TOR 



of air, &c. in the manner defcribed under BAROMETER, and 

 then carefully inverted into a veflel of ftagnant mercury, 

 the mercury, inftead of coming down to the height juft 

 mentioned, at which the preflure of the atmofphere is able 

 to fuftain it, will continue to fill the tube, and ftand at the 

 height of feventy-five inches : but by ftriking the tube, 

 or gently (baking it, the mercury will defcend and fettle 

 at its proper height, as in the common barometer. This 

 phenomenon is explained on the principles of the at- 

 traction of cohefion, which aAs moft powerfully in coiitaft : 

 for when the tube is clean, and the mercury well purged of 

 air, many parts of the mercury, which, by the interpofition 

 of I'maU air -bubbles, would be kept from touching the tube, 

 are brought into contact with it, and thofe particles that are 

 in the middle of the column adhere to thofe that are next to 

 the fides of the tube, and thus form a compact column. 

 Befides, the increafe of attracting furface at the arched top 

 of the tube, by means of which a greater number of mer- 

 curial particles may come into contaA with the glafs than 

 thofe that recede from the contaft of one to another, will 

 alfo give an advantage to the attraction of the glafs, and 

 caufe the mercur)-, immediately in contact with it, to adhere 

 to it. That the attraftioa of cohefion, as already explained, 

 is the caufe of this phenomenon is plain, becaufe the 

 experiment will not fucceed when the mercury is not well 

 purged of its air, nor even then if the bore of the tube is 

 large. 



The Torricellian experiment makes what we now call 

 the barometer. 



Torricellian' J^acuum, is the vacuum produced by 

 filling a tube with mercury, and allowing it to defcend to 

 fuch a height as is counterbalanced by the preffure of the 

 atmofphere, as in the Torricellian experiment and barometer. 

 For the method of rendering this vacuum luminous by elec- 

 tricity, fee Electrical, Exp. 15. 



TORRICELLO, in Geography, a town of the duchy 

 of Parma, on the Po ; 12 miles N.N.W. of Parma. 



TORRID Zone, See Zone. 



TORRIGIA, orToRREGLIAf in Geography, a town of 

 the Ligurian republic ; 15 miles N.N.E. of Genoa. 



TORRIJOS, a town of Spain, in New Caftile ; 15 

 miles N.W. of Toledo. 



TORRIMORE Head, a cape of Scotland, on the E. 

 coalt of the ifland of Skye. N. lat. 57" 22'. W. long. 

 6-2'. 



TORRIN-BEG, a rock on the S.W. of the if.and of 

 Mull. N. ht. 56- 19'. W. long. 6- 20'. 



TORRINGTON, or Great Torrington, as it is 

 generally called, to diltinguifh it from a village of the fame 

 name, is a market -town in the hundred of Fremington, and 

 county of Devon, England ; 36 miles N.W. from Exeter, 

 and 197 miles W. by S; from London. The town is fitu- 

 ated, partly on the fummit, and partly on the decUvity of 

 an eminence which forms the eaftem bank of the river Tor- 

 ridge. On the fouth fide are fome flight reftiges of an 

 ancient caille, the origin of which is unknown ; though, 

 according to Rifdon, it was the head of a notable barony, 

 which continued from the Conqueft to the time of Edward I. 

 Its fcite is now ufed as a bowling-green, and commands a fine 

 profpeft. The river is here feen to flow in a graceful cur- 

 rent along a narrow valley, inclofed by Hoping ridges, and 

 having a beautifully wooded back-ground. Torrington was 

 formerly invefted with the privilege of having reprefentatives 

 in parhament ; but no return has been made fince the reign 

 of Henry VI. Its government is vefted in a mayor, eight 

 aldermen, and fixteen burgefles, who act under a charter 

 granted by queen Mary. The town confifts chiefly of one 

 Jong iVeet, " indifferently beautified," fays Rifdon, " with 



TOR 



buildings very populous, and flourifhing with merchants and 

 men of trade." The population return of the year 1811, 

 flates the number of houfes to be 414; the number of in- 

 habitants 215 1 : the chief employ of the latter arifes from | 

 the woollen manufacture. A weekly market is held on Sa- I 

 turdays ; and here are four annual fairs. The parifh con- ] 

 tains two churches, the moft ancient of which is fumifhed • 

 with a Ubrarj-. In the town are fome ancient alms-houfes, 

 poflelling the right of commonage on an extenfive piece of , 

 ground given by William Fitz- Robert, baron of Torring- I 

 ton, in the reign of Richard I. Here is likewife a charity- ' 

 fchool for thirty-two boys. Margaret, countefs of Rich- 

 mond, mother of Henry VII., refided fome time in Torring- 

 ton, and was a confiderable benefactrefs to it. 



At Fritheliloke, a \Tllage oppofite Torrington, on the 

 W. fide of the Torridge, are the ruins of a priory, founded 

 by fir Roger Beauchamp, in the reign of Hei.rv III., for 

 fecular Auguftine canons. At the diflblutio:;, the annual ' 

 revenues were valued at 127/. 2s. 4^. The fcite of the priory 

 is now a farm-yard. The chief remains of the buildings 

 are the walls of two or three apartments, the weft window 

 of the conventual church, which (till continues perfect, and 

 the great gate. 



Near Torrington is Crofs, late the feat of H. Steven?, 

 efq., a handfome manfion, looking down on the romantic 

 fcenery which encompafles the bridge and the banks of the 

 Torridge. 



A few miles from Crofs, fouthward, are the ruins of an 

 old manfion called Heanton, formerly a feat of .the RoUes, 

 afterwards of lord Orford, and laftly of lord Clinton, who, 

 after its late demohtion by fire, cut Aovra the oaks which | 

 were in the park, forming woods and groups of the noblefl 

 trees m the county. — Beauties of England and Wales, vol. iv. 

 Devonlhire, by J. Britton and E.W. Brayley, 1803. Pol- 

 whele's Hiftory, &c. of Devonfliire, foho, 1797. 



Torrington, a town of the ftate of Connecticut; 22 

 miles W.N.W. of Hartford. 



Torrington Bay, or Bedford's Bay, a bay on the S. 

 coaft of Nova Scotia ; 3 miles N. of Hahfax. 



TORRO, a river of Africa, which runs into the 

 Scherbro. 



TORROFF, a town of Bengal; 70 miles N.E. of 

 Dacca. N. lat. 24= 2c'. E. long. 85° 18'. 



TOR RUM, a town of Sweden, in the province of 

 Blekingen ; 10 miles S.E. of Carlfcrona. 



TORRYBURN, a feaport town of Scotland, in Fife- 

 (hire, on the Frith of Forth, with a good Iiarbour, to 

 which belong thirteen velTels, amounting to upwards of 

 I coo tons. 



TORSAKER, a town of Sweden, in Angermanland ; 

 27 miles N. of Hernofand. — Alfo, a town of Sweden, in 

 the province of Geftncia ; 15 miles S.W. of Gefle. 



TORSANG, a town of Sweden, in the province of 

 Dalecarha ; ip miles S. of Fahlun. 



TORSAS, a town of Sweden, in the prON-ince of Sma- 

 land ; 18 miles S.S.W. of Caimar. — Alfo, a town of Swe- 

 den, in the province of Smaland ; 16 miles S.W. of Wexio. 



TORSEERA, a town of Hindooftan, in the circar 

 of Sumbulpour : 16 miles S. of Sumbulpour. 



TORSHELLA, a town of Sweden, in Sudermanland, 

 on a river which runs into the Maelar lake ; 46 miles W. 

 of Stockholm. 



TORSHOK, a town of Ruflia, on the route frcm 

 Peterfourgh to Mofcow, 71 verlls diilant from Vylhney- 

 Volofhok, remarkable for a fpring fiiperftitioully venerated 

 and attracting pilgrims from all parts. This town has no 

 lefs than 20 churches, fome of llone j and is in a thriving 

 condition. See Torzok. 



TORSIANO, 



