CAA 



CAB 



others, and rather foliated than merely 

 knobbed 



BYSSUS, in botany a genus of the 

 Cryptogamia Algae, and the last in the 

 scale of vegetation in that class. They ap- 

 pear in the form of threads, on rotten 

 wood, the bark of trees, rocks, and walls, 

 especially in damp cellars ; one sort is 

 common en wine casks ; at first is like 

 flakes of snow, but turns yellow ; in this 

 state it has black grains at the base like 

 gunpowder. The green paper byssus is 

 a farina, concreting on the surface of the 

 water, and forming a wide thin film. 

 There are many species, but the number 

 is doubtful. 



BYSTROPOGON, in botany, a genus 

 of the Didynamia Gymnospermia class 

 and order. Natural order, Verticillatze. 

 Labiatze, Jussieu. Essential character: 

 calyx five-subulate, bearded at the open- 



ing ; corolla, upper lip bifid ; covers tri- 

 fid ; stamens distant. There are seven 

 species, of which B. pectinatum, balm- 

 leaved bystropogon, has an herbaceous 

 stem, generally five or six feet high, leaves 

 petiolated, cordate, veined; spikes simple 

 or manifold; scarcely leafy; composed 

 of whorls; supported by several bristle- 

 shaped bractes, the length of the flow- 

 ers, which grow thick together, curiously 

 disposed on the smaller slips of the 

 branched tops ; they are whitish, and all 

 the parts very small ; the neck of the 

 calyx and filaments are commonly cover- 

 ed with down. The corolla is scarcely 

 larger than the calyx ; stamens the length 

 of the corolla, and distant; style purplish; 

 stigmas simple, seeds roundish, black 

 and glossy. This plant is a native of Ja- 

 maica. It is found in all the low lands 

 about Kingston and Spanish Town. 



c. 



Cthe third letter, and second conso- 

 ' nant of the alphabet, is formed by 

 forcing the breath between the tongue, 

 elevated near the palate (to make the 

 voice somewhat sibilous) with the lips 

 open. It has two sounds, hard and soft; 

 hard, like k, before a, u, o, 1, and r ; as 

 in call, cost, cup, clean, crop ; and soft, 

 like s before i, e, and y ; as in city, ces- 

 sion, cyder : before h it has a peculiar 

 sound, as in chance, chalk: in chord, 

 chart, and some other words, it is hard 

 like k : but in many French words, it is 

 soft before h, like s, as in chase, chagrin. 



As a numeral, C signifies 100, CC 200, 

 &c. 



C, in music, the highest part in the 

 thorough bass; again, a simple C, or 

 rather a semicircle, placed after the cliff, 

 intimates that the music is in common 

 time, which is either quick or slow, as it 

 is joined with allegro or adagio : if alone, 

 it is usually adagio. 



If the C be crossed or turned, the first 

 requires the air to be played quick, and 

 the last very quick. 



CAABA, or CAABAH, properly signi- 

 fies a square building ; but is particu- 

 larly applied by the Mahometans to the 

 temple of Mecca, built, as they pretend, 



by Abraham, and Ishmael his son. It is 

 towards this temple they always turn their 

 faces when they pray, in whatever part ot 

 the world they happen to be. 



This temple enjoys the privilege of an 

 asylum for all sorts of criminals ; but it is 

 most remarkable for the pilgrimages 

 made to it by the devout Musselmen, 

 who pay so great a veneration to it, that 

 they believe a single sight of its sacred 

 walls, without any particular act of devo- 

 tion, is as meritorious in the sight of God, 

 as the most careful discharge of one's 

 duty, for the space of a whole year, in any 

 other temple. 



CAB, an Hebrew dry measure, equal to 

 two and five-sixths pints of our corn mea- 

 sure. 



CABBAGK. See BJIASSICA, 



CABBAGE free. See ARECA. 

 ' CABBAGING, among gardeners, a 

 term used for the knitting of cabbages in- 

 to round heads. 



CABBALA, properly signifies tradition, 

 and is the name of a mysterious kind of 

 science, thought to have been delivered 

 by revelation to the ancient Jews, and 

 transmitted by oral tradition to those of 

 our times ; serving for the interpretation 

 of the books both of nature and scripture. 



