774 



EARWIG EAST INDIA COMPANIES. 



of bases of a metallic nature. Thorina, the last dis- 

 covered earth, was decomposed by heating the chlo- 

 ; ide of thorium with potassium. The metallic bases 

 of the eari hs approach more nearly tlian those of the 

 alkalies to the common metals, and the earths them- 

 selves have a stricter resemblance than the alkalies 

 to metallic oxides. Viewing them as forming part 

 of a natural arrangement, they furnish the link 

 which unites the alkalies to the metals. Accord- 

 ingly, many of the more recent systems of chemistry 

 treat of all these bodies as forming a single group 

 under the name of the metallic class. Still, (as doc- 

 tor Ure justly remarks), whatever may be the revo- 

 lutions of chemical nomenclature, mankind will 

 never cease to consider as earths those solid bodies 

 composing the mineral strata, which are incombusti- 

 ble, colourless, not convertible into metals by all the 

 ordinary methods of reduction, or, when reduced by 

 scientific refinements, possessing but an evanescent 

 metallic existence. For a more particular account 

 of the properties of the earths, and of their bases, 

 consult tlie articles relating to them respectively, in 

 this work. 



EARWIG ; an insect whose name is derived from 

 its supposed habit of insinuating itself into the ears 

 of persons who incautiously sleep among grass where 

 it is found. It is extremely doubtful whether the 

 animal intentionally enters the ear ; and, indeed, 

 there is no reason whatever that it should, except 

 from mere accident. A piece of an apple applied to 

 the orifice is said to entice the insect, and thus relieve 

 the sufferer ; where this fails, a few drops of sweet 

 oil destroy the life of the earwig, which must then 

 be extracted with a proper instrument by a physi- 

 cain. A remarkable fact, in relation to the earwig, 

 is its great abundance at particular times, and its 

 subsequent rarity. From the observations of ento- 

 mologists, it has been proved that these insects mi- 

 grate in considerable flocks, selecting the evening 

 for their excursions. Much damage is sustained by 

 gardeners from the depredations of these little ani- 

 mals among fruit and tender vegetables, which con- 

 stitute their proper food ; occasionally, however, they 

 feed on animal substances, and even devour each 

 other. The places in which the species of this small 

 genus are found are. chiefly damp and cool situations, 

 under stones and the bark of trees, among chests and 

 boxes which have been long undisturbed, and in 

 similar haunts. In the systems, the family which is 

 formed of the original genus forficula of Linnajus, 

 consists of two genera, forficula and labidura ; to 

 which another is added by Leach, the characters of 

 which differ in so trifling a degree from the prece*!- 

 ing, as to prevent its being generally received as 

 distinct. It is even doubtful whether the simple dis- 

 parity in the number of joints in the antennas, is 

 worthy of any distinction further than a section. 

 The forficula auricularia is a small insect, about three 

 quarters of an inch in length, having the wings 

 folded under very short and truncate elytra or wing 

 cases, and the extremity of the abdomen armed with 

 a horny forceps. When alarmed, the insect elevates 

 the abdomen, and opens these forceps, in order to 

 defend itself from the attack of its enemies. 



EAST ; one of the four cardinal points of the 

 world, being the point of the horizon where the sun 

 is seen to rise when in the equator. In Italy and 

 throughout the Mediterranean, the east wind is 

 called the levante. For the origin of the word, see 

 Easier. 



EASTER ; the festival commemorating the resur- 

 rection of Christ. The Greek *, and the Latin 

 pascha, from which come the French pdques, the 

 Italian -pasqtia, and the name of the same festival in 

 several other languages, originated from the notion 



that Christ was typified by the paschal lamb, or- 

 dained by Moses in the feast of the jiassover : thus 

 Paul says (I Cor. v. 7.). " For even Clirist our pass 

 over is sacrificed for us." The first Christians were 

 therefore considered to continue the Jewish feast; 

 understanding by the lamb, which was sacrificed at 

 the festival, Jesus, who suffered for mankind. (Sen 

 Passover.) Among the Greeks find Roman Catho- 

 lics, Easter is the most joyful festival of the church, 

 and is also observed with great solemnity by the 

 English church, the Lutherans, and the European 

 Caivinists. The Greek and Roman Catholic 

 churches did not celebrate it at precisely the same 

 time, and, while some Christians were mourning in 

 commemoration of the passion, others were rejoicing 

 in the resurrection of the Saviour. In the second cen- 

 tury the dispute became warm. The Eastern church 

 would not discontinue the celebration of the feast at 

 the same time with the Jews; whilst the Western 

 church insisted upon celebrating it without the pas- 

 chal lamb, and beginning it on Sunday, the day of 

 Christ's resurrection. The dispute was finally set- 

 tled by the council at Nice, in 325, which ordered 

 that the feast should be celebrated uniformly on the 

 Sunday after March 14th, and not on the same day 

 with the Jews. The English name Easter, and the 

 German Ostern, are most probably derived from the 

 name of the feast of the Teutonic goddess Osier a, 

 which was celebrated by the ancient Saxons early in 

 the spring, and for which, as in many other instances, 

 the first missionaries wisely substituted the Christian 

 feast. Adelung derives astern and caster from the 

 old word oster, osten, which signifies rising, because 

 nature arises anew in spring. This is also the deri- 

 vation of east, in German, osten. Easter-fires, Easter- 

 eggs, and many other customs and superstitions, have 

 all their origin from the ancient heathen feast, 

 which, as the celebration of the resurrection of nature, 

 was very appropriately succeeded by the festival 

 which commemorates the resurrection of Christ. 



EASTER ISLAND, or DAVIS' ISLAND ; an 

 island in the South Pacific ocean, Ion. 109 50' W.; 

 lat. 27 8' S. It is of a triangular form, one side 

 about twelve miles long, the other two about nine 

 each. Square miles, about 114. Population, dif- 

 ferently estimated at 700, 1500, and 2000. The 

 inhabitants are of a tawny colour, well formed, saga- 

 cious, and hospitable, yet thievish. The surface is 

 mountainous and stony, and the hills rise to such a 

 height, that they are visible at the distance of forty- 

 five miles. At the southern extremity is the crater 

 of a volcano of great size and depth. The soil of the 

 island is extremely fertile, but not a tenth part is 

 under cultivation. 



EASTERN EMPIRE. See Byzantine Empire. 



EAST INDIA COMPANIES. From the earliest 

 times, the commercial enterprise of the Europeans 

 has been directed towards an immediate intercourse 

 with the East Indies ; but the Arabian empire, and 

 its mercantile grandeur, at first, and the dominions 

 of the Persians and Turks, at a later period, pre- 

 sented insurmountable barrriers. The commercial 

 shrewdness of the Italian republics did not succeed 

 in entirely overcoming these obstacles ; and even the 

 Venetian commerce with India, extensive as it was, 

 could not be called direct. After the Turks had 

 established themselves in Europe, by the conquest of 

 Constantinople, and in Africa, by tliat of Egypt, the 

 access to India was more completely shut up, and the 

 enterprising spirit of the merchants of Christendom 

 was turned to the discovery of a direct channel to 

 that land of commerce. The west of Europe was 

 delivered from the Saracens, and the warlike spirit 

 which had long been occupied by the contests with 

 the infidels required some new scene of activity. 



