GAL 



GAL 



from that place to Panama twenty days, 

 taking- in by the way the plate at Paita 

 and Truxillo. It has, however, been 

 found by experience, that the month of 

 September is the fittest for the fleet to 

 sail : they are about two years in the 

 whole voyage. 



The galleons bring annually of gold 

 about two or three millions of crowns, 

 and the flota one. Of silver, the galleons 

 bring eighteen or twenty thousand crowns 

 and the flota ten or twe'lve. Of precious 

 stones, the galleons bring 1 quantities to an 

 immense value ; besides fine wool, lea- 

 ther, and Campeachy wood. 



GALLERY, in fortification, a covered 

 walk across the ditch of a town, made of 

 strong beams, covered over head with 

 planks, and loaded with earth ; some- 

 times it is covered with raw hides, to 

 defend it from the artificial fires of the 

 besieged. Its sides should be musket 

 proof. 



GALLERY of a mine, is a narrow pas- 

 sage, or branch of a mine carried on un- 

 der-ground to a work designed to be 

 blown up. Both the besiegers and the 

 besieged also, carry on galleries in search 

 of each other's mines, and these some- 

 times meet and destroy each other. 



GALLERY, in ship-building, a balcony, 

 projecting from the stern or quarter of a 

 ship of war, or of a large merchantman : 

 the stern-gallery is wholly at the stern of 

 the ship, and is usually decorated with a 

 balustrade, extending from one side of the 

 ship to the other ; the fore part is limited 

 by a partition, in which are framed the 

 cabin windows, and the roof of it is 

 formed by a sort of vault termed the 

 cove, which is frequently ornamented 

 with sculpture. Quarter-gallery is that 

 part which projects on each quarter, 

 and is generally fitted up as a water clo- 

 set. Ships of twenty guns and upwards, 

 on one deck, have quarter galleries, but 

 no stern gallery ; two and three deckers 

 have quarter galleries, with their pro- 

 per conveniencies, and one or two stern 

 galleries. 



GALLEY, in naval affairs, a low-built 

 vessel, using both sails and oars, and com- 

 monly carrying only a main-mast and 

 fore -mast, which may be struck or low- 

 ered at pleasure. Such vessels are much 

 used in the Mediterranean. 



These vessels are of a long standing, 

 though it is probable the construction of 

 those in modern times is very different 

 from that formerly adopted. Galleys are 



VOL. V. 



of a finer and slenderer make than ships. 

 Galley is the name also of an open boat, 

 rowing six or eight oars, and used on the 

 Thames by custom-house officers, press- 

 gangs, and also for pleasure. The same 

 word denotes the kitchen of aship of war, 

 or the place where the grates are put up, 

 fires lighted, and the victuals generally 

 dressed. 



GALLEY slave, a person condemned, 

 in France, to work at the oar on board a 

 galley, being chained to the deck. 



GALLIC-ade/, in chemistry, exists in 

 nut-galls, and is obtained by boiling to- 

 gether for some time carbonate of bary- 

 tes, and a solution of gall-nuts. This 

 affords a bluish green liquid, which con- 

 sists of a solution of gallic acid and bary- 

 tes. It is now to be filtered and satu- 

 rated with diluted sulphuric acid. Sul- 

 phate of barytes is deposited in the state 

 of insoluble powder, and a colourless so- 

 lution of gallic acid remains behind. This 

 is the method given by Mr. Davy ; others 

 have been suggested by almost every 

 practical chemist. Gallic-acid, pure, is 

 in the form of transparent plates or octa- 

 hedrons. Its taste is acid, and some- 

 what astringent, and when heated has 

 rather an unpleasant aromatic odour. It 

 is soluble in about twelve parts of cold 

 water, and in three parts of alcohol : it is 

 soluble in ether. It combines with alka- 

 line bodies, making with them compounds 

 called gallates. It occasions a precipitate 

 when poured into solutions of glucina, 

 y ttria, and zircon, in acids, which distin- 

 guishes these from the other earths, none 

 of which are precipitated from their so- 

 lutions by gallic-acid. Upon the metal- 

 lic solutions gallic-acid acts with great 

 energy, changing the colour, and pro- 

 ducing precipitates in many of them. 

 Hence it is frequently used as a re-agent, 

 to detect the presence of metallic bo- 

 dies. It is composed of oxygen, carbon, 

 and hydrogen, but the proportions of 

 each have not been accurately ascer- 

 tained. 



GALLIOT, a small galley, designed 

 only for chase, carrying only one mast, 

 and two or three pattereroes ; it can both 

 sail and row, and has sixteen or twenty 

 oars. All the seamen on board are sol- 

 diers, and each has a musket by him on 

 quitting his oar. 



GALLON, a measure of capacity both 

 for dry and liquid things, containing four 

 quarts; but these quarts, and consequent- 

 ly the gallon itself, are different, accord- 

 ing to the quality of the thing measured ; 



K k 



