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SOOROOT, an ifland in the Eaftern Indian fea, about 

 25 miles in circumference. N. lat. 2° 45'. E. long. 

 ic8° 36'. 



SOORORE, a circar of Bengal, bounded on the north, 

 eaft, and fouth, by Coflimpour and Dinagepour ; and on 

 the weft by Rajemal ; about ten mites long, and from five 

 to eight broad. Bydell feems the chii-f town. 



SOORWALL, a town of HindooUan, in Bundelcund ; 

 35 miles W. of Allahabad. 



SOORY, a town of Bengal ; 7 miles E. of Nagore. N. 

 lat. 23° 55'. E. long. 87° 38'. 



SdOSELA, a town of Africa, in KuUo. N. lat. 12° 

 21'. W. long. 8° 40'. 



SOOSNEER, a pretty large town of Hindooftan, in 

 Malwa, belonging to Sindiah. See OuGEiy. 



SOOSOOHOONAM, or Soesoehoonam, often called 

 Soefoehoonam Materam, from the place of the refidence of 

 the emperor of Java, a kingdom or empire, being the 

 fourth, of the ifland of Java. This empire formerly com- 

 prehended the greateft part of the ifland ; that of " Cheri- 

 bon" formed a part of it, and it was then very powerful : 

 but fince the Dutch eftablifhed themfelves there, it has loft; 

 much of its importance. Neverthelefs it remained undivided 

 till about the middle of the laft century, when the emperor 

 found himfelf fo much embarraffed, in confequence of the 

 rebellion of Manko Boeni, a prince of the blood, that he 

 made a ceffion of his territories to the Company ; who, in 

 return, granted him half of it as their vaflal, and piomifed 

 him their protection ; engaging, at the fame time, never to 

 make any one emperor of Java, who was not a prince of the 

 imperial family. The empire being thus divided, the other 

 half was, in the fame manner, given to Manko Boeni, as 

 the Company's vaUal, under tlie title of fultan, with the like 

 promife of protection, and the like engagement never to 

 nominate any other than princes of his family, as fuccefTors 

 to his dignity. This other half conftitutcs the fifth empire 

 of Java. The capital of Soefoehoonam is Jolo. 



SOOSWARGUR, a town of Hindooftan, in Sumbul- 

 pour ; 32 miles W. of Sumbulpour. 



SOOT, an earthy volatile matter, arifing from wood, 

 coal:, and other fuel, along with the fmoke, by the aftion 

 of fire ; or rather, it is the fmoke itfelf, fixed and detained 

 on the fides of the chimney. 



Soot is a colleftion of fubftances formed by the matter 

 in the flame of inflammable bodies, but which have efcaped 

 perfetl combuftion, from not h.iving fufficient contaft with 

 the vital air. Hence it is that the loot may be burned over 

 again, and hence likewifc it is that when the combuftion is 

 very rapid and effectual, there is no perceptible fmoke, be- 

 caufe all the inflammable matter is then dcftroyed ; as in the 

 cylinder lamps, violent fires, &c. This matter is always 

 of a black colour, more or Icfs brownidi, which colour it 

 acquires from an oil that is burnt, and half reduced to the 

 ftate of coal. Its different qualities and appearances are 

 owing to the nature of the inflammable fubllances which 

 produce it, and the different manner in which they are 

 burnt. 



Chimney foot is a compound of black carbonaceous mat- 

 ter with a confiderable quantity of carbonated ammonia, 

 and probably fome other ammoniacal falls ; and hence it 

 gives a llrong pungent fmcll of this alkali, when rubbed 

 with quicklime. The analyfis of foot exhibits an oil, which 

 may be extraO'tcd by diltillation ; a refin, which may be 

 taken up by alcohol, and which arifos either from 

 the imperfeft alteration of the refin of the vegetable, 

 or the combination of vital air with the volatile oil. It 

 likcwife affords an oil, which is often formed by the de- 



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compofition of mucus ; and it is this acid, of great utility 

 in the arts, for which the academy of Stockholm have de- 

 fcribed a furnace proper for coUcfting it. Soot likewife 

 affords volatile falts, fuch as the carbonate of ammonia, and 

 others. A flight portion of fibrous matter is likewife vola- 

 tilized by the force of the fire, and it is again found in the 

 foot. 



Soot is moftly formed from the combuftion or burning of 

 common or pit-coal, and in general contains fome portion of 

 matters derived from animal fubftances : it is confequently 

 powerful, when applied as a manure. In the trials of fir 

 Humphrey Davy, it was found to afford ammoniacal falts 

 by diftillation, and to yield a brown extractive matter, of a 

 bitter tafte, by means of hot water. It is likewife faid to 

 contain an empyreumatic oil, but that its great bafis is 

 charcoal, in a ftate in which it is capable of being rendered 

 foluble by the aftion of oxygen and water. 



The foot which is formed either from vegetables or from 

 coal, is good both for corn and grals, efpecially on cold 

 moill grounds, or lands apt to be over-run with mofs. 

 Many have found their account in ftrewing it early over 

 their green wheat and barley crops ; but Mr. Ellis fays, 

 neither of them ought to be footed after the 25th of April, 

 becaufe the wheat, and generally the barley, have then 

 done gathering and branching, and are upon the fpindle. 

 He likewife thinks it proper to be fown over young tur- 

 nips, juil after they have appeared. But care fltould always 

 be taken not to ftrew it too thick, left its hot nature fhould 

 hurt the plants. Mr. Worlidge feems to think wood-foot 

 the beft ; but Mr. Mortimer prefers that which is made 

 from fea-coal, of which about 40 bufhels are commonly 

 allowed to an acre ; though fome grounds will require 

 more : to which he adds, that it produces a very fine fweet 

 grafs, and deftroys worms and weeds ; and that it ought 

 not to be fown upon wheat till Candlemas, becaufe the long 

 cold rains and fnows are apt to wafli it in too foon ; nor is 

 it fafe to lay it on later, left a drought fucceed, and bum 

 it up. See Manure and Top- Drefflngs. 



However, Mr. Donaldfon obferves, that this ufeful ma- 

 nure can be obtained in confiderable quantities only from 

 great cities, or large manufacturing towns. The price in 

 London, whence great quantities are carried to the adjacent 

 dittrifls, is eight-pence the bufhel. The ordinary allow- 

 ance is from 25 to 35 bufhels an acre. Soot is ufcd in 

 many parts of England, as Middlefcx, Buckingham, Glou- 

 ccller, Wilts, Laiicafhirc, Yorkfliire, &c. The mode of 

 application is chiefly as top-dreflings for young clover, fain- 

 foin, and old worn-out meadows. The beft feafon for 

 laying it on is in February or March. It is carefully fpread 

 over the field with the hand, and always fucceeds beft, if 

 rain immediately enfues. But Mr. Marfliall recommends 

 its being fown before rain, when a fliower waflies it in, and 

 will be of obvious fervice ; but that if it lie on the furface 

 long without rain, there will be no benefit derived from it. 

 A rich foil wants no foot, but a foil much out of heart 

 wants 40 or 50 buflicl^. In his Rural Economy of Nor- 

 folk, he fays, that the time ol fowing it over the land is 

 coiifidered as very material. If it be fown early, and the 

 frofl catch it, its ftrengtli is thereby lowered ; if late, and 

 no rain falls to wafti it in, it is thought to be rather in- 

 jurious than beneficial to the crop of wheat. And it is not, 

 in any cafe, found of much, if any, fervice to the fucceeding 

 crop of barley. 



The method of fowing it i^ extremely fimple ; and, in the 

 only inftancc he faw, the fowing of foot practiled there was 

 very complete. A favourable op|)ortunity being embraced, 

 when the wind blew gently, and in the direction, or nearly 



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