A B J 



5000, which he afcrilies to the women's deftroying their in- 

 fants, in order to prevent the infidelity of their hufbands 

 during the long time of their keejiinir them at the brenfl, 

 whieh is not lefs than two years. Thj^ are natuially white, 

 but acquire a brown colour by expolure to the air and fmoke. 

 They are ftrong and hardy, which, as this writer fays, is 

 owing to their not marrying before 30 years of age ; and 

 they are much celebrated for their challity and other virtues, 

 though, according to our author, they have no knowledge 

 of a deity ; and yet they admit the exiftence of an evil fjiirit, 

 and brieve that the foul exills for ever. They confider 

 their difcafcs as the effcfts of forcery and witchcraft ; and 

 this fuperilitious notion gives rife to frequent murders. They 

 arc ranged into diilinft bodies, under their rcfpeftive chiefs, 

 and, by means of their wild horfes, tliey make frequent and 

 formidable incurlions into the territories of the Spaniards ; 

 again ft whom they have conceived an invincible hatied. Their 

 ufe of horfes commenced in 1C41 ; and ihey manage them 

 with great agility, without ftirrups, faddlri, or fpurs. The 

 fraud and cruelty practiled among them by the Spaniards, 

 have induced the Jcfult miffionaries to prohibit any of them 

 from coming, without a foniial permilhon, into any of their 

 colonies. The fuccefs of^hefe niiiTionaries, in their endea- 

 vours to convert them to ttie chrlltian faith, has been very 

 jneonliderable. They are flill fo ignorant and uncivilized, 

 that they can proceed in reckoning no farther than the num- 

 ber three; and the Jefuits have failed in teaching them the 

 fimpleft ufe and exprefiion of numbers. 



ABIRAM, in Scripiure Hifiory, a feditious Lcvite, who 

 rebelled againft Moses and Aaron, with a view of obtain- 

 ing a fliave in the government, and who, with Korah and 

 Dathan, concerned with them, were fwallowed up alive by 

 the opening earth. Numb. xvi. 



ABISHAI, in Scripture H'ljlory, the fon of Zeniiah, 

 and brother of Joab, was one of the moil valiant warriors of 

 his time, and principal general in the armies of David. Kis 

 military exploits are recorded in 2 Sam. xxi. 17. xxiii. 18.; 

 but the time and manner of his death are not known. 



ABISHERING, an andmt lavj term, denoting a being 

 free, or exempt from all amerciaments for tranfgrefllons 

 of any kind. 



The word in a charter or grant, is faid not only to give 

 the proprietor the forfeitures and amerciaments of all others 

 for tranfgrefllons committed witliin his fee, but alfo to 

 exempt him from all fuch controul by any within that com- 

 pafs. 



ABITIBBI, in Geography, the name of a fmall lake in 

 Upper Ccfnada, to the S. of which is a fettlement called 

 Frederick, in N. l?.t. 49'^. W. long. 79° 40'. It is alfo the 

 name of a river, which runs N. and joins Moofe river, near 

 its mouth at James's bay. 



ABITIBIS, a lake to the N. of Nipiffmg lake, on the 

 N. E. boundary of Canada in New South Wales, vv^hich 

 communicates with James's bay, near Moofe fort. W. long. 

 78° 5'. N. lat. 59° 3'. 



ABIUL, a fmall town of Beira in Portugal. W. long. 

 7° 10'. N. lat- 40° 20'. 



ABJURATION, compounded of ab, from or againjl, 

 xndjanire, to fiuear, in a general fenfe, the a£l of denying, 

 or renouncing a thing in a folemn manner, and even with 

 an oath. 



Among the Romans, aljurat'ion fignified the denying a 

 debt, pledge, depe-fit, or the like trull, by a f^dfe oatli. 

 In wliich fenfe, ahjumtion coincides with p>crjiirat'wr. ; and 

 Hands diftinguilhed from ejiinilion, where the oath is fuppof- 

 ed ]i\'.l. 



Abjurai ion, more particularly, is ufed for a folemn re- 



A B K 



ca:itation, or renunciation of fome doftrinc, or oj)inion, as 

 fahe and pernicious. Thus it is ufed in the phrale, adjura- 

 tion 0/ HERESY. 



In our own laws, to abjure a perfon, is to renounce all au- 

 thority or dominion of fuch a perfon. liy the o,il/j of abju- 

 ration, a perfon binds himfclf not to own any regal authority 

 in the perfon called tiie Pretender, or ever to pay liim the 

 obedience of a fvd)je(tt. I W. and M. 13 W. III. i Geo. I. 

 The refiifers of the oath enjoined l)y thefe llatutes arc liable 

 to ijndr)' penalties, forfeitures, &c. The oath of abjura- 

 tion by tiie 6th G. III. cap. 53. " I A. B. do truly and 

 fincerely acknowledge, profefs, tcflify, and declare in my 

 confcience, before God and the world, that our fovcrcign 

 lord king George is lawful and rightful king of this lealm, 

 and all other his majeily's dominions thereunto belonging. 

 And I do folcmnly and fincerely declare, that I do believe 

 in my confcience, that not any of the defceiidants of the 

 perfon who pretended to be Prince of Wales during the life 

 of the late king James the Second, and fincc his deceafe 

 pretended to be, and took upon himfclf the ftyle and title of 

 king of England, by the name of James the Third, or of 

 Scotland, by llie name of James the Eighth, or the llyle 

 and title of king of Great Britain, hath any rig'it or title 

 whatfoever, to tiie crown of this realm, or any other the 

 dominions thereunto belonging. And I do renounce, re- 

 fufe, and abjure any allegiance or obedience to any of them. 

 And I do fwear, tliat I will bear faith and true allegiance 

 to his majelly king George, and him will defend, to the ut- 

 moll of my power, againll all traitorous confpiracies, and at- 

 tempts whatfoever, which fliall be made againll his perfon, 

 crown, and dignity. And I will do my utmofl; endeavour 

 to difclofe and make kno^vn to his majelly, and his fuccef- 

 fors, all treafons and traitorous confpiraeies which I (liall 

 know to be againfl him or any of them. And I do faith- 

 fully promife, to the utmoft of my pawtr, to fupport, main- 

 tain, and defend the fucceffion of the crown againll the de- 

 fcendants of the faid James, and agalnJl all other perfons 

 whatfoever; which fucccflion, by an aft, inlitled, ^In a3 

 for the further limitation of the crown, and belter f curing the 

 rights and liberties of the fuhjeS, is and (lands hmited to the 

 princefs Sophia, eleftrefs and duchefs dowager of Hanover, 

 and the heirs of her body, being proteilants. And all tliefe 

 things I do plainly and fincerely acknowledge and fwear, ac- 

 cording to thefe exprefs words by me fpoken, and according 

 to the plain and common fenfe and underftanding of the 

 fame words, without any equivocation, mental evafion, or 

 fecret refervation whatfoever. And I do make this recog- 

 nition, acknowledgment, abjuration, renunciation, and pio- 

 mife heartily, willingly, and truly, upon the true faith of a 

 Chriilian. So help me God." 



Adjuration is alfo ufed \a owt Ancient Cujloms, for an 

 oath taken by a prrfon guilty of felony ; who, hying to a 

 place of fanftuaiy, would fwear to forfake the realm for 

 ever, in lieu of other puniftiment. We alfo find inflanees of 

 teniporaiy abjuration, viz. for three years, for one year and 

 a day, and the like. This, in fome cafe, was admitted from 

 criminals in lieu of death. The devotion for the church was 

 fo warm, from the time of Edward the Confeffor to the Re- 

 formation, that if a man, having committed felony, could 

 recover a church or church-yard before he was apprehended, 

 it was an afylum from which he could not be brought 

 to take his trial at law; but confefTing his crime to the 

 juftices, or coroner, and abjuring the kingdom, he was at li- 

 berty. 



By Hat. 2 1 Jac. I. all ufe of fanftuaries, and confequently 

 of abjuration, is taken away. 



ABKIIAS, in Hijlory, one of the feven nations in the 

 F 2 couiitric* 



