HOL 



HOL 



cured from the Manor, in Lancaster 

 county, where the plant is said to be much 

 cultivated, and the beverage a good deal 

 in use. How the Germans of that settle- 

 ment became acquainted with the plant, 

 or from whence they received the origi- 

 nal seeds, I had, no opportunity of learn- 

 ing. Should I visit Lancaster in the course 

 of the next snmmer, 1 will endeavour, by 

 personal inquiries at the Manor, to be- 

 come possessed of the knowledge of these 

 interesting particulars. 



At present I have given all the facts 

 concerning this vegetable, with which I 

 became acquainted. It appears to me, 

 fi rs t ; That as the plant is readily culti- 

 vated, is hardy, and produces plentifully, 

 it is worthy of some attention, on account 

 of the farina yielded by its seed. This is 

 sensibly mild and mucilaginous, upon 

 mastication, and may consequently prove 

 extremely nutritious. Secondly : That, 

 as it is proved to yield a pleasant bever- 

 age, with the addition only of a little but- 

 ter to those articles which are necessary 

 to render coffee, tea, and chocolate pala- 

 table it might, from the ease with which 

 it is propagated, be rendered, by being 

 well known, a cheap and nutritious sub- 

 stitute for tea, coffee, or chocolate, at the 

 tables of the country-poor, and those re- 

 siding in country towns and villages, 

 where each hut, however miserable, is 

 generally furnished with a tolerable-sized 

 garden plot. , 



I believe that a single plant will yield 

 seed enough to produce, by the second 

 year's crop, a sufficiency of flour to fur- 

 nish a poor family, of six or eight per- 

 sons, one entire year, with a good and 

 nourishing substitute for the meagre and 

 unhealthful liquors used by them, under 

 the names of tea and coffee. 



For 8 cents, as much of the liquor, here 

 described, may be prepared from them, 

 as, with a due proportion of bread to the 

 value, perhaps, of twelve cents will con- 

 stitute a good and nutritive breakfast, or 

 supper, for four grown persons ; being at 

 the rate of five cents for each person. 



I do not, however, profess myself com- 

 petent, at this time, to offer more than 

 conjecture on these points. I have made 

 no experiments with the plant as yet, to 

 ascertain the proportions of mucilage and 

 farina contained in the seeds ; but have 

 merely thrown thus hastily together, a 

 few facts and hints, which may perhaps 

 prove indirectly serviceable to the poor 

 and the peasantry. 



I take the liberty of recommending the 

 plant to the attention of surgeons, and 

 commanders of navy-yards, forts, or bar- 



racks, for to all such posts a sufficiency of 

 ground generally appertains to admit the 

 cultivation of enough to supply the sailors, 

 marines, or soldiers, with an occasional 

 meal of a^grateful, and, I believe, ahealth- 

 ful bererage. My experience, both in 

 the navy and army practice, induces me 

 to believe, that the diet of seamen, ma- 

 rines, and soldiers, cannot be too strictly 

 attended to, in order to preserve their 

 health and vigour ; and when an oppor- 

 tunity is presented of furnishing all those 

 on shore stations, and in barracks or gar- 

 risons, with a comfortable vegetable diet 

 like the one above-mentioned, and that 

 too without any cost, it should certainly 

 not be suffered to pass without at least a 

 trial. 



P. S. The calculations in the preceding 

 paper, as to the quantity of meal a bushel 

 of the seed would produce, is probably 

 100 per cent, lower than they should be. 



HOLD, that part of a ship which lies 

 between the keelson and the lower deck ; 

 in which, divided by bulk heads, are 

 the steward's-room, powder-room, bread- 

 room, and the boatswain's and carpenter's 

 store-rooms. In a merchantman, all the 

 goods and lading in general are stowed in 

 the hold. 



Hom-fttst, a large piece of iron, in the 

 shape of the letter S, fixed into a wall 

 to strengthen it. Also a tool used by 

 joiners, carvers, &c. which goes through 

 their benches, to hold fast such work as 

 cannot be finished by its being held ia 

 the hand. 



HOLLAND, in commerce, a fine and 

 close kind of linen, so called from its be- 

 ing first manufactured in Holland. 



HOLLOA, in sea language, an excla- 

 mation of answer to any person who calls 

 to another te ask some question, or to 

 give a particular order : thus, when the 

 master means to give any order to the 

 people in the main top, he previously 

 calls "Main-top hoay," to which they 

 answer, " Holloa," to show that they hear 

 him and are ready. It is also the answer 

 in hailing a ship at a distance. See HAIL- 

 ING. 



HOLLOW square, in the military art, a 

 body of foot drawn up, with an empty 

 space in the middle for colours, drums, 

 and baggage. 



HOLLY. See ILEX. 



HOLOMETER, a mathematical instru- 

 ment that serves universally for taking all 

 measures, both on the earth and in the 

 heavens. 



HOLORACEJE,inbotany, the name of 

 the twelfth order in Linnsus's Frag- 



