A Z O 



tnanganefc, cnclofcd in an earthen tube, and already heated 

 for a confulcrable time, fo as to expel all the oxygen which it 

 will yield : in this cafe alfo, there %vill be a very conliderable 

 produaion of azotic gas. A third experiment is to pnfi 

 the vapour of water through heated glais tubes, of nn more 

 than two lines in diameter, when azotic gas will be equally 

 produced. The inference of the compofition of azotic gas 

 derived from thefe experiments, would be very legitimate, 

 if no canfe of error could be deleted ; but the foc-icty of 

 Dutch chaniils, who have enriched the fcience with fo many 

 valuable obfervations, on repeating the experiments, fully ex- 

 plained the reafon of this fmgular phenomenon, in demon- 

 llrating the permeability of every kind of eaithen-ware not 

 glazed, when expofed to a confiderable heat. Tlierefore 

 in thefe experiments, the vapour of water in paffing through 

 the tube, is found partly to make its way through its pores 

 into the furrouuding coals ; and at the fame time the air cir- 

 culating through the furnace, partly enters the tube, and is 

 colk-aed at tliefurtlicr extremity ; and this air being vitiated 

 by the burning fuel, is principally azotic gas, mixed with a 

 certain portion of carbonic acid. This permeability of 

 heated earthen-ware (which had been before obferved by 

 Dr. Pricftley), (hould always be kept in mind by chemifts ; 

 as many of the moll important experiments of refearch are 

 performed by the ingenious apparatus of a heated tube. 

 With regard to the produftion of azotic gas, when the va- 

 pour of water was lent tlirough a red-hot glafs tube, it was 

 fully afcertained by the above-mentioned chemifts, that no 

 gas of whatever kind appears whillt the tube remains perfect, 

 but that the leaft crack or filTure is fufficient to give admit- 

 tance to theair of the furnace with as much eafe asthe pores of 

 the earthen tube. As an additional proof that the gas in thefe 

 inilances came from without, we may add, that on removing 

 the fire from the earthen tube, and CL>ntinuing the tranfmif- 

 fion of the aqueous vapour, fome gas ftill continued to be 

 given out whilft it remained red-hot, and this latter portion 

 vas atmofphcric air, or that which now furrounded the 

 heated tube. 



Several other circumftances relating to azotic gas, are 

 connefted with the theory of Phlogiston, to which we (hall 

 further refer the reader. Ann. de Chem. torn. 26 and 29. 

 AzOT, Gafeous Oxyd of. See Nitrous Oxyd. 

 AZOTH, among the Ancient Chem'ifls, fignitied the firft 

 matter of metals ; or the mercury of the metal, more par- 

 ticularly that which they call the mercury of the phiiufophers, 

 which they pretend to draw from all forts of metallic 

 bodies. 



Paracclfus's azoth, which he boafted of as an univerfal re- 

 medy, is pretended to have been a preparation of gold, filver, 

 and mercury : a quantity of this he is faid to have always 

 carried with him in the pommel of his fword. 



AZOTUS, Azoth, or Ashdod, in Ancient Geography, 

 one of the live Pniliftine fatrapies, was a celebrated fea-port 

 of Pho5nicia, on the Mediterranean, iituate about fourteen 

 or fifteen miles fouth of Ekron or Accaron, between that 

 and Afcalon, and about thirty miles dittant from Gaza, to- 

 wards Joppa. It fell at firft to the lot of Judah, but con- 

 tinued for a confiderable time in the hands of its ancient 

 owners. It was in this city that the ark of God triumphed 

 over th idol Dagon, which fell down and was crnflied before 

 it ( I Sam. V. 2 ) ; a.id it was to this place that Philip was 

 conveyed, after lie had baptized the Ethiopian eunuch. 

 Afts, viii. 40. This place was fortified by the Egyptians 

 as a barrier againft the Afiyrians ; and it was fo flrong, if 

 we may believe Herodotus, that it fuflained a blockade and 

 fiege of twenty-nine years, under Pfammetichus, king of 

 JEgypt, about 631 years before the Chriftian aera. It was 



A Z U 



again re-eftabllflied, but taken, and its fortrelTes and towers 

 burned, by the Maccabees, in the year 137 B.C. After- 

 wards Gabinius, the Roman prcfident of Syria, ordered it 

 to be rebuilt. In was again captured by Vefpafian, in the 

 Jewifh war, under the reign of Nero, A. 1). 67. The ruins 

 of that once famous city are now called " Ezdoud ;" it is 

 dirtinguifhed, fays Volney (Travels in Egypt and Syria, 

 vol. ii. p. 338.), at prcfent by its fcorpious, but exhibits no 

 proofs of its ancient importance. Three leagues from 

 Ezdoud, is the village of El-Miijdal, where they fpin the 

 fincft cottons in Paleftine, which, however, are very coarfe. 

 This traveller reports, that the whole coaft is daily accu« 

 mulating fands, infomuch, that many places which were 

 known to be anciently fea-ports, are now 4 or 500 paces 

 witiiin land. Imperial Greek medals were ilruck at Azotus, 

 in honour of Septiinius Severus, and of Doinitian. 



AZPILCUE'iA, Martin, furnamed Navarre, in 

 Biography^ a Spanifli lawyer, elleemcd one of the moft learned 

 lawyers of his time, was born in 14Q4, at Verafoa near 

 Pampeluna. He was fucceffively profcflor of jurifprudence 

 at Touloufe, Salamanca, and Coimbra, and confulted by 

 perfons from all parts as an oracle of law. AVhen his friend 

 Bartliolomew Caranza, archbiftiop of Toledo, was fum- 

 moncd to Rome by the inquifition, on a charge of herefy, 

 Afpilcucta, though eighty years of age, went thither to 

 plead lorhim ; and at this advanced age he retained his facul- 

 ties in their full vigour. Such was his charity to the poor, 

 that he feldom pafTcd a beggar without giving him alms ;. 

 and it is faid, that the mule on which he ufually rode 

 would flop of its own accord when he faw a beggar. He 

 died at Rome, in I5''6, at the great age of ninety-two 

 years. A coUetlion of his works was printed at Lyons, in 

 6 volumes fol. in 1597 ; and at Venice, in 1602. Nouv. 

 Dic4. Hiftor. 



AZRAIL, in the Mahometan Theology, the angel of 

 death, wliofe office it is, according to the Mahometans 

 (who relate many ridiculous ftories concerning this angel), 

 to fcparate the fouls of men from tlieir bodies.' 



AZTATL, in Ornithology, a name by which a kind of 

 •while heron is known in Mexico. 



AZUA DE CoMPOSTELLA, orAzucA, m Geography, 

 a fea-port town on the fea-coail of St. Domingo ; twelve- 

 league-s S. S. E. of cape Salinas. 



AZUAGA, a town of Spain, in the province of Eftre- 

 madura ; three leagues fouth-eall of Llerana. 



AZUIS, in Ancient Geography, an ancient town of Africa 

 Propria. Ptolemy. 



AZUMAR, in Geography, a town of Portugal, ii) 

 the province of Alentejo. 



AZUN, a valley in that part of the department of the Up- 

 per Pyrenees, formerly called Bigore, ia France, diftinguifiied 

 by the n<imber of its valuable mines, of filver, copper, iron, 

 lead, and tin. Thofe that are already known amount to no 

 fewer than twenty ; but lead chiefly abounds throughout 

 the whole of this mountainous country. 



AZURE, the blue colour of the fivy^ See Blue, Cloud, 

 and Sky. 



Azure, in Heraldry, fignifies blue ; in heraldic engravings 

 it is exprefled by horizontal lines. 



Azure. See Ultramarine. 



Azure, or Smalt. See Cobalt. 



AZUREA, in Entomology, a fpecies of Phryganea, 

 with black wings, violet behind. Linn. The lower wings 

 are obliquely violet. It inhabits the north of Europe. 



Azurea, in Zoology, a fpecies of Lacerta that inhabits 

 Africa, and is dirtinguifhed by having the tail verticillated, 

 fliort, v/itl» mucronated fcales. Linn. Gmelin fpeaks of 



t\v« 



