GILPIN 



3532 



GINGER 



it from Ceram on the S., while 

 Gilolo Passage flows along the E. 

 shores. Mountainous and heavily 

 forested, the equatorial line passes 

 through the S. limb of the island. 

 There are several active volcanoes, 

 the chief of which are Tolo and 

 Gamakora. Its length from N. to 

 S. is about 130 m., while its maxi- 

 mum breadth in any of its penin- 

 sulas does not exceed 45 in. ; its 

 estimated area, including several 

 small islands, is 6,900 sq. m. 



The largest of the bays are Bo- 

 lollo, Weda, Wossa, and Kiau. Fer- 

 tile in the cultivated areas, spices, 

 fruits, sago, coconuts, and edible 

 birds' nests are produced. Horses, 

 cattle, and sheep are reared, and 

 precious gems are found. The prin- 

 cipal towns are Gilolo, the capital, 

 Galela, and Patani. Subdivided 

 into several petty states, the 

 coastal districts are inhabited by 

 Malays, while, in the interior, a 

 race of inoffensive people, called 

 Alfuras, exist. Pop. (est.), 100,000. 



Gilpin, BERNARD (1517-83). 

 English divine and philanthropist. 

 Born at Kentmere, Westmorland, 

 he was educated at Queen's College, 

 Oxford. He studied later at Paris 

 and Lou vain, and became arch- 

 deacon of Durham and rector of 

 Houghton-le-Spring, where he died 

 March 4, 1583. Here he founded a 

 grammar school, and became famed 

 for his beneficence. He was offered 

 the bishopric of Carlisle, but de- 

 clined it. He spent his later years 

 in journeying about the district, 

 preaching and relieving distress. 



Gilpin, JOHN. Hero of a poem 

 by William Cowper (q.v.). It de- 

 scribes how Gilpin, a linen-draper 

 and a train-band captain, but a 

 poor horseman, attempted to fol- 

 low his wife and family to Edmon- 

 ton on horseback, but was carried 

 on to Ware, whence, with equally 

 diverting adventures, he was car- 

 ried back to London. The poem 

 was based on an anecdote of a Mr. 

 Beyer, of Paternoster Row, told to 

 the poet by Lady Austen. 



Gilsonite . Mineral named after 

 an American, S. H. Gilson. A 

 black, brilliant bitumen, it is a non- 

 conductor of heat and electricity, 

 and is used for making paint and 

 varnishes. It is chiefly found [in 

 Utah and Colorado, U.S.A. 



Giltspur Street. London 

 thoroughfare running N. from the 

 Old Bailey to W. Smithfield. An 

 approach to the old jousting 

 ground at Smithfield, hence its 

 name, it contained, 1791-1855, a 

 compter, or debtors' prison, at the 

 S.E. corner. On the same side are 

 parts of the G.P.O. and S. Bar- 

 tholomew's Hospital with, hi the 

 yard of the former, below the sur- 

 face, a bastion of the Roman wall. 



Gilyak. Primitive tribe of pa- 

 laeasiatic stock in N. Sakhalin and 

 on the lower Amur, E. Siberia. 

 Short and round-headed, they dis- 

 play a sparse -bearded Tungus type 

 and a bushy-bearded Ainu type. 

 They occupy in the whiter pit- 

 huts and in the summer pile-houses. 

 They are skilful boatmen, hunt 

 with bow and arrow, and subsist 

 mainly on salmon and sturgeon. 

 Their animism includes a bear- 

 festival. They numbered in 1915 

 6,194. 



Gimbals (Fr. jumelle, Lat. 

 gemettus, twin). Brass rings in 

 which a ship's compass is hung. 

 They are so arranged that the com- 

 pass remains horizontal, no matter 

 how the vessel rolls and pitches. 



Gimcrack Club. Racing club. 

 Founded in 1767, its name com- 

 memorates that of a famous race- 

 horse. It holds an annual dinner 

 at York, the rule being that the 

 guest of the evening shall be the 

 owner of the horse that wins the 

 Gimcrack Stakes, a race run every 

 Aug. at York. 



Girnli. In Norse mythology, a 

 great hall. It was of wonderful 

 brightness, and the idea was that 

 it would remain after the destruc- 

 tion of the world, to be for ever 

 the home of the good. 



Gimmal Ring. Two or more 

 separable hooks which when linked 

 together form a single finger ring. 

 They were formerly popular as be- 

 trothal rings and ornamented with 

 a device of two clasped hands or 

 two hearts. 



Gimp (Fr. guimpe, nun's wim- 

 ple). Lace trimming stiffened with 

 cords covered with silk or worsted. 

 It is sometimes enriched with gold 

 or silver, and usually of rather an 

 open design. 



Gin. Colourless spirit fla- 

 voured with juniper berries and 

 other aromatic herbs. It is dis- 

 tilled in a patent still, the grain 

 used being maize, to which a little 

 barley malt is added. The gin rec- 

 tifier buys the neutral spirit, and 

 then rectifies it. Sometimes it is 

 rectified twice, and of course com- 

 mands a higher price. It is fla- 

 voured by distillation with juniper 

 berries, although occasionally es- 

 sential oil of juniper is added to 

 the rectified product. Each gin 

 rectifier has his own recipes for 

 flavouring, and very often in addi- 

 tion to juniper, almonds, carda- 

 moms, cassia, orris-root, coriander 

 seeds, or other aromatics are 

 added. London gin is known all 

 over the world, and another variety 

 which has a large sale is " Ply- 

 mouth " gin, which is supposed 

 to obtain its particular flavour 

 through having a little sulphuric 

 acid added to it before rectifica- 



Gimbals, device of brass rings for 

 keeping a mariner's compass hori- 

 zontal 



tion ; " Old Tom " is simply ordi 

 nary gin sweetened with sugar or 

 sugar syrup. 



At one time Geneva had a much 

 larger sale in this country than 

 gin, but during the last 100 years 

 the home manufacturer has built 

 up a large trade in gin, and the 

 foreign article has a small sale as 

 compared with gin. Geneva is 

 simply Dutch gin, and is some- 

 times called hollands, or schnapps, 

 but it has nothing to do with the 

 city of Geneva. No doubt it is 

 derived from the Dutch word 

 " jenever," which in English means 

 juniper. Geneva is principally 

 made in Schiedam, Holland, on 

 much the same lines as English gin. 

 Gin contains from 38 p.c. to 50 p.c. 

 of alcohol. See Distilling. 



Ginchy. Village of France, in 

 the dept. of Somme. It is 7 m. E. 

 of Albert and 2 m. N.W. of Com- 

 bles. Prominent in the battles of 

 the Somme, it was captured by the 

 British, Sept. 10, 1916. Re-taken 

 by the Germans in March, 1918, it 

 was recovered by the Allies hi the 

 autumn. See Somme, Battles of the. 



Ginger (Zingiber officinale). 

 Perennial herb of the natural order 

 Scitaminaceae. It is a native of the 

 E. Indies. It has a horizontal root- 

 stock, which forms the ginger of 

 commerce. The leaves are narrow, 

 lance-shaped, up to 1 ft. long. The 



Ginger 



Horizontal rootstocK 

 flowering shoots 



