C A L 



paper; but wriii with a hoJkin on flags that j^row by the 

 iides of liie rivers, which arc fo llrong as lo be durable for 

 tnany years. The diilridil called Cahcut is about 63 miles 

 long, aiid neaily a;; m;iiiy broad. The air is fahibrious, 

 though it has many woods, rivers, and marflies ; the foil is 

 fertile, but it does not produce much grain ; it is fiibj-.tl to 

 inundations from the fuddcn dcfccnt of the mountain-rivers ; 

 and the fea alio has made fuch ravages on the coaft as to 

 oblige the Samorin to transfer his rcfidence from Calicut to 

 Pmiiany. Along the fea coalt, the land is low and fandy, 

 and produces a number of cocoa-trtes. The higher grounds 

 produce pepper and cardamoms of a good quality. The 

 country alio fnpplics timber for building, white and yellow 

 fanders, cafiia lignca and fillula, nux vomica, and coccuhis 

 indicus. The forells abound with parrots and monkeys, 

 and various forts of game: they have plenty of fi(h, and 

 their mountains yield iron. The Samorin is faiJ to be 

 able to raile an army of 100,000 men. 



Calicut, the capital of the country above defcribed, is 

 fituate on the coad of Malabar. This city is remarkable 

 for being the firll Indian port vifited by European fliipping. 

 Vafco de Gania, having doubled the Cape of Good Hope, 

 and purfuing his navigation along the fouth-eall of Africa, 

 arrived at the city of Mehnda ; and condudted by the pilots 

 of this civilized and commercial city, he failed acrols the 

 Indian Ocean, and landed at Calicut, on the 226 of May 

 149S. This was at that time the molt flourifliing place on 

 the Malabar cnall. The Samorin, or monarch ofihe coun- 

 try, aftoniflied at this unexpetled vifn of an unknown peo- 

 ple, whofe afpeft, arms, and manners, bore no refemblance 

 to any of the nations accullomed to frequent his harbours, 

 and who arrived in his dominions by a route hitherto deemed 

 imprafticable, received them, at firft, with that fond admi- 

 ration which is often excited by novelty. But in a (hort 

 time, as if he had been infplred with forefight of all the ca- 

 lamities now approaching India by this fatal communication 

 opened with the inhabitants of Europe, he formed various 

 fchemes to cut off Gama and his followers. But from every 

 danger to which he was cxpofed, either by the open attacks, 

 or fecret machinations of the Indians, the Portuguefe admi- 

 ral extricated himfelf with fingular prudence and intrepidity, 

 and at laft failed from Calicut with his (hips loaded, not only 

 with the commodities peculiar to that coaft, but with many 

 of the rich produftions of the eaftem part of India. 



Calicut, though much fallen iu its confequence, is fti'.l a 

 large town, containing about five or fix hundred honfes, built 

 of wood, or bricks baked in the fun, in the midll of which are 

 beautiful gardens. Thus circumftanced, it is three leagues m 

 circumference, including a large village or fuburb, inhabited 

 by fifhermen. It is governed by a viceroy, but wants a re- 

 n-ular police ; and its commerce, which is Ihll not inconfi- 

 derable, on account of a convenient river by which tenk- 

 wood is brought down from the neighbouring mountains, 

 is much oppreffed by burdenfome duties, generally farmed 

 by Mahometans. The coall is low, and affords no fhelter, 

 and the only acccfs to it is in fniall flat-bottomed boats. 

 But though it has no harbour, it affords to the flilps that 

 vifit it good riding in the open fea, at the diliance of three 

 leagues from the (horc The Englilh fattory, which for- 

 merly fubfilbcd in this place, is removed to Ttilicherry. N. 

 lat. ii° 18'. E. long. 76° 4'. 



CALIDRIS, in Oniilhohgy,a fpecies of Scolopax that 

 inhabits Europe and America, and well known in this coun- 

 try by the name of rcd-(hank. The bill is llraight and red ; 

 legs fcarlet ; fecondary qnill feathers white. Kramer. This 

 is the totanus of Crillbn, fcolopax totanus of the Fauna Su- 

 ccica, rotbien of Frifch, &c. 



C A L 



Olf. A variety of this fpecies is found in China, the body 

 of which is grey above, and beneath white ; lower part of 

 the neck, and (ide of the breall, fpotted with blackifh ; 

 rump and tail barred with black and white. Latham, &c. 



Calidris, a fpecies of Trinca, the bill and legs of 

 which are blaekitli ; body beneath olivaceous ; rump vari- 

 egated. Gmel. This is the duflcy fandpiper of Latham ; 

 calidris of BrifTou ; rufticola fylvatica of Gefncr and Al- 

 drovandus ; and maubeche of BufToii. Inhabits the mari- 

 time parts of France and Germany. Length uiiie inches and 

 an half. 



Calidris, a fpecies of Motacilla, called by Latham 

 the hang-ueft warbler ; and American nightingale of Ed- 

 wards. The plumage is grcenifh-brown above ; beneath, 

 fulvous ; ocular line, and another beneath it, black. Gmel. 

 This is ficednla Jamaiccnfis major of BrilTon ; and grand 

 fiqnier de la Jamaiqne of liufion. 



This bud is of the fize of a robin, and builds a hanging neft; 

 it inhabits Jamaica, and is fnppoftd to be the watchy picket, 

 Spanilh nightingale, or American hang-ncll of Sloane. 



Calidris nigra, tiie name under which Aldrovandui 

 defcribcs Tringa gamhctia, the red legged horfeman of 

 Albin, and gambet of other Englifh writers. 



Calidris ,fW/Jvj of Briffon is the Gmelinian Tringa ^r;'- 

 fen; and CALiDRis^r//^a m.-nsr of the fame author : Trin- 

 ga arcnnna of Gmelin. Briffon alfo defcribcs tringa nasvia 

 of Gmelin under the name of calidris nsvia. Calidris bel- 

 lonii of Aldrovandns is fcolopax calidris of Kramer, &c. 



Calidris, a fpecies of Charadrius, called in Eng- 

 land the fandeiling or curwiliet. The bill and legs of this 

 bird are black ; lores and rump greyifh ; body beneath 

 white, without fpots. Georg. It inhabits the fandy coaftt 

 of England and North America. Length eight inches. 



Ohf. There is a variety of this fpecies in which the front, 

 and body beneath is cinereous white. 



CALIDUCTS, from calor, heat, and duco, I lead ; a 

 kind of pipes, or canals, difpofed along the walls ofhoufes 

 and apartments ; ufed by the ancients for the conveyance of 

 heat to feveral remote parts of the houfe, from one common 

 furnace. 



The ancient calidufts feem both for thrift and ufe prefer- 

 able to the German (loves ; and might even challenge the 

 advantage over our own fafliion, were it not that the verr 

 fight of a fire adds fomething of luftre to a room. 



CALIDUS, m Entomology, a fpecies ofCiMEx of the 

 middle fize, found in Africa. The colour above is fufcous ; 

 beneath, teftaccous, with black antennx. Fabricius. 



Calies, in Gtograpiiy, a fmall town of Germany, in the 

 circle of Upper Saxony, and New Mark of Braidenburg, 

 chiefly inhabited by weavers of woollen cloth ; 16 miles E. 

 of Rfetz. 



CALIFORNIA, a traft of country, formerly thought 

 to be an ifland, but now afccrtained to be a peninfula, on 

 the wellern coaft of North America, bounded on the north 

 by the continent, with which it is connefted, on the call by 

 the province of New Mexico and the gulf of California, or 

 the Vermilion St a, which feparates it towards the fonthein 

 part from the continent, and on the fouth and weft by the 

 great Pacific Ocean. This peninfula termiiiatts on the 

 fonth at Cape Lucar or Lucas, in N. lat. ;2'' lo', and W. 

 long. 110°, and extends northward to limits that have not 

 been precifrly afccrtained. Some have fixed its northern 

 extremity at Cape St. Sibaftian, in N. lat. 45" 50'; whilft, 

 others have extended it lo 46^, and have made its length 

 6oD leagues, and its breadth at different places, 10, 20, 30, 

 and 40 leagues. North Californin, indeed, of which the 

 moft northern fcttlcmeiit is San Franccfco, iu N. lat. j;' 



5 F 2 5^'. 



