wheel begins to run down by the action of the main-spring, marking the vibrations by moving the hands G H; it is, however, stopped immediately by the next tooth at the top of the wheel meeting the upper pallet of the verge: the balance and pallet was at that time just beginning to return, and the top of the wheel moving in contrary direction to the bottom, the tooth presses against the pallet, and assists the balance to maintain the same arc in its vibration when the balance is about to return, the upper tooth of the wheel slips off the pallet, and the lower one catches on the lower pallet, and assists the balance as before: one of the pivots of the balance-wheel works in a small frame, y, called the pottance; the lower pivot of the verge works in the bottom of it also, and the upper pivot turns in a cock, F, screwed to the plate E, and covering the balance to defend it from injury. The hands, GH, are moved by the central arbor which projects through the lower plate, E, (fig. 5) and receives a pinion of twelve teeth fixed on the end of a tube which fits tight upon the arbor, but will slip round easily to set the hands when the watch is wrong: the other end of the tube is square, and receives the minute hand, H, which points out the minutes on a circle of sixty upon the dial-plate MM; the pinion on the tube turns a wheel, L, of fortyeight (seen in plans in fig. 3) on whose arbor is a wheel of sixteen, turning another wheel, K, of forty-eight, the arbor of which is a tube fitting on the other tube, and has the hour hand, G, fixed upon it: by this arrangement the minute hand, H, turns round twelve times for one revolution of the hour hand, G. As the time the balance takes to perform a vibration depends upon the arc it passes through, the least increase of force in the main spring would alter the rate of the watch; there fore the fusee is cut into a spiral, diminishing from top to bottom, as the spring draws the chain with greater force when wound up than when it is more released. The chain acts upon a shorter lever when the spring is wound up, and upon a longer when it is down, so as to regulate the unequal action of the spring to a perfectly regular force upon the wheel work. As it will most probably happen that a watch will not always keep the same time, it is necessary to have an adjustment that may cause it to move faster or slower: this can be done by two ways, either by increasing or diminishing the force of the main-spring, a, which increases or diminishes the arc the balance describes; or it may be done by strengthening or weakening the pendulum spring, oo, which will cause the balance to move quicker or slower. The first is done by turning the rachet wheel, b, (fig. 5 and 3) on the end of the arbor of the main-spring, thereby winding up or Jetting down the spring without turning the fusee; but as this is a very coarse adjustment, it is never used but by the maker, and recourse is had to the pendulum spring, o, (fig. 2) which is fixed to a stud, r, upon the plate E, by one end, and the verge of the balance by the other: p is a small piece of metal, called the curb, hav ing a notch in it to receive the spring: the acting part of the spring is from p to the centre; and as the curb, p, is moveable, the acting length can be altered: the carb is cut into teeth, and turned by a pinion, 9, (fig. 4) which represents the piece, sssss, detached from the plate E, and turned up: the pinion, q, has a small dial, divided into thirty, fixed to its arbor on the upper side of the plate, ss, by which it can be set so as to regulate the watch to the utmost nicety: ttt! (fig. 1) are four pillars by which the two plates, EE, of the watch are held together; and tttt (fig. 2) represent the heads of the same pillars coming through the upper plate, and small pins put through to keep the plate down. (BritishEnc.) Mr. Elliot, of Clerkenwell, a few years ago, invented a very simple repeating watch, in which the motion is performed with compara tively few parts. Thus he is enabled to reduce the price of good repeaters so low as eight guineas, or to add the repeating work to another watch for three. The method by which this repeater is so much simplified, is by the use of a single part, so contrived as to perform the operations of se veral: this is, a flat ring, or centreless wheel, of nearly the same diameter as the watch, supported in its place, so as to admit of circula motion, by four grooved pulleys placed round its external circumference, in the same manner as the part in common clocks which denotes the moon's age. This part is put in motion by turning the pendant, whose extremity is formed into a small vertical wheel, which works in teeth cut on the external part of the flat ring for almost a third of its circumference. The lower part of the ring contains the pins, at right angles to its face, which lift the hammers for striking the hours and quarters; the internal part of the ring contains indentations of regularly increasing depths, which, receiv ing the tails of the levers, whose other extre mities are pressed by their springs against the hour-snail and the quarter-snail, is by them prevented from moving beyond a certain degree proper for the time: after the pendant is turned, the ring is brought back to its first position, by a box-spring, round which a fine chain is coiled, whose extremity is connected with the inner part of the ring. By turning the pendant to the left the hour is struck, and by turning it to the right the quarters are repeated; and the returning spring just mentioned is made to operate in both directions, by its chain passing between two little pulleys, which on either side convert the direction of the chain to the line of traction of the spring. Hence, it is evident this single flat ring per forms all the following operations: 1. It receives the motion for striking the 2. The same for striking the quarters. 8. It carries the part, for the same purpose, for the quarter-movement. 9. It contains a cavity, which moves over a fixed pin, that prevents the pendant from turning it too far. In this ring, the same parts, in three instances, are made to perform double operations, by which simplicity of construction is advanced, apparently to its greatest extent. WATCH-GLASSES, in a ship, are glasses employed to measure the period of the watch, or to divide it into any number of equal parts, as hours, half-hours, &c. so that the several stations therein may be regularly kept and relieved, as at the helm, pump, look-out, &c. WATCHER. s. (from watch.) 1. One who sits up; one who does not go to sleep (Shakspeare). 2. Diligent overlooker or observer (More). WATCHET, a town in Somersetshire, with a market on Saturday, scated on the Bris tol channel, at the mouth of a good harbour, much frequented by coal ships, which are freighted hence with limestone, alabaster, and kelp. It is fourteen miles N.W. of Bridgewater, and 153 W. by S. of London. Lon. 3. 25 W. Lat. 51. 12 N. WATCHET. a. (paced, Saxon.) Blue; pale blue (Dryden). WATCHFUL. a. (watch and full.) Vigilant; attentive; cautious; nicely observant (Shakspeare). WATCHFULLY. ad. Vigilantly; cautiously; attentively; with cautious observation; heedfully (Boyle). WATCHFULNESS. s. (from watchful.) 1. Vigilance; heed; suspicious attention; cautious regard; diligent observation (Watts). 2. Inability to sleep (Arbuthnot). WATCHHOUSE. s. (watch and house.) Place where the watch is set (Gay). WATCHING. s. (from watch.) Inability to sleep (Wiseman). WATCHMAKER. s. (watch and maker.) One whose trade is to make watches, or pocket clocks (Moxon). WATCHMAN. s. (watch and man.) Guard; sentinel; one set to keep ward (Taylor). WATCHTOWER.'s. (watch and tower.) Tower on which a sentinel was placed for the sake of prospect (Donne). WATCHWORD. s. (watch and word.) The word given to the sentinels to know their friends (Sandys). WATEEOO, an island in the Pacific ocean, discovered by captain Cook. It is six leagues in circuit, composed of hills and plains, and the surface covered with verdure. The soil, in some parts, is light and sandy; but further up the country, a reddish cast was seen on the rising grounds, where the islanders build their houses, which are long and spacious. The manners of the people, their general habits of life, and their method of treating strangers, greatly resemble those of Otaheite, and its neighbouring islands. There is also a great similarity between their religious opinions and ceremonies. Lon. 158. 15 W. Lat. 21. 1 S. WATER. (aqua.) A transparent fluid, without colour, smell, or taste; in every degree compressible; when pure, not liable to spontaneous change; liquid in the common temperature of our atmosphere, assuming a solid form at 32° Fahrenheit, and a gasseous at 212°, but returning unaltered to its liquid state on resuming any degree of heat between these points; capable of dissolving a greater number of natural bodies than any other fluid whatever, and especially those known by the name of the saline; performing the most important functions in the vegetable and animal kingdoms, and entering largely into their composition as a constituent part. Water is found throughout the earth, not only in the uncombined states of ice, liquidity, or steam, but permanently united to a vast number of bodies, both solid, fluid, and gasseous. For instance, the common air of the atmosphere and water are mutually soluble in each other; all natural waters containing air, and even that air which is apparently the dryest, holding a portion of water in true solution. Again, many solid minerals and all crystallized neutral salts contain water in their composition, some of the latter to full half their weight; and by all these combinations water, in changing its form, loses many of its distinguishing properties. Chemists have long been occupied in the important consideration, whether water be a simple elementary substance; and two or three totally different controversies have succeeded observed, even by Hippocrates, that all natural each other on this question. It was long since waters contain air, which is separable from them by heat or by freezing, and that, under particular circumstances, they all deposit a portion of earth. These events constantly occurring with every natural water as it springs from the soil, several ingenious men have imagined that earth and air were necessary constituent parts of perfect water, and have attempted to allot to each of them their peculiar share in producing the various appearances of this fluid, and its that "water is composed of watery moisture, or effect on the human body: so Hoffman observes, water, properly so called, of a fluid expansive ether, and of earthy and saline particles." Assuming this composition as true, he goes on to assign the particular properties of each ingredient: "the etherial part is the cause of the superior lightness, briskness, intestine motion, and exemption from putrefaction; the watery part, which is by far the greatest in quantity, is composed of very subtile and mobile particles, which insinuate into, and penetrate every substance saline matter is fixed, and will not rise in capable of solution; whilst the earthy and distillation. Hence too the quality of different waters must, according to this opinion, depend on the proportion of each ingredient. The most salubrious waters are those which contain most of the etherial particles, and are lighter than the others. They also heat and cool the soonest The air is very mild, pleasant, and healthy. The north part, called the Woodlands, is divided from the south, called the Feldon, by the river Avon; and the soil of both is rich and fertile. It produces corn, malt, wood, wool, cheese, coal, iron, and limestone. The principal rivers are the Avon, Tame, and Arrow. The capital is Warwick, but Birmingham is the largest town. WARWORN. a. (war and worn.) Worn with war (Shakspeare). WARY. a. (poɲ, Saxon.) Cautious; scrupulous; timorously prudent (Addison). WAS. The preterit of To be. To WASH. v. a. (parcan, Saxon; wasschen, Dutch.) 1. To cleanse by ablution (L'Estrange). 2. To moisten; to wet: as, the rain washes the flowers. 3. To affect by ablution (Watts). 4. To colour by washing (Col lier). To WASH. v. n. 1. To perform the act of ablution (Pope). 2. To cleanse clothes (Shakspeare). WASH. S. (from the verb.) 1. Alluvion; any thing collected by water (Mortimer). 2. A bog; a marsh; a fen; a quagmire (Shakspeare). 3. A medical or cosmetic lotion (Swift). 4. A superficial stain or colour (Collier). 5. The feed of hogs gathered from washed dishes (Shakspeare). 6. The act of washing the clothes of a family; the linen washed at once. WASHBALL. s. (wash and ball.) Ball made of soap (Swift). WASHER. s. (from wash.) One that washes (Shakspeare). WASHING MACHINE, a contrivance by means of which clothes are cleansed from dirt. The following, given by Dr. Willich, is a description of a washing machine lately invented in Germany, by M. M. Fischer and Kerzig. understand from the inventors, by whom it was first used for cleansing the felts in an extensive paper-mill, that from fourteen to eighteen shirts may be completely washed within one hour; and that the friction is far less than in performing that operation by the hand; while the foul water is not suffered to flow back into the linen, but is continually renewed. If table-cloths, &c. happen to be greasy, they must be whirled round in the machine for the space of from 20 to 30 minutes; when it will be necessary to take them out; and, after rubbing them well with soap to expose them again to the action of the engine for half an hour, when they will be found thoroughly cleaned. Fine linen may be inclosed in a bag, and washed in a similar manner, so as to prevent it from being injured by friction. There are, however, two points which ought to be strictly attended to; namely, the agitation of the water should not be too violent; and a sufficient quantity of foul linen must be thrown in at a time, in order to amount to such weight as will cause it to descend, after having been carried to the uppermost part of the cylinder. The only obstacle to the general introduction of this machine is, that it cannot be adopted in those situations which are not provided with a current or stream of water to work it; but, wherever a brook or rivulet occurs, such ap paratus will be found highly serviceable in workhouses, great schools, prisons, and hospitals, not less than in private families; as 200 shirts may be washed by one person in the space of twelve hours. It may be erected in a mill-reach, so as to be set in motion by the immediate pressure of the water; or, by connecting its mechanism with the main cylinder of the water-wheel. (Pl. 173, fig. 1.)-a, is a section of the washing cylinder, with its sixteen ladles, projecting four inches; but of these ladles only four jut out internally, as represented by the dotted line at b, b, b, b. C, the iron roller, which is on the outside, fixed to the bottom of the cylinder, by means of an iron cross at d, d, d, d, with screws or nails: it rests on the beanie, so as to be upheld in the four excavated columns or posts f,f, f,f, by the lever, and to be either raised or lowered, and afterwards secured by the pins h, h, according to the greater or less depth of water. i, the cistern, at the sides of which the four posts are firmly inserted. (Fig. 2.) bird's-eye view of the machine. The laths between the ladles may be here distinctly seen, together with the roller, c, c, as is secured by a cap, K. it rests on the beam or supporter e, e, e, e, and the boaded floor above the cistern or reservoir of water, on which the person stands, when the cylinder is to be placed higher or lower. By means of this excellent contrivance, we WASHINGTON (George), the founder of American independence, was born 1732, in the county of Fairfax in Virginia. He was descended from an English family, which emigrated from Cheshire, about 1630, for Virginia. He was educated under a private tutor, and embraced the military profession. His abilities were first employed by Dinwiddie in 1753, in making remonstrances to the French commander on the Ohio, for the infraction of the treaty between the two nations, and he afterwards negociated with the Indians on the back settlements, and for his services was thanked by government. In the expedition of general Braddock he served as his aid-decamp, and he displayed great talents in conducting the retreat, and in saving the army from a dangerous position. He retired with the rank of colonel, but left the peaceful employments of an agriculturist at Mount Vernon, to become senator in the national council for Frederic county, and afterwards for Fairfax. In the American war he was early selected by the leaders of the insurrection to command the provincial troops, and by his prudence, his valor, and his presence of mind, he de served and obtained the gratitude of his country, and finally triumphed over all opposition, Distinguished by the name of American Fa bius, he shewed himself master of military surpassed them far in wisdom, in moderation, stratagems, and while some blamed his precautions as cowardice, he proved that he could fight whenever he calculated upon the prospect of decisive advantages or certain victory. A more rash general might have endangered the safety of his country, by facing openly the disciplined troops of England, but the sagacious general knew that cautious operations would prove more decisive than the most brilliant victory over an enemy, whose resources were supplied with difficulty from distant Europe. After seeing the independence of his country established in 1783, the heroic chief resigned his high office of commander to the congress, and in the midst of the applauses, the admiration, and the tears of his fellow citizens, he retired to a private station. With firinness he declined the honours offered to him by the gratitude of America, he defrayed all his military expences during the eight years of the war, and modestly declared himself satisfied with the recollection of his services, and the good opinion of his fellow citizens. In 1789 he was named president, for which his wisdom and moderation so fully qualified him. It was a period of difficulty; the unsubdued spirit of liberty in America was again kindled into a flame by the revolution of France, and not a few of the Americans sighed at home for that equality which seemed to promise more extensive happiness to the renovated subjects of Lewis XVI. Washington anticipated the plans of the factious, the prudence of his administration checked insurrection, discontent was silenced, and the people, whom the intrigues of the French envoy roused to rebellion, were convinced of the wildness of their measures, and of the wisdom of their governor. The president completed in 1796 the business of his office by signing a commercial treaty with Great Britain, and then resigned at a moment when all hearts and all hands were united again to confer upon him the sovereignty of the country. Restored to Mount Vernon, he devoted himself to the cultivation of his lands, and though he accepted the command of the army in 1798, it was more to unite together his fellow citizens to one general point, the good of the country, than to gratify ambition or pride. He expired at his seat rather unexpectedly, after a few days illness, 14th Dec. 1799. He was buried with national honours. America, in a public mourning, deplored in him the loss of her father and her friend, and a new city was erected on the borders of the Potomac, which, in becoming the capital of the United States, records to distant times, by bearing his name, the patriotism and the glories of her illustrious founder. Wisdom, says a contemporary writer, was the predominant feature in the character of Washington. His patience, his forbearance, his firmness, in adverse as well as in prosperous events, proved of more solid advantage to his country than his bravery and talents. Though, perhaps, inferior to other great characters in the extent of his ideas, and the boldness of his plans, he in integrity. The history of his life is the his tory of American independence, and though there may be men who deery his services, while they forget his disinterested resignation of sovereign authority, it is much to be feared that many generations shall not elapse, before some equally fortunate but more ambitious chief may boldly seize the reins of absolute dominion, and establish an usurped power over the liberties of his enslaved country. A copious account of his life has been published by judge Marshall in five large vols. 8vo.; and an interesting collection of his official letters to congress during the American war, by Dr. Carey, in 2 vols. 8vo. WASHINGTON, the name of several coun. ties in the United States of America: namely, in Rhode Island, in New York, in Pennsyl vania, in Maryland, in Virginia, in Tenassee, in North Carolina, in South Carolina, and in Georgia. These, and several towns of the same name, take their denomination from the illustrious general Washington, who was elected the first president of the United States in 1788. WASHINGTON, a commercial town of the United States, in North Carolina, seated on the river Tar, 38 miles N. by E. of Newbern. Lon. 77. 3 E. Lat. 34. 40 N. WASHINGTON, a town in the state of Georgia, in the county of Wilkes. A mile and a half from this town is a medicinal spring which has been found very beneficial in rheu matic cases: it rises from a hollow tree, the inside of which is covered with a coat of nitre, an inch thick; and the leaves around the spring are incrusted with a substance as white as snow, It is 50 miles N.W. of Augusta. Lon. 82. 30 W. Lat. 33. 12 N. WASHINGTON, a city of N. America, now the metropolis of the United States. It is seated at the junction of the rivers Potomac and the Eastern Branch, extending about four miles up each, including a tract of territory scarcely to be exceeded in point of convenience, salubrity, and beauty, by any in the world. This territory, called Columbia, lies partly in Virginia and partly in Maryland, and was ceded by these two states to the United States of America, and by them established to be the seat of government, after the year 1800. The plan combines convenience, regularity, cle gance of prospect, a free circulation of air, and every thing grand and beautiful that can be introduced into a city. It is divided into squares or grand divisions, by streets running due N. and S., and E. and W.; which form the groundwork of the plan. But, from the capitol, the president's house, and some of the important areas in the city, run diagonal streets, from one material object to another, which not only produce a variety of charming prospects, but remove the insipid sameness which renders some great cities unpleasing. The great leading streets are all 160 feet wide, including a pavement of 10 feet, and a gravel walk of 30 feet planted with trees on each side, |