CIN 



CIR 



CIKXABAR, in chemistry, is a sulphu- 

 ret of mercury, and is prepared by mixing- 

 one part of sulphur with seven or eight of 

 mercury, and by applying 1 such a heat as 

 to make them combine. The bJack pow- 

 der which they form is then exposed to 

 heat sufficient to produce inflammation ; 

 after which the remaining mass is sub- 

 limed in close vessels. The sublimate is 

 inercury|in combination with sulphur: it is 

 of a very fine red colour, and when levi- 

 gated, is in common use as a pigment, un- 

 der the name of cinnabar or vermilion. 



CINNAMON is the bark of the laurus 

 cinnamomum, indigenous in some of the 

 Eastern Islands, butan inferior kind,taken 

 from the laurus cassia, is often sold for or 

 mixed with it. Cinnamon is most grate- 

 ful, aromatic, highly pungent, and yields 

 a very fine cordial. The bark is used in 

 many culinary preparations, and is gene- 

 rally taken from the tree by making an 

 incision on the under side for the whole 

 length of the branch, which causes the 

 bark to curl, and to separate itself, almost 

 voluntarily, when acted upon by the sun's 

 heat. That from the smaller twigs is ac- 

 counted the best: it should be thin, very 

 brittle, and very hot to the tongue. What 

 we use is the inner bark ; the exterior rind 

 being of no value. 



CIXNAMOST stone, in mineralogy, a spe- 

 cies of the genus Zircon, found atColum- 

 bo, in the islandofCeylon.lt is known in 

 Holland under the name of kanelstein, 

 which signifies cinnamon stone, probably 

 from its resemblance in colour to that spice. 



CINNAMON tree. See LAURUS CixtfA- 

 :>IOMUM. 



CINQUE PORTS, five havens that lie 

 on the east part " of England, towards 

 France, thus called by way of eminence, 

 on account of their superior importance, 

 as having been thought by qur kings to 

 merit a particular regard for their pre- 

 servation against invasions. Hence they 

 have a particular policy, and are governed 

 by a keeper, with a title of the lord war- 

 den of the Cinque Ports, which office be- 

 longs to the constable of Dover; and their 

 representatives are called Barons of the 

 Cinque Ports. 



They have various franchises, similar, 

 in many respects, to those of the counties 

 palatine, and particularly an exclusive ju- 

 risdiction before the mayor and jurats of 

 the port, their warden having the au- 

 thority of an admiral among them, and 

 sending out writs in his own name ; and 

 the king's writs do not run there. How- 

 ever, on a judgment in any of the king's 

 courts, if the defendant hath no goods, 



&c. except in the ports, the plaintiflTmay 

 get the records certified into chancery v 

 and from thence sent by mittimus to the 

 lord warden to make execution. 



The Cinque Ports, it has been observ- 

 ed, are not jura aequalia," like counties 

 palatine, but are parcel of the county of 

 Kent, so that if a writ be brought against 

 one for land within the Cinque Ports, and 

 he appears and pleads to it, and judgment 

 is given against him in the Common Pleas, 

 this judgment shall bind him, for the land 

 is not exempted out of the county, and 

 the tenant may wave the benefit of his 

 privilege. These five ports are, Dover, 

 Hastings, Romney, Hythe, and Sandwich; 

 to which Winchelsea and Rye have been 

 since added. 



CIPHER. See CYPHER. 



CIRCJEA, in botany, a genus of the 

 Diandria Monogynia class and order. 

 Natural order of Aggregate. Onagrae, 

 Jussieu. Essential character : corolla two- 

 petalled ; calyx two-leaved, superior ; 

 seed one, two-celled. There are two 

 species; viz. C. lutetiana, common enchan- 

 ter's nightshade, and C. alpina, mountain 

 enchanter's nightshade. Both are natives 

 of the United States. 



CIRCLE, the name of various astrono- 

 nomical instruments for observing right 

 ascensions, declinations, azimuths, alti- 

 tudes, and likewise for .the purposes of 

 the most improved theodolite. 



Plate " Circular Instrument*' is a re- 

 presentation of an instrument made by 

 Mr. Troughton, and of which he liberally 

 permitted our draughtsman to take a 

 drawing. It is an instrument which mea- 

 sures both horizontal and vertical angles 

 with great accuracy, and is equally adapt- 

 ed for astronomical purposes and survey- 

 ing. 



The instrument is supported on three 

 screws, two of which, x, y, a-e shewn in 

 the figure; the three arms through which 

 these pass meet in the centre, and hold a 

 strong, vertical steel axis, truly turned, 

 and very exactly fitted into two sockets, 

 one at the top and the other at the bot- 

 tom of a cone, A : upon this axis the up- 

 per part of the instrument turns. B is 

 the azimuth circle, laying upon the three 

 arms of the tripod, and capable of turn- 

 ing round on the sieel axis before men- 

 tioned : it is held by a screw, ,-, which 

 moves the circles slowly round when turn- 

 ed: this motion is to adjust the circle, so 

 that the plane of the vertical circle, P, 

 shall be in the meridian when the index 

 is set to zero. The circle is divided into 

 degrees and every five minutes, and the 



