about with rocks, and has near it a precipitate de scent of near twelve fathoms deep, at the bottom of which there continually issues from the rocks a considerable current of water. This cavern is about 200 yards in length, and at the farthest part of it there is a good stream of water, large enough to drive a mill. At certain seasons there are in it multitudes of frogs and bats. Elden-hole is a huge profound perpendicular chasm, three miles from Buxton, ranked among the natural wonders of the Peak. Its depth is unkyown. Peak's hole, and Pool's hole, are two remarkable horizontal cavities under mountains, the one near Castleton, the other just by Buxton. They seem to have had their origin from the springs, which have their current through them. The Grotto del Cani is a little cavern four leagues from Naples, the air contained in it is chietly carbonic-acid-gas, which, by its weight, is found near the bottom of the cavern, so that a man may pass through it with safety, but to a dog, cat, &c. it will be fatal.

GRYLLUS, the locust, grasshopper and cricket, in natural history, a genus of insects belonging to the order hemiptera. There are sixty-one species, of which the most numerous is the gryllus migratorius, or common locust, which of all insects is most capable of injuring mankind. Legions of these animals are from time to time observed in various parts of the world, where the havoc they commit is almost incredible: whole provinces have been desolated by them in the space of a few days, and the air is darkened by their numbers ; when they are dead, they are still terrible from the putrefaction arising from their vast numbers. This was the

case in the year 852, when immense swarms took their flight from the eastern regions into the west : they destroyed in their course all vegetables, and the corn, at the rate of 140 acres per day : their daily marches or distances of fight were computed at 20 miles, and these were regulated by leaders or kings, who flew first and settled on the spot which was visited at the same hour the next day by the whole legion; these marches were always undertaken at sun-rise. The locusts were at length driven, by the force of the winds, into the German Ocean, and being thrown back by the tide and left on the shores, caused a dreadful pestilence by the stench which they made by their dead bodies.

GUARDS, in military economy, and in a particular sense, the troops that are designed to guard the king's person and palace; and which consist both of horse and foot. GUARDS, Yeomen of the, a band of body-guards instituted by Henry VIII. in the year 1545. Their dress is similar to that of the time of their founder. One bundred are by rotation on duty, and there are seventy more, out of whom the place of any of the hundred who die is supplied.

GUARD-boat, a boat appointed to row the rounds among the ships of war which are laid up in any barbour or river, to observe that their officers keep a good looking out, calling to the guard-boat as she passes, and not suffering her crew to come on board, without having previously communicated the watch word of the night.

GUARD-ship, à vessel of war appointed to superintend the marine affairs of a harbour or river, to see that the ships not in commission have their pro

per watch word kept duly, by sending her guard
boats round them every night; and to receive sea-
men who are inpressed in time of war.9

Guidon, a sort of flag or standard, borne by the
king's life-guard, and which is the tag or ensign
of a tinop of horse. It is broad next the staff, and
pointed and divided at the opposite extremity.

Guild, a company, fraternity, or corporation, of which every member was to pay something toward the common charge:

GUILLOTINE, an instrument of public execution, adopted in France during the period of the Revolution, as affording the least barbarous means of puta ting criminals to death. This' name, as was reported at the time of its introduction there, was derived from that of the man who brought it forward. Under the denomination of the maiden, it was used in Scotland, before the union, when persons of rank were to be beheaded. It has also been employed, in at least one jurisdiction of England. At the first erection of the woollen manufactories in the neighbourhood of Halifax, the cloths were frequently stolen off the tenters in the night.

In consequence a law was made, by which the magis: trates of that town were empowered to pass sen

tence on, and execute all offenders, if they were : taken in the fact, or owned it, or if the stolen cloth

was found upon them; provided also the crime was committed, and the criminal was apprehended, within the forest of Hardwic. Those found guilty, were executed in the following manner : - axe was drawn by a pulley to the top of a wooden engine, and fastened hy a pin, which being pulled out, the axe fell down in an instant, and did its work

an

If they had stolen an ox, horse, or any other beast, it was led with them to the scaffold, and there fast. ened by a cord to the pin that held up the axe; and when the signal was given by the jurors, who were the first burghers within the several towns of the forest, the beast_was driven away, and the pin plucked out, upon which the axe fell and did its office.

GUITTAR, a musical instrument of the stringed kind, with double rows of strings, of which those that are brass are in the middle, except it be for the burden, are an octave lower than the fourth.

Gules, in heraldry, the red colour.

Gulf, or Gulph, in geography, a broad capacious bay, wbich, wben very extensive, takes the name of a sea ; as the gulph of Venice, also called the Adriatic sea.

Gum, a concrete vegetable juice, of no particular smell or taste, becoming vicious or tenacious when dissolved or moistened with water; totally dissoluble into a liquid by water; not dissolving in vinous spirits or oils ; burning to a black coal, without melting or catching flame; and suffering no dissipation in the heat of boiling water. The pure gums are such as gum-arabic, tragacanth, senega, and the gum of cherry and plum-trees.

Gum-arabic is the produce of a species of acacia.
Gum-resin, see Resin.

Gun, in the military art, an instrument by means of which the explosion of gunpowder forcibly drives a ball or solid body to a considerable distance. Gun is an almost general name for fire-arms, including all kinds except the pistol and mortar.

The gun is supposed to have been used in Asia at a very early date; but it was not invented in Europe before the fourteenth century. Roger Bacon, about the year 1280, suggested the possibility of applying the preparation since called gunpowder to the purposes of war; but the idea of blowing a body to a distance by its power was produced by its accidentally doing so, in the laboratory of Bartholomew Schwartz, a German monk. Guns were originally made of iron bars, soldered together, and strengthened with iron hoops; an example of which is still preserved in the Tower of London.

Gunnery, the art of charging, directing and exploding fire-arms to the best advantage. It depends upon niathematical knowledge.

GUNPOWDER, a composition of saltpetre or nitre, sulphur, and charcoal, mixed together, and usually granulatel. It is on this powder that every thing in the modern art of war depends. A white gun. powder has been talked of, the powder of which is described as equal to that of the black, while its explosion makes no noise; but no powder answering this description has ever been seen. It is

supposed that its whiteness is produced by the mixture of touchwood or camphor, instead of coal.

GYMNOSOPHISTS, a sect of philosophers of India, of which the greater part were highly respectable men; but who were thus termed (naked philosophers) because the heat of the climate obliged them to wear as little clothing as possible. Their philosophy had a general resemblance to that which has always been received in India throughout. It should be observed, that the antients called him naked who was without his upper garment, or that