There are feveral varieties of it; the black, the variegated, the whité, and the grey mole. This fpecies inhabits the whole of Europe except Ireland, where it is faid no moles are found. It is alfo common in the

northerly parts of Afia and Africa. It chiefly frequents moist fields that are exposed to the fun, meadows, and gardens; through thefe it conftructs fubterraneous roads or galleries in every direction in fearch of worms, on which and the larvae of infects it feeds, and not at all on vegetables, though it does great damage by loofening the roots of plants. It is moftactive in its operations before. rain, because then the worms are in motion. The penis of the male is exceed ingly long in proportion; they feem to pair and propagate in fpring, the female bringing four or five young at a birth, which are placed in nefts made of mofs, leaves, and dried grafs, under the largest hillocks of the field; these are conthefe are conftructed with wonderful ingenuity, confifting of an interior hillock, furrounded with a ditch, which communicates with feveral galleries, on purpose to carry off the moisture; and the neft is covered over with a dome of earth, like the flat arch of an oven. Moles are deftroyed by means of a paste composed of palma-chrifti and white hellebore, or by flooding the fields which they infeft; though, in the latter cafe, they fometimes escape by afcending trees.

This fpecies is five inches and three quarters in length, and its tail is about one inch long. It has a large head, without any external ears, and eyes fo very small and fo completely hid in the fur as to make it vulgarly believed that it has none. As it lives entirely below ground, it has certainly no occafion for eyes like other quadrupeds; and as it probably finds its food by its fense of smell, which is acute, its eyes may ferve merely as a fafeguard to warn it when it happens to emerge from the ground to return to its fubterraneous dwelling. This warning may be given by the light falling upon its eyes, which may produce a painful fenfation. For the truth of this conjecture, however, we muft refer to the anatomit, who might eafily determine, from the structure of the eyes, what purpose they are fitted to serve.

TAMANDAU, in zoology. See MYRMECOPHAGA. TAMARINDUS, the TAMARIND-TREE, in botany: A genus of plants arranged by Linnæus under the clafs of triandria and order of monogynia; but Woodville, Schreber, and other late botanists, have found that it belongs to the class of monodelphia and order of triandria. In the natural

The tamarind-tree rifes to the height of 30 or 40 feet, fending off numerous large branches, which spread to a con. fiderable extent, and have a beautiful appearance; the trunk is erect, and covered with rough bark, of a greyish or afhcolour; the leaves are fmall and pinnated, and of a yellowith green colour: the flowers refemble the papilionaceous kind, and grow in lateral clusters: the calyx consists of four leaves, and the corolla of three petals, which are of a yellowish hue, and are beautifully diverfified with red veins: the fruit is a pod of a roundish compreffed form, from three to five inches long, containing two, three, or four feeds, lodged in a dark pulpy matter. The flowers appear, according to Jacquin, in October and November; but, according to Dr Wright, they continue during the whole of June and July, and then drop off.

"The

The pulp of the tamarind, with the feeds connected together by numerous tough ftrings or fibres, are brought to us freed from the outer hell, and commonly preserved in fyrup. According to Long, tamarinds are prepared for exportation at Jamaica in the following manner : fruit or pods are gathered (in June, July, and Auguft) when full ripe, which is known by their fragility or eafy breaking on fmall preffure between the finger and thumb. The fruit, taken out of the pod, and cleared from the fhelly fragments, is placed in layers in a cafk; and boiling fyrup, juft before it begins to granulate, is poured in, till the cafk is filled the fyrup pervades every part quite down to the bottom, and when cool the cafk is headed for fale." He observes, that the better mode of preferving this fruit is with fugar, well clarified with eggs, till a tranfparent fyrup is formed, which gives the fruit a much pleafanter flavour: but as a principal medicinal purpofe of the pulp depends upon its acidity, which is thus counteracted by the admixture of fugar, it would therefore be of more utility if always imported here. in the pods. The fruit produced in the East Indies is more esteemed than that of the Weft, and easily to be distinguished by the greater length of the pods, and the pulp being dryer and of a darker colour.

1

Ufes. This fruit, the ufe of which was firft learned of the Arabians, contains a larger proportion of acid, with the faccharine matter, than is ufually found in the frudus acidodulcis, and is therefore not only employed as a laxative, but alfo for abating thirst and heat in various inflammatory complaints, and for correcting putrid diforders, efpecially thofe of a bilious kind; in which the cathartic, antifeptic, and refrigerant qualities of the fruit have been found equally ufeful. When intended merely as a laxative, it may be of advantage to join it with manna, or purgatives of a fweet kind, by which its ufe is rendered fafer and more effectual. Three drachms of the pulp are ufually fufficient to open the body; but to prove moderately cathartic, one or two ounces are required. It is an ingredient in eleuarium e caffia, and electuarium e fenna or lenitive electuary (^).

We are informed by Dr Wright, that preferved tamarinds are kept in most houses in Jamaica either as a fweet-meat, or for occafional ufe as a medicine. See PHARMACY, no 394 and 395.

TAMARIX,

rinds

Tamerlane.

marifk.

TAMBAC, in the materia medica. See ExCACANA. TAMBOUR, in architecture, a term applied to the Corinthian and Composite capitals, as bearing fome resemblance to a drum which the French call tambour. Some choose to call it the wofe, and others campana or the bell.

TAMBOUR is also used for a little box of timber work, covered with a ceiling, withinfide the porch of certain churches; both to prevent the view of perfons paffing by, and to keep off the wind, &c. by means of folding-doors, TAMBOUR, alfo denotes a round course of stone, several whereof form the fhaft of a column, not fo high as a dia

&c.

meter.

TAMBOUR, in the arts, is a fpecies of embroidery. The tambour is an instrument of a spherical form, upon which is stretched, by means of a Itring and buckle, or other fuitable appendage, a piece of linen or thin filken ftuff; which is wrought with a needle of a particular form, and by means of filken or gold and filver threads, into leaves, flowers, or other figures.

TAMBOURIN, is the name of a dance performed on the French ftage. The air is lively, and the movements are quick.

TAMERLANE, or TIMUR BEK, a celebrated prince and conqueror. At the age of 25 he attained the higheft dignities, with furprifing courage, and an ambition astonishing to all the world. Endeavouring to perfect the great talents which he had received from nature, he spent nine years in different countries; where his great fense and elevated genius appeared in councils and affemblies, while his intrepidity and valour, whether in perfonal combats or pitched battles, drew upon him the admiration of all mankind. He made himself mafter of the three empires of Jagatay Khân, Tushi Khân, and Hûlâkû Khân; so that his power, riches, and magnificence, were immense. There remain vaft monuments of his grandeur in the cities, towns, caftles, and walls, which he built; in the rivers and canals which he dug, as well as the bridges, gardens, palaces, hospitals, mofques, and monafteries, which he erected in divers parts of Afia in fo great a number, that a king might be accounted very powerful and magnificent, who fhould have employed 36 years only in building the great edifices which Timur caufed to be founded.

Timûr, according to the hiftorian Arabfhâh, was in his perfon very corpulent and tall. He had a large forehead and big head. His countenance was agreeable, and his complexion fair. He wore a large beard, was very ftrong, and well-limbed; had broad fhoulders, thick fingers, and long legs. His conftitution was amazingly vigorous; but he was maimed in one hand and lame of the right fide. His eyes appeared full of fire; his voice was loud and piercing; he feared nothing; and when far advanced in years, his understanding was found and perfect, his body vigorous and robuft, his mind conftant and unshaken like a rock. VOL. XVIII. Part I.

Tan.

He did not like raillery, and could not bear a lie. There Tamelano was no joking or fooling before him; for he loved the na ked truth, even although it was to his own disadvantage. He neither grieved if he miscarried in any attempt, nor ap peared overjoyed on any great fuccefs. The device of his feal was, "I am fincere and plan." He had a clear and folid understanding, was furprisingly happy in his conjec tures; vigilant, active, and unfhaken in his refolutions. He took great delight in reading hiftory, and was well verfed in the fate of countries, provinces, and cities. He was pe netrating, fubtle, clofe, and diffembling; juft by inclination, liberal from difpofition; but ambition had in a great meafure extinguished his humanity; war had familiarized him to blood; and his religious zeal had infpired him with the moft cruel, implacable, and pernicious fanaticifm.

He died on the 1st of April 1405, in the 71ft year of his age and 36th of his reign. When he found death approaching, he fent for his principal officers, declared his grandfon his heir, and made them fwear to execute his will. Having recommended brotherly love and concord to the princes his children, he ordered one of the doctors to read the Koran at his bed's head, and often repeat the unity of God. night he several times made profeffion of his belief, "That there is no other God than God," and then expired. See MOGULS, n° 15, &c.

At

TAMTAM, a flat drum used by the Hindoos, refembling a tabor, but it is larger, and founds louder.

TAMUS, BLACK BRIONY, in botany: A genus of plants belonging to the clafs of diacia, and order of hexandria; and in the natural fyftem ranging under the 11th order, Sormentacea. The male and female flowers are both sexpartite; there is no corolla; the ftyle is trifid; the berry is trilocular and inferior, and contains two feeds. There are only two species known; the elephantipes, which is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and we believe was firft defcribed by L'Heritier; and the communis.

The communis, or common black briony, is a native of England, but has not been obferved growing wild in Scotland. It has a large root, which fends forth feveral long flender stems: the leaves are large, heart-shaped, dark green, and grow on long footftalks: the flowers are greenifh, and the berry red. It flowers from May to Auguft, and is frequent in hedges.

TAN, the bark of the oak after it has been ground and used by the tanner. The fmaller fort is generally made up in little fquare cakes called turf, and fold for firing. The coarser fort is fometimes dried in the fun, and used by bakers for heating their ovens, &c. but its chief use is for making of hot-beds to raise pine-apples and other plants. William III. introduced the use of it from Holland, for the purpose of railing orange trees; after which it was difcontinued for many years: but about 1719, when ananas were firft brought into England, it came into general ufe, and has ever fince been in great eftimation with gardeners for all the purposes of forcing, &c. on account of its ftrong and lafting fermentation. The smaller the tan the quicker it heats; but the larger fort acquires heat more gradually and retains it longer: the fkilful gardener therefore uses the one or the other, or a mixture of both, according to the time and purpose for which it is wanted. It is fome time after the tan comes out of the tanner's pit before it begins to heat, and therefore it is not fit for immediate ufe ; but ha ९. १ ving

The word tan is fometimes, though improperly, used for the bark itfel, which is the chief ingredient in the tanning of leather. Oak bark, on account of its great aftringency and gummy-refinous properties, is preferred to all other fubItances for the purpose of tanning, as it not only preferves the leather from rotting, but alfo, by condenfing the pores, renders it impervious to water. See TANNING.

TANACÊTUM, TANSY, in botany: A genus of plants belonging to the clafs of Syngenefia, and order of polygamia Superflua; and in the natural fyftem ranging under the 49th order, Compofitæ. The receptacle is naked; the pappus fomewhat emarginated; the calyx imbricated and hemifpherical; the florets of the radius are trifid, and scarcely diftinguifhable. Gmelin has enumerated seven species; of which one only is a native of Britain, the vulgare.

The vulgare, or common tanfy, grows three or four feet high; the leaves are bipinnated and ferrated; the flowers yellow, and terminate the branches in flat umbels. It is found fometimes on the borders of fields and dry banks: it abounds at Wark, and Ford-castle in the neighbourhood of Kelso, on the borders of Scotland; and on the fide of Gareloch on the western coast of Rofs-fhire: it has alfo been found in Breadalbane. It flowers generally in Auguft. Of this fpecies there is a variety with curled leaves, which is therefore called curled tanfy. The tanfy has a bitter tafte, and an aromatic smell difagreeable to many people.

Ufes. It is esteemed good for warming and ftrengthening the ftomach; for which reafon the young leaves have obtained a place among the culinary herbs, their juice being an ingredient in puddings, &c. It is rarely ufed in medicine, though extolled as a good emmenagogue. A drachm of the dried flowers has been found very beneficial in hysteric disorders ariling from fuppreffion. The feeds and leaves were formerly in confiderable efteem for deftroying worms in children, and are reckoned good in colics and flatulencies. In fome parts of Sweden and Lapland, a bath with a decoction of this plant is made use of to affist parturition. See PHARMACY, no 193. TANÆCIUM, in botany: A genus of the angiofperma order, belonging to the didynamia claís of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 25th order, Putaminea. The calyx is monophyllous, tubulated, truncated, and entire; the corolla long, monopetalous, and white; the tube cylindrical; the lymbi erect, spreading, and nearly equal; the fruit a berry covered with a thick bark, large, oblong, internally divided into two parts; in the pulp are contained a number of seeds. There are only two fpecies of this genus; the jaroba and parafiticum, both natives of Jamaica. They grow by the fides of rivers, and climb on trees and bushes.

!

TANAGRA, TANAGER, in ornithology, a genus of birds belonging to the order of pafferes. The beak is conical, acuminated, emarginated, almoft triangular at the base, and inclining a little towards the point. Dr Latham has defcribed 44 fpecies, all of which are of foreign extrac tion.

TANAIS, or DoN. See DoN.

TANGENT of an ARCH, is a right line drawn perpendicularly from the end of a diameter, paffing to one extremity of the arch, and terminated by a right line drawn from the centre through the other end of that arch, and called the fecant. See GEOMETRY.

TANGIER, a port-town of Africa, in the empire of

TANK, in the language of Indoftan, a place inclosed for receiving and retaining the rain. During the periodical rains the tanks are filled, and thus in the dry feafon furnish water for the rice fields and cattle. Some of them are of great extent, measuring 300 or 400 feet on the fide; they are of a quadrangular form, and lined with granite, defcending in regular steps from the margin to the bottom.

TANNER, one who dreffes hides by tanning them. See TANNING.

TANNER (Dr Thomas), an English prelate and celebra ted antiquarian, born in 1674. He was admitted of Queen's college Oxford, where a fimilarity of tafte for antiquities produced a close friendship between him and Edmund Gibfon afterwards bishop of London. In 1697, he was chosen · fellow of his college; and having already published some fpecimens of his skill in the antiquarian way, foon after be came known to Dr Moore bishop of Norwich, who made him chancellor of his diocefe. In 1722, he was made archdeacon of Norwich, and in 1731 bishop of St Afaph. He died at Oxford in 1735; and after his death was published an elaborate work, faid to have employed him for 40 years, under this title, Bibliotheca Britannica Hibernica, five de Scriptoribus qui in Anglia, Scotia, et Hibernia, ad fæculi XVII. initium floruerunt, &c.

TANNING, the art of manufacturing leather from raw hides and fkins.

Before we detail the procefs, it may be proper to observe, that raw hides and skins being compofed of minute fibres interfecting each other in every direction, the geñeral operation of tanning confifts chiefly in expanding the pores, and diffolving a fort of greasy fubftance contained in them; and then, by means of the aftringency and gummy-relinous properties of oak bark, to fill and reunite them, so as to give firmness and durability to the whole texture. But this theory has been controverted by fome chemifts, who suppose that the animal jelly contained in the skin is not dissolved, but unites during the process with the aftringent principle of the bark, and forms a combination insoluble in water.

I

The process of tanning varies confiderably, not only in Method of different countries, but even in different parts of the fame tanning. country. The following is the method moft approved and practifed in London and its vicinity, where the beft leather is generally allowed to be manufactured.

The leather tanned in England confifts chiefly of three forts, known by the name of butts or backs, hides, and Skins.

2

Butts are generally made from the ftouteft and heaviest Butts, ox hides, and are managed as follows: After the horns are taken off, the hides are laid smooth in heaps for one or two days in the summer, and for five or fix in the winter: they are then hung on poles, in a close room called a ƒmoke-house, in which is kept a fmouldering fire of wet tan; this occafions a small degree of putrefaction, by which means the hair is eafily got off, by fpreading the hide on a fort of wooden horfe or beam, and fcraping it with a crooked: knife. The hair being taken off, the hide is thrown into a pit or pool of water to cleanse it from the dirt, &c. which being done, the hide is again spread on the wooden beam, and the greafe, loofe flesh, extraneous filth, &c. carefully fcrubbed

Tanning, the bark of birch will anfwer the purpofe of tanning even fole leather, which, it is well known, requires the ftrongeft and most penetrating materials +.

+ Mem. Acad. Sc. Paris, 1786.

t

A long memoir, written by M. Gleditfch, recommends the leaves, branches, fruit, and flowers, of a vaft number of plants as fubftitutes for oak bark. Heath dried and pulverised, gall nuts, and the bark of birch, are faid by M. Gefner to be afed in different provinces of Germany. Abbé Nollet informs us, that the leaves of myrrh are used by the tanners in Naples. In Corfica they make use of the leaves of wild laurel dried in the fun and beaten into powder, and in the inland of St Kilda they tan with the tormentil root. In fome parts of Italy leather is tanned with myrtle leaves. In Ruffia, it is faid, that leather is tanned with the bark, of willow and it may here be observed, that a late writer has recommended the extract of bark to be made in America, in order to leffen the expence of freight, &c. in conveying the bark itself to Europe.

In the year 1765, the Society of Arts, &c. granted a premium of I. 100 for the difcovery of a method of taning with oak faw-duft; which method has been adopted in Germany and the Reverend Mr Swaine has lately revived the exploded fubftitate (mentioned by Gleditsch and others) of oak leaves.

The following propofal was communicated to the Bath Society for extracting the effence of oak bark:

Suppofe (fays the author) the operator has at hand a common family brew-house, with its neceffary utenfils; let him procure a ton of good oak bark ground as usual for the pit; and having placed a ftrainer to the mash-tub, fill it twothirds with the bark; heat as much water, nearly boiling, as will fufficiently moiften it, and mash it well together. After it has flood about two hours, draw it off clear, and put It into a cafk by itself. Make a second extract with a fmaller quantity of boiling water than before, so as to draw off a quantity nearly equal to the firft, and put that alfo into the fame cafk with the former.

These two extracts will probably contain in them as much of the virtues of the bark as the quantity of liquid will abforb.

A third extract, rather more in quantity than the other two, may be made from the fame bark, and as foon as drawn off, fhould be returned into the copper again when empty, and employed for the first and fecond mash of a quantity of fresh bark, as the three extracts may be supposed to have carried off the virtues of the first. Then proceed as before till all the bark is fteeped, and a ftrong liquid extract is drawn from it. The bark, when taken out of the copper, may be spread in the fun to dry, and ferve as fuel in the fucceeding operations.

The next process is, to evaporate the watery particles from the extract by a gentle heat, till it comes to the confiftence of treacle. This may be done either by the air and heat of the fun, or by the ftill or iron pan over the fire.

Anthony Day, Efq; of London, obtained a patent, dated 17th July 1790, for a new method of tanning, "with half the bark in half the ufual time." This plan chiefly confifts in concentrating the bark into a ftrong extract, and in fome mechanical improvements in the conftruction of the tan-yard. But neither the one nor the other have yet been adopted.

The 12th May 1795, a patent was granted to Mr Tucker of Wickham, Hants. He propofes that the vat, made He proposes that the vat, made of wood, be inclofed in a metallic coating or copper pit, completely foldered, to prevent the efcape of any of the fluid. This is to be furrounded with a cafe of brick-work, leaving an interstice of a few inches; and a fire is to be made in a grate near the bottom of the pit, to keep the ooze mode

rately warm, and thus to fhorten the procefs. But the Tanning, great expence of these triple pits and of the fuel, it is to be Tantalus. feared, will counterbalance any advantages which might otherwife be derived from this invention.

Monfieur Seguin of Paris has lately fubmitted to the French Convention a new method of tanning, which is faid to poffess wonderful advantages. He has certainly exploded the ignorant and abfurd systems of the French tanners, which we have above hinted at, and has shown much ingenuity and chemical knowledge in the profecution of his difcove. ries; but his leading principles feem, in fact, to be nearly fimilar to thofe which have been long known and practifed in England.

An ingenious manufacturer in London has, by the application of warm air, conveyed by means of flues from stoves properly conftructed, and by other contrivances not. gene rally known, confiderably abridged the usual procefs of tanning. Some experiments have likewife been lately made with the bark of afh and of horse-chefnut.

A fubftitute for oak bark, the price of which has lately been enormous, is the grand defideratum in the manufacture of leather. Moft of thofe above enumerated have hitherto been found ineffectual; but a patent, bearing date 16th Ja nuary 1794, has been granted to Mr Afhton of Sheffield, Yorkshire, for his discovery of a cheap and expeditiousme. thod of tanning leather. This method chiefly confilts in applying a preparation of mineral fubftances inftead of oak bark. Those which, on account of their cheapnefs, are most to be preferred, are the drofs of coal-pits, called fulphurflone or pyrites, and the yellow ferruginous earth or red ochre; and, in general, all aftringent, fulphureous, or vitriolated substances.

If this discovery, which is yet in its infancy, should prove fuccefsful, it may cause a material alteration in the process of this manufacture; and by reducing the expence, may ultimately be of great advantage to the public. Many other experiments are now making in England for the improvement of tanning; and as there are many perfons of ingenuity and knowledge engaged in the leather manufacture, much may be expected from their industry, and skill.

6

As the acts of Parliament refpe&ting leather, &c. are very Acts of numerous, and many of them almoft obfolete, we shall refer Parliament our readers to Burn's Juftice, or to the Statutes at Large, &c. respecWe cannot, however, help remarking, that the act ofting lea1 James I. cap. 22. which prescribes the mode and manner in which leather fhall be tanned, the materials to be used, and the time to be employed,, is fo palpably abfurd and oppreffive, that it ought to be immediately repealed.

The revenue arifing from the duty on leather tanned in Great Britain (exclufive of oiled leather) is upwards of L. 200,000 per annum.

TANTALUS, in fabulous hiftory, king of Phrygia and Paphlagonia, was the son of Jupiter and the nymph Plota. He one day entertained the gods at his table; when, to prove their divinity, he served up his fon Pelops cut in pieces. All the deities, except Ceres, perceived his cruelty and impiety, and would not touch his provifions. 'That goddefs, whofe thoughts were folely employed about her daughter Proferpine, inadvertently eat a part of his left fhoulder. Pelops, however, was reftored to life; and an ivory fhoulder- given him in the room of that which had been eaten; while Tantalus was thrown into Tartarus, where he was punifhed with perpetual hunger and thirst. He was chained in a lake; the water of which reached up to his chin, but retired when he attempted to drink. The branch of a tree loaded with fruit hung down even to his lips, but on his attempting to pluck the fruit the branch fprung upwards.

7

TAN

ther.