A V O 



A U R 



of commerce. The hoiires dill prove, by being extremely 

 low, the dread tnteilaiiitd of earthquakes. The Ilreets 

 are wide and revnilar. 



AVOLTOJO, in Ornithology, a name given by Cetti to 

 fome bi.'ds of the Vultur genus; as for example, vullur 

 ftifcus is called by that writer avollojo Griffbne ; and iniliur 

 niger, avollojo aero. 



AVON, or AFOrJ, in the Br'if'tfli Language, fig;nifies a 

 river generally ; b\it in its prefeiit applieation defignates 

 only a few of the ilreams in Great Britain. The principal 

 are the IFortviclJlAre ylvon, and the I'/ilt/hire ylvon. The 

 former is fometimes called " The Upper ylvon." It 

 brings a great influx of waters from the north-call, rifing on 

 the borders of LeicellerOiire, and adds great beauty to 

 the deliyhtful territory of Warwick ca'Ale, as it flows be- 

 neath the cliff on which thofe lofty towers are fituated. 

 It then glides through a charming countiy, to the cele- 

 brated fpot of Stratford-on-Avon, the birth-place of our 

 immortal Shakfpeare, and the repolitory of his bones. 

 Hence it traverfes the gieat level of Worceilerfhire, by 

 Evelham, having received the Icfler Slour at Stratford, and 

 turning to the fouth at Perthfliore, meets the Severn at the 

 flounfhing town of Tewkefbury. Ireland's picturefque 

 Views on the Avon. 



The Wiltfliire or Loiver Avon derives its fource from 

 various fprings in the north of Wilts, and becomes a 

 conildcrable river at the ancient town of M;ilm(bury. In 

 this part of the country, we are informed by Ethelward, that 

 it formed a boundary hne between the Well Saxon and 

 Mercian kingdoms, ^nd was often llained with the blood of 

 murdered loldiers during the direful warfare between thofe 

 two powers. Leaving Malm(bury, it meanders through 

 a level tract of fine pafture land to Great Somerford, 

 Dantfey, and Chippenham, where its ftream becomes ex- 

 panded by many contributory rivulets. Quilting Chippen- 

 ham, its wnidings are numerous, from the hilly nature of the 

 ■country through which it flows. Having palled the cloth- 

 ing towns of Melkfliam and Bradford, it moves flowly 

 through the gay city of Bath, thence paffes on to Brillol, 

 and foon afterwards unites its waters with the Severn. It 

 is navigable for fmall veffels up to Briflol, and fome con- 

 fiderable barges come up as high as Bath. 



The Upper Avon, another Wiltfhire river, rifes among 

 the hills near the centre of that county, and flows fouth- 

 ward through a number of fmall villages to Amelbury and 

 Salifbury, where it receives the united ilreams of the Willey 

 and the Nadder; and, running through Downton, erodes the 

 county of Hants, and difcharges itfelf into the Eritilb chan- 

 nel at Ciirift-church- 



Another Avon rifes in the north part of Glamorgan- 

 fhire, and running fouth, falls into the Severn at Aber- 

 Avon, fouth-well of Neath. 



Avon, or Anon Vane, a river in Merionethfhire, rifes 

 among the high mountains of that county, and after pafling 

 by the fmall town of Dolgelly, foon difcharges itfelf into the 

 Irifli fea at the town of Barmouth. — Avon gi«es name to 

 two rivers in Scotland. Britton's Beauties of Wiltfhire, vol.i. 

 and Skriiics General Account of Rivers. 



Avon is alfo the nam.e of a river of Nova Scotia, 

 which difcharges itfelf into the Atlantic ocean, eaft of 

 Halifax. It is navigable as far as fort Edward for veffels 

 of 400 tons; and for veflels of 60 tons, two miles 

 higher. 



AVORTON, Fr. in Mlrlmifery, an abortive child. 



AVOSTOLA, in Geography, a river of Piedmont, v.hicli 

 nins into the Ccrvo; 2\ miles weft of Baronza, in the 

 Vcrcellois. 



AVOWEE, AnrocATUS. \nLaiv. Avowee is the perfo* 

 to whom the right of advowfon of any church belongs, fo that 

 he may prefent to it in his own name; thus called l?y way 

 of dillin£lion from thofe who fometimes prefent in another 

 man's name, as a guardian, who prefcnts in the name of his 

 ward ; as alfo from thofe who only have the lands to which 

 an advowfon belongs for term of life or years, by intrulion 

 or difTeifiM. Sec Advowee, and Advocate. 



AVOWRY, in Law, is where one takes a diflrefs for 

 rent, or other thing, and the other fues replevin. In which 

 cafe the taker fliall jullify, in his plea, for what caufe he 

 toiik it; and if he too'ic it in his own r;q,ht, he is to Ihew it, 

 and fo avow the taking; which is called his avowry. If he 

 took it in the liglit of another, when he has (hewed the 

 caufe, he is to m;(ke cognizance of the taking, as being a 

 bailiff or fervant to hiai in whufe right he did it. See Re- 

 plevin. 



AVOYER, in Ecclefuijiit-al Ant'iqiiity, was originally the 

 advocate of a monallery; and in limes of confufion the 

 avoyers became captains and protestors of convents, to 

 whom the faid convents gave lands' in confideration of their 

 proteftion ; but when thefe monaflcries erected themfelvcs 

 into principalities, the avoyers became noblemen ; and the 

 title was connefted with great dignity. Thus we find, that 

 when Ot!i() was elcdted to the empire, A.D. 1209, and his 

 eleftion was approved by pope Innocent III., who invited 

 him to Italy to be crowned, he appointed Rodolphus, count 

 of Hapfburg, prefeft, vicar of the empire, and princijial 

 avoyer of all" Upper Germany, with power to maintain the 

 imperial rights, infpeft the finances, levy fubfidies, tributes, 

 tolls, and taxes, and, in a word, to reprefent the perfon of 

 the emperor in his abfence. 



AUPILLARTOK, in Geography, an ifland of Green- 

 land, near Bear ifland, about eight or ten leagues long, and 

 very high. Thefe two iflands, which are about the fame 

 form and extent, divide the channel, in which they are 

 fituated, into two bays. 



AU-PIS-ALEER, a French phrafe, fometimes ufed 

 among Englifli writers, fignifying, at the -worjl. 



AUPS, in Geography. See AulpS. 



AURA, in Chcmtjlry, a certain fine and pure fpirit, flip- 

 pofed to be found in every animal and vegetable body, but 

 lo fubtle as only to be perceptible by fmell and talle. 



This term was much employed by the ancient alehemifls, 

 and even fome of the mofl eminent chemifls, but is now dif- 

 ufed. It is nearly equivalent to fplritus reSor, concerning 

 which fee the article Aroma. 



Aura, in Ornithology, a fpecies of Vultur, of a brownffh 

 grey colour, with black wings, and white bill. This bird is 

 defcribed by authors under feveral different names. In 

 Hernand. Mcx. it is called tzopilotl f. aura; by Wilhighby, 

 urubu, tzopilotl, or aura; by Ullo, gallinazo ; vukur Brnfi- 

 lienfis by Ray; vautour du Brefil by Buffon ; Turkey 

 buzzard by Catefby; carrion-crow by Sloiinc; and can ion 

 vulture by Pennant and I^atham. Inhabits Brafil. 



Aura, among Phyfiologijls, an airy exhalation or va- 

 pour. 



The word is derived from the Greek avfoL, gale. 



AURACH, in Geography, a town of Germany, in the 

 circle of Swabia, and county of Waldburg; nine miles 

 E.N.E. of Warzach. — Alfo, a river of Germany, in Fran- 

 conia, which runs into the Rednitz ; three miles fouth of 

 Erlang. 



AURiE, in Mythology, a name given by the Romans to 

 the nymphs of the air. They are moftly to be found in tlie 

 ancient paintings of cielings; where they arc reprefented 

 as light and airy ; generally with long robes, and flying 



veils, 



