CHI 



221 



cm 



CHIL'IASTS, a sect; the millenarians. 

 T^i^ietf, a thousand years. 



CHII/UES, the pods or fruit of the Capsi- 

 ntt (wuu-im.orGuinea pepper, and which, 

 being ground, form Cayenne pepper. 



CHIL'TERN HUNDREDS. The tract an- 

 ciently called by this name extends 

 through parts of Buckingham and Oxford 

 shires. The steward was an officer ap- 

 pointed to keep the peace there. Mem- 

 bers of Parliament, by accepting a 

 nominal office, such as this stewardship, 

 under the Crown, do virtually abandon 

 their seats. 



CHIMERA, a genus of fishes closely 

 allied to the sharks in their general form. 

 Cuvier places the cbinuera? in the order 

 Sturiones. Name from %i[jt.x.i%at,, a mon- 

 ster with three heads, &c. " The chima?ra 

 is one of the most remarkable among 

 living fishes, as a link in the family of 

 Chondropterygians ; and the discovery of 

 a similar link in the geological epochs of 

 the oolitic and cretaceous formation, 

 shows that the duration of this curious 

 genus has extended through a greater 

 range of geological epochs than that of 

 any other genus of fishes yet ascertained 



by Professor Agassiz." 2. A fabulous 



monster in mythology. 



CHIM'INAGE. In law, a toll for passage 

 through a forest. The word is Fr. chemin, 

 a way. 



CHIM'XF.Y JAMBS, the sides rising from 

 the top of the grate to the entrance of the 

 chimney, from the back of which the 

 upper part extends forward under the 

 mantel -piece. 



CHIMNET STALK, a tall upright chimney 

 for carrying away smoke from a furnace, 

 &c. 



CHIMPANZE', a variety of the ourang- 

 outang, regarded as a distinct species by 

 Cuvier ; the Simia Troglodytes, Linn., Com- 

 mon in Guinea and Congo. The chim- 

 panses live in troops, construct huts, arm 

 themselves with clubs and stones, and 

 thus repulse men and elephants. They 

 are easily domesticated, and soon learn to 

 walk, sit, and eat like human beings. In 

 size this monkey is nearly equal to man. 



CHINA ROSE, the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, 

 of which there are many varieties. 



CHINCHILLA, an animal found in the 

 valleys of Chili. Its fur is of an ash colour, 

 crisped and tangled, and much valued in 

 Europe. 



CHINE. 1. The spine of an animal. 



2. The chime of a cask, or the ridge formed 



by the ends of the staves. 3. A narrow 



ravine with vertical edges. 



CHIN'SISO, in nautical affairs, a tempo- 

 rary species of calking, the oakum being 

 only tightly thrust into the chinks of the 

 ship by means of a chisel or pointed knife. 



CHINTZ, cblnts, fine printed calico first 



manufactured in the East Indies, but now 

 largely manufactured at home. The name 

 is Hind, chant. Per. chinz, spotted. 



CHi'o.an orifice in the German refining 

 forge, to allow the melted slag or cinder 

 to flow off from the surface of the metal : 

 called also the floss-hole. 



CHIO'NIS, the Sheath-bill ', a genus ol 

 birds: order ffrallatot-ite, family macro- 

 dactyli. Only one species is known, and 

 that is from N. Holland, about the size of 

 a partridge, with entirely white plumage ; 

 whence the name from %iovuot, white. 



CHIP'PING-PIECES, the projecting pieces 

 of iron cast on the faces of iron framing 

 when intended to be rested against each 

 other; the chippings form the points of 

 contact. 



CHIR'OGRAPH, from 6/g, the hand, and 

 ypotQw, to write. 1. Anciently, a deed, 

 which, requiring a counterpart, was en- 

 grossed twice on the same piece of parch- 

 ment, with a space between, in which 

 was written chirograph, through which 

 the parchment "was cut, and one part 

 given toeach party. It answers to what is 



now called a charter-party. 2. A fine, 



so called from the manner of engrossing, 

 which is still retained in the chirogra- 

 pher's office in England. 



CHIROG'RAPHER (of fines), an officer in 

 the Common Pleas who engrosses fines ac- 

 knowledged in the court, and delivers the 

 indentures to the parties. Set CHIROGRAPH. 



CHIR'OMANCY, or PALMISTRY; %uf and 

 u^cvrtioe,, a divination. The art of divina- 

 tion by the hands. This practice, once de- 

 fended and explained by " learned " 

 authors, is now entirely in the hands of 

 gipsies. 



CHIRO'NIA, a genus of plants to which 

 the centaury of Britain belongs. Pentan- 

 dria Monogynia. Name from Chiron, the 

 centaur, who discovered its use. The 

 British species are annuals, hut those of 

 theCapeof Good Hope are shrubby plants. 



CHIRON'OMY, %IIQ and vofjc-of, law. The 

 science of gesticulation, pantomime, and 

 oratorical action. 



CHIROTHE'RHTM, from %sie* a hand, and 

 3"/j;v, a wUdbeast,fhe name proposed to 

 be given by professor Kaup to the great 

 unknown animal, whose footsteps have 

 been observed in beds of red sand-stone, 

 on account of their resemblance to the 

 impressions of a human hand 



CHIS'EL, a tool for cutting by the im- 

 pulse of pressure or by the blows of a 

 mallet. The former is used, first of all, 

 after the work is scribed, with a mallet ; 

 the paring -chisel, with a fine smooth edge, 

 is used without a mallet, to smooth the 

 irregularities left by the former ; the sAw- 

 former is used for cleaning acute angles ; 

 the mortise- chisel is narrow, and very thick 



